Motorway driving.

[Jeff]

As this is a car club, I think it acceptable to post the following especially seeing that I post many subjects not appertaining to the club or cars although this could easily go in my rant thread.

Are you sitting comfortably and to cut a short story long:-

Twas a cold winter's night In the back of a taxi early hours this morning travelling along the motorway (with 4 lanes) from Gatwick airport, my wife and I were rudely woken from a nodding off with very bright white lights along with flashing blue ones right in the rear window, frightened the bleedin' lives out of us! Thought the Aliens had landed.

Our 'professional' driver, all of 23 years or so was in lane 3 driving at about 85 mph, I instantly thought it may be because he was 'speeding' but as he pulled over into lane 2 from lane 3, the lights extinguished and the persuing police car sped past us in lane 3 intermittently flashing his lights further on at the other numpties in every lane but the correct one.

'You were lucky' I said and the driver said 'what was I doing wrong'?

I replied 'well we drive on the left in this country (gives you a clue) and you should be in lane 1 but you are still in lane 2 which is why the police car flashed you in lane 3 especially when there is no other traffic about and you were not overtaking anyone yet YOU ARE STILL IN LANE 2 WHEN LANE 1 IS STILL EMPTY'.

My wife squeezed my arm as if to say you are flogging a dead horse here as she immediately sussed out that my English was not too good so I stopped talking before I got abusive especially as we were still a long way from home and didn't fancy walking (been there, done that).

The driver then said 'but that's the slow lane' to which I replied' it used to be called that but now it is called lane 1 with the other lanes used for overtaking AND YET YOU ARE STILL IN LANE 2 WHEN YOU SHOULD BE THERE (pointing) IN LANE 1! IT IS THE LAW NOW THAT YOU COULD BE FINED ON THE SPOT FOR LANE HUGGING'!!

Deaf and ears sprung to mind because he continued the rest of the journey in lane 2 until we left the motorway.

Anyway, finally and safely at our house I said would you like a tip to which he obviously replied yes, so I said go and treat yourself to an advanced driving course seeing as your job is to safely drive people about in return for money, learn your trade!

Nearly as scary as the bad landing at Gatwick due to bad weather conditions, not often I get scared but I did last night, twice! (well 3 if you count the lights from the Aliens).

Jeff.

[KOY 23]

Welcome home to UK Jeff!! In some jobs the only difference between professional and amateurs is pay.

[Jeff]

Welcome home to UK Jeff!! In some jobs the only difference between professional and amateurs is pay.

Thanks John,

I should have drunk some more ethanol whist away.

[Stagdad]

Must admit that is a real pet hate of mine Jeff,and when there are 4 lanes hogging lane 3 is just taking the wee wee but I see it all the time.I go out in to lane 4 overtake then move back into lane 1 most of the time they still don't get the message.
cheers Steve

[Seaking]

Must admit that is a real pet hate of mine Jeff,and when there are 4 lanes hogging lane 3 is just taking the wee wee but I see it all the time.I go out in to lane 4 overtake then move back into lane 1 most of the time they still don't get the message.
cheers Steve

I also get very frustrated with Hgvs taking miles to pass one and other they are supposed to be professional drivers so why do the not ease up and let each other pass. Yes I do hold a Hgv license
Cheers Glenn

[jakesmig]

It's often the way they're taught which brings out the bad driving.

When an ex colleague of mine, with 40 years driving experience, took early retirement, he commenced a driving course aimed at drivers wishing to become a Registered Driving Instructor. He stuck with it right up to his final stint but couldn't live with the fact that everyone who knew him was convinced he had become a really crap driver. He maintained he had relearned, and was following, the 'prescribed methods'. He gave up when his brother sat in the back with a video camera and filmed him driving through the centre of Glasgow, it may have been correct in the approved sense but he isn't letting anyone else see it.

My big sister is an Advanced Driver, Christ alone knows how, following her is an adventure into the world of random acts.

John

(42 years driving, 1.5M miles, no claims, bumps or scratches............one or two speeding convictions perhaps)

[edd]

Well said Jeff , that's one of my pet hates. Your driver may of come from poland , i was taken in a taxi in ukraine last year . My mate let me travel in the front knowing how scary it is. He was in the back laughing. The drivers eyes are firmily on the pots holes in the road , they drive and vere into oncoming traffic and vice versa . It's great to watch roundabouts where he who has his nose in front has right of way but it actually flows really well like in india
Edd

[Staghound]

If you drove a 44 tonner with a speed limiter on then you would understand why...

Andrew.

[Jeff]

Still not got my car back BTW from the meet and greet.

Have reported it to the police and they are 'investigating'.

Could get interesting as technically, I gave them the car, they didn't actually steal it but I suppose in the eyes of the law, they have something of mine without my permission now.

[malc4d]

" If you drove a 44 tonner with a speed limiter on then you would understand why... "

Hmmmm so all lorry drivers know that the lorry is limited to 56 mph.....eh ? Then why the f ck do the insist on trying overtaking another lorry doing 56 mph going up a hill, or series of hills ( the M11 near Cambridge comes to mind ) slowing down to 40 mph and holding the whole 'efing world up for 20 mins. ??

So, Grumps rant over....nearly...lol. Don't get me going on idiots that insist on driving on side lights....don't they realise that you can see the car before the itsy lights

[Goldstar]

Still not got my car back BTW from the meet and greet.

Have reported it to the police and they are 'investigating'.

???

[Delayed Steve]

" If you drove a 44 tonner with a speed limiter on then you would understand why... "

Hmmmm so all lorry drivers know that the lorry is limited to 56 mph.....eh ? Then why the f ck do the insist on trying overtaking another lorry doing 56 mph going up a hill, or series of hills ( the M11 near Cambridge comes to mind ) slowing down to 40 mph and holding the whole 'efing world up for 20 mins. ??

So, Grumps rant over....nearly...lol. Don't get me going on idiots that insist on driving on side lights....don't they realise that you can see the car before the itsy lights

Sorry but you are wrong ,they are not all limited to 56mph , Tesco and Morrisons limit their trucks to 50mph and the limiters on others range from 52 to 58 mph . If you hit a hill with 44 ton on the back you don't want to lose any momentum by braking . Also a fully loaded truck could be down to 45mph going up a hill and a unloaded truck could have started to pass when they reach the top of the hill and the heavy truck gains speed and traps the other in the middle lane . Also while I'm having a moan ,how many times do you see a trucker move over to allow a car on to a motorway and then the car matches the trucks speed and sits there trapping the truck in the outside lane again "holding up the whole world for 20 mins "

[73stagman]

there is some godawful driving in this country now.

Lane hogging, fog lights on on a sunny day front and rear, no lights on at night, darkened light lenses, blue side lights on at night, undertaking, last minute exit snatching, racing past standing traffic when the lane is obviously closed up ahead and the list cold go on............ but the police only book the drivers breaking the speed limit or having the wrong spacing between the letters on their number plates..... go copper go make these roads a safer place.....

[KOY 23]

Too true, unfortunately.

[malc4d]

Sorry not a moan more a question, BUT isn't it illegal in the UK to have any sort of blue lights on your vehicle unless its an emergency or otherwise allowed vehicle....All l see these days on the M11 at night is nearly every lorry is plastered with blue lights and a lot of cars too. Is this the 'new' boy racer thingy ??

Its so much easier to find normally law abiding people doing something in a car wrong, they are on a big bit of black tarmac after all. Than chase serial criminals who could be anywhere.