muppet should i report him?

patrickc · 12-06-2007 12:50pm #1

hi all

I was on my way to work this morning driving between Carlow and Castledermot, there was a van up my ass as such and annoying me, so I went to overtake a truck and a car on a long straight, checked my mirror and off I went, I looked in rearview mirror and no sign of van, checked right hand mirror and there he was in the hardshoulder to my right overtaking me. I know his reg and the company he works for? what would happen if I reported him to traffic watch? He could of caused a serious accident and i blew my horn at him, he stuck his fingers out the window at me and sped on.

LundiMardi · 12-06-2007 12:51pm

report him... To do that is retarded, to do it with the company name on the side of the van is just plain moronic.

Hal1 · 12-06-2007 1:00pm

'He was in the hardshoulder to my right overtaking me'

What?, where you driving against the flow of traffic, playing a bit of chicken ehh

On a serious note you should report him for wrecklesss driving, dont let mugs get away with driving like that.

Moanin · 12-06-2007 1:04pm

Defo report him!

ciarsd · 12-06-2007 1:07pm

1890-205805

Gran Hermano · 12-06-2007 1:10pm

Sounds like a proper moron. Report him to the gardai and as long
as the van didnt have "Joe Bloggs Company" on the side and you
got the impression it was 'Joe' himself driving I'd be straight on the
phone to the company.

peasant · 12-06-2007 1:15pm

Not trying to defend the van driver, but the fact that you hadn't a clue of the wherebaouts of the van until it "suddenly" appeared to your right on the hard shoulder raises some questions too.

Could be you actually forced him onto the hard shoulder because you didn't pay enough attention while pulling out ...

yop · 12-06-2007 1:16pm

Without a doubt report it. Ignorance and arrogance all in one

patrickc · 12-06-2007 1:20pm

peasant wrote:

Not trying to defend the van driver, but the fact that you hadn't a clue of the wherebaouts of the van until it "suddenly" appeared to your right on the hard shoulder raises some questions too.

Could be you actually forced him onto the hard shoulder because you didn't pay enough attention while pulling out ...

he was behind me one second I looked in my left mirror pulling back in then in rearview mirror, and he wasnt behind me.

dade · 12-06-2007 1:22pm

report him and then put a complaint in against him with the company. most companies take these complaints very seriously. idiot could have killed someone.

peasant · 12-06-2007 1:26pm

he was behind me one second I looked in my left mirror pulling back in then in rearview mirror, and he wasnt behind me

Ahh ..so now you pulled in again as well at some stage during your overtaking attempt?

Could it just be that you drove somewhat erratically?

Still no excuse for what van-man did ...but a possible explanation

patrickc · 12-06-2007 1:26pm

peasant wrote:

Ahh ..so now you pulled in again as well at some stage during your overtaking attempt?

Could it just be that you drove somewhat erratically?

Still no excuse for what van-man did ...but a possible explanation

I pulled in after completing my overtaking manoveure.

peasant · 12-06-2007 1:27pm

Well ...if you're sure you've done everything right ...report him

Triangle · 12-06-2007 1:28pm

Something like this happened to me before, except I was the 'Van'

I started overtaking the car who decided then to start overtaking and 'pushed' me over to the verge.

Before making an alligation - are you 100% that he hadn't started overtaking first and you just missed him?

(I'm not saying you did, i'm just playing the devils advocate)

Edit: beaten to the post by peasant

prospect · 12-06-2007 1:29pm

peasant wrote:

Ahh ..so now you pulled in again as well at some stage during your overtaking attempt?

Could it just be that you drove somewhat erratically?

Why is there always someone waiting to jump down the neck of a poster?

You are a mod, you should know better, really. Were you there, did you see what happened, are you even aware of the exact stretch of road? I would guess the answer is 'no' to all those questions. So why would you try to put blame on the OP? Are you trying to start a row?

The OP simply asked if we think the van driver should be reported. I say 'yes, he should', regardless of what way the OP was driving, there is no excuse to overtake using the hard shoulder of the opposite lane.

patrickc · 12-06-2007 1:33pm

prospect wrote:

Why is there always someone waiting to jump down the neck of a poster?

You are a mod, you should know better, really. Were you there, did you see what happened, are you even aware of the exact stretch of road? I would guess the answer is 'no' to all those questions. So why would you try to put blame on the OP? Are you trying to start a row?

The OP simply asked if we think the van driver should be reported. I say 'yes, he should', regardless of what way the OP was driving, there is no excuse to overtake using the hard shoulder of the opposite lane.

thanks prospect,
I always check my mirrors before overtaking, learned that the hard way when learning to drive some years back.

MrPudding · 12-06-2007 1:34pm

prospect wrote:

there is no excuse to overtake using the hard shoulder of the opposite lane.

Yes there is. If you are overtaking a car and the driver of that car decides to overtake without checking his blindspot. Given the choice of being involved in an accident or moving to the hard shoulder to avoid one is a no brainer. Anyone who whould not do this is an idiot and should not be on the road.

MrP

Triangle · 12-06-2007 1:39pm

patrickc2006 wrote:

thanks prospect,
I always check my mirrors before overtaking, learned that the hard way when learning to drive some years back.

Then definately report him - that type of driving will get someone killed.

colm_mcm · 12-06-2007 1:40pm

I'm sure the people "waiting to jump down the neck of a poster" are just making sure the OP is certain that they were not in the wrong and forced the van to overtake, before reporting it to the Gardai or company involved.

MrPudding · 12-06-2007 1:41pm

patrickc2006 wrote:

thanks prospect,
I always check my mirrors before overtaking, learned that the hard way when learning to drive some years back.

I am not having a go at you but checking your mirrors is not enough. When carrying out a manouver like this you should also do a blindspot check.

When you think about how this guy was driving prior to this, tailgating you and such, I think it was pretty obvious that he would try to pass you at the first oportunity.

If it had been me I would have held back a moment and waited for him to go, I don't think you would have been waiting long.

I would say that in your case this was most likely not a matter of you pulling into him and him taking evasive action, simply him being an impatient idiot.

MrP

MrP

prospect · 12-06-2007 1:42pm

MrPudding wrote:

Yes there is. If you are overtaking a car and the driver of that car decides to overtake without checking his blindspot. Given the choice of being involved in an accident or moving to the hard shoulder to avoid one is a no brainer.

No there is not,
In that case you break and move back and occupy the space the 'offending' car has vacated.
I cannot believe anyone would advocate using the oncoming hardshoulder for such a manoeuvre.

MrPudding wrote:

Anyone who whould not do this is an idiot and should not be on the road.

I think you may have this accusation the wrong way round. Anyone who thinks it is acceptable to drive, at speed (if overtaking), in the hardshoulder of oncoming traffic, should not only be off the road, but should be jailed for being grossly incompetent.

colm_mcm · 12-06-2007 1:50pm

no mention of oncoming traffic here.

patrickc · 12-06-2007 1:55pm

colm_mcm wrote:

no mention of oncoming traffic here.

there was none.

Q_Ball · 12-06-2007 1:56pm

MrPudding wrote:

Yes there is. If you are overtaking a car and the driver of that car decides to overtake without checking his blindspot. Given the choice of being involved in an accident or moving to the hard shoulder to avoid one is a no brainer.

prospect wrote:

No there is not,
In that case you break and move back and occupy the space the 'offending' car has vacated.
I cannot believe anyone would advocate using the oncoming hardshoulder for such a manoeuvre.

I think you're both right, depending on the position of the idiot pulling out If i was parallel with them I'd have moved into the hard shoulder to avoid the idiot hitting me and pulled back in my lane when they had moved off in front of me

lightening · 12-06-2007 1:58pm

Just like Triangle... this happened to me.

I went to overtake two cars. Checked mirrors, no one behind me, indicated, moved over the broken white line and proceeded to overtake.

I had a clear road ahead of me, no oncoming traffic.

The car in between be suddenly indicates and proceeds to overtake the car in front!

I was in his blind spot, he never saw me and pushed me on to the opposit hard shoulder.

I sounded my horn, breaked and backed right off.

The guy freaked at me.

patrickc · 12-06-2007 1:58pm

ye have me doubting myself now..

MrPudding · 12-06-2007 2:00pm

prospect wrote:

No there is not,
In that case you break and move back and occupy the space the 'offending' car has vacated.
I cannot believe anyone would advocate using the oncoming hard shoulder for such a manoeuvre.

It is quicker to move to your right in a case like this than to brake. Even if you brake hard there is still a chance that you will take at least a glancing blow from the car moving out.

Dismissing the opposite hard should as a possible escape route is, I'm afraid, an idiotic attitude. What if there was a car behind you who has now also started accelerating for a possible overtake? The gap you left might not be there anymore, you may not have a route into the space this guy is leaving.

I personally would prefer not to have to use the opposite hard should for evasive moves but at least I can see that there are times when it might be the best and only option.

prospect wrote:

I think you may have this accusation the wrong way round. Anyone who thinks it is acceptable to drive, at speed (if overtaking), in the hard shoulder of oncoming traffic, should not only be off the road, but should be jailed for being grossly incompetent.

Oh, a nice piece of word twisting there. I am talking about using the opposite hard shoulder as an escape route to avoid a collision. I would never advocate driving there at speed or using it to overtake simply for convenience.

MrP

lightening · 12-06-2007 2:01pm

patrickc2006 wrote:

ye have me doubting myself now..

At least you can do that. Most drivers think they are always in the right... At least there wasn't an accident.

And of course... Maybe you were in the right, put it down as a experience I guess.

Dades · 12-06-2007 2:04pm

I think you have to ask why a van would attempt to overtake a car that was already overtaking slower moving traffic.

I'm more inclined to believe the van driver had his foot on the gas to overtake first. Whether or not he should have backed off, or kept going is a different question.

lightening · 12-06-2007 2:04pm

The Atheist wrote:

I think you have to ask why a van would attempt to overtake a car that was already overtaking slower moving traffic.

Good point, but maybe he started before Patrick did.

prospect · 12-06-2007 2:10pm

Look,

You can make up obscure situations till the cows come home,
but,

there is NEVER and excuse to drive in the hard shoulder on the opposite side of the road, (where there can be oncoming traffic).

Worst case scenario, if you must move into it, you brake and stop your car, and rejoin the traffic when it is safe to do so.

I am simply stunned that anyone would see that driving this way is even remotely acceptable.

muppet should i report him?

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