How do YOU deal with Muppetry on the road?

Padre_Pio

amadangomor wrote: »

I used to brake test tail-gaters but had one near miss with an absolute nut job and have very rarely done it since.

Was driving in on the M4 and both lanes were full so no point pulling over as will just get boxed in behind very slow traffic on the left lane.

Numpty was a few feet behind me going at a good whack so I break test him lightly. He is obviously raging at this as he undertakes when there is a gap on the left. Pulls in in front of me and immediately jams on his brakes. Luckily I was awake and reacted in time.

Moral is some people have zero self awareness and you won't change their behaviour. What we need is more Guards out and about on the roads policing ****ty driving.

If you can be undertaken then you're in the wrong lane.

kirving

Padre_Pio wrote: »

If you can be undertaken then you're in the wrong lane.

Nope.

Overtaking truck doing 100kph while being tailgated.
Should leave 2 second gap to truck before pulling in.
Approx 10 seconds driving at 120kph.
Car behind doesn't care.
Cuts off trucks and undertakes car.

H3llR4iser

punisher5112 wrote: »

That's hilarious, I had that when I robbed my sister's for a few days...

If I were to do the same today I have a blonde wig I'd throw on for the laugh....

I've been on the wrong end of that - a while ago I pulled up at a traffic light beside one of these Red-Bull sponsored Mini (the ones hideously cut in half with the RB can in the top). They're normally driven around by pretty ladies.

I turn to look in the car and there's a 50-something dude, smiling his way in the face of my clearly shocked/disgusted mug

Padre_Pio

Kevin Irving wrote: »

Nope.

Overtaking truck doing 100kph while being tailgated.
Should leave 2 second gap to truck before pulling in.
Approx 10 seconds driving at 120kph.
Car behind doesn't care.
Cuts off trucks and undertakes car.

It's a general rule, more than a specific one for cherry picking outliers.

Though I find it hard to believe that a car 5 metres long would fit into a gap 10 metres wide while travelling at 120+ kph in front of a truck.

Great driving skill, that man.

TrailerBob

I do a good lot of miles, between 30-35 thousand a year, (50-55k in new money), and have done so for the best part of 20 years in cars, vans, buses and even tractors. I've seen it all.. the best and worst of driving. I'm probably somewhere in the middle myself, though I like to think I'm better than average. My way of dealing with the loonies is the same as with the rest of life..

Tread lightly in the lives of others, you don't know what is going on for them at that moment..

Yes they might just be a tool of the highest order, or they might be going through a horrible ordeal, or a life-changing set of circumstances.. or they might be a violent criminal...or.. you get the point..

We all have a common objective on the road, to get where we are going without crashing if at all possible. Some of us even want to enjoy the journey.. this piece of philosophy has been brought to you by life experience

FDave

Kevin Irving wrote: »

Where did I say that?

That car in front may have to brake hard for another reason entirely.

You didn't, i did. i was talking about brake checking in my previous post. Why would you quote me if that isnt what you are talking about. Obviously there are situations where a driver may need to brake hard in an emergency.

Tchaikovsky

When you're a passenger in a car and notice the number of passing drivers that are glancing down constantly- either at their phone or there's something odd going on between their legs - it's fairly terrifying.

snickers

The amount of people that do not seem to be able use a roundabout properly is shocking and when it comes to lanes merging some people seem to go out of their way not to let other traffic merge in a safe manner also the last two times I attempted a 3 point turn I had drivers nip by me instead of waiting until I had executed my turn but after seeing so many nasty road rage videos I think it’s safer these days to just keep your mouth shut and let karma take its natural course.

road_high

I only recently started driving a new BMW and never had one before and boy is it a revelation! People seem to be attracted to my arse like magnets especially young lady “drivers” in SUV things. The driving education regime must still be dire really - so few seem to understand proper braking distances at all after all those lessons etc

AndrewJRenko

Tchaikovsky wrote: »

When you're a passenger in a car and notice the number of passing drivers that are glancing down constantly- either at their phone or there's something odd going on between their legs - it's fairly terrifying.

It gets slightly more terrifying when you're on a bike, exposed and vulnerable, and drivers are passing with a phone in one hand, or occasionally two phones (1 in each hand), or video chatting on a dash-mounted phone or with a YouTube playing. It's a big, big problem.

D13exile

I drive about 40,000kms a year up and down the country for work and my bugbear is farmers in big tractors pulling haybales at 30kph on narrow roads resulting in a large tailback of cars behind them. Even when they have the opportunity to pull in and let the convoy behind get past, they don't. This leads to frustrated drivers taking chances to overtake when it really isn't safe to do so. I know the farmers have a job to do and I accept that they have to transport their haybales from place to place but a little bit of consideration would go a long way.

Oh and then there was the time one of the big four wheel drive tractors with wheels bigger than me pulled out of a muddy field with its tyres covered in muck. When it took off up the road, the muck flew off the tyres, up into the air and then down on my car and others behind me like an artillary bombardment. I escaped with just a lot of big clods of muck on my windscreen but the woman behind me had a stone come down and smash her windscreen.

antodeco

A big problem Im seeing is that people who have no idea how to merge. The amount of times Ive nearly lost the side of my car because I indicated and started moving from the merging lane into the "driving lane", and then the other person speeds up from a car length or 2 back to try and prevent you from going in.

Strumms

People who when stopped at the lights think... ‘ahhh I know, this is a good and appropriate time to check my phone !’. The fûcking law and indeed safe and good common sense suggests otherwise... Light turns green and they are in the middle of WhatsApping someone back. They again before taking off need to stow the phone back safely, wave an apology (maybe) get into gear and drive. The 10 cars that usually get out at the sequence is instead 3 or 4 now.... prîcks.

Mardyke

Here's what wrecks my head...

- drivers not utilising the full On Slip when merging with a major road... They want to get into the traffic as quickly/soon as possible.... Mind boggling

- the obvious one... Drivers cruising along in the overtaking lane. It seems to be an Irish thing. Whoever first called it the "Fast lane" should be shot

- people who break Amber and red lights

- queue skippers; their time is much more precious than the rest of us.... Assholes

There's more, but....

_Brian

Just ignore, move on and forget them.

I spend allot of my working day out on the roads and honestly it would kill you if you took it all on board.

kenmm

Strumms wrote: »

People who when stopped at the lights think... ‘ahhh I know, this is a good and appropriate time to check my phone !’. ... Light turns green and they are in the middle of WhatsApping someone back.

To me thats not muppetry - thats the only way to make progress in dublin these days - a series of well timed moves up the last 50m of bus lane means you will always get back in

(Yes add driving in the bus lane to muppetry..)

kenmm

_Brian wrote: »

Just ignore, move on and forget them.

I spend allot of my working day out on the roads and honestly it would kill you if you took it all on board.

Thats the only worth while advice

dsmythy

Mardyke wrote: »

Here's what wrecks my head...

- drivers not utilising the full On Slip when merging with a major road... They want to get into the traffic as quickly/soon as possible.... Mind boggling

- queue skippers; their time is much more precious than the rest of us.... Assholes

There's more, but....

There's two types of slip road hurriers. The get out of my way I'm heading for the 'fast lane' types. Then the neurotic ones who think going to the end of the slip is skipping or they're worried about getting caught at the end so if they see even half a space they jump in so they can exhale.

And yes queue skipping definitely gets the most violent reactions off people. I won't be overly helpful to the guy (usually a bloke) pushing in but I'm not hitting cars about it either. Have to let it go.

high_king

Not everything in Ireland has changed for the better. The anti-social types and the rat race brigade stuck in their little cages with their little rat race jobs are becoming ever more anti-social on the roads. How do I deal with them ? Stick on Bob Marley, drive nice and slow and relaxed and chill. I find my drives completely relaxing while those all around trapped their little self destructing rat race mentality continue to literally go mental.

pablo128

Ciano35 wrote: »

What usually works for me with tailgaters is spray the windscreen washers continuously, the overspray goes onto their windscreen and they’ll usually back off after a while if they’re smart enough to realise what’s happening.

To make this method more effective, point one of the washer jets upwards so that it completely sprays over the roof of your car and back onto their car

A free windscreen wash. And no need to take my hands off the wheel either. The auto wipers will take care of it.

Thanks buddy.

2Mad2BeMad

I was undertaken on the tallaght by pass today by a lovely young girl in a drug dealers new bmw.
She undertook and went right in front of me to turn right up ahead which was less then 100metres away. Turning right has its own lane.
The lights were red and I was at the front goi g straight and she was at the front turning right.
She looked at me and I looked at her and I just clapped my hands at her. Well the abuse she gave. Mind you I couldn't hear her as my window was up and radio on. I just kept laughing at her and it mad her even more mad haha.

Best part was my light turns green long before hers does so she was doing well over 100kph undertook then flew a cross to lanes all to be ahead of me.

I was doing 80kph which is the speed limit.
made my morning

high_king

2Mad2BeMad wrote: »

I was undertaken on the tallaght by pass today by a lovely young girl in a drug dealers new bmw.
She undertook and went right in front of me to turn right up ahead which was less then 100metres away. Turning right has its own lane.
The lights were red and I was at the front goi g straight and she was at the front turning right.
She looked at me and I looked at her and I just clapped my hands at her. Well the abuse she gave. Mind you I couldn't hear her as my window was up and radio on. I just kept laughing at her and it mad her even more mad haha.

Best part was my light turns green long before hers does so she was doing well over 100kph undertook then flew a cross to lanes all to be ahead of me.

I was doing 80kph which is the speed limit.
made my morning

face it, she just a better driver and beat you

sdanseo

Just in the last hour

At least three pedestrians wandered out in front of traffic
Two cars forced their way past me in a car park even though I was halfway out of a space (began when the way was clear)
One dumb blonde pulled of of a side road causing me to drop the anchor, then spotted someone she knew, stopped in the junction to chat and blocked BOTH sides of the road (we both sat on the horn and she ignored for a good few seconds too)
Some numpty parked on the footpath on a bad corner making it totally blind

And countless people passed on narrow roads who are clearly not able to judge the width of their car. Here's me, all the way to the left, and them in the middle of the road with two feet on their left to spare. Both at a crawl when could be doing the limit.

Yeah, driving in this country is a pox.

punisher5112

high_king wrote: »

face it, she just a better driver and beat you

Boom

splinter65

Parked and sitting in the car at night and someone parks up facing me and leaves their headlights on full beam into my windscreen. I always immediately turn on my headlights to full beam right back at them.

splinter65

AndrewJRenko wrote: »

It gets slightly more terrifying when you're on a bike, exposed and vulnerable, and drivers are passing with a phone in one hand, or occasionally two phones (1 in each hand), or video chatting on a dash-mounted phone or with a YouTube playing. It's a big, big problem.

Watched a girl here in Thurles take a right turn (no indicators used) in heavy but quick moving traffic with her phone clamped to her right ear chatting away totally distracted with one hand and steering with the left hand and three untethered kids on the back seat.

punisher5112

Have a friend, passed test few weeks ago....

She was in front one night just happened to be on same road, she comes to an entrance to an estate stops, then indicates and then proceeds to slowly turn in.....

There was nothing coming out of the estate and there was nothing oncoming so the road was empty only for us behind her....

I can't actually believe how bad many are even after just passing.

Test isn't hard enough and all should be tested day and night and on a dual carriageway as a motorway isn't allowed but honestly on the test it should as the minute they say pass one can drive on it.

Febreeze

The ones that are up my arse looking for a lift are the ones that infuriate me. Driving so close to the back of me, they are short of telling me where they want to go so I'll give them a lift. You have to know, as a driver, how close you are to another car. You honestly can't be that oblivious. I've often slowed down a little bit just to either, make the driver aware or to annoy them. Honestly it depends on how the driver looks at me. Mostly you can tell its just some a€rshole wanting to just speed down the road for the sake of it. I've a baby seat in the back and that still doesn't stop drivers wanting to go up my a€rse on the road. There have been times when I've seen the drivers attitude change when they realise there's a baby in the back and they've back away a bit more but Jesus Christ. You're not the only driver on the road you could be putting danger too. Just chill out. Drive at the speed given, know your rules of the road and dont be an idiot and I'm sure we'll all be grand. But sure that's too easy. Also, people that don't use indicators. I give up sometimes

high_king

Febreeze wrote: »

The ones that are up my arse looking for a lift are the ones that infuriate me.

Homophobia alert

Febreeze

high_king wrote: »

Homophobia alert

Oooopps sorry

McCrack

2Mad2BeMad wrote: »

I was undertaken on the tallaght by pass today by a lovely young girl in a drug dealers new bmw.
She undertook and went right in front of me to turn right up ahead which was less then 100metres away. Turning right has its own lane.
The lights were red and I was at the front goi g straight and she was at the front turning right.
She looked at me and I looked at her and I just clapped my hands at her. Well the abuse she gave. Mind you I couldn't hear her as my window was up and radio on. I just kept laughing at her and it mad her even more mad haha.

Best part was my light turns green long before hers does so she was doing well over 100kph undertook then flew a cross to lanes all to be ahead of me.

I was doing 80kph which is the speed limit.
made my morning

There is no such thing as "undertaking" - only the lads that drive hearses do that

Now if she could pass you on your left should you not have been in that lane rather than sitting in the outside or overtaking lane - (and sticking to the indicated speed limit on your speedometer doesn't entitle you to not keep left)

..and then trying to antagonise her at the lights.. there is a lot wrong with your post tbh

creedp

punisher5112 wrote: »

Have a friend, passed test few weeks ago....

She was in front one night just happened to be on same road, she comes to an entrance to an estate stops, then indicates and then proceeds to slowly turn in.....

There was nothing coming out of the estate and there was nothing oncoming so the road was empty only for us behind her....

I can't actually believe how bad many are even after just passing.

Test isn't hard enough and all should be tested day and night and on a dual carriageway as a motorway isn't allowed but honestly on the test it should as the minute they say pass one can drive on it.

This is why I always groan when I hear someone say if people would pass their test they would immediately turn into much safer drivers. There must be a Lotta Lotta L drivers on the road. Reality is the most professional and well trained drivers are not immune to muppetry on the road.

AndrewJRenko

creedp wrote: »

There must be a Lotta Lotta L drivers on the road. Reality is the most professional and well trained drivers are not immune to muppetry on the road.

The idea of a once-in-a-lifetime test is ridiculous, and wouldn't be accepted for any professional skill. There really should be regular re-testing, maybe every 3 to 5 years or so.

splinter65 wrote: »

Watched a girl here in Thurles take a right turn (no indicators used) in heavy but quick moving traffic with her phone clamped to her right ear chatting away totally distracted with one hand and steering with the left hand and three untethered kids on the back seat.

I was behind a guy last night who had his phone attached to a mount stuck onto the windscreen, just left/above the steering wheel, right/below the rear view mirror - so right in the middle of a key viewing position - where he should be looking for pedestrians, cyclists and other cars. It's not that he was watching or using the phone - it's just the location is bound to reduce his visibility.

punisher5112

AndrewJRenko wrote: »

The idea of a once-in-a-lifetime test is ridiculous, and wouldn't be accepted for any professional skill. There really should be regular re-testing, maybe every 3 to 5 years or so.





I was behind a guy last night who had his phone attached to a mount stuck onto the windscreen, just left/above the steering wheel, right/below the rear view mirror - so right in the middle of a key viewing position - where he should be looking for pedestrians, cyclists and other cars. It's not that he was watching or using the phone - it's just the location is bound to reduce his visibility.

I've seen quite a few women drivers do this with phone or sat nav....

Right damn in the middle of their face so how they see the road is beyond me....

kirving

McCrack wrote: »

Now if she could pass you on your left should you not have been in that lane rather than sitting in the outside or overtaking lane - (and sticking to the indicated speed limit on your speedometer doesn't entitle you to not keep left)

Obviously the poster could have been in the wrong, but the above is not gospel, I can't understand why that advice is treated as such.

There are plenty of scenarios where you could be entirely correct but a car passes on the left incorrectly or dangerously.

If you've just overtaken a car, and are leaving them the correct braking distance before pulling in front of them, another car behind would have enough space to cut off the car on the left and then overtake you on the left. You then have no time and no room to move left.

I'm in the correct lane here, at the limit.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yOGoNvlKDaw

dsmythy

punisher5112 wrote: »

Have a friend, passed test few weeks ago....

She was in front one night just happened to be on same road, she comes to an entrance to an estate stops, then indicates and then proceeds to slowly turn in.....

There was nothing coming out of the estate and there was nothing oncoming so the road was empty only for us behind her....

I can't actually believe how bad many are even after just passing.

Test isn't hard enough and all should be tested day and night and on a dual carriageway as a motorway isn't allowed but honestly on the test it should as the minute they say pass one can drive on it.

She was going to go straight thought about it changed her mind and turned? Not ideal but....

pablo128

Kevin Irving wrote: »

Obviously the poster could have been in the wrong, but the above is not gospel, I can't understand why that advice is treated as such.

There are plenty of scenarios where you could be entirely correct but a car passes on the left incorrectly or dangerously.

If you've just overtaken a car, and are leaving them the correct braking distance before pulling in front of them, another car behind would have enough space to cut off the car on the left and then overtake you on the left. You then have no time and no room to move left.

I'm in the correct lane here, at the limit.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yOGoNvlKDaw

Is that passing Newlands Cross?

high_king

Kevin Irving wrote: »

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yOGoNvlKDaw

who's that hog in the middle lane that nearly caused a crash ?

punisher5112

dsmythy wrote: »

She was going to go straight thought about it changed her mind and turned? Not ideal but....

Eh no she was turning into where she lives.....


So you think straight road, no other traffic, nothing coming out and a clear road to turn into is ok to come to a stop, then indicate and then finally slowly turn in.... It's not a small road either.

micar

2Mad2BeMad wrote: »

I was undertaken on the tallaght by pass today by a lovely young girl in a drug dealers new bmw.
She undertook and went right in front of me to turn right up ahead which was less then 100metres away. Turning right has its own lane.
The lights were red and I was at the front goi g straight and she was at the front turning right.
She looked at me and I looked at her and I just clapped my hands at her. Well the abuse she gave. Mind you I couldn't hear her as my window was up and radio on. I just kept laughing at her and it mad her even more mad haha.

Best part was my light turns green long before hers does so she was doing well over 100kph undertook then flew a cross to lanes all to be ahead of me.

I was doing 80kph which is the speed limit.
made my morning

This needs reporting.

Ring traffic watch and report her for dangerous driving.

She probably behaves like that all time and may one day kill herself or someone else.

2Mad2BeMad

high_king wrote: »

face it, she just a better driver and beat you

I will be honest I was only slightly jealous of her haha.

McCrack wrote: »

There is no such thing as "undertaking" - only the lads that drive hearses do that

Now if she could pass you on your left should you not have been in that lane rather than sitting in the outside or overtaking lane - (and sticking to the indicated speed limit on your speedometer doesn't entitle you to not keep left)

..and then trying to antagonize her at the lights.. there is a lot wrong with your post tbh

Part in bold, you know what I meant, dont be a smart arse just because you are behind a keyboard.

I was turning right at the next junction so 500* metres of been in the inside lane makes me wrong, ok...

by the way the tallaght by pass is not designed as an inside lane and outside lane for overtaken,
you are either in the inside for going straight or turning right, or outside for going straight or turning left.

But keep up the good work on that high horse of yours, its doing wonders.

and yes I will happily antagonise someone for doing something moronic on a road which kills people. Regardless of her gender, race or what she drives incase you decide to bring race/gender into the equation.

Act like a moron get treated like one, a lovely slow clap to show she was in the wrong certainly made my day, and embarrassed her. Maybe next time she wont do the same out of risk being embarrassed.
Or maybe she will, frankly I don't care cause odds are I will never see her again unless its her face on the news of how she died in a car crash "accident" or god forbid causes the death of another road user.

dsmythy

punisher5112 wrote: »

Eh no she was turning into where she lives.....


So you think straight road, no other traffic, nothing coming out and a clear road to turn into is ok to come to a stop, then indicate and then finally slowly turn in.... It's not a small road either.

I know passing the test doesn't make you an expert but she'd fail if she can't turn a corner. Sounds like something else was going on.

kirving

pablo128 wrote: »

Is that passing Newlands Cross?

Yep.

high_king wrote: »

who's that hog in the middle lane that nearly caused a crash ?

I've said I was in the correct lane. If you think otherwise, you can look up the Google maps and check out the overhead signs.

punisher5112

dsmythy wrote: »

I know passing the test doesn't make you an expert but she'd fail if she can't turn a corner. Sounds like something else was going on.

Like what.... This is how bad she actually is...

McCrack

2Mad2BeMad wrote: »

I will be honest I was only slightly jealous of her haha.



Part in bold, you know what I meant, dont be a smart arse just because you are behind a keyboard.

I was turning right at the next junction so 500* metres of been in the inside lane makes me wrong, ok...

by the way the tallaght by pass is not designed as an inside lane and outside lane for overtaken,
you are either in the inside for going straight or turning right, or outside for going straight or turning left.

But keep up the good work on that high horse of yours, its doing wonders.

and yes I will happily antagonise someone for doing something moronic on a road which kills people. Regardless of her gender, race or what she drives incase you decide to bring race/gender into the equation.

Act like a moron get treated like one, a lovely slow clap to show she was in the wrong certainly made my day, and embarrassed her. Maybe next time she wont do the same out of risk being embarrassed.
Or maybe she will, frankly I don't care cause odds are I will never see her again unless its her face on the news of how she died in a car crash "accident" or god forbid causes the death of another road user.

It seems you lack maturity on the road

Re the lane keep left unless overtaking, by your own admission you were going straight at the next junction and she was turning right so yes you should have kept left and she would have passed you on the right and would have saved you doing the retard clap

pablo128

Kevin Irving wrote: »

Yep.



I've said I was in the correct lane. If you think otherwise, you can look up the Google maps and check out the overhead signs.

It looks from the video like you were heading outbound. If you were, you were in an overtaking lane.

kirving

pablo128 wrote: »

It looks from the video like you were heading outbound. If you were, you were in an overtaking lane.

I was traveling inbound, at the limit in the correct lane, which hangs on a giant overhead sign 600m back up the road.

My point is, even though I'm completely correct, people are still excusing agressive, dangerous driving (overtaking on the left at speed) by blindly regurgitating the old chestnut "if you can be overtaken on the left, you're in the wrong lane". It's not correct in a load of circumstances.

ewj1978

Dealing with muppetry.. Picking the young lad up from school, driving home after and was overtaken by a young N plate lad doing mad speeds. Took the footage to the Gardai.
Muppet has been pulled by an Gardai since and asked to come to station to view footage. Won't accept he was doing any wrong (muppet) so now i'm off to give a statement.

amadangomor

FDave wrote: »

Anybody who brake tests other people for any reason are the biggest muppets on the road and it should be an instant ban. People who react badly to other bad drivers in general show their driving isnt much better, but actively creating a situation where a crash can occur tops all other bad behaviour. The fact you and a few others admit doing it highlights the level of the average drivers cop on.

A wise man once said
"Moral is some people have zero self awareness and you won't change their behaviour"

I think you missed where I said I rarely do it now since this so have learned/am learning that lesson. Think I've done it twice since then and intend not to do it any more.

Hard to not do something as I take offence at other people putting my life in danger but these people won't learn.

kenmm

Since the thread is "how to deal with.."


I think trying to deliberately antagonise someone after a display of muppetry is more likely to cause an accident.

The muppet in this case (driven mad or being wound up with slow clap, laughter, sneering etc) is just going to double their muppet efforts (due to being pissed off) on the next junction with some other poor fecker.