Driver tried to stop me merging onto M50

hshortt

To the OP,

You could have stayed in, and not let the little f e c k e r in, he'd have missed his exit and been rightly peeved. But you could have taken the next exit then entrance and been away with a bigger grin on your face.

Not that'd actually do that myself, but I hate impolite drivers like that.

Cheers

DamoKen

Johnny Storm wrote:

but a "respectable"-looking, pudgey, mid-thirties, middle-class twat with a receding hairline.
Have we gotten to the stage where even the middle-class **** are acting like Mad Max?

I was driving along in the "fast" lane northbound just past where the Blanch ramp merges with the M50 last week, the usual 40km bumper to bumper rush hour cr*p we all know and love. Anyway this transit van was merging into the slow lane, one car slowed to let him in, only reason I noticed was he swerved in quite quickly without indicating, no big deal, no harm done. But it was what he did next I couldn't believe, he was parallel to the car in front of me, but rather than staying where he was he starts to come across the line between the lanes, I can see the guy in the car in front of me looking at him wondering what the hell, surely he sees me??? Doesn't seem to matter as he keeps on coming, at this stage the car in front of me has been forced to the side of the road, his wheels just grazing the grass verge so he finally stops dead and has the temerity to beep the van. Instead of getting an apologetic wave or whatever from the van, the next minute half the van drivers body is out the window (I can only assume/hope someone else was in the van steering for him), shaking his fist at the car that dared beep him and screaming obscenities!
So does this make that guy a "working class w*anker or twat???, no, just makes him an ignorant c*nt. No idea where this class bullsh*t comes into it tbh. :rolleyes:

Bluetonic

blastman wrote:

Why would you want to drive with L plates if you aren't a learner anyway? Might as well paint a bullseye on the car...

Perhaps if you were learning to drive in a car owned by someone else, then that car might have L plates on it when a fully licenced driver is driving. A parents car for instance who are teaching their children to drive.

If a car is displaying L plates correctly they should be afixed somewhere not obsecuring view so probably on the body of the car.... would hardly make sense to keep sticking them on and removing them.

Also you see plenty of driving school cars driving around all day with only instructors in them when they are not taking lessons and these cars display L plates. Also anyone can set themself up as a driving school. Another example.

Alun

Bluetonic wrote:

Perhaps if you were learning to drive in a car owned by someone else, then that car might have L plates on it when a fully licenced driver is driving. A parents car for instance who are teaching their children to drive.

If a car is displaying L plates correctly they should be afixed somewhere not obsecuring view so probably on the body of the car.... would hardly make sense to keep sticking them on and removing them.

Also you see plenty of driving school cars driving around all day with only instructors in them when they are not taking lessons and these cars display L plates. Also anyone can set themself up as a driving school. Another example.

It's certainly illegal in the UK, although I'm sure they have some kind of get-out clause for driving schools. Not sure about here.

When I was learning to drive many years ago we had a set of L plates with magnetic strips on them a bit like what you get on fridge magnets which were simply put on and taken off as required.

Not rocket science really.

bazz26

I think in general Irish drivers don't know how to drive on motorways. We tend to treat them the same as driving on a back roads or tractor trails.

I have driven on motorways in England also mostly the M25 and M4, it really amazes me how good people know how to drive on motorways there. Even in the busy rush hour drivers are calm and sensible when it comes to changing lanes and merging from slip roads. Of course they have muppets aswell but they are few and far between from my experience. Most people just want to get to and from work safely but know that others are trying to do the same too.

Maybe there should be a section of the driving test here with deals in detail with driving on motorways rather than just spotting a few signs or answering a question or two. Then again considering that there are very few motorways in Ireland it may not work out so good in most places.

Johnny Storm

DamoKen wrote:

I was driving along in the "fast" lane northbound just past where the Blanch ramp merges with the M50 last week, the usual 40km bumper to bumper rush hour cr*p we all know and love. Anyway this transit van was merging into the slow lane, one car slowed to let him in, only reason I noticed was he swerved in quite quickly without indicating, no big deal, no harm done. But it was what he did next I couldn't believe, he was parallel to the car in front of me, but rather than staying where he was he starts to come across the line between the lanes, I can see the guy in the car in front of me looking at him wondering what the hell, surely he sees me??? Doesn't seem to matter as he keeps on coming, at this stage the car in front of me has been forced to the side of the road, his wheels just grazing the grass verge so he finally stops dead and has the temerity to beep the van. Instead of getting an apologetic wave or whatever from the van, the next minute half the van drivers body is out the window (I can only assume/hope someone else was in the van steering for him), shaking his fist at the car that dared beep him and screaming obscenities!
So does this make that guy a "working class w*anker or twat???, no, just makes him an ignorant c*nt. No idea where this class bullsh*t comes into it tbh. :rolleyes:

If you were as old as me you'd remember the class struggle

Anyway, come the revolution........

Gandhi

Peoples' attitudes change in heavy traffic. It feels more like you are queuing up to get somewhere rather than travelling along, and people react to that feeling.

If a truckload of pigs merges in front of you in light traffic, and they are slow as hell, no problem, you can just pass them almost immediately. If that happens in heavy traffic, you could be stuck behind them for miles.

Couple this with the (already mentioned) army of simpletons who think "merging" consists of indicating (if you are lucky) and drifting into the travelling lane expecting everyone around them to slam on the brakes, and the whole merging situation becomes really stressful.

Out of interest, how many of the people posting about bad driving they have seen called the Gardai about it? Obviously it doesn't warrant a 999 call, but did anyone call the front desk of the local Garda station and report time, place, reg. plate etc.?

Getting back on topic, I would definitely want to call the cops on that dude the OP mentioned. As far as I am concerned, he was attempting to cause a collision. Unless it was genuine incompetence behind the wheel. What if the OP had been one of the clueless "drifters" mentioned above?

Of course, realistically, I would get home, turn on the TV, and not bother calling the cops, like most people. Which makes me more part of the problem than the solution.

From a pure "laws of physics" standpoint, the dude should have let you in front. In a lane-weave situation, the car getting on the expressway (you) needs to accelerate as it changes lanes, while the car getting off (your new best friend) needs to decelerate while changing lanes. Obviously, you don't want the car slowing down to be in front. Apparently your buddy thinks that doing it this way is a waste of a good bumper.

<Posted by BlueTonic>Also anyone can set themself up as a driving school.</Posted by BlueTonic>
That probably does not help the problem.

Apologies for the wandering post - I drank way too much coffee today.

AMurphy

Johnny Storm wrote:

......The second of the cars had his indicator on indicating he was about to leave the M50 at the upcoming exit. Great, I thought. I put on my indicator and begin to move right. But think again, Mr Smartypants-second-car speeds up to block me. I slow down, he slows down, I speed up, he speeds up.
At this stage I was running out of room so I slapped on the brakes and let him pull in in front of me.
......
Have we gotten to the stage where even the middle-class **** are acting like Mad Max?

I didn't read the whole losts of replies. So this may be a repeat.
Welcome to highspeed highway merging.
I wasn't there so I canot be 100% sure, but it IS possible to get your responses in synch with a merging car and each do exactly the same thing at the same time, I've done it several times, or rather, me and someone else.... eventually after about 2 cycles, you hope that the other party goes for a 3rd cycle so you can do exactly the opposite, or continue to do whatever you were doing, thus do the opposite.
Generally, unless someone is eyeballing you and simultaneously ignoring hand waves to either speed up/pass or slow down, it a "sorry buddy" wave off.
So it might be owrthwhile to reconsider the possibility that it was "an innocent accident" or "alignment of perfect minds".

Kersh

The bad news about a 3rd lane on the m50, is that Irish drivers wiil be totally unable to filter on and off a 3 lane 120kmh motorway - its bad enough that every exit/entry is at a standstill from drivers' inabilty to merge properly on the current 2 lane..
I have driven all over the UK, mainly Mways, and that doesnt happen ever that I have come across.
Whereas over here, the m50 is clear til you reach blanch ramp, then clear til you reach finglas ramp etc - then again when you think about it, we dont teach learners how to drive on motorways, do we!! Then we let them loose when they pass their test.

AMurphy

Kersh wrote:

......- its bad enough that every exit/entry is at a standstill from drivers' inabilty to merge properly on the current 2 lane..
.......

I'd say that is pretty true, many either stop or slow down or just plonk into the lane at 35mph..... instead of speeding up to match the through traffic and merging flawlessly.

Hagar

Common courtesy isn't as common as it used to be.

DublinWriter

Keyzer wrote:

I read somewhere recently that Irish drivers are the worst in Europe, 2nd only to the Italians.

At least we don't have the same culture of road rage that you see a lot of in the UK.

We, like the Italians, huff and puff a lot, but then generally get on with our day.

In the UK, they tend to be a bit more repressed and go totally postal in a road-rage situtation.

Hellrazer

DublinWriter wrote:

At least we don't have the same culture of road rage that you see a lot of in the UK.

Can see it coming though.

Couple of weeks back this idiot undertakes me on the Lucan M50 exit ramp.Swerves up the inside lane reserved for left only and swings in front of me at speed.Had to slam on the brakes to avoid hitting him in the rear.

Course being the hot headed person I hit the horn and flash the lights at this nut job.

He jumps out of his car and starts banging my drivers window and roaring at me to get out of the car shouting that he was in the right etc etc.
My only reaction was one of pure shock.So I roll down my window tell him to f**k off back into his car or Ill call the cops and he keeps it up until I show him my mobile with 999 on the screen.
Cops reckon with all the traffic driving more slowly than ever and people being totally pissed off with having to spend more and more time in their cars that the situation is only going to worsen.

bounty

seamus wrote:

What, are you indignant that I would dare assume a learner doesn't know how to drive?

It had L plates on it, had a young woman in it, and drove like a muppet. The odds are good that she was a learner.

sarcasm is the lowest form of wit :rolleyes:

luckat

Hellrazer wrote:

He jumps out of his car and starts banging my drivers window and roaring at me to get out of the car shouting that he was in the right etc etc.
My only reaction was one of pure shock.So I roll down my window tell him to f**k off back into his car or Ill call the cops and he keeps it up until I show him my mobile with 999 on the screen.

Years ago I worked with a photographer who had the same kind of confrontation, but he just reached into his car, took out his camera and **click** took a picture of the insane driver shrieking and foaming. The man turned on his heel, walked back to his car and drove away.

Johnny Storm

luckat wrote:

Years ago I worked with a photographer who had the same kind of confrontation, but he just reached into his car, took out his camera and **click** took a picture of the insane driver shrieking and foaming. The man turned on his heel, walked back to his car and drove away.

It'd be much better if you could pull out your M16.

NUTLEY BOY

Who the hell designs Irish roads anyway ?

Personally, I suspect that they are all designed in a dungeon by some guy with an expired provisional licence who rides a bicycle with no saddle.

That is solidly good advice from luckat. Lock your door and don't get out of the car. If you get out too you might end up in court on an assault charge or on a slab in the morgue given the unpredictable nutters driving around these days.

If you have a camera phone you can take a picture of the offender and his car for future reference or for the gardai if you are prepared to follow it up.

Victor

Hagar wrote:

Common courtesy isn't as common as it used to be.

The slapper got married.

Johnny Storm

NUTLEY BOY wrote:

Who the hell designs Irish roads anyway ?

Personally, I suspect that they are all designed in a dungeon by some guy with an expired provisional licence who rides a bicycle with no saddle.

That is solidly good advice from luckat. Lock your door and don't get out of the car. If you get out too you might end up in court on an assault charge or on a slab in the morgue given the unpredictable nutters driving around these days.

If you have a camera phone you can take a picture of the offender and his car for future reference or for the gardai if you are prepared to follow it up.

Whatever about motorways, IMHO Irish city roads and traffic systems are designed by people with an uber-ecological ideology who have a deep-seated hatred of the idea of the private car.

NUTLEY BOY wrote:

Lock your door and don't get out of the car.

100% agree. This is the only sensible approach.

blastman

Saw a particularly nasty road rage incident at shopping centre in Blanchardstown on Saturday. Didn't seewhat caused it, but there were punches thrown, roaring and shouting, shirts almost pulled off people ... all this with the kids in the car looking on. Lovely way to spend your Saturday afternoon.

prospect

Hellrazer wrote:

Can see it coming though.

Couple of weeks back this idiot undertakes me on the Lucan M50 exit ramp.Swerves up the inside lane reserved for left only and swings in front of me at speed.Had to slam on the brakes to avoid hitting him in the rear.

Course being the hot headed person I hit the horn and flash the lights at this nut job.

He jumps out of his car and starts banging my drivers window and roaring at me to get out of the car shouting that he was in the right etc etc.
My only reaction was one of pure shock.So I roll down my window tell him to f**k off back into his car or Ill call the cops and he keeps it up until I show him my mobile with 999 on the screen.
Cops reckon with all the traffic driving more slowly than ever and people being totally pissed off with having to spend more and more time in their cars that the situation is only going to worsen.

this is the type of fúckér I'd love to kick the shíté out of. :mad:
But I know I should be cool and stay in my car , but if I had been in Hellrazers shoes, I know I wouldn't have .