Road Rage + Bad drivers!!

This is the place for posts that don't fit into any other category.

Moderator: RichardW

Paulee
Posts: 64
Joined: 17 Feb 2004, 16:37
Location: United Kingdom
My Cars:
Contact:

Post by Paulee »

I have been in so many I tend not to think about them....
Unless it involves damage and Insurance Companies just brush them off...
Don't let tham eat at you there are more important things in life...
Arseholes will always blight us, I no longer let them bother me...!!
yangreen
Posts: 381
Joined: 25 Jan 2005, 14:11
Location:
My Cars:
Contact:

Post by yangreen »

I once had a bloke overtake me and then a bloke over take me and him. In a 30 zone. The first car then proceeded to try and ram the other car off the road! They pull over and start arguing and I stopped as a witness to it all. Turns out the first bloke can barely walk he's so pissed. He offers to go straight down to the Police station etc which I was very glad to do. Sadly he just jumped in his car and off he went. I was not impressed.
Also, while in the 2cv, had some bloke pull out in front of me so I gave it plenty of horn and light-flashing. He then screeches to a halt and tries to jump out at me as I swerve violenty around him. Taught me to not lose my rag with skinheads!
Then again, I was driving through Birmingham and some black kid in a Golf GTi tried coming up the inside of me and then tried to force his way in front of me as he wanted to go right (as I did) at the roundabout. I refused to give way and he tried to go around the outside of me on the roundabout but the 2cv can corner quite swiftly and I held him off. Just long enough to wonder whether he had a gun as this was not the nicest of areas!
Have since moved from the City and have calmed down a lot!
Stinkwheel
Posts: 562
Joined: 28 May 2004, 01:02
Location:
My Cars:
x 1

Post by Stinkwheel »

Hello Ian,
Here you are on another cit forum :-)
Know what you mean about not letting people past a 2cv on roundabouts :-)
ACTIVE8
Posts: 2317
Joined: 16 Nov 2004, 16:49
Location: United Kingdom
My Cars:
x 6

Post by ACTIVE8 »

I had a problem with one of these T***S that like to follow too close, and as it was on a road with a speed camera on it, I couldn't accelerate at that point to keep my car a safe distance from the moron. The other car also could not overtake, due to other traffic coming towards us.
So a little further up I noticed we were approaching a roundabout, now maybe the young driver lives locally, and likes to speed and intimidate other drivers, but that will not work with me at all.
As the roundabout was big, and wide with lots of space, and no other traffic. I decided that this was a point where I would have the safe gap. I put my foot down as we entered the roundabout, and with my car being lowered, tuned etc with a uprated suspension on it, it cornered like it's on rails, just like the Activa does. [:D]
Looking in the mirror the other driver, had decided again to try, and keep close, but this was not possible. [:D] Due to the other car not being a sports model, and having basic average suspension, I left it well behind me. [8D] Also it's attempt to corner hard left it drifting out wide, it's another one of these "yooofs" [:o)] whose actual driving ability, and car does not match what they think they are capable of in their imagination.
No, I am not that old yet, I like driving like the rest of us, there is no substitute for experience, and if I am tail-gated, well it's normally done by the "yooof" [:o)] who thinks he/she can drive like a Formula 1 driver, but actually can't in real life.
User avatar
Kowalski
Posts: 2557
Joined: 15 Oct 2003, 17:41
Location: North East, United Kingdom
My Cars: Ex 05 C5 2.0 HDI Exclusive 145k
Ex 97 Xantia 1.9TD SX 144k
Ex 94 Xantia Dimension 1.9TD 199k

Post by Kowalski »

I watched a fuel tanker deliberately force a car off a dual carriageway onto a sliproad, both vehicles were on the dual carriageway and the tanker veered accross onto the sliproad with the car along side, then the tanker veered back onto the dual carriageway, and the laguna had to drive on the grass to get back off the sliproad.
What the laguna driver did to upset the tanker driver I did not see but I doubt it justified attempted murder.
IanR
Posts: 89
Joined: 26 Apr 2002, 03:38
Location: United Kingdom
My Cars:
Contact:

Post by IanR »

A factor that all ragers seem to have in common is that of speeding, usually speeding in places where it is very unsafe to do so, too. It's interesting to note how scathing these hotheads are of other people's roadcraft when they themselves lack the self-discipline to even obey the most basic rules of the road!
Thus, while there may be some questions over the merits of speed-limits and cameras, a point in their favour is that the cameras have undoubtedly cut-down the number of ragers we encounter.
oilyspanner
Posts: 1246
Joined: 26 Oct 2003, 16:08
Location: United Kingdom
My Cars:

Post by oilyspanner »

Does anyone think that computer driving games lull these yoofs into thinking that they can drive a real car in the same manner as they "drive" on the computer/console, not realising that with the real thing damage is always switched ON.
Stewart
Oscar Too
Posts: 184
Joined: 17 Dec 2004, 15:01
Location: United Kingdom
My Cars:

Post by Oscar Too »

I'm not sure any one explanation is sufficient. We have seen a huge shift from responsibilities to rights in this country - everyone has the right to do anything they want, no matter what the impact on people around them. Bad driving is bad manners, and goodness knows bad manners are in evidence as soon as you walk out your front door.
A generation has been bred that thinks it can do anything it wants, without consideration for anyone else, faster and without the deferral of any gratification, without positive role models that show how to interact in adult society. The causes:
Footballers: young men trashing wives, other players, cars and getting away with it
Clarkson: nuff said
Consumerism: buy now pay later, instant credit no deposit, you're worth it, you deserve it. No concept of saving or making decisions about resource allocation
Communications: mums and dads shouting at each other mean that kids shout at each other and everyone else
The Death of God: no disincentive to bad behaviour
The class system: the zero-sum attitudes are entrenched, but the so-called classless society hasn't given us other constraints on bad behaviour
Mobility: we live so far away from parents and friends that bad behaviour has no social constraint
Computer games: crashes don't really matter
I'm not Victor Meldrew - I'm 36 and I got up to some stupid behaviour in my youth (last week [:)]). But it was always with the fear of God that some responsible adult would hear about it and tell my parents. But the savvy cunning of kids on the street today, coupled with the lack of any constraint on their behaviour, means that if I see bad behaviour now I simply ignore it. And to return to the topic - when you mix those attitudes with a load of late-adolescence hormones and put them into a chav-mobile, it's no surprise that people get hurt or killed. Or just plain annoyed.
An interesting real-time experiment is going on in Southern Spain, where my folks live. The area has a large immigrant population: English, Irish, Eastern European, Northern European. Full membership of the EU has meant that the retirees are now being displaced by young adults with families, who are intent on making a living in a warm, pleasant place to live. A friend of mine is a local schools inspector. Almost without exception, the problem kids on his patch are English. The parents won't learn Spanish and will have a go at a teacher who sanctions a child. They are not interested in their kids' education otherwise. They've often sold a house in the UK for a lot of money and are living off the proceeds, so they don't work much. Their investment in local community structures is minimal, to say the least. It's rare in sociology to be able to compare groups like this and while this evidence is anecdotal, it fits with the observed behaviour.
And before anyone asks "If you don't like it here, why don't you leave?" let me answer: I intend to, as soon as possible. Britain has been very good to me and has given me great opportunities, but the thoughts of one of my children turning into a baseball-wearing chav are too awful to contemplate.
Next week's topic: What have the Romans ever done for us?
Stinkwheel
Posts: 562
Joined: 28 May 2004, 01:02
Location:
My Cars:
x 1

Post by Stinkwheel »

well, there is the aquaducts, and the roads!!! Dont forget sanitation.
User avatar
uhn113x
Posts: 1161
Joined: 06 Jan 2004, 22:06
Location: Near Leeds, United Kingdom
My Cars: 1981 Dyane - on road all year round.
1982 GSA Pallas - on road April - September.
1997 ZX 1.9D Dimension.
x 1

Post by uhn113x »

Sadly, Oscar, you are spot-on [:(]
dillosk8ter
Posts: 217
Joined: 28 Nov 2004, 23:17
Location: United Kingdom
My Cars:

Post by dillosk8ter »

Best {worst!!!!} example of road rage + bad driving I have experienced myself was driving back home early one morning {3am?} down a deserted duel carriage way, was averaging about 65/70mph came up behind Scenic Rx4 thing crawling along so glided past allowing several car lengths before I slide back into lane. Mr Scenic wasn't happy about being passed, he wasn't happy at all!!! Several seconds later he stormed right up behind me flashing his lights, right up to my bumper then into the lane next to me and proceeded to steer the scenic at the side of my ZX trying to force me of the road, this continued for about a minute with me trying frantically to accelerate away with no luck {1.4i ZX against 2ltr? Scenic} suddenly another car appeared in the distance behind and Mr Scenic shot off never to be seen again, leaving me just a little shaken up to say rhe least!
oilyspanner
Posts: 1246
Joined: 26 Oct 2003, 16:08
Location: United Kingdom
My Cars:

Post by oilyspanner »

dillosk8er Sounds like "smoking old wreck" syndrome to me, It is caused when you overtake someone who has a newer car than you, you have offended their purchasing sense, their manhood and their vehicle, my old BX TD had to have the GTI badges removed as they offended Vectra drivers to the point of insanity, my newer TZD thing seems to mortally offend VW Bora drivers for some reason (heh heh)
Stewart
tomsheppard
Posts: 1801
Joined: 19 Dec 2002, 14:46
Location: United Kingdom
My Cars:

Post by tomsheppard »

Stuck in a cybercafe with too much time on my hands, time for my two penn'orth.But first a safety tip:
Bad drivers have an emblem. No good or even adequate driver hangs ANYTHING from their mirror.
Cameras have reduced the number of ragers?
Not so in my opinion. Poor driving standards? We all have off days.
Bad attitudes- yes. I remember the video boom of twenty years ago and going into shops with walls full of boxes depicting big men with guns. Now I am concerned that you can buy a gun for less than
the cost of a night out, and to many it is a status symbol. I'm rather glad that they are illegal 'cos as a passionate person, I'd have used mine by now! Here are just too many loonies out there;
life is cheap and you are small change. Stay cool and lucky, friends.
adamskibx
Posts: 250
Joined: 29 Nov 2004, 01:46
Location: United Kingdom
My Cars:

Post by adamskibx »

I have had two road rage incidents all when i drove a Citroen Dyane. I think it angered a lot of people. Once I overtook a Golf Gti in it on a tight motorway sliproad situation so he proceeded to chace me with lights flashing until i just drove at a constant 40 in a 60 zone without stopping and even avoided going home as he seemed very angry. Another incident was an escape from the raged individual when in a pub car park a group of Youths in a sick Polo saloon came up to the window and started threatening me telling me "i was f*****g looking at them. In fact it was that they had blacked out windows and i was looking at what i though was a sick excuse for a car.After having escaped them they saw me later on and took up chasing me round; not wanting to break the speed limits, of course, i knew the only advantage my car had over the polo was its superb suspention travel allowing me to drive down a 2 mile dirt track at 40 MPH leaving the polo without a chance of finding me. I dont have any of these problems now i drive a BX as it looks relatively normal. In my experience sub human scum like this attack anything they dont understand.
Jon

Post by Jon »

When I was just 16, I was out with my Dad in the 2cv, just went along for the ride as he had to drop some papers off at a solicitors one Sunday evening. (we were moving house shortly).
All going OK coming back from St Albans, then the dual carriageway we were on narrowed to one lane due to roadworks, and Pa had to cut into the outside lane, with due use of mirror and indication. Our car was lit up with the full beam of a car behind, not a flash but constant, all through the roadworks, unwisely (as it transpires) my old fella gave the following car the finger in the rear view mirror after about 5 minutes of being dazzled. This was not a good thing to do.
As soon as the roadworks were over, said vehicle behind accelerated alongside us, you're not going to believe this but it was a Rolls Royce Silver Shadow. Making swerving movements to try and force us off the road, whilst occupants inside gestured. My old fella cut off the A405 at N Watford, thinking that they would not follow, but they did. He tried to lose them, but that was not too easy in the 2cv, we decided to make for local police station. At that point said RR overtook us, braked violently, and forced us up the path. Big bloke got out, wrenched open driver's door of the 2cv and started lamping 7 bells out of my old man, who was still strapped in the drivers seat. I get out to see if I could drag this bloke off when a younger guy got out and hit me so hard in the face that he broke my nose and two of my teeth and put me across a wall into someone's front garden!
When I came round I struggled back to the 2cv to find my old man unconscious in the drivers seat with blood pouring. After we got ourselves together we drove to the local nick (1/2 a mile away) where I gave them the reg number of the RR, and they gave us a toilet roll to stem the blood. It goes without saying that they took a statement from us, cautioned us and didn't call an ambulance. After phoning home from a callbox, me and the old fella got down to the hospital for some patching up work.
The Police came round our house later that week, and took further statements, and told us that those in the RR were "known criminals from Enfield".Refusing to provide their address.
About a week later, we get a letter from said owner of Rolls Royce's solicitors stating that
1) We had damaged their car by driving into it
2) My Dad had attacked the man's wife
3) My Dad had also severely wounded RR driver by "opening the door of your Citroen Dyanne (sic) onto his chest!"
4) I had attacked his son leaving him with bruising and concussion.
Following various consultations with local police and a solicitor we were advised not to persue our own case for fear of further reprisals, and the other side dropped theirs. A separate case at the Magistrates' court ended up with all involved being fined and "bound over to keep the peace" in everyone's absence. Great.[:(]
This story is long, but unfortunately is 100% true. Its 21 years since it happened, and its still clear in my mind, as it is in my Dad's, who still suffers flashbacks and occasional panic attacks as a result of this ordeal.
Road rage is dangerous. Avoid it if at all you can.
Post Reply