James and Jessica (atypical vag drivers)

[Cavcraft]

Recal yonks back some tit was tailgating me big time on the M53. I was doing 80 odd and couldn't get into the nearside lane. Said twat is up behind me flashing his lights so I flicked the rear fog light switch on and hit the lights.

 

The knob jockey absolutely shit himself and slammed very hard on the brakes, much to my great amusement. He then followed me off the motorway making threatening hand movements (i.e throat cutting) so I stopped at the next roundabout and got out. He drove up the pavement to get away and like a complete dickhead I actually ran after his car as he sped down the road.

 

Anyway say what you like about political correctness and all that shit but I can almost guarantee if some wanker is driving far too close to me it'll be some 'executive' looking miserable bird in a German car.

[Father Ted]

 

Cavmad earlier today chasing a tailgating twunt driving some VAG bilge

[Cavcraft]

Erm, I drive some vile VAG bilge now Marty

[Father Ted]

Erm, I drive some vile VAG bilge now Marty

Yeah, but you suffer this rather than go out there and think, Hmmm, yes an Audi A3 - that'll make me more superior than Joe who drives a Focus/Escort/MiniMetro....

[Formula Autos]

I had an 'incident' once with an over-agressive idiot. A 'Duel' style one.

 

I pulled into a lay-by to have a good look at the radio on the rental car (Clio IIRC) that I was driving, as I thought it safer than wildly jabbing at buttons while doing 60. I pulled out of the lay-by when I was done, and a MG ZT came bearing down on me at a rate of knots. He had to brake heavily, but in my defence the lay-by was just over the crest of a hill, and I hadn't seen him. He also didn't have sidelights on, even though everyone else on the road did (it was just after dawn and still quite dark). Needless to say, he wasn't happy, and the lights and horn of his car were employed vigorously, along with several hand gestures.

 

A few miles later, he passed me on a dual carriageway, horn blaring. I thought that was the end of it. However, when I got to the motorway junction he pulled up behind me at the roundabout, obviously having waited somewhere for me to pass. Oh dear.

 

He proceeded to keep passing me on the motorway, before slowing down to about 55 in front of me. I kept passing him and he just flashed past me and repeated the trick. At this rate, I was going to be late for college.

 

As we approached a motorway service station he kept pulling alongside me and making gestures that I pull in for a fight. Just before the turn-off he pulled in front of me, so I indicated left and so did he. I dropped back a bit and when he was past the point of no return on the slip road I carried on down the motorway, foot down. I caned the Clio and made it to the next junction without seeing him in the rear view mirror. I sat in the car in a farm entrance just off the motorway and waited a few minutes.

 

Hesitantly, I set off again. I was sure he'd have waited for me again. Imagine my delight when I spotted the MG in front of a Police Volvo, obviously pulled in for speeding on the hard shoulder. Fandabidozee, as the Krankies used to say.

[AnthonyG]

I drive a Mondeo Mk4. No one bothers me .

 

I find having sidelights on during the day does help 'clear' the overtaking lane (never fogs or main beam though) - sorry if this annoys others.

 

I never tailgate, and life's too precious to get in pissing contests, on any type of road.

[M'coli]

Hesitantly, I set off again. I was sure he'd have waited for me again. Imagine my delight when I spotted the MG in front of a Police Volvo, obviously pulled in for speeding on the hard shoulder. Fandabidozee, as the Krankies used to say.

Were you not tempted to stop and grass him up to the rozzers, metioning the intimidation and the threatening gestures?

[ashmicro]

Wasn't someone in here not that long ago saying how he'll happily slam the brakes on if they're being tailgated?

That might have been me, Pete, although I gradually slow down rather than standing on the middle pedal. It's in the Highway Code, and I'm pretty sure it's in Roadcraft too. Seems logical - if the dick who's tailgating you does actually hit you, then the slower you're both going, the better.

[Pete-M]

My normal way to deal with tailgaters (and there are a lot of them out there on the motorways) is to move over when I get the chance, then (as I'm normally going the same speed as them) move back once they've passed. More often than not I pass 'em again within a couple of minutes.

 

I seem to invite tailgaters as I leave a large space between myself and the car in front on the motorway so I don't have to brake very often, just lifting off the gas for a couple of seconds normally does the job, and if the motorway clears in front I can get up to a decent speed without any effort whatsoever. Once people following me realise that I've not braked for 20 minutes or whatever they tend to be happy enough to follow me, especially as I don't hang about if the m/way is clear enough to give it some beans and I don't tend to drop below 70 unless the rest of the motorway has done the same.

 

Sometimes when I've been stuck behind some "70 is the limit" numpty in the 'fast' lane for a few minutes waiting for 'em to move over, I'll let some hairgelled A4 driver tailgate the fuck out of the numpty until they get the idea and move out of the way. I'll then jump back into lane 3, and follow the A4 at a decent distance. Normally giggling at A4's strobing brake lights as they tailgate the next numpty.

 

German motorways are still my favourite though. Lane discipline tends to be much better than here whether it's a derestricted bit or not. Could have something to do with large stretches being two lane and the thought of an S class approaching at 150 mph...

[garethj]

If you're the fastest thing on the road, you never get tailgated

[ashmicro]

If you're the fastest thing on the road, you never get tailgated

You will, however, get pulled by the peelers.

[Formula Autos]

Hesitantly, I set off again. I was sure he'd have waited for me again. Imagine my delight when I spotted the MG in front of a Police Volvo, obviously pulled in for speeding on the hard shoulder. Fandabidozee, as the Krankies used to say.

Were you not tempted to stop and grass him up to the rozzers, metioning the intimidation and the threatening gestures?

Not really, from the quick glance I got he seemed as if he might be resisting arrest. I figured I was best off just getting where I needed to be.

[M'coli]

A pragmatic course of action!

 

Further to tailgaters, it pisses me off when I'm calmly doing 50-ish (backed up with the scat-nav) in the average speed zones at dual carriageway roadworks and someone decides to use you as their speed marker, but 1 foot from the back of mine. What really annoys, however, is when I slow down to let them past in the outside lane - no braking, just easing off the throttle a bit - down to 45, then 40, then 35 and they get even further up your tail and start flashing their lights at you to go faster. FFS, if you want to go faster than I do and the outside lane's clear, OVERTAKE ME.

[AnthonyG]

^^^I hear you M'coli.

 

What's quite funny is people who don't really understand how average speed cameras work and just slow down to 50 in front of the cameras, and then drive 60-70 in the 'inbetween' bits.

 

They must be really befuddled when the fixed penalty hits the doormat later on!

 

Average speed limits are also practically the only time I use cruise control on this side of the Atlantic.

[ashmicro]

A pragmatic course of action!

 

Further to tailgaters, it pisses me off when I'm calmly doing 50-ish (backed up with the scat-nav) in the average speed zones at dual carriageway roadworks and someone decides to use you as their speed marker, but 1 foot from the back of mine. What really annoys, however, is when I slow down to let them past in the outside lane - no braking, just easing off the throttle a bit - down to 45, then 40, then 35 and they get even further up your tail and start flashing their lights at you to go faster. FFS, if you want to go faster than I do and the outside lane's clear, OVERTAKE ME.

Rear fogs. Most twats who tailgate can't distinguish them from brake lamps.

[M'coli]

Rear fogs are only really applicable if the car's post-79(ish)!

[michiel]

Are two rear fogs legal? Over here you can have just one I think to avoid confusion with brake lights.

[M'coli]

They are legal on some cars but not on others - the mk4 Cortina estate my dad had had 2 but the mk5 had 1. Mk1 Metros have 2 , mk2 onwards had 1.

[michiel]

Ah.

[wuvvum]

I think two rear fogs are "legal" on pretty much any vehicle. The fact that a lot of cars only have one is a cost-cutting measure rather than a legal requirement.

[myglaren]

I think two rear fogs are "legal" on pretty much any vehicle. The fact that a lot of cars only have one is a cost-cutting measure rather than a legal requirement.

I'm reasonably certain that this is true, sometimes lower models only get one while the higher models get two, as with reversing lights.

[Mr Lobster]

When I got my Twingo (which had the rear fog in the n/s light cluster), I was told that cars in the UK have to have at least one rear fog light and that it has to be either in the middle or on the o/s rear.

 

Two rear fogs are perfectly legal though.

[trigger]

Ah, Now we are the subject of lights, What is the rear light on this Amazon (Which I'm gutted i missed out on) used for, Is it a reversing light?

 

[Spiny Norman]

^^^ That was mine up until a few days ago ^^^

 

The light was intended to be a reversing light for when the previous owner to me had intended doing a bit of night navigation rallies in it, but he was told it would be illegal to use on the public road (max permitted wattage of a reversing light is 21w apparently) so it was never connected.

I just left it on because I thought it looked cool.

[trigger]

Ah I never knew that was you! I thought the light would have seemed a bit bright for reversing.

 

I was working out the other night how much a plane ticket would cost to fly up to Glasgow from Stanstead and then driving it back!, There's two more Amazons on ebay at the moment i'm watching, The owner of the very nice blue one wants £2750 which is above my budget of £2000 and the white oen I'm unsure of as it has crap photos.

[scooters]

trig - if you need to get to scotland I'm driving from St albans to edinburgh on Thursday next week in some hire shite and happy to give lifts (usually do this trip on Thursdays most weeks)

[trigger]

Thanks for the offer Scooters, That's very kind of you