Twats who make you think there's something wrong with your car

[Bruce Fielding]

I was driving home today on the M40 from David Ryan's place with the Atom in tow (having spent a spendid bank holiday hooning around the Welsh roads with David - including a trip to the Anglesea track) and making 'good progress' when a white van pulled up close behind me in lane 3. I pulled over to lane 2 to let him past and he pulled alongside me and pointed at the trailer. I checked the mirrors - the car was still on board the trailer - always a good sign - and nothing seemed to be wrong so I carried on. The van then pulled in front of me in lane 2. I pulled back into lane 3 to find out more... the white van swerved in front of me into lane 3 and 'brake tested' me - silly with a trailer behind me, but I slowed in time. I then pulled back into lane 2, the van did the same and flashed his hazards at me. By now I was convinced that something was amiss, so pulled into the hard shoulder and checked everything out. It was all in good order and nothing was wrong at all.

It was a trick. I have a suspiciion that he had decided that someone towing a vehicle shouldn't be in lane 3 regardless of how fast or slow other traffic was going and certainly not doing the national speed limit. He'd therefore decided to turn vigilate and teach me a lesson.

Why do people do that? It's happened to me before with people pointing at the wheels etc. and I don't fall for it much these days, but with a trailer full of Atom behind and the dog on board I wasn't going to take chances.

Is it jealousy? Is is 'funny'? Or are they just twats amusing themselves at other people's expense?

[Monza]

In France, when you have 3 lines in the same way, you are not allowed to go on the faster line 3 with a trailer, even with an Atom on it  ... Isn't it the same thing in GB ?
Well, i did not respect it to !

[AtomFun]

Is the forum experiencing some problems? I just posted a reply to this thread (about 30 mins ago) and it's not appeared!

What I said is:

It's commonly known as 'white van syndrome'.

[Bruce Fielding]

[quote="Monza"]
In France, when you have 3 lines in the same way, you are not allowed to go on the faster line 3 with a trailer, even with an Atom on it  ... Isn't it the same thing in GB ?
Well, i did not respect it to !

[/quote]

You mean... there's a law against it?  Well, I never knew that, officer...

And apparently, you have to have a numberplate on the back of your car, too! (Mine fell off somewhere between Shropshire and Anglesea on Monday!)

[Monza]

yes , a law !
I have just passed my new driving license in May 2005 to drive a car + a trailer if total weight superior to 3.5 Tons ... so i had learned this law ... recently !

[John Lloyd]

[quote="Bruce Fielding"]
[quote="Monza"]
In France, when you have 3 lines in the same way, you are not allowed to go on the faster line 3 with a trailer, even with an Atom on it  ... Isn't it the same thing in GB ?
Well, i did not respect it to !

[/quote]

You mean... there's a law against it?  Well, I never knew that, officer...

And apparently, you have to have a numberplate on the back of your car, too! (Mine fell off somewhere between Shropshire and Anglesea on Monday!)
[/quote]

Bruce,

Having passed my Advanced Driving test there is also a law against in in the UK   ;)

And I quote

Page 60 para' 239 of the highway code

The right hand lane of a motorway with three or more lanes MUST NOT be used (except in prescribed circumstances) if you are driving
any vehicle drawing  a trailer
a goods vehicle with a maximum ladden weight over 7.5 tonnes
a passenger vehicle with a maximum ladden weight exceeding 7.5 tonnes constructed or adapted to carry more than eight seated passengers in addtion to the driver.
unquote

So white van man was correct I am afraid.

[Bruce Fielding]

I KNOW he was correct, but he was still a twat doing an excellent IPO act! If everyone who thought I was going too fast decided to pull out in front of me, I'd add a cow catcher (and 50,000 volt stun gun) to the front my Atom!

[John Lloyd]

[quote="Bruce Fielding"]
I KNOW he was correct, but he was still a twat doing an excellent IPO act! If everyone who thought I was going too fast decided to pull out in front of me, I'd add a cow catcher (and 50,000 volt stun gun) to the front my Atom!
[/quote]

I accept your comment I am sure in is no saint of a driver.  As you say two wrongs don't make a right.

[AtomFun]

But as you'll know John, the Highway Code is NOT law. It may be used to prove or disprove arguments but it's not law.

[John Lloyd]

[quote="AtomFun"]
But as you'll know John, the Highway Code is NOT law. It may be used to prove or disprove arguments but it's not law.
[/quote]

Page 4 of the code.

Many of the rules in the code are legal requirements, and if you disobey these rules you are committing a criminal offence. You may be fined, given penalty points on your licence or be disqualified from driving.  Such rules are identified by the use of the words MUST / MUST NOT.  In addtion the rules includes an abbreviated reference to the legislation which creates the offence.

In par 239's case or Bruces case    Laws MT(E&W) reg 1 2 & MT(S)R reg11

[Bruce Fielding]

I would like to point out for the benefit of any BiB that might be reading this that lane 3 wasn't necessarily the outside lane...

[John Lloyd]

[quote="Bruce Fielding"]
I would like to point out for the benefit of any BiB that might be reading this that lane 3 wasn't necessarily the outside lane...
[/quote]

Read the rule again "three or more lanes" 

[Bruce Fielding]

[quote="John Lloyd"]
[quote="Bruce Fielding"]
I would like to point out for the benefit of any BiB that might be reading this that lane 3 wasn't necessarily the outside lane...
[/quote]

Read the rule again "three or more lanes"   ;D
[/quote]

OK, so which is the 'Right Hand Lane', then?

[AtomFun]

[quote="John Lloyd"]
Page 4 of the code.

Many of the rules in the code are legal requirements, and if you disobey these rules you are committing a criminal offence. You may be fined, given penalty points on your licence or be disqualified from driving.  Such rules are identified by the use of the words MUST / MUST NOT.  In addtion the rules includes an abbreviated reference to the legislation which creates the offence.

In par 239's case or Bruces case    Laws MT(E&W) reg 1 2 & MT(S)R reg11
[/quote]
Amazing how quickly things changem so much has happened since 1972!

[Dezoris]

[quote="Bruce Fielding"]
I was driving home today on the M40 from David Ryan's place with the Atom in tow (having spent a spendid bank holiday hooning around the Welsh roads with David - including a trip to the Anglesea track) and making 'good progress' when a white van pulled up close behind me in lane 3. I pulled over to lane 2 to let him past and he pulled alongside me and pointed at the trailer. I checked the mirrors - the car was still on board the trailer - always a good sign - and nothing seemed to be wrong so I carried on. The van then pulled in front of me in lane 2. I pulled back into lane 3 to find out more... the white van swerved in front of me into lane 3 and 'brake tested' me - silly with a trailer behind me, but I slowed in time. I then pulled back into lane 2, the van did the same and flashed his hazards at me. By now I was convinced that something was amiss, so pulled into the hard shoulder and checked everything out. It was all in good order and nothing was wrong at all.

It was a trick. I have a suspiciion that he had decided that someone towing a vehicle shouldn't be in lane 3 regardless of how fast or slow other traffic was going and certainly not doing the national speed limit. He'd therefore decided to turn vigilate and teach me a lesson.

Why do people do that? It's happened to me before with people pointing at the wheels etc. and I don't fall for it much these days, but with a trailer full of Atom behind and the dog on board I wasn't going to take chances.

Is it jealousy? Is is 'funny'? Or are they just twats amusing themselves at other people's expense?
[/quote]

That sounds like childs play, if you ever try to pass someone in the US they speed up or try to swerve at you so you have to go off road.
People are stupid when they don't have to deal with you face to face.