Another reason to just let tailgaters past

Lum

Just had an amusing drive home. Joined the M5 from the M42, and soon found myself doing exactly 70 (by GPS) in the outside lane, overtaking cars, and gradually catching up to the car in front. Naturally it didn't take long for me to collect an impatient BMW driver weaving around a few feet of my back bumper.

Some on here advocate slowing down, or brake testing or similar silliness, I just ignored him and moved over when there was a natural break in the L2 cars, moving back out when I encountered the next car.

He shoots off at 90+ only to slam on the brakes and be all over the car in front, so I'm pretty much caught up with him when that car finally moves over and we both overtake.

This is pretty much repeated again and again, sometimes I move over to L2 or L1 and come back out, he stays in L3 at 90+ and then gets slowed down and has to bully another car out of the way, and I catch up to him again just in time for him to finally bully the other car out of the way and us both to overtake.

We both reached the M4 exit at exactly the same time, give or take a few seconds, only difference is I got to stay at 70 on the cruise control, getting 55mpg, while he got to do all the speeding up and slowing down and driving dangerously, while I reaped the benefits at no risk to myself.

Only lost him on the M4 junction because he decided to do 90+ through the SPECS cameras. Anyone know if those are actually active as that's ban territory he's in.

skivenov

Can't beat it when someone works their hardest to make some clear air for you.

forgotmyname

I do hope you pointed at them and laughed every time?

jase1

skivenov wrote: »

Can't beat it when someone works their hardest to make some clear air for you.

Good doggy :rotfl:

I love them. They take all the risk on themselves, you get to where you're going faster and they annoy the lane hogs as well.

All-win situation -- until you get the inevitable crunch.

mattyprice4004

It's always worth getting your passenger to give them a round of applause when you see them again.

missile

Only lost him on the M4 junction because he decided to do 90+ through the SPECS cameras. Anyone know if those are actually active as that's ban territory he's in.

Is that a 70 limit? No ban for 90 in a 70 limit.

david29dpo

I recently drove all the way down the M5 in my Smart.
At J2 a Subaru thing shot past as if i was standing still, weaving in and out of the traffic.
Over took him (on cruise control) about 5 miles before Exeter.
He was livid as i waived !

muckybutt

missile wrote: »

Is that a 70 limit? No ban for 90 in a 70 limit.

Fine and 3 points though and if under totting up the knobsack is over 12 points then its a ban. Happy days

James_N

Lum wrote: »

Just had an amusing drive home. Joined the M5 from the M42, and soon found myself doing exactly 70 (by GPS) in the outside lane, overtaking cars, and gradually catching up to the car in front. Naturally it didn't take long for me to collect an impatient BMW driver weaving around a few feet of my back bumper.

Some on here advocate slowing down, or brake testing or similar silliness, I just ignored him and moved over when there was a natural break in the L2 cars, moving back out when I encountered the next car.

He shoots off at 90+ only to slam on the brakes and be all over the car in front, so I'm pretty much caught up with him when that car finally moves over and we both overtake.

This is pretty much repeated again and again, sometimes I move over to L2 or L1 and come back out, he stays in L3 at 90+ and then gets slowed down and has to bully another car out of the way, and I catch up to him again just in time for him to finally bully the other car out of the way and us both to overtake.

We both reached the M4 exit at exactly the same time, give or take a few seconds, only difference is I got to stay at 70 on the cruise control, getting 55mpg, while he got to do all the speeding up and slowing down and driving dangerously, while I reaped the benefits at no risk to myself.

Only lost him on the M4 junction because he decided to do 90+ through the SPECS cameras. Anyone know if those are actually active as that's ban territory he's in.

My only question is: how do you manage to use cruise control in heavy traffic? I find I can only use it if i am in light traffic. Lots of cars around me makes me want to have my foot there for immediate reaction (I can pull away from most plodders, even in 5th).

NBLondon

James_N wrote: »

My only question is: how do you manage to use cruise control in heavy traffic? I find I can only use it if i am in light traffic. Lots of cars around me makes me want to have my foot there for immediate reaction (I can pull away from most plodders, even in 5th).

If there's room for Lum to pull back in then maybe it's only medium traffic?

I've had cruise control for about 13 months now and I wouldn't use it in heavy traffic - but for the opposite reason - I prefer the flexibility of being able to ease off the gas briefly and then come back to my cruising speed as opposed to explicitly braking or flicking the CC off and back on. What sort of problem means you have to instantly accelerate to get out of trouble?

oldhand

Dont do much motorway driving now thankfully but years ago when I would and got tailgated I had the plastic part of my licence in a leather holder which I would holdup so the tailgater could see.Now from a distance of about 8/10 feet all tailgater could make out was what looked like "some sort of official id" which many times I think they believed I was a police officer and it was surprising how often this caused them to brake and pull into the inside lane..;);)