Bad Driving ----- Lost my cool

[jbsportstech]

On saturday night it was rainign quite bad and being nov night it was dark at 17.30 aprox. Traveling on a 30mph road into the centre of taunton I was aware of black fiesta 06 plate which came and sat ver very close to my bumper. Normally I keep my cool but the driver was so close that I could hardly see her lights and I also had my baby daughter in ther car. She continued to follow me through town at the rediculous distance I wondered if she was trying to get my attention as it seemed a dilibert at of agression.

Anyway we approached a crossing were the lights where green and I had slowed to 20mph and three childern/teenagers decided to cross I brought my brakes on progressively and wondered if the fiesta would collide. Nope she swerved round me and continued through the crossing and the children had to dive out of the way. I continued on my journey and low and behold I find in front of me tail gating another inoccent motorist. At this poitn I decided to follow her as I felt the person needed a talkign to (No I shouldnt of and my training officier would say don't bother you won't change their mind set. Anyway she turned into a street and I followed and she stopped. I got out and walked roudn and opened her door.

I was confront by a large women in her 20s I would say with a mobile in one had a drink in another. Her music was so loud I couldn't her my self think. She turned it down and I talked through all the things she had down and she just didnt have clue what I was going on about. She didnt see the children and thought I stopped as i was driving to slow.

I reported her to the police as she seemed to be on something.

I think the fact a big bloke came and had words might of gievn her shock as for changing her mind set I doubt it.

I knwo I should of left it but I felt something needed to be said.

[7db]

Not what I would have chosen to have done. Call me unchivalrous, but having ensured she was not my problem, I'd have left it at that, unless I felt that it was so bad that my services as an independent witness were called for.

Things are rarely so bad that you can't make them worse.

[jbsportstech]

yea with hindsite i wouldnt do it again but at the time i needed to say something.

Thing is years ago when I was 17-18 my mate used to drive round town like a wolly and he had several visits from the police due to people reporting him. After the third time he stopped and clamed it down, but I get the impression that in 8 years on they don't do anything unless they see it themselves. If she where visited by the police it might make her think.

[ROG]

yea with hindsite i wouldnt do it again but at the time i needed to say something.

Thing is years ago when I was 17-18 my mate used to drive round town like a wolly and he had several visits from the police due to people reporting him. After the third time he stopped and clamed it down, but I get the impression that in 8 years on they don't do anything unless they see it themselves. If she where visited by the police it might make her think.

The Leicestershire police force has a special form for reporting drivers such as these.
Although most of these are regarded as 1 on 1 so can be denied, if they get a number repoting the same driver or if they feel that a single incident warrents it, they will call to the persons house and 'have words'.

They say, that in the majority of cases, these 'words' are enough to have the 'desired effect'

[Daaave]

I'm glad that you realise that it wasn't appropriate to do what you did. I know that in the same situation my girlfriend would have been scared to death if someone followed her and opened her door to have a word. Things like that can tip the balance with some people - just say for example that this girl had grabbed some pepper spray from her bag and sprayed you because she thought you were attacking her... Not good for either party (and no, my girlfriend doesn't have any pepper spray!), despite your 'good' intentions.

Report the person to the Police if you think it's justified (as per the case of your mate), but in my experience don't get involved in a confrontation as things can escalate quite quickly over a simple misunderstanding.

[jbsportstech]

Hopefully after reading the whole of mind driving I will have better control its just it was not normal tailgating it was so close she must have been able to smell my aftershave and the thought of her hitting my car and that causing injury to my baby daughter... I didnt get agreesive I just told her that what she did was dagerous and there is a reason I wasnt going 45-50 mph in a town centre in heavy rain at night.

If someone is about a 1 metre off your bumper I usaully find that they are being agreesive and looking to get your attention rather than it just being bad driving.

[Sru_1980]

I didnt get agreesive I just told her that what she did was dagerous and there is a reason I wasnt going 45-50 mph in a town centre in heavy rain at night.

I sympathise...sadly, most people seem to think if you're not driving at ridiculous speeds in a built up area, you're "too slow" - never mind the zillions of hazards that you have to negotiate! I wouldn't confront someone in that situation either, although I have been tempted before!

I also want to buy and read "mind driving", I think it sounds like a very good read.

[SeanP]

I must admit, I would've let it go, even given her the opportunity to pass safely (though she probably wouldn't have recognized that!?). Mainly for fear of what would happen to me, more than anything -- but I can see how defensive you would have felt with your daughter in the car.


There, that's my first real post after months of lurking

[SammyTheSnake]

I had a similar experience last week.

Dual carriageway, 60mph, fairly heavy traffic, around 6pm (late dusk) tailgated by a white CDV, changed lanes to let him past, still following.

When I say "tailgated" I mean close enough that I could only occasionally see his headlights, which at 60mph is frighteningly close.

I tried touching my brake lights hoping that he might think I was slowing down and back off, but that didn't work.

Eventually, after turning off the main road and stopping at some traffic lights, I opted to put on my hazard lights, turn the engine off, get out of the car, and sit on the crash barrier. There was no way I was going to continue driving with this chap up my exhaust pipe.

I didn't say a word to him, but he decided to strike up a lively debate about following distances, which apparently are dictated by "traffic"

I refused to move my car (which he couldn't get past without reverse gear because he'd pulled up to within a foot of my bumper) and explained why.

I really would like to have the opportunity to help the guy understand how much shorter his life expectancy would be with that kind of driving, but I doubt he'd understand. I got the impression that when he inevitably has his crash, he'll blame the car in front for braking too sharply or whatever...

Frankly, I'm proud of myself for not lamping the twit.

Cheers & God bless
Sam "SammyTheSnake" Penny

[jbsportstech]

Eventually, after turning off the main road and stopping at some traffic lights, I opted to put on my hazard lights, turn the engine off, get out of the car, and sit on the crash barrier. There was no way I was going to continue driving with this chap up my exhaust pipe.

Sam "SammyTheSnake" Penny

Haha I like should of tried that except it was poorign with rain,,,,

How do you think she would of reacted if I had pulled up in trull road next to the island with the keep left bollards: she would of have to drive around them...

[ROG]

With the sort of tailer that Sammy had, I tend to gently slow & slow & slow & slow & slow ................... if it gets to where I actually stop - so be it - does depend on the type of road and situation that I am in at the time

[7db]

Nice one Sammy. Welcome Sean.

[jbsportstech]

Not justifying what I did as it was unsound to get out of the vehicle for many reason but"!!!

I did have the vehicle boxed in a TPAC style manouver as I failed to mention she parked between to parked cars in a road and I pulled up next to her therefore boxing her car in so the only real danger was if she had any weapons or pepper spray etc...

Thats an interesting take on it 'your not in a position to decide whether someone is driving badly or not' is that HPC thinking or just Cadence/your own atitude I certainly know nigel will take a dim view when I see him on sunday his argument is you can't change their mind set.

(Interesting that you say that as at the begining of a Roadcraft (video/dvd) the inspector of hendon driving school in 94/95 states tehy are on the course as there is room for improvement in driving licence holders. 'you will have to stand in judgement of other peoples driving so its right you have the skills and the background to do this'. So you need a police standard response course under your belt b4 you can question other peoples driving.

[SammyTheSnake]

In my experience what happens is that as you get out of your car to remonstrate they drive at you out of fear/agression and punt you under the wheels of an oncoming lorry. You get lifted for manslaughter and spend several uncomfortable days gripping the rail at the Old bailey ans several uncomfortable years after that gripping something else in the Scrubs...

Did I miss something here, or did manslaughter get redefined to include being run over? :p

Cheers & God bless
Sam "SammyTheSnake" Penny

[Mr Cholmondeley-Warner]

If you re-read your post, Dave, you'll see what Sammy's on about

Bit of a mix up in the "yous" and "theys"...