OK. Some drivers need a mental check (Rant)

[Spanrz]

Ok. This has got my goat so bad, a Vid cam is on the cards.
Next guy/lady that does this, is screwed.
And you wonder why there is road rage?

*RANT EVIDENT*

Scene:
Driving down Melbourne's new Tolled Freeway "Eastlink".
Heading North, 7:00am - weekday, getting off the Monash Freeway Exit.

I am in the left lane just before Princes Highway on ramp.
4WD is about 3-4 car lengths in front, same lane. I am doing 100, 4WD is doing 95.

On ramp lane now becomes a standard lane (lane never ends for the freeway exit).
So I put my indicator to merge left, as there is now 2 lanes open for the exit for the freeway. (The 2 left lanes exit for Monash Freeway)
I am in the Far left lane, 2 car lengths behind 4WD and they are on the right hand side of me.

Everything sweet. Till I see the 4WD drift a little to my side. Straightens up, then 3 seconds later, the person panicked realising I was in the lane "they wanted" to be in.:

So what does the driver of the 4WD do, ha, decides to use their vehicle as a battering ram, saying "I want that lane".:togo:
Uses the scare tactic of viciously swerving over to my lane to coerce me into a "scared defensive brake", so I would slow down just so that that person could have the lane to themselves.: :jab:

Well it didn't work. I have insurance and I don't care what that person thinks of the scare tactics. But it wont work with me.
They just had to wait, and merge safely like a normal person should do.
Merging cars have to give way, is the law where I come from. I was in the far left lane for about 5-10 seconds.

See, I drive big tractors at work, see, I can come to their place and go nuts with a even bigger 4WD drive and crush their car into small pieces.
Lets see what their scare tactics do then.
Remember when that tank when nuts in the USA, well that could be me, coming to use that "scare tactic" back on you. haha.: :the_finge

Anyway, this is the 2nd time I have seen this tactic in a couple of months, the 1st time, a Car nearly got rammed off a bridge (pound road and freeway bridge).

This tactic has got to stop. If people notice of their surroundings, instead of daydreaming and not paying attention, they wouldn't get into these situations.

Not only, the word "Courtesy" has gone out of Driving anymore.

Next person that does this dangerous tactic on me or near me, they will feel the full force of the law. With Video evidence.

[/Rant]

[Grunter]

Originally Posted by BA Waggn

...
Well it didn't work. I have insurance and I don't care what that person thinks of the scare tactics. But it wont work with me...

Hope you've got life insurance as well, as it sounds to me like it's going to be paid out on sooner rather than later.

[ea90gl]

gotta hate drivers that do that, Ive seen it done a few times and I just think is it really worth doing that stupid junk for pretty much no reason? Ah well unfortunately lots of drivers have lost them screws up in thier heads. Also witnessed this mental case beep, swear and give another driver a finger just cause he was in a rush and the car ahead of him was doing the speed limit. : : :

[DoreSlamR]

I thought that when you merge you must give way to the vehicle in front. I understand that they did it aggressively and at the last minute, but at the end of the day if they had hit you and you didn't give way, you will have to pay for damages.

the lesson here is to back right off and gives these idiots space, your life aint worth it.

Bloody hard to do sometimes I know.

[jaydee]

Ahhh that feels better doesn't it BA WAGGN, it's like when you've been hanging onto a pi$$ for ages and finally get to go.

[Jack91]

You said he was 2 car lengths in front of you, why didnt he just come into your lane then? Whats the point of being a tool when theres plenty of space behind you to change lanes? Maybe Im lookin at it wrong but the way I understand it is: 4wd 2 car lengths in front of you, strays a little in your lane, then wants to change lanes, whats the problem if hes still 10m in front of you?

[ea90gl]

Originally Posted by DoreSlamR

I thought that when you merge you must give way to the vehicle in front. I understand that they did it aggressively and at the last minute, but at the end of the day if they had hit you and you didn't give way, you will have to pay for damages.

the lesson here is to back right off and gives these idiots space, your life aint worth it.

Bloody hard to do sometimes I know.

That might not be the best thing to do since if the one idiot does it once and gets away with it they might think its ok to do it as often as they like, but yes in a bad case your right you'd have to let the person just go if it poses any serious danger

[b2tf]

All you Melbourne drivers are bloody well insane. Every last one of you.

[Full Noise]

Sometimes you just have to let it go. It the end of it all, you were frustrated and angry at this person and they were probably just trying to see how far you’d take it and were probably laughing at you.

I have people do incredibly stupid things to me when I’m driving a 62 tonne B Double. Sometimes they pull into my lane and hit the brakes or sit beside me when the can see that I’m trying to change lanes, unfortunately it’s just human nature. The way I see it is if I hit them, they would most likely end up dead, and they are not worth going to jail for.

As you grow older, you tend to develop a new level of patience with people.

The next time someone does something that really annoys you, try another tactic… don’t play their game. Just give them as much room as they need and ignore them. You’ll feel a lot better at the end of the day.

[Spanrz]

Originally Posted by jaydee

Ahhh that feels better doesn't it BA WAGGN, it's like when you've been hanging onto a pi$$ for ages and finally get to go.

You know, I lol'd at that. Yeah too right. I hardly get on my high horse, but when I do, man watch out.


I know what you mean Grunter, but he knew I moved, as I had my headlights on (dark mornings). But it was very late to react to a stupid tactic.
What happens if there was a semi truck beside me (on the other side). Is it my fault still that I am in that situation, only because "someone" decides I want that lane at what ever the cost.

Originally Posted by 93_eb_fairmont

You said he was 2 car lengths in front of you, why didnt he just come into your lane then? Whats the point of being a tool when theres plenty of space behind you to change lanes? Maybe Im lookin at it wrong but the way I understand it is: 4wd 2 car lengths in front of you, strays a little in your lane, then wants to change lanes, whats the problem if hes still 10m in front of you?

Difference was, in the speed, I was doing approx 5 k's faster, they didn't speed up, driver misjudged the distance in a 4WD (telling me an inexperienced 4WD driver) and decided that he needed everybit of room that a semi could park in.
I am not normally an aggresive driver as such (I let people in on freeway on ramps etc etc), however, when a merging car "fails to give way" as part of a road rule, I don't have much empathy for their lack of knowledge of road rules.
However I did have to move to the left a bit to "avoid" any further attacks.

Bt2f: ahahaha, I have driven in NYC traffic on a Friday night at 6:00pm, 4-5 lanes of bumper to bumper traffic, and yet I managed / coped better there than here in Melbourne with 3 times lesser of people.
Go figure.
The wife is from NY State and she believes Melb drivers "suck".... Lolz

Full Noise, I know exactly what you mean. I work for an earthmoving place. I load / unload trucks.
I know what it takes a truck to pull up. Even not to pull in front of a B double or semi loaded with 2 metres gap.
You will (car driver) will ultimately pay the price for such a bad decision.

[TC200six]

if someone thinks they can scare you, then threaten to do a trick the Police do in the U.S. in pursuits(and Kelly at Phillip Island), you threaten to PIT maneuver the idiot. Say, if you in the left lane and the lunatic in the right lane moves towards you, you quickly try to ram his car behind the back wheel, it should send him spinning out of control and into a tree. That's only if you're already furious and don't care if you damage the front end of your car of course!

[Spanrz]

Originally Posted by Laser '81

if someone thinks they can scare you, then threaten to do a trick the Police do in the U.S. in pursuits(and Kelly at Phillip Island), you threaten to PIT maneuver the idiot. Say, if you in the left lane and the lunatic in the right lane moves towards you, you quickly try to ram his car behind the back wheel, it should send him spinning out of control and into a tree. That's only if you're already furious and don't care if you damage the front end of your car of course!

Ahahaha, they won't do it again, but probably neither will you. Ahaha, probably end up in court big fine for an aggresive move and possible jail time, if they get killed. Even if they provoked it. You also "contributed" to it.

Same deal as that drag racer guy in the USA that killed the kids and people in that Charity event.
He was gulity as sin, by all the towns people, yet he was invited to this event, he did it as part of a "charity" even the towns folk set up the track for his burnout. No one setup concrete barriers, the towns people watered down the track, police were all in attendance, does that make him 100% at fault. No, but he contributed to the deaths, but did not commit murder.
So he escaped Jail, but fined I think. Towns people wanted him for Murder and go to Jail.
Go figure.
Litigation is wonderous.

[Bobman]

I get people do this all the time, especially on arterial roads where there aren't any lane markings (but clearly traffic flow dictates two cars on each side of the road). They're usually doing 5-10 under the limit and don't want anyone to pass. I usually ignore it and just be patient until the next set of lights or overtake as safely as possible and proceed to my destination.

With the amount of idiots on the roads, it's best to just steer clear of them and carry-on. The last thing you'd want is someone tailing you with a shotgun hanging out of the window.

[Spanrz]

The case in point of this thread is purely "the tactic" of an extreme aggresive manuever can result in death in seconds.
Simply as before I stated on a bridge, 2 cars, 1 car tried to merge left into another forcing the car to miss the handrail/guard rail by millimeters.
If they had of connected, it was goodbye left car off bridge.
As both cars were side by side, the left car did not know the car on the right, made a 1 second indication to merge.

If anyone has seen the infamous accident that Ambrose and Murphy had on the climb up the Mountain at Bathurst a few years ago, same ideals here is what I am trying to say..
Except, that was classified as a racing incident. But not on the open road.

The ones I leave alone and stay right back is the people that go from the far right lane to the far left lane (exit lane) on a freeway in a matter of 1 second.
Now that's funny. And dangerous.

[prydey]

It isn't 'your' lane. you are using the lane and the next bloke has just as much right to the lane as you do. driving is a privilege.

this is one of those cases where you could clearly see what was going on and yet you took steps to block the guy. if 2 lanes exit then just change back into the other lane if you didn't want to be stuck behind a 4wd.

some people really need to chill out when driving.

[Silver Ghia]

Originally Posted by prydey

It isn't 'your' lane. you are using the lane and the next bloke has just as much right to the lane as you do. driving is a privilege.

this is one of those cases where you could clearly see what was going on and yet you took steps to block the guy. if 2 lanes exit then just change back into the other lane if you didn't want to be stuck behind a 4wd.

some people really need to chill out when driving.

Thats the main problem, drivers think they can just barge into another lane regardless of a vehicle being there. The road rule specifically says to give way to any vehicles in the lane you wish to merge into.

[[Tonko]]

On the topic of bad drivers, Whats with the people indicating twice (eg. turning right, as soon as they get past the 2nd exit they put the opposite indicator on)around roundabouts or giving way when they are driving around them?

I've noticed alot of both lately!

[Spanrz]

Originally Posted by prydey

It isn't 'your' lane. you are using the lane and the next bloke has just as much right to the lane as you do. driving is a privilege.

this is one of those cases where you could clearly see what was going on and yet you took steps to block the guy. if 2 lanes exit then just change back into the other lane if you didn't want to be stuck behind a 4wd.

some people really need to chill out when driving.

http://www.vicroads.vic.gov.au/NR/rd.../0/part_07.pdf

Say's it quite clearly in the first page. IMHO. That's what is quoted by the police and the law.

http://www.vicroads.vic.gov.au/NR/rd.../0/part_11.pdf

Rule 148.

Again, clearly defined.

Understand what you mean, however, I did not block in any way. If I did, I would have "purposefully sat on his bumper area" as some people do.
I merged in to an open lane that had no traffic.
I was simply doing 5 k's faster, until he realised he wanted to get off.
However, he didn't understand the road much due to the lane he was in was one of the lanes that exited off Monash Freeway, so there was no need at all to pull an act like it.

[prydey]

Originally Posted by [Tonko]

On the topic of bad drivers, Whats with the people indicating twice (eg. turning right, as soon as they get past the 2nd exit they put the opposite indicator on)around roundabouts or giving way when they are driving around them?

I've noticed alot of both lately!

in perth it is law to indicate when entering AND exiting a roundabout. i thought it got made law nationwide a few years back but not many people do it.

silver ghia - from what i can gather from the OP the cars weren't side by side.

[Silver Ghia]

Originally Posted by prydey

silver ghia - from what i can gather from the OP the cars weren't side by side.

From BAwaggns description, it was certainly not safe for the FWD (anagram also for something I cant say in this forum) to change lanes.

The big problem is that many drivers wait till the last second before they decide to change lanes to exit etc. Anticipation is not in their minds at all when they drive.

For example its amazing to see some numbskulls at the Melbourne Airport/Calder highway outbound, where the freeway splits into two. The number of times I have seen vehicles making a last second swerve cutting across several lanes of traffic, the mind boggles.

[Spanrz]

If any easier:



Yeah Agree, Silver Ghia.

They don't teach the driver training than what they did years ago.
It's just to pass your test, not drive anymore.

Also same as the Exit ramp to the Bolte Bridge from the Westgate Freeway (heading towards the Westgate Bridge - pointing westwards).
That crossover is definately a telltale sign of a driver who can learn to merge properly and the ones who can't. :0

[deesun]

Originally Posted by [Tonko]

On the topic of bad drivers, Whats with the people indicating twice (eg. turning right, as soon as they get past the 2nd exit they put the opposite indicator on)around roundabouts or giving way when they are driving around them?

I've noticed alot of both lately!

Certainly the law in NSW, you must indicate when entering AND exiting a roundabout where practical.
From the handbook; Exiting a roundabout: If practical, you must indicate
left when leaving the roundabout.

Sorry we are getting off topic here.

[prydey]

Originally Posted by Silver Ghia

From BAwaggns description, it was certainly not safe for the FWD (anagram also for something I cant say in this forum) to change lanes.

The big problem is that many drivers wait till the last second before they decide to change lanes to exit etc. Anticipation is not in their minds at all when they drive.

For example its amazing to see some numbskulls at the Melbourne Airport/Calder highway outbound, where the freeway splits into two. The number of times I have seen vehicles making a last second swerve cutting across several lanes of traffic, the mind boggles.

i wasn't saying what the 4wd did was correct or a safe move. I'm saying mr ba wagn could see it was going to happen but took steps to stop it anyway. the smart thing to do would be to just back off and let him go.

like i said. no one owns the road. we all just use it.

these days if my trip should take 20 min i allow 30 etc. no point getting frustrated on the road. it never ends well.

[pauljh74]

Originally Posted by prydey

It isn't 'your' lane. you are using the lane and the next bloke has just as much right to the lane as you do. driving is a privilege.

this is one of those cases where you could clearly see what was going on and yet you took steps to block the guy. if 2 lanes exit then just change back into the other lane if you didn't want to be stuck behind a 4wd.

some people really need to chill out when driving.

When you have right of way - it bloody well is "your lane". The part your car occupies and the 10 metres in front (at 100km/h at least) is your space. If any car moves from another lane into that space, they have failed to give way. They don't have the right to occupy that space - because to do so is unsafe. Is it wrong to expect a certain standard from other road users? Like following road rules that are designed to prevent accidents? If we all adopted your theory, that means I could swerve all over the road as I liked with no fear of penalty.

If a driver wants to change lanes, but another car is occupying the lane next to and near their car, they are required to change lanes when it is safe to do so. 5 metres ahead or less at 100km/h is not safe. Perhaps the 4WD driver should have considered where he needed to be and move into the required lane earlier, rather than at the last moment. If you're in the wrong lane and can't get to the correct lane in time safely - BAD LUCK, you miss your turn. Running others off the road to get where you need to go is not acceptable.

As mentioned previously, if you just roll over and let people do this sort of stuff without any resistance - they then develop an attitude of "It worked yesterday, so I'll do it again today." If they have a few close calls or even minor fender benders that they have to foot the bill for, they won't repeat such foolish actions in a hurry. In the long run that is a better result.

In the interests of self-preservation you do have to back off sometimes, but to criticise BA Waggn for someone else's error is wrong. The 4WD should not have moved in close vicinity to BA Waggn - TWICE - PERIOD.

Also I think in the OPs story, the other driver was merely changing lanes from one marked lane to another and not zip merging - which is where the car in front has right of way.

[gemibabe]

Originally Posted by Laser '81

if someone thinks they can scare you, then threaten to do a trick the Police do in the U.S. in pursuits(and Kelly at Phillip Island), you threaten to PIT maneuver the idiot. Say, if you in the left lane and the lunatic in the right lane moves towards you, you quickly try to ram his car behind the back wheel, it should send him spinning out of control and into a tree. That's only if you're already furious and don't care if you damage the front end of your car of course!

Explain 'threaten' while driving along? Do you wind down your window and threaten them?

your advice is pretty stupid and careless. Someone died on our freeway months back now because some moron clipped a car as they were changing lanes... The car they clipped veered off the road and hit a tree... just like you are describing what would happen.... and someone should do.

The yanks are crazy ramming cars.. but are highly trained in doing so.

[Dezza]

What gets to me is people that seem to think the gap between me and the car in front is for them. They just dive into the gap which I leave as a safety margin for if the driver does anything unexpected. I try to be a courteous driver at all times (for example, when 2 lanes merge, I try to do the zipper effect and let one car in front, one behind but some people get greedy and try to also force their way in front of me) but have no time for greed. Basically if I see a driver who appears to be opportunistic (ie when merging they speed straight past the gap in traffic so they can force their way in a few cars ahead), I don't give them space. They had their chance but they got greedy.

[prydey]

Originally Posted by pauljh74

When you have right of way - it bloody well is "your lane". The part your car occupies and the 10 metres in front (at 100km/h at least) is your space. If any car moves from another lane into that space, they have failed to give way. They don't have the right to occupy that space - because to do so is unsafe. Is it wrong to expect a certain standard from other road users? Like following road rules that are designed to prevent accidents? If we all adopted your theory, that means I could swerve all over the road as I liked with no fear of penalty.

If a driver wants to change lanes, but another car is occupying the lane next to and near their car, they are required to change lanes when it is safe to do so. 5 metres ahead or less at 100km/h is not safe. Perhaps the 4WD driver should have considered where he needed to be and move into the required lane earlier, rather than at the last moment. If you're in the wrong lane and can't get to the correct lane in time safely - BAD LUCK, you miss your turn. Running others off the road to get where you need to go is not acceptable.

As mentioned previously, if you just roll over and let people do this sort of stuff without any resistance - they then develop an attitude of "It worked yesterday, so I'll do it again today." If they have a few close calls or even minor fender benders that they have to foot the bill for, they won't repeat such foolish actions in a hurry. In the long run that is a better result.

In the interests of self-preservation you do have to back off sometimes, but to criticise BA Waggn for someone else's error is wrong. The 4WD should not have moved in close vicinity to BA Waggn - TWICE - PERIOD.

Also I think in the OPs story, the other driver was merely changing lanes from one marked lane to another and not zip merging - which is where the car in front has right of way.

remind me where i mentioned what the 4wd did was o.k.! i merely was pointing out that the move was extremely telegraphed and yet ..... oh what the hell. drive how you like. a large vehicle is driving erratically but its my right to drive on this piece of road and he is making an illegal move so i'll just let him hit me to teach him a lesson.

yeah thats gonna work.

[gemibabe]

Originally Posted by Dezza!

What gets to me is people that seem to think the gap between me and the car in front is for them. They just dive into the gap which I leave as a safety margin for if the driver does anything unexpected. I try to be a courteous driver at all times (for example, when 2 lanes merge, I try to do the zipper effect and let one car in front, one behind but some people get greedy and try to also force their way in front of me) but have no time for greed. Basically if I see a driver who appears to be opportunistic (ie when merging they speed straight past the gap in traffic so they can force their way in a few cars ahead), I don't give them space. They had their chance but they got greedy.

hmm I agree with you here, but only problem is, if they are in front and the merge point is nearing you have to give way... sucks but its the law.

[DOC]

Not only, the word "Courtesy" has gone out of Driving anymore.
Next person that does this dangerous tactic on me or near me, they will feel the full force of the law. With Video evidence.

? Sounds like you need a new hobby son, all stressed out , mate just let them go and enjoy your day. beats spending all night drawing pretty pictures on the net to explain the rant.