Active discussions

Meet the Other Phone. Flexible and made to last.

Meet the Other Phone.
Flexible and made to last.

Buy now

Please or to access all these features

Talk
AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

If you have a 4x4

73 replies

cucumberkaleidascope · 06/04/2014 09:09

Aibu to think that if you have a 4x4 or other high axel car, that on small country lanes, you should move to the muddy/rocky/uneven side instead of someone in a Clio ?

I'm really not precious about my car, it's very old, filthy muddy and got a fair few scratches. So long as it works and drives ok, that's all that matters to me. The route I take to the yard everyday is very much a single track for parts of it. A lot of parts have enough room for one car on the Tarmac, but you could pass by another car if one or both of you move far over to the side. The edge of te Tarmac is a good 10 inch drop either side onto mud/ grass which is very uneven. If I were to have one half of my car on the Tarmac and one half off, the under side of my car would get scraped and have some damage/ bits pulled off.

So Aibu to think that when passing someone in a 4by 4 or similar car, they should volunteer to move over as I'm sure their cars wouldn't struggle in the slightest to go off rode (which is the purpose for that car anyway!)

Thoughts please ?

Thanks

OP posts:
specialsubject · 06/04/2014 11:35

if neither of you want a scratched car (Fair enough) then one of you has to reverse to the passing place. It should be whoever is nearest.

I would have thought that a real 4 x 4 (as opposed to a silly tricked-up thing) would be better on the muddy verge and would not get stuck. Perhaps this isn't the case?

fluffyraggies · 06/04/2014 11:35

I've lived rurally for 14 years and IME the majority of 4x4 drivers seem reluctant to even let their wheels off the tarmac slightly! Let alone near the hedge or properly (god forbid) into some actual grass.

It always seems to be me giving in and driving with half my car off the road. I've no idea if they're doing it because they're terrified of a bit of mud or if it's on principal because i'm in a quite smart 'town car' and they they think 'just because i can off road doesnt mean i will Hmm

It makes them look like twats anyway.

everlong · 06/04/2014 11:36

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

Objection · 06/04/2014 11:38

Nothing wrong with 4x4s so long as they're being used for their purpose.

ConfusedPixie · 06/04/2014 11:41

"Yanbu. It's not about protecting cars from scratches it's about protecting people from becoming stuck in a ditch!"

That. One of the roads on my commute has had the sides worn down through the bad weather and the road is significantly norrower. People are still pelting down it at 50mph and refuse to move over. Most of the time I have to move into ditches as these huge 4x4s thunder past. If I had a 4x4 I wouldn't give a shit because they are made to go over rough terrain, unlike my astra which has gotten wheels stuck twice in the past month in the ditches. Luckily they aren't deep ditches or I'd be fucked!

GentleOtter · 06/04/2014 11:42

Yanbu. I would imagine that the Clio might end up stuck on the verge and the 4x4 would have to pull it out so yes, it is only courtesy to pull over for the Clio.
I have ended up in the ditch/ up on rocks/ axle deep in mud quite a few times, mostly due to other 4x4s Range Rovers expecting you to get out of their way. The town car drivers tend to be more considerate.

Mud washes off and most scratches will T-Cut out. Sort of.

ConfusedPixie · 06/04/2014 11:44

I don't have anything about 4x4s if they're needed btw, I'm seriously considering buying one because of my commute, but I do get annoyed by people who think they own the road, especially when they are in cars designed to get a bit roughed up.

I've never understood being precious about cars. As long as they keep you safe inside, who gives a toss about a few bumps and scratches?

everlong · 06/04/2014 11:47

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

Goldmandra · 06/04/2014 11:47

Nothing wrong with 4x4s so long as they're being used for their purpose.

Should I have a second car for driving on tarmac?

gordyslovesheep · 06/04/2014 11:57

What purpose? I have a 4x4 I do a mixture of driving including tarmac and single track country roads including highly potted private lanes. Am I allowed to have one Hmm

lack of curtsey is down to the driver not the car type

at least high up and can see oncoming cars and slow/move over

Catsize · 06/04/2014 12:12

I totally agree OP. It is the size of the 4x4 that makes it extra difficult to pass too.
I have been lucky enough to spend time in Kenya and have been in and out of rivers in a Landrover. They can do amazing things, but I actually got into an argument with a lady once after I politely asked her to mount the (unused and deserted) pavement in her huuuuuge 4x4. She refused, not because it was a pavement, but because of some irrational fear re:her vehicle. She was causing a big traffic jam.
Yes, 4x4s are more capable of verge mounting than Clios. The 4x4 drivers you have encountered were being ridiculous.

JackShit · 06/04/2014 12:23

Most amusing thread. Ooh, we mustn't scratch our precious 4x4s must we?

Sheesh. You all live in a bubble, really you do.

ConfusedPixie · 06/04/2014 12:24

everlong "a few", which you seemed to cut out. Surely part of owning a car is that, occasionally, you'll get a scratch? And an occupational hazard of driving down country lanes is getting a few scratches from having to drive quite close to branches and things.

It certainly isn't down to the car type, plenty of wankers on my commute in different types of cars. As I said though, it does annoy me that people in 4x4s, which are designed to be roughed around a bit, won't move over a bit.

Not speaking for others here but the road I'm on about would be fine if people actually stuck to their side of the road and took it a bit slower when passing others, but because they don't, you end up having to drive defensively and pulling off of the tarmacked part of the road. You can fit two lanes of traffic down my road, it's harder now that the road has eroded, but it's still (just) doable, but many people think it's okay to drive down at 50mph still and in the centre of the road.

I think that the width of a 4x4 makes it harder, because when it's the little wanker in a clio I come across every morning, at least I know that I don't have to pull over into the 'ditch' to go past him zooming down the road. Whereas if he were driving a wider car, I'd have no choice but to move my tires off of the tarmacked surface and risk getting stuck in the mud again. It's a huge consideration into purchasing a 4x4 when I upgrade my car.

everlong · 06/04/2014 12:48

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

Fleta · 06/04/2014 13:38

I have a 4x4 and the majority of driving I do is country lanes.

I would absolutely move over to the side to allow people to pass. I'm a pretty good driver actually and comfortable with knowledge of how much space I have etc. What I wouldn't do is pull into a hedge when it is impossible to see what the drop is on the other side - no 4x4 in the land would cope with tipping into a ditch!

The correct procedure - whatever the cars involved - is for the person nearest to the passing place to reverse unless they're travelling uphill. What I find is quite a number of other drivers seem absolutely incapable of reversing or indeed doing anything other than stopping and making it solely my responsibility to do the manouvering.

ConfusedPixie · 06/04/2014 14:26

"What I find is quite a number of other drivers seem absolutely incapable of reversing"

That is a huge issue. I've been caught in that on smaller roads a few times. People who cannot (or will not) reverse their vehicles. Another part of country lane driving that drives me potty [anger]

everlong I expect bumps and scratches because I know that idiots are on the road. People drive much less aggressively down where I am now compared to where I'm from, but there are still a fair share of idiots.

GentleOtter · 06/04/2014 14:31

We inherited the previous owner's scratches and have added more. Scratches, dings and dunts can't always be helped and the worst bits get covered with mud metal sheeting. This Land Rover is for farm use with the rare trip into town.
My gripe is that the actual tarmac stops well short of the road edge so it cannot be helped if you pull over for another vehicle and squash the verge.

Also, the pothole problem does not help especially if you cannot see it (puddles) and with the best will in the world, you pull over for the Clio then they break their suspension hitting a pothole.

RedPony · 06/04/2014 16:51

When I had my 4x4 I would pull over where appropriate but if it was a big pothole type ditch I would avoid where possible as I was not willing to fork out over £100 per tyre, mine was a pickup and was used for towing ponies and collecting hay

DiseasesOfTheSheep · 06/04/2014 17:05

I drive a landy mostly or somtimes a small car and I will alway bury the landy into the mud more willingly than the small car! It's fairly sensible that my 4x4 with all terrain tyres / diff lock etc which won't get stuck in the mud goes into it in favour of the smart BMW or archaic wee Clio which may not make it back out easily.

Not always possible if one side of the road is mud and pot holes, and the other is sheer drop or wall / hedge though - I draw the line at taking Mr Landy halfway over a cliff, no matter how ill suited the other driver's car is to the pot holes!

Whitegrenache · 07/04/2014 13:11

Mmm some of you lot need educating on 4 x 4 cars! Mine is a Rav 4 which is designed to go off road obv but when asked to negotiate grass verge which may be extremely boggy, trust me it would either get stuck as it has no low diff gear or would damage the under carriage as it is only slightly higher than a non 4 x 4 drive!! Fucking 4 x 4 hatred in here annoys me so much. How dare anyone judge and get annoyed at my choice of car ffs. And before I get the environmental emmisions my car is economical and low on emmisions...so there ??

Whitegrenache · 07/04/2014 13:12

[sticks tongue out]

Impatientismymiddlename · 07/04/2014 13:14

If your that bothered about scraping your undercarriage then why not get yourself a 4x4 and then you can pride yourself on being the courteous person who moves over to let others pass?
I used to drive a 4x4 and I would only move over if I would have done in a smaller car. Driving a bigger car doesn't mean that I should make additional allowances for people who choose to drive cars unsuitable for the terrain.

Binkyridesagain · 07/04/2014 13:16

We have a 4x4, we will pull over so other cars can pass. We will not pull over if it means that our vehicle is at risk of getting stuck, we are not bothered about scratches and dents, its just a few more to add to what is already there. We just don't want to have to potentially drag ourselves out of a ditch or very soft verges.

4x4 maybe off road vehicles but they can and do get stuck sometimes.

Megrim · 07/04/2014 13:31

Whitegrenache I have a Rav4 too, and as it weighs 2 tonnes it will get stuck in soft ground just as much as any other vehicle. I've seen Defenders axle deep in soft ground and not going anywhere too.

MaxPepsi · 07/04/2014 14:02

Doesn't anyone look ahead of them when driving??

In the dales, there are plenty of passing places. If it's on your side and you see approaching traffic, you pull into it, regardless of whether you are 4x4, sports car or tractor!!

Swipe left for the next trending thread