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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

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Original poster

To think it wouldn't kill them to pull over once in a while?

310 replies

Featherbag · 03/05/2014 15:08

We're driving through County Durham, it's a beautiful day and were heading to a lovely village for afternoon tea and ice cream for the toddler. We're on a National Speed Limit road, single lane, stuck behind a horse box doing 23mph. There are 8 cars in front of us also stuck behind it, and I can't see the back of the queue. It's been like this for almost half an hour - AIBU to think it would be polite of the horse box driver to pull the fuck over every now and then to let the queue pass?!

OP posts:

PitchSlapped · 03/05/2014 15:09

No yanbu. If theyve had a chance to safely pull over they should do so

JCDenton · 03/05/2014 15:11

YANBU, I always appreciate it when a tractor or similar pulls into a layby for a minute.

MostlyMama · 03/05/2014 15:12

yanbu they know full well they are obstructing traffic

WooWooOwl · 03/05/2014 15:18

Yanbu. I often think the same about cyclists. Tractors round here seem to be more considerate, but some road users are just selfish.

Nomama · 03/05/2014 15:54

Make a placard

RULE 169 HIGHWAY CODE

Do not hold up a long queue of traffic, especially if you are driving a large or slow-moving vehicle. Check your mirrors frequently, and if necessary, pull in where it is safe and let traffic pass.

Peekingduck · 03/05/2014 16:10

Have there been layby's that they could have pulled in to? I'm just thinking it could be dangerous to just pull over if cars will then have to go into the opposite lane to overtake.

Original poster

Featherbag · 03/05/2014 16:11

Well we got here eventually. To make matters worse, we were in my DH's pride and joy, his brand new 'dad racer', and he's practically left teeth marks in the steering wheel being forced to go so slowly!

OP posts:

wowfudge · 03/05/2014 16:15

YANBU - in the US we noticed how frequently there were signs telling slower vehicles to pull over and let other traffic pass on single carriageway roads. However there were also lots of suitable places to pull in, presumably provided for just this purpose. It made driving long distances so much easier and quicker.

caroldecker · 03/05/2014 16:35

Or people could have overtaken - most drivers appear incapable of this.

Original poster

Featherbag · 03/05/2014 16:46

It was one of those windy windy country roads with stretches suitable for overtaking few and far between!

OP posts:

yoshipoppet · 03/05/2014 19:44

I've got a horse lorry, it is very slow. I have to use a road like the one you describe to go anywhere and I feel very bad for holding everyone up. It's about ten miles and there are only a couple of places where it is safe to pull in. The main problem is that most of the pull ins are just mud and it's a very heavy vehicle. A car could put in there and get out but I doubt any heavy thing could.

JumpingJackSprat · 03/05/2014 19:47

Tough luck. They've got as much right to use the road as you. Ditto cyclists and tractors. Shame your dh didnt get to use his "dad racer" what ever the hell that might be.

specialsubject · 03/05/2014 19:53

yes, they should have pulled over IF there was a suitable place. On some roads there is no suitable place for many miles.

if your husband wants to race cars, he should book a day on a race circuit.

you'll probably find driving consistently rather than brake-accelerate-brake has saved enough fuel to cover the cost.

Original poster

Featherbag · 03/05/2014 19:59

JumpingJack, you sound very confrontational. This was meant fairly light-heartedly. Maybe you should see your GP?

specialsubject I agree! But he didn't want to race, just wanted to be able to do something approaching the speed limit on a road which is pleasant to drive, to get a feel for his new car. He's lusted after this particular car for a long time and it's taken several years hard work to be able to finally have it!

By 'dad racer' I mean a car which is practical for a family yet is still fun and exciting to drive.

There were many, many places suitable for the driver of the horse box to pull over, they just didn't.

Some people are miserable bastards.

OP posts:

muffinino82 · 03/05/2014 20:02

I have a horse box (previously a car+trailer which was even worse to manoeuvre) and will only pull over if I think there's something wrong with my horse. Unless I think there's a good chance I can pull over and pull back out again without cutting someone up, which is very unlikely, or if there's an emergency vehicle around, obviously. On country roads it's tough tits afaik

SacreBlue · 03/05/2014 20:03

I occasionally get a bit annoyed at people driving very slowly and/or close to the line, or speeding up when there is a stretch of road where over taking could happen but I try to temper any annoyance by remembering my brother & cousin who used to take out the tractor on Sundays to a main road between Belfast and a seaside town and deliberately drive slowly to 'count how many cars we can get'.

They even awarded bonus points to themselves for anyone tail gating them or tooting the horn

On the other hand I know other family members hate driving in Belfast because they are unfamiliar with the road/route and, despite being a relatively quick driver, I was omg, omg, slow down worried when I had to drive through Dublin.

My Dsis has horses and has had a couple of hairy experiences so I think its a bit of swings and roundabouts. Bit of patience never goes amiss but of course sometimes we can all get a bit het up I did once over a cyclist not using the cycle lane

maddening · 03/05/2014 20:04

yanbu -as fellow road users they should respect the highway code and pull over - it is unreasonable and selfish to do otherwise regardless of what you are driving by obeying the highway code it means that we can all co-exist as reasonably as possible - you get twats that don't obey the code and flout the law on any mode of transport.

lilrascal · 03/05/2014 20:11

maybe you should see your GP?

what the fuck kinda comment is that?!

dp and my dad drive heavy vehicles for a living. just because you see a gate they could pull into its not always the case. a lot of these windy roads have soft unstable margins and its not safe for them.

candycoatedwaterdrops · 03/05/2014 20:12

You say there were safe places to pull over but have you ever driven a heavy vehicle? I'm assuming they were fairly experienced and made the decision that it wasn't safe.

JumpingJackSprat · 03/05/2014 20:21

Well that's a stupid comment if ever I saw one. Why would I need to see a gp because I think horse boxes are allowed on the road as much as you, your husband and his "dad racer car?"

Lots of places do track days if he wants to get his twatty driving fix. Otherwise, suck it up. Your little pleasure trip is not more important than the horse box driver's journey. It's probably more important that the horse box gets where its going safely, what with having a ton of unpredictable animal in it. I don't drive horse boxes but if I did id be damned if I was pulling over every ten minutes for people like you.

TeacupDrama · 03/05/2014 20:32

in france it is the law that a slow moving vehicle must pull in if more than 5 vehicles behind it

though the number of cars is not specified in the highway code it does say that slow moving vehicles should pull over they are not entitlwed to hold everyone up for miles , all around the highlands of scotland are notices "please use passing places to permit overtaking" these scenic routes are often the only road and a detour can be tens of miles

the police do sometimes stop slow moving vehicles for being selfish, I recently saw slow going tractor and coming towards me so I counted vehicles behind him and there were 82, he had passed at least 5 proper tarmaced laybys as on that stretch of the A9 there is a layby every mile
just really really selfish

susiedaisy · 03/05/2014 20:37

Yanbu

PitchSlapped · 03/05/2014 20:37

Actually yoshipoppet makes a good point, that if its been chucking it down it might be easy for a horsebox to pull in to the passing place not so easy to get out again. I doubt you and your dad racer hubby would be stopping to help them push it out if it got stuck

TequilaMockingbirdy · 03/05/2014 20:48

Why are people being nobs? If you don't agree say so, but you don't have to get an attitude about it and using the OP's own joke against her.

wheresthelight · 03/05/2014 20:54

If passing places were few and far between where exactly did you expect them to go so you could drive fast?

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