To wonder why this driver beeped his horn at me?

[HangingBasketCase]

Driving home from work I decided to overtake a van in front of me that was going really slowly. It's a 60mph road but the van must have only been doing 40 at the very most, I was almost bumper to bumper with it and I was doing 40! So I waited for a long straight stretch of road that's known locally as the straight mile, indicated and overtook him. It was perfectly safe to do so, nothing was coming in the opposite direction, no double lines in the middle of the road, perfect driving conditions but for some reason the git started beeping his horn at me as I passed him! Then once I'd passed him I could see him shaking his head in my rear mirror!

Now I'm really questioning myself. I use this I road daily, I've been overtaken by other drivers on it myself, no problems. I was always under the impression that overtaking is perfectly legal as long as it safe to do so. Which from where I was sitting it was? What did I do wrong? I felt a bit intimidated if I'm honest, which probably sounds stupid. But there you go.

OP, you're a dangerous driver of the worst sort...what would you have done if he'd had to brake quickly?

And you've got a clean licence because you've been lucky enough not to be caught

Thank You Snowspot.

If he didn't want me to get so close to him then he should have put his foot down and drove at the speed limit!

Given the OP's refusal to accept that she might be in the wrong, I'm starting to think that no-one would have blamed the van driver if he had slammed his brakes on and let the OP crash into the back of him.

Why don't you report your episode to the Police on 101, OP, and see what their advice is?

Your bullying behaviour seems to stretch beyond your driving to anyone who disagrees with you

Aye...and it would've been points on OP's licence then eh?

You're a twat for tailgating

I'm one of these stubborn people that slow down if someone sits too close to my rear end. There is absolutely NO EXCUSE to sit so close to the back of another car.

I'm contrasting this to a recent thread that expressed majority exasperation at older people who drive slower than the speed limit, and wondering how the same forum can produce such polar opposite responses.

Ageism? Something about the way the poster words the original question?

OP - I knew you would get fried for this.

I can't drive so I won't agree or disagree, but I have been on plenty of threads where people think AIBU is an excuse just to be plain rude and insulting to you.

Dust yourself off, leave the thread and learn from the issue.

The handling characteristics of vehicles is different.

The experience and abilities of drivers is different.

Just because you, in that particular car, on that particular road, on that particular day felt comfortable driving at that speed doesn't mean that anyone else would or should.

Plenty of drivers have been charged with careless driving for driving at speeds inappropriate to the circumstances. A 60mph road does not mean that every inch of it is appropriate to be driven at 60mph. If you go around a bend at 60mph and crash into a tractor doing 10mph in front of you that you didn't see - who do you seriously think would be deemed to be at fault ?

As for tailgating, why on earth would you do that ?

[Flowers] for Butterpuff. Hope the house fire wasn't too serious.

Equally, I think being frustrated can lead to driving like a bit of a loon. I know I've done some not-so-sterling driving when I've been irritated, few of us could say we are always saintly on the road.

I can also probably admit to this too, particularly in my younger days. Luckily I've never caused any accidents but I have been a passenger in a fairly serious one, where thankfully all injuries were minor - several cars were written off though.

I think we all need to remind ourselves that while we are driving we are not going to work, home, the shops or going to see Granny, but we are piloting a potentially lethal weapon that demands our full care and attention and shouldn't be rushed. It's often said that it's better to arrive late than not at all.

Number, i dont think this is people jumping on OP for no reason, she is dangerous driving and intimidating other road users which one day could lead to a crash.

Number3 OP has come on AIBU, the majority of posters say she was for tailgating, she doesn't accept this and tells us we need to get a grip.

She was in the wrong, if she cannot accept that then she shouldn't be on AIBU...or the road for that matter

Tailgating is illegal. You've only got a clean license because you haven't been caught yet!

Because she needed to get home, and it was frustrating!

Tsoukalosy

As I said, don't drive so cannot agree or disagree (although going with the majority i'd say it sounded dangerous)

However some people are just taking it as a reason to be plain rude and insulting.

Number3 sorry but on this occasion your kind understanding is misplaced. People who drive like the OP cost actual lives. She needs told, and sharply.

outofcontrol I saw that thread too. I can totally reconcile a frustration with slow drivers (whether they're going slowly for 'valid' reasons or not) and people being upset that someone sees no problem with using aggressive/bullying driving tactics because they are frustrated with someone in their opinion is going too slowly.

I get annoyed by slow drivers pootling along but i have never and will never tailgate anyone.

Number i see your point on aibu but i think OPs bad attitude has lead to stronger responses on this thread.

I was told on my advanced driving course that if someone drove too close behind me, I must slow down for safety, so maybe he was driving at 40, because you were tailgating him or had a fragile load, a live load, a speed limiter, or a million other valid excuses

Same here - I might well be fucking and cunting in my head at the slowcoaches holding me the fuck up, but drive up their backside...never.

HSMM I was taught the same...to gradually reduce my speed, for fear of an accident and damage limitation.

facts aren't rude. Fact: the OP is a dangerous driver. Here's why. If you drive and don't know and act on all this, take a long hard look at yourself.

tailgating is dangerous, because the rear driver cannot stop in time if the vehicle in front slows. Stopping distances are governed by reaction time and the laws of physics, and the OP being in a hurry does not affect that. If the vehicle in front has to brake suddenly (someone runs out, debris on road, any number of reasons) idiot behind WILL crash into the rear of them.

also even if the driver in front wants to pull in to let the idiot behind go, they can't because they cannot slow or stop without said idiot going into the back of them. So our impatient idiot is actually making things worse.

They also can't see if the road ahead is clear to overtake because they are too close to the vehicle in front. So they are again making things worse.

'only a fool breaks the two second rule'. This is why the person at the back of the accident is deemed always at fault. Because they are.

It is shocking that anyone who passed a driving test drives this badly. If this torrent of abuse makes the OP think, it may just save a life. Don't mind if a tailgater hits a tree, but it is generally not trees that they are tailgating.

Ageism? Something about the way the poster words the original question?

we can all agree to be irritated by slow drivers, but tailgating irritates us more.
As the slow driver even though being irritating is safe.