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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

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Original poster

To be annoyed at cars flashing to overtake?

302 replies

moutonfou · 04/06/2017 19:09

I was on a dual-carriage way, traffic in the inside lane going about 65mph, me in the outside lane overtaking several cars steadily at about 70mph (okay, maybe it was a couple over that...). And then someone comes up behind me at 80+mph and starts flashing me, presumably to get in so he can continue to speed.

AIBU to think the overtaking lane is for overtaking and as long as I'm doing that, I've every right to be there? And that there's no god-given right to travel at 80mph even if that's your thing?

OP posts:

TittyGolightly · 04/06/2017 20:52

we are taught to slow down if someone tailgates

Wtf?!

TittyGolightly · 04/06/2017 20:54

Ive also had a guy come up behind me when I was overtaking a lorry on the A1 (so only 2 lanes) in my little car. I was doing 70, it as the middle of the night and there was one around at all then this guy just zooms up behind me (he must have been going 100mph) fucking flashing his lights and shit

If you were doing 70 you should have been in his way for less than a minute. Something tells me you were pootling along at significantly less than 70mph.

WeAllHaveWings · 04/06/2017 20:56

I had this with a van, I was in the outside lane overtaking a few cars when they came up to me and flashed lights. I was still overtaking so I didn't move over and they tailgated me with their vans full beam on shinning right in my rear window. Not the cleverest thing to do when you are in a company van.

Emailed a complaint (first ever in 30 years of driving), I had a phone call and discussion with area transport mgr to clarify the facts, then an apology from company CEO and a promise of disciplinary. These idiots can cause accidents, and he deserves everything he got.

Birdsbeesandtrees · 04/06/2017 20:59

If you read what I wrote you'll see that he was hugely hugely speeding. I was doing 70.

It was literally seconds and he was right behind me.

I dislike the implication I am a liar.

Birdsbeesandtrees · 04/06/2017 20:59

And yes I was in his way for less than a minute but that didn't stop him from flashing as soon as he even saw my car in front of him.

Voice0fReason · 04/06/2017 21:00

if you were in the outside lane the whole way doing 71 mph to overtake stuff doing 70mph i'd have wanted to flash you to hurry up or move over as well
So you would want to exceed the speed limit and you think anyone obeying the speed limit is holding you up and being unreasonable?

Orlantina · 04/06/2017 21:00

Should take less than a minute to overtake a lorry doing 60. If it takes any longer you are probably doing more like 63 mph

What if there's lots of lorries. How long is is acceptable for me to slow you up if you want to go faster than 70?

Itsjustaphase2016 · 04/06/2017 21:00

I think yabu actually.its no safer to drive at 70 than at 85 in the overtaking lane and considering most people drive around 85 in the right hand lane you are obviously going to piss people off.

dinosaurbum · 04/06/2017 21:01

I never get this too, I just sit there!

If they undertake I then take great pleasure in flashing my lights when I am inevitability sat behind them at the next round about/set of traffic lights..

Orlantina · 04/06/2017 21:03

I wonder if some people on here think that you should immediately cut back into the lane after overtaking instead of leaving a gap?

And do they get annoyed if people pull out to the overtaking lane when they can sense the traffic up ahead is going slowly so they get to the outside lane in good time?

And do they get annoyed if people pull out as traffic approaches from a slip road?

It's also not compulsory to do the speed limit when overtaking.

Blondielongie · 04/06/2017 21:04

You should have pulled into the left hand lane and flicked him as he drove past. What car was he driving?

yanbu

Orlantina · 04/06/2017 21:04

I think yabu actually.its no safer to drive at 70 than at 85 in the overtaking lane and considering most people drive around 85 in the right hand lane you are obviously going to piss people off

Apart from the speed limit?
Reaction time?

Little things like that....

Birdsbeesandtrees · 04/06/2017 21:06

I think people find it difficult to realise how impatient and arseholeish some drivers can be unless they have experienced it.

The example I gave of a car doing the speed limit in road works is a prime example. I truely hate people that do this as I and my colleagues sometimes have to work within roadworks and the fact that people won't slow down for our safety because they'd rather get somewhere faster disgusts me.

And I do see people speeding through roadworks a lot.

TittyGolightly · 04/06/2017 21:11

If they undertake I then take great pleasure in flashing my lights when I am inevitability sat behind them at the next round about/set of traffic lights..

If they had space to undertake you you were in the wrong fucking lane.

RaspberryPi1 · 04/06/2017 21:11

I think yabu... your car speedo will over read your speed, so an indicated 70, might only be 63.
Generally if someone is tailgating, it's best to just let them pass, and you continue at the speed you are comfortable with.

TittyGolightly · 04/06/2017 21:12

It's quite rare I see anyone actually working in roadworks. I'm obviously not on the road during that hour each day.

Orlantina · 04/06/2017 21:13

your car speedo will over read your speed, so an indicated 70, might only be 63

What speed will the person's behind speedo be reading?

Instasista · 04/06/2017 21:13

It's the most infuriating thing in the world and anyone who flashes another driver out the way is a fucking massive great wanker

limitedperiodonly · 04/06/2017 21:13

You've every right to be there but I would just move over and let them on their way. I wouldn't do it until it was safe - no cutting in dangerously to the lane on the left - but I would do it. Life really is too short.

TittyGolightly · 04/06/2017 21:14

I was doing 70.

According to what?

Orlantina · 04/06/2017 21:15

If they had space to undertake you you were in the wrong fucking lane

That's true - one thing that does annoy me is someone in the overtaking lane who is not overtaking. Just driving along clearly not in overtaking mode.

TittyGolightly · 04/06/2017 21:16

What speed will the person's behind speedo be reading?

One of my cars is pretty accurate - I'll be doing 70 when it shows 73. The other is more like 76.

Regularly get stuck behind people doing 63 though.

Orlantina · 04/06/2017 21:18

According to what

When I see my speedo showing 70mph, I believe it. It seems to show the same speed as my SatNav. And mobile phone app. And the speed signs that display your speed when you come to it.

So if someone is coming up behind me at what seems to be a faster speed, I am likely to believe they are doing more than 70mph.

Don't you?

Birdsbeesandtrees · 04/06/2017 21:18

The thing with roadworks is people have to go out and come back all the time. It's not continuously in use all the time (usually) but there are often many many things going on behind the scenes with people having to go out for short periods of time quite often.

Measuring distances, checking for underground cables, doing environmental assessments, vegetation clearance and so on.

It's just that because people don't see someone stood there the entire time they assume it's not in use.

Although the weekend I'm pretty sure I did pass through some where they'd taken away the cones and left the speed limit signs up...upside down.

Orlantina · 04/06/2017 21:19

Regularly get stuck behind people doing 63 though

It's people like you who make the world a crappier place.

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