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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

If you see it as your job to control the speed of traffic and you're not in a police car...

236 replies

BumpowderSneezeonAndSnot · 09/04/2018 17:23

...why do you do it? Why do you sit 300 car lengths behind the one in front in heavy traffic? Why do you go 10mph under the speed limit in the overtaking lane on a clear road? Why so you sit at 40mph regardless of the speed limit? Why do you pootle down the slip road towards an A or M road at 30mph?

Why do you see it as your job to control traffic?

OP posts:
Nickynackynoodle · 09/04/2018 18:13

YANBU. Twats. Weirded by the edge or not. Twats.

mrsmainz · 09/04/2018 18:13

The ones who pull out in front of you like they cannot possibly wait any longer and are in such a rush....then drive at 20mph.
Makes my blood boil.

frankchickens · 09/04/2018 18:18

I am 100% convinces there are significant numbers driving with no licence and or eyesight below the standard (which is pretty lenient)

HibbityBlibbity · 09/04/2018 18:19

SauvignonBlanche that thread has given me the rage! Angry
I hate hate hate middle lane joggers. Grrrrrrr

OP I completely agree. My main route to work (one long road) is a 50 where there are no houses then drops to 30. Most cars seem to just do 40 for the whole lot. Drives me insane!!

HibbityBlibbity · 09/04/2018 18:21

mrsmaines yes to this too!! You have to brake so you don’t run in the back of them as they slowly pull out in front of you.

I need to stop reading this thread now, it’s sending my blood pressure through the the roof Grin

Slartybartfast · 09/04/2018 18:23

anyone else notice that people who pull out in front of you invariably turn off at the turning, it's like they thought, i am only here for a bit so i will just push in quickly

WaxOnFeckOff · 09/04/2018 18:23

People are weird. We were travelling up a 3 lane Motorway and for some reason, no-one seems to want to use the outside lane. Lorries travelling on inside, DH doing 70 (and a bit) in the middle overtaking and some guy up his arse trying to persuade him to move in (when there is no suitable gap) and all the time the outside lane is completely empty...Hmm Confused. So, DH pulls into the inside when it's safe and arse guy goes past and then pulls in in front of us. DH can then see congestion building so moves to the middle again, overtakes arse guy who then does exactly what he did before... DH was driving at a steady 70-75 and didn't want to lose momentum as we had a very full car. DH drives for a living.

I also get the 40 folk all the time as my daily journey has every speed limit. I catch them after I've done my 20 in the 20 and 30 in the 30, when they are still doing 40 in the 50, then we go into the 60, still doing 40, then the 40 doing 40 (fine!) then 40 in the 30. This 30 is through a busy village and actually 20-25 is more appropriate anyway.

However if we want to talk about people controlling the speed of traffic, I have one word, cyclists.

Imustbemad00 · 09/04/2018 18:26

I admit to sometimes driving too slow due to confidence on motorways, but I do mostly manage 70 now. I haven’t been driving long and most of my local roads are 20mph, 30 max. If I go out on a day trip and find myself on national speed limit roads in the country I normally stick to 40. It just doesn’t feel safe to go any faster on roads I don’t know that are fairly narrow and usually bendy. I often get people really close behind me if I’m going slower than the limit which is obviously really dangerous. Obviously on wider roads I would go faster.
In the city I can drive like a pro, outside of The city is way out of my comfort zone.

Sparklefloof · 09/04/2018 18:29

ButternutCrinkleFries Sorry am I reading your post right? A woman was driving at the speed limit in the overtaking lane, that's what you're supposed to do? The speed limit doesn't increase if you're overtaking Hmm most people ignore it

DearyDearyDeary · 09/04/2018 18:31

For the speed limit, as my Bank Manager once said of my overdraft 'It's a limit, not a target'.

And if you are not overtaking, get into the inside lane. (this was Dad, not the Bank Manager).

Nickynackynoodle · 09/04/2018 18:37

The 30mph on NSL who immediately on seeing a bit of straight road (where people can overtake) put their foot down on their entirely inappropriate, too big, too powerful, car and then brake again once it’s no longer safe to overtake.
Twats.

ButternutCrinkleFries · 09/04/2018 18:48

sparkle it was the thread someone linked to earlier. She was driving in the overtaking lane (not overtaking) and was confused as to why people were coming up behind her and flashing her and then undertaking her (or bullying her as she claimed). She had decided as she was doing the speed limit she was fine.

SaltireSaltire · 09/04/2018 18:52

Lots of country roads are 40 or 50 mph. Not country lanes, but A roads well signposted in the countryside.
No need for 28 mph on a road with clear sight lines, no cars, no pedestrians, no cyclists, jumping deer or horses anywhere.
I’m not advocating speeding, but driving at a sensible speed to let traffic flow.

Original poster
BumpowderSneezeonAndSnot · 09/04/2018 18:54

Aibu has really got the road rage today hasn't it Grin

I'm very pro road safety. Drive at the speed limit and drive for the conditions. But ffs be aware of other road users!!

OP posts:
WaxOnFeckOff · 09/04/2018 18:56

She had decided as she was doing the speed limit she was fine.

Whilst you should always be driving in the closest to the inside appropriate to whether you are overtaking or not, it is never ok to be bullying someone to go faster or move across...especially when they are doing the speed limit. If the person in the outside was not using it to overtake then they are in the wrong but at the end of the day you just have to suck it up (especially when they are doing the speed limit).

CircleSquareCircleSquare · 09/04/2018 18:58

Have you seen the video at the start of this Reddit thread? www.reddit.com/r/Roadcam/comments/7qiqgc/cars_create_rolling_roadblock_to_prevent_others/

Talks about just this.

MereDintofPandiculation · 09/04/2018 19:00

The country A road I use frequently is 30mph through villages, with extended 40mph lengths to get you used to the idea that there might be a village up ahead. So we have the interesting sight of little single-carriage-way-with-passing-places lanes leading off the 40mph A road with big NSL signs on them. So, no, NSL doesn't mean you should necessarily be driving at 60/70.

IWantMyHatBack · 09/04/2018 19:05

I tend to leave a big gap in front of me, but it's nothing to do with control. On a single carriageway when the traffic is bunching up constantly varying speed, I'd rather just keep back a bit and try and keep to a more constant speed.

Babdoc · 09/04/2018 19:08

It used to infuriate me when I was a junior doctor, on emergency call from home to hospital, to find some sanctimonious twat blocking the outside lane doing 70mph. I would be frantically tailgating them, flashing my lights, and often ended up having to undertake them in the inside lane. I know I was speeding, but when you're called out for a major trauma case, you need to get there asap. I'm very used to driving at up to 110mph, and have never had an accident in 36 years, but some of those stupid drivers made me wish I could just ram them out of the way! They might have behaved better if it was their own critically injured relative I was going to attend.

Certcert · 09/04/2018 19:10

The ones who pull out in front of you like they cannot possibly wait any longer and are in such a rush....then drive at 20mph. Makes my blood boil.

This. I was driving at 60 on a normal straight road. Some idiot decided to pull in front of me & then drive 30mph.

Surely, you could judge that I was driving 'fast', so, why would you pull out & then drive 30; knowing you are slowing me (and others) down? Angry

MapMyMum · 09/04/2018 19:11

Butternut, you do realise overtaking does not mean you can go over the speed limit?

Certcert · 09/04/2018 19:12

I'm very used to driving at up to 110mph, and have never had an accident in 36 years

Hmm
user1492877024 · 09/04/2018 19:15

Babdoc

Undertaking, Really? 110mph?? My god, you sound lethal.

Lethaldrizzle · 09/04/2018 19:15

Op you can't be that pro road safety if people driving slowly gives you this much rage. Road rage is dangerous. Just leave more time for your journey and stop rushing everywhere.

NSEA · 09/04/2018 19:15

It’s a limit not a target.

About the 60mph country lanes though- surely you can’t get annoyed by people drivig carefully on dangerous roads they may never have driven on before?