To think people who overtake are idiots?

[sallyhansen32]

So this morning I was out early.
I was on a road with a 30 mph limit..there's a speed camera next to a school.
I'm new to driving so didn't want to go crazy so I dropped down to 25mph till I passed through it.
A van overtook me and stuck his fingers up.
Was I going to slow?
If I was then fair enough ..but it's not like I was going through under 20.

The man shouldn't have stuck his fingers up at you. That was rude.

You shouldn't feel the need to slow down for 5 seconds to go past a speed camera

Before you got to the speed camera, where you able to stay at a consistent speed or were you up and down? If you were consistent, then there was no problem and you could have carried on as you were. If you weren't, you need much more practise on very quiet roads before you go out into proper traffic with your new car.

It's quite unsettling driving behind a car that is going significantly slower than the limit AND slows down / speeds up unpredictably. I probably would have overtaken too.

What sort of car do you have, OP? It doesn't sound very safe!

It's a multi mode transmission car which can be drove as a manual or semi auto.
My problem is it has no clutch pedal,it has a auto clutch.
It doesn't allow me to creep in traffic..
If I'm at a junction unless I put my hand break on ..the split second from going from brake to gas it moves slightly back (even on flat)
It's very jerky and you have to remove you foot from accelerator to allow it to move through the gears.
I stupidly didn't read reviews and they are terrible.
On Toyota fourm everyone is saying the same thing.
I can't afford a new car and I'm worried Nobody will buy it.

This MMT car sounds like a nightmare - never heard of one before. I've just googled it

I'm with you on that, veggie, it sounds awful. It also sounds like something that's very expensive when it goes wrong.

Mind you, I don't like driving ordinary autos. I always feel a bit like they're telling me what to do!

I've been reading reviews saying it can sometimes revert back to N and leave you with no power

If anyone else has a mmt can they advise me please

What on earth possessed you to buy a first car that is so different from the car you learned on ?

Stick to what you know until your confidence grows.

Actually it's van drivers that are idiots. I drive at the soled limit (unless it's not safe for whatever reason which is relatively rare). Van drivers will without fail come right behind me, tailgate me getting threateningly (and ubsafely close), then break the speed limit to roar past me at the first opportunity as if somehow I have done them some wrong.

Total stupidity on my part
Was talked into having a auto clutch would be one less thing to worry about but it's more to worry about

@lakielady that's ridiculous advice. Most people learn on really unsafe plastic hatchback things. I went from passing my test to a car that was two and a half times the length the car that I learned on and three times faster. It was perfectly fine.

@sallyhansen32 I'll ask once again as I fail to understand why you're not answering. Why did u need to slow down further when you weren't even doing 30 to start with???

I've explained why I slowed down slightly ..I'm not rehashing the same thing I've said many times.

Ah OP! Congrats on passing your test and starting on your driving journey!

You will be overtaken many thousands of times more! It's normal to overtake someone going slow.

You will, in your driving career, be sworn at, have people drive right up behind and tail gate you, have people cut you up, have people honk at you etc..... driving is easy, managing all this less so! And it takes good reflexes, patience, and skill which you will develop. It's all part of driving and all drivers are used to it!

You will come across road rage and may even display it yourself (especially as you get more experienced at driving and busier with your life ...)

Enjoy your driving journey - take everything with a pinch of salt and work on being the best driver you can be

(Please don't drive way too slow or hog middle lanes on a motorway as you WILL piss everyone off!)

We all drive in the way in which we believe it is appropriate for that time, place, weather, all sorts of reasons. If the OP felt it appropriate to slow down passing a school then that sounds completely fine, the aggressive van driver is at fault here not the OP.

You said you were scared to get three points, but you were already under the limit, I fail to see why you then felt the need to slow down even more. It's baffling

cuppaandcake

It isn't even slightly baffling. She is a new driver. New drivers are cautious, and that's fine.

Well I find it extremely baffling! She wasn't going to get a ticket as she was already UNDER the limit. I'd have been pissed off driving behind her. The van man was rude though and giving the fingers was unnecessary. I'd most certainly have overtaken if safe to do so. Minus the rude gesture. Going to slow is just as dangerous as speeding. It doesn't sound the like op should be on the road. I'd highly suggest further lessons.

I think the op needs to get a 'p' sign in her car until she's more comfortable driving and used to her car. Don't know if this has already been suggested

Cuppaandcake- if everyone who drove 5 mph under the limit shouldn't be on the road ...nobody would be on the road.
What a ridiculous thing to say

People who drop their speed just to go past speed cameras, then increase it again afterwards really annoy me. However if they were a new driver with P plates I would understand.

Looking at the picture there was probably no need to drop your speed as it was hardly a narrow or dangerous road but if you felt more comfortable taking it slowly you should. So while not everyone who overtakes is an idiot - this one definitely was.

All these people slating me for this ...were you perfect after a week?
Of course you weren't
Patronising or what !

@sissy89

The op already states she has P plates on her car so the van driver would have been well aware she had only recently passed

Going to slow is just as dangerous as speeding

25 in a 30 is in no way dangerous. 🙄

I don't generally overtake unless there's a real reason to do so, as I'm never in enough of a rush to warrant being bolshy on the roads.

Two weeks ago a 17 year old was on a moped driving home perfectly safely, when a tractor/trailer approached from the opposite direction. A car attempted to overtake the tractor and drove straight into the young lad on the moped, killing him. The DCs and I were four cars behind and it was the most terrifying thing I've ever witnessed.

Nobody can ever be in such a rush that they can't wait a few more minutes to arrive at their destination.