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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

to overtake, before another driver?

118 replies

BowermansNose · 10/03/2020 12:45

I don't think technically that I was, but I'm sharing for thoughts.

I'm driving along a single carriageway 60mph stretch of road and there is a car in front doing about 40mph in front of me and so I get stuck behind him. A car arrives from behind me, and I can see that they are itching to overtake both of us.

We then enter a straight bit of road where I have a good long view where I see I can overtake safely. I indicate (for a few seconds) and move out, while the car behind me tries to overtake both me and the car in front. My car doesn't have the greatest acceleration and the car behind starts beeping at me. I manage to overtake and the car behind can't, so he goes back in line. I carry on my journey and I can see for a longtime that the overtaker to be is stuck behind the slow car.

Was I unreasonable to overtake, knowing there was a car with greater acceleration behind me who wanted to overtake both of us?

OP posts:
Alsohuman · 10/03/2020 12:48

I wouldn’t have done it. But I tend to be a pretty “let ‘em go and get out of my hair” kind of driver.

Deux · 10/03/2020 12:48

In that situation I would have let the other car overtake and then followed it so that we were both able to overtake. Especially as you were aware that the other car wanted to overtake you and the slower one.

PawPawNoodle · 10/03/2020 12:50

Did you pull out on him when he had already started to overtake?!

IndigoHexagon · 10/03/2020 12:51

If you were the first to indicate that you were going to overtake them YANBU.

However, if you indicated and pulled out AFTER the driver behind had already indicated that he was going to go, then YABU

NoSquirrels · 10/03/2020 12:53

Depends who indicated first, surely? If they'd pulled out behind you and then you pulled out then you were in the wrong.

Choc99Luftballons · 10/03/2020 12:54

What Deux said.

If they are impatient and dangerous I don't want them behind me. Let them go.

purpleboy · 10/03/2020 12:58

If you know your car doesn't speed up quickly then I think you should of let the driver behind you go, to me it's about having consideration for other people, you would of both got in front of the slow driver if you'd had a bit more consideration.

travellerist · 10/03/2020 13:18

YANBU. You were in front and indicated first so you went first.

I don't agree with the 'let the impatient driver go first". If anything they endanger more lives as they'll speed away to the next person to pressure and leapfrog. Most of us want to get to where we're going quickly and safely, but unfortunately some entitled pricks don't care about the safely part and believe their time is more valuable than everyone elses.

Original poster
BowermansNose · 10/03/2020 13:20

Depends who indicated first, surely? If they'd pulled out behind you and then you pulled out then you were in the wrong.

It was the kind of car that didn't have indicators fitted as standard, IYSWIM. They hadn't indicated, and I had.

OP posts:
PawPawNoodle · 10/03/2020 13:23

OP please answer the other question - did you pull out to overtake after he had already started to do so, regardless of indicators?

NoWayNoHow · 10/03/2020 13:24

It was the kind of car that didn't have indicators fitted as standard, IYSWIM. They hadn't indicated, and I had.

All cars have indicators... Confused

ThePinky · 10/03/2020 13:25

It was the kind of car that didn't have indicators fitted as standard, IYSWIM

Eh?

Pleasedontdrawonyoursister · 10/03/2020 13:25

I’m with you OP. It really pisses me off when I have been waiting for an opportunity to overtake the car in front and some impatient tosser behind overtakes us both and leaves me still stuck behind the slow car. It’s so rude!

Original poster
BowermansNose · 10/03/2020 13:26

OP please answer the other question - did you pull out to overtake after he had already started to do so, regardless of indicators?

As far as I could see, they hadn't pulled out to overtake - I was in front and had a better view of the road in front.

OP posts:
loobylou10 · 10/03/2020 13:28

What do you mean it had no indicators?

SudokuQueen · 10/03/2020 13:29

I think op is trying to say it was a BMW behind her.

If they didn't indicate, their problem. You did. I wouldn't have waited for them either to go first. I don't just let anyone go ahead of me to be honest because I have no idea if they are going to be a slow driver or not. If they want to go faster, they can over take me.

Original poster
BowermansNose · 10/03/2020 13:29

@NoWayNoHow
@ThePinky

Sorry, I thought it was a fairly common reference. From what I saw, the driver didn't indicate.

OP posts:
SpoonBlender · 10/03/2020 13:29

Not indicating before a two car overtake? Dangerous driving, and fuck'em.

Butterwhy · 10/03/2020 13:30

If they had already started to proceed (indicators or positioning in the road) then I would obviously wait. It's annoying, and they probably shouldn't, but safety first. By the sound of it they might have gone after you, and assumed you would be able to pass at a reasonable speed and were following- wrongly perhaps, but as it's dangerous for one let alone 2 cars to be on the wrong side of the road (presumably the straight bit with good visibility would likely end eventually); I would have been quietly annoyed at someone overtaking slowly, but then I wouldn't do a double overtake in the first place. The issue is your confidence in the cars ability to accelerate appropriately for overtaking, anything could happen ie the car you're overtaking speed up, the road change, a car coming quickly the other way which you need to be sure you could handle.

PawPawNoodle · 10/03/2020 13:30

As far as I could see, they hadn't pulled out to overtake

and move out, while the car behind me tries to overtake both me and the car in front.

Which is it?

BTW cars further back in the queue have better visibility of oncoming traffic. You had a better view of the back of the slow moving car.

Wolfiefan · 10/03/2020 13:30

From what you saw? Did you actually look and check before you pulled out to overtake?

twoheaped · 10/03/2020 13:31

She probably means it was a BMW 😂

BarbaraofSeville · 10/03/2020 13:32

It was the kind of car that didn't have indicators fitted as standard, IYSWIM

So a German car, but not a VW?

If you were indicating and the car behind wasn't, then it was clear that you were planning to overtake and they should have held back and waited their turn. YANBU, no matter how slow your car is. If you could safely and legally overtake, it was your right to do so.

Iminaglasscaseofemotion · 10/03/2020 13:32

It was the kind of car that didn't have indicators fitted as standard, IYSWIM

No I really don't see what you mean. All cars have indicators, as do busses, vans, motorbikes, lorries. What are you talking about?

SudokuQueen · 10/03/2020 13:34

BTW cars further back in the queue have better visibility of oncoming traffic. You had a better view of the back of the slow moving car.

That depends on how you drive to be honest. If you stick up the back of the slow car, yeah you'll see next to nothing. If its a big vehicle, you have to stay even further back to see, although it depends on the bend you come up to before the straight. If it's a right hand bend, you've got best visibility from the front. You've also then got to be quicker about over taking before anyone else does. Left hand bend and you've got to drive more to the outside of the road to see, but even then it's tricky and you've got to hang further back.