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PostPosted: Wed May 14, 2008 20:04 
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This has just happened now, around the corner from my house, it's your fairly typical residential road, about 2.5 car lengths wide, 30 limit. In this case on the right hand side is two parked cars and on the left directly opposite the parked car nearest to me is a stationary driving car, I assume (correctly as it happens) that the learner is going to parallel park between the two parked cars, so I stop about 3 car lengths back so as to try not to be too intimidating. I don't make any particular effort to park up against the curb since I'm just waiting for the obstruction ahead to clear.

Apparently the guy behind me in the old Mondeo didn't like this, overtakes me and I'm guessing from the big cloud of black smoke that he then floored it, moments later brake lights come on and he slams to a halt, looked like less than a car length from the front of the learner. I guess he just didn't see the learner and assumed I was stopping there randomly for the hell of it.

The learner eventually completes the move, probably took longer thanks to the moron in the Mondeo scaring the crap out of her, and there's not much more I can do for the situation than drive past and give a friendly wave.

Next time, should I stop a bit closer in that situation?


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PostPosted: Wed May 14, 2008 22:09 
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Short of stopping at an angle across the road, I'm not sure what you really can do! Some people are just impatient idiots, and it will be thus until such time as policy changes to encourage better driving, rather than numerical adherance.

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PostPosted: Sat May 17, 2008 23:22 
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RobinXe wrote:
Short of stopping at an angle across the road, I'm not sure what you really can do! Some people are just impatient idiots, and it will be thus until such time as policy changes to encourage better driving, rather than numerical adherance.


Possibly - flagging car behind down - getting in centre of road /obstruction etc. Only risk is that of road rage .

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PostPosted: Sun May 18, 2008 13:40 
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botach wrote:
RobinXe wrote:
Short of stopping at an angle across the road, I'm not sure what you really can do! Some people are just impatient idiots, and it will be thus until such time as policy changes to encourage better driving, rather than numerical adherance.


Possibly - flagging car behind down - getting in centre of road /obstruction etc. Only risk is that of road rage .

Position yourself so as to be an obstruction to the vehicle behind.
However,it's more likely that some people are just tossers and don't bear analysis.

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PostPosted: Sun May 18, 2008 14:19 
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The flourishing arm out of the window that people in London so love to use when stopping at a zebra can work well to slow down fastards - but it is all a matter of judgement.

You ask what you could do in a rerun; if the one behind you has been gaining fast or if you've put him down as a fastard... hard as it might seem, the better option for all might have been to proceed cautiously past the learner. The instructer would then see the issue, keep the brakes on the learner's car until it had gone. Being cruel to be kind etc... all about minimising overall risk.


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PostPosted: Sun May 18, 2008 17:48 
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There was no way anyone was passing the learner, the road was not wide enough for that, and the Mondeo hadn't previously set off any alarm bells. Maybe he just thought I was parking badly or doing something else with a similar level of stupid, due to not looking that far ahead?

I've not seen this London arm movement thing, please elaborate?


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PostPosted: Sun May 18, 2008 21:18 
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Understood - in which case you likely did the best you could in the circumstances.

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I've not seen this London arm movement thing, please elaborate?

It is the old hand signal for slowing down - arm out and moving it up and down. It can be effective when one is slowing and wants others to slow rather than pass. However, in this case from your description it may have caused a broken elbow :!:


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PostPosted: Wed May 21, 2008 12:16 
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There are a few things that I might have done - but I agree with above mostly, in that you 'judge' what is right at the time ... but :

1) Hit the hazards light AND put your left hand open and flat out (like a policeman who may stop you) up near your rear view mirror. Then flash brake lights as they near. This communicates - there is a problem it may be me or something else. I would have stopped toward the road centre, and further back from the problem.

2) flagging down as Roger describes above, but I might have used a quick flag down signal then the same stop (but with my right arm)

3) I find that holding your foot on the brake pedal, until something comes into view is good THEN you repeatedly flash the brake light by dabbbing your foot, pause on the brake - as if to say LOOK (flashing brake lights get attention), then pause holding them ON, says (look brake), I have stopped for a reason .... and repeat and keep repeating until you see them react. It also tell them that you have stopped temporarily - but you are 'in flow' and 'driving'.

4) if you are not on a very long road, or the car behind, you haven't noticed until very late - hit your RIGHT indicator as if you are going to pull out into their path is they 'overtake' you. That gets their attention, BUT it has the disadvantage that they are thinking about YOU, and not really ahead, and that is a problem, you are relying on them, focusing back on the road, to then see the car ahead and asses the hazard and slow/stop. If they truly think that you are pulling out they may panic but most what I have observed - it makes people 'pause'.

5) He clearly failed to ascertain 'what' you were doing, and failed to see any indication from you or any 'clue'... hence the possible 'power-off' as a show of disapproval, as he failed to assess the potential danger, from your position alone. Not that what you did was in any way wrong.

6) other possibles that I can think of (but are less likely), as I get such a good response from the flash the brake 'message', are
reversing lights and SMALL car manoeuvring. Even 'looking like' you have had to reverse, and then brake, tell another driver that 'something odd' is going on, and causes them to slow. The further indication from you to say 'stop' will help.
even going forwards a tiny bit and right indicator - with a possible steering in towards the centre of the road a bit, (as in s/he can see you moving - try to asses and slow down),
- then you brake and in that time they can start to asses - passing you and then see the next and real danger.

7) Always have your escape route planned too, even forwards - so perhaps reversing back 5 or 6 car lengths if that makes it just that bit safer and for them too, as after they pass you - they have more time to reassess the hazard too.

NB: Most importantly - make sure that what ever you choose to do, is really really clear. Any confusing by the other car driver may have them state later if an accident were to occur, e.g. I thought the 'slow down' flag was a 'wave to go past the car', and I was so busy with that distraction, that I failed to notice the L car in my path and hit it.

These things are always a fine tune judgement call, but having a small list available to you, is always extremely useful - just like when the motorway is slowing down too, the hazard and brake technique works extremely well, along with escape routes and leaving excellent gaps in front too. :)

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PostPosted: Sun May 25, 2008 12:18 
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Claire :clap:

Some sound advice there .. :bow:

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PostPosted: Mon May 26, 2008 00:27 
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Well thank yo kind Sir :D
Praise indeed from what I am told ;)

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