Safe Speed Forums

Is anyone else listening to the proud middle lane driver defending his driving style on R2 now?

The guy's a total nutcase. It's brilliant.

Yep, just heard it myself - what a moron!!

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Why can't we just use Common Sense?

And when advised that you should move into lane 1 if you're not going to overtake anything within 30 seconds, his claim that "30 seconds is an incredibly short time" cracked me up.

Other Middle Lane sitters defending themselves by claims that "it's safer to sit in the middle lane because there are lorries and caravans in Lane 1", and "there are slip roads leading into Lane 1". And one claiming that Lane 2 is the "Cruising Lane".

So they're unable to look far enough ahead to see if a slower vehicle is in Lane 1, or be aware of forthcoming junctions? They might as well have said "I sit in the middle lane because I don't have the mental capacity to do anything else"

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Why can't we just use Common Sense?

I'm shocked that there's actually people driving like this who believe it is the right thing to do!! I always assumed they were just lazy and ignorant, not calculatingly dumb!

Well you'll be OK soon - I'm sure the PTB will put speedcams on the motorways soon so that will cure this particular problem, right? No?

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Pecunia Prius Equitas et Salus

I have to admit I will sit in the middle lane to avoid the tramlines on the left lane if the traffic is light enough to allow it, only pulling into the left if another vehicle catches up.

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Driving fast is for a particular time and place, I can do it I just only do it occasionally because I am a gentleman.
- James May

That's the trick though - I don't suppose anyone really minds that too much...

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Science won over religion when they started installing lightning rods on churches.

I was particularly fuming at the guy who said "I just set my cruise control to 72mph and never change my speed."

But I did think the motorcyclist who said he didn't use the left lane because the lorries have carved tracks in it had a point, if it's true.

I only use the left lane on my bike if I am exiting the DC/Mway. Too much deisel when wet and the grooves do have a tendency to swerve the bike.

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Prepare to be Judged

you should keep to the left whilst driving unless overtaking or turning right. Why, at three in the morning do i find myself approaching a car in the middle lane, when there is NOTHING up ahead? I've narrowed the reason down to a few theories, 1. oblivious drivers, 2. lazy drivers or 3. people are just scared of the crash barrier or the shoulder.

and..... why do you middle lane freaks flash me when i undertake you at 100+, i do it to teach you that you should be on the left, we drive on the left in england. drive on the left! stop being scared of the motorway

Oh dear...

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Science won over religion when they started installing lightning rods on churches.

I can't say I approve of such actions! edit: I was too nice: that's bloody dangerous..

As well as inciting potential road rage, you never know if the other driver will wake up and change lane. That kind of inter-lane speed differential, coupled with the other driver not knowing of your presence, could so easily end in tears. Besides, the other driver might be reacting to a hazard which you might not have seen...

If that wasn’t a trolling post then you really need to take urgent action to control your aggression.

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Views expressed are personal opinions and are not necessarily shared by the Safe Speed campaign

if undertaking at speeds in excess of 100 is aggressive, maybe i should just mirror signal mirror manoeuvre to the middle then again to the outside then again to the middle then finally back to the correct lane, or... maybe someone could suggest something. i don't just undertake, i have other methods, but nothing i do seems to get my message of "we drive on the left here in england" through to people

I undertook someone at 2am on an empty M5. I was doing <90, he/she was doing 70.

In L3.

I arrived behind pulled from L1 to L3, waited for a few moments, nothing happened, so I pulled back to L1 and proceeded as before, so they flashed me.

C**t (them, not you!) Lane-hogging is quite possibly my number one day-to-day irritation when driving on the motorway. I can safely say that I never do it, and if I can manage that, so can everyone else.

I've never done it, but it's tempting to give people like that a taste of their own medicine by passing them, moving into L3 and slowing down to 20mph below their speed. Since you're doing exactly the same thing to them that they did to you, they have no excuse to get annoyed (although of course they would, being the illogical self-important arsewipes that they are).

It's incredible how many people seem to make it their number one priority to impede others, putting it before their own safety, their own progress or indeed anything else. I think it says a lot about the way they are in other areas of their life. I wouldn't ever want to socialise or work with such passively aggressive, spiteful idiots. Not that I'd even be able to see them because of the huge chip on each of their shoulders.

[/venting]

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Paul Smith: a legend.

"The freedom provided by the motor vehicle is not universally applauded, however: there are those who resent the loss of state control over individual choice that the car represents. Such people rarely admit their prejudices openly; instead, they make false or exaggerated claims about the adverse effects of road transport in order to justify calls for higher taxation or restrictions on mobility." (Conservative Way Forward: Stop The War Against Drivers)

probably some foreigner thinking that you should drive on the right

I've had that as well, there are some very strange people around.

I used to get irritated by drivers that just sat in the middle lane on an otherwise empty motorway but so long as I can get past, preferably on the right, I try not to get stressed about it. They will probably also be in L2 when it is busy holding other drivers up but nothing you do to get your own back is likely to make them a better driver unfortunately. At the opening of the radio item a stated reason for trying to reduce MLMs was that they cause other drivers to get angry and drive poorly. If you let these muppets get to you then you just add to the problem.

I fantasize about inventing a disintegrator ray to deal with them though.


Edited to add - when I say 'you' read as general not to one poster in particular.

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Driving fast is for a particular time and place, I can do it I just only do it occasionally because I am a gentleman.
- James May

I bet they had a sticker saying "slow down and save a life" or something. I have actually heard people on the radio who say they drive in L3 at 70 to stop others breaking the speed limit.

The police USED to pull over MLM's if they drove more than 1 mile or 30 seconds without passing somebody, whichever came sooner.
They were usually threatened with (IIRC) Driving Without Consideration for Other Road Users.
Is that still on the Statute Book?
It was also used on drivers who splashed pedestrians by driving at speed through puddles, and drivers who failed to dip their lights if they got caught.

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Time to take responsibility for our actions.. and don't be afraid of speaking out!