Author Topic: Why do car drivers pull over?  (Read 2247 times)

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Offline Phmode

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Why do car drivers pull over?
« on: November 16, 2018, 10:00:11 pm »
So, a couple of times in the past year or so since moving to parts rural, I have come up behind cars, (mostly being driven stupidly slowly) only to find that as I close in, they start acting really weirdly.

They move into the verge...
They slow down even more...
They start indicating left...(well, the clever ones do, the rest don't know where their indicator is)


In one memorable instance last week, the driver actually stopped.
I stopped behind him. He was on a blind, left hand bend. Eventually I was 'forced' to pull out and overtake, risking life and limb in the mad school run cum rush hour traffic.
 
As soon as I was past he pulled out in front of the car coming up behind and as we were now in the village speed limit he sat on my tail, clearly wondering why the lunatic biker who had come flying up behind him was now only doing 40mph. In a 40 limit.

200 yards later I indicate to turn right into the drive (the very reason I hadn't overtaken him earlier) and stop in the middle of the road while the entire Chinese race passes in the opposite direction.

He beeps his horn. I glance in my mirror. Only 137,234,457 more Chinese to go.

He sounds his horn rather aggressively. I shrug and give him my customary 'open palm, nonchalently tossing a tennis ball' sort of gesture.

He shouts something at me. I ignore him. Then, remembering the last time a German kept shouting and flashing his lights at me, half way down an Alp while I studiously ignored him, only to discover my keys were falling out of the lock in the flapping lid of my top box   ::), I flip my face plate and listen as he screams 'Why did you overtake me if you knew you were turning right!'

The temptation to get off the bike and headbutt him was almost too overpowering to resist.

I think I might need some sort of counselling for this...

Offline richtea

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Re: Why do car drivers pull over?
« Reply #1 on: November 17, 2018, 10:15:08 am »
1. Motorbikes are unpredictable to non-riding car drivers. They're fast enough they can't comprehend what's safe on a bike, what's not (c.f. headlight flashing discussion elsewhere)
2. One big bright light in the mirror coming up fast is scary & threatening (but at least they saw you!)
3. Sometimes that light is so bright they'd rather the bike would overtake as soon as possible, so they'll help you along

Even as a rider, I occasionally have trouble with 3 in a car (lowish car seat, high bike lights), but I don't change my driving style.

The only time I appreciate a car driver modifying their driving is during filtering, where a small move over gives significantly more space, and a better view of the next cars. But the wierd ones are those who move over into the gutter on a normal two-way road (no filter). I'll go when I want to - don't worry mate!

Count to 10 Brian.
1,2,3... oh f*** it.

Offline raesewell

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Re: Why do car drivers pull over?
« Reply #2 on: November 17, 2018, 10:30:30 am »
It makes me smile when you have been following them for a couple of minutes and suddenly they move over to the gutter spraying dirt and gravel at you because they haven't seen you on approach. I have shouted in the past "if you want to sleep, go home" I tend to just get past them at the earliest opportunity these days. In your case Brian I think a head butt would have been in order, or a swift punch with armoured gloves. I can see the headlines in your local paper "Duelling Pensioners"  ;D

Offline Phmode

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Re: Why do car drivers pull over?
« Reply #3 on: November 17, 2018, 10:34:38 am »
The ultimate was the eejit we came across on our jaunt to Oulton Park Richard.

First he indicates left. Richard drops back, I drop back. Give him space to slow and turn.

Then he moves right into the kerb, passes the next left and slows right down, still indicating left.

We drop back a little more.

Then he waves his arm out of the window with what might have been an old fashioned 'I am prepared to be overtaken' signal.

Finally, because we were clearly too stupid or big to get past him, he reaches out and pulls his drivers mirror right in toward the car to give us 'room'.

Eventually Richards puts him out of his misery and we continue on our merry way.

He wasn't one of the scared types' he saw us and was doing his best to 'help' us on our way.

But at least he didn't stop on a blind left bend...  ::)

Offline richtea

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Re: Why do car drivers pull over?
« Reply #4 on: November 17, 2018, 10:50:03 am »
Ah! I'd forgotten the mirror episode. That was funny.  ;D
And a jolly good ride.

Offline raesewell

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Re: Why do car drivers pull over?
« Reply #5 on: November 17, 2018, 12:20:10 pm »
It makes you feel like stopping them for a chat to re-educate them. Why don't they realise that we (on bikes) can overtake almost any time we like and they don't have to do anything to help us. I like to make my own decisions as to when I overtake, I don't need anyone to drive for me. If an inexperienced rider were to take notice of the "help" offered by these twats they could get into trouble with an inappropriate overtake. Why can't they just drive their drive and let us deal with the overtake when appropriate.
It should be part of the driving test, how to deal with other road users, especially motorbikes.

Tirade over  ;D

Offline TomL

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Re: Why do car drivers pull over?
« Reply #6 on: November 17, 2018, 02:36:55 pm »
I must say that the drivers over Norfolk and Lincoln way are very obliging and move over to the left of the carriageway to make it easier. Not the sort of thing that happens round our way.
As I have grown older, I've learned that pleasing everybody is impossible, but pissing everyone off is a piece of cake.

Offline Phmode

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Re: Why do car drivers pull over?
« Reply #7 on: November 17, 2018, 04:09:09 pm »
Which is OK as long a they don't throw mangled wurzels at your head from the nearside wheels... :o

Offline farmer

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Re: Why do car drivers pull over?
« Reply #8 on: November 25, 2018, 01:07:40 pm »
know what you mean...sometimes i'm quite happy crusing along coming up behind traffic and sitting at their speed completely at peace with the world, then the driver in front pulls over a bit, i'm thinking thanks but i'm ok and looking at the scenery....then they pull over a little more, i think stop putting me under pressure to pass...next he has two wheels on the grass and the car is bouncing about on the hedge and throwin dirt onto the road and i can see his wife shouting at him...this goes on and i can see children crying in the back seat so in everyones intrest i twist the throttle a pass... now we all think a little less of each other.
on the other hand sometimes it's great to get to away easily.

Offline TomL

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Re: Why do car drivers pull over?
« Reply #9 on: November 27, 2018, 10:17:53 am »
know what you mean...sometimes i'm quite happy crusing along coming up behind traffic and sitting at their speed completely at peace with the world, then the driver in front pulls over a bit, i'm thinking thanks but i'm ok and looking at the scenery....then they pull over a little more, i think stop putting me under pressure to pass...next he has two wheels on the grass and the car is bouncing about on the hedge and throwin dirt onto the road and i can see his wife shouting at him...this goes on and i can see children crying in the back seat so in everyones intrest i twist the throttle a pass... now we all think a little less of each other.
on the other hand sometimes it's great to get to away easily.
I'm never happy cruising along behind a car. Much prefer an open road front and rear especially when sight seeing which is not normally on my agenda.
As I have grown older, I've learned that pleasing everybody is impossible, but pissing everyone off is a piece of cake.

Offline Phmode

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Re: Why do car drivers pull over?
« Reply #10 on: November 27, 2018, 11:39:06 am »
You do see a lot of it though.

Postman Pat is a fast enough rider on road (as opposed to off road when I have never kept him in sight long enough to know  ???) but as soon as he comes up behind a car he gives in and engages permanent 'follow-position' mode.

He says he had a couple of 'bad incidents' (I haven't got to the bottom of this yet) when he first started riding and he really doesn't like overtaking even on arrow-straight, otherwise empty roads when I would be out and past even on the wee Honda with all of its 24bhp.

If my mind is going to wander then I don't want to be behind someone else when it does...

Offline farmer

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Re: Why do car drivers pull over?
« Reply #11 on: November 27, 2018, 12:19:05 pm »
good enough point but in my defence when cruising behind someone i leave thinking/manouvere room, and there's usually an obstacle of some sort ahead that put me in that frame of mind, i think the argument works the other way as well, i don't want to pass someone and then have to put on a big charge to leave them behind if they are sitting around 80+ mph and i want to relax.... sometimes a big charge is just what i want, sometimes not. different situations call for different plans...
ok? 

Offline black-k1

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Re: Why do car drivers pull over?
« Reply #12 on: November 27, 2018, 12:21:44 pm »
I think it’s good that drivers move over when a bike comes up behind them but, like all things, it needs to be in moderation.

A driver moving over tells me they’ve seen me and are expecting me to overtake. That’s good and I would like more drivers to do that, more often. (The French are generally very good at moving over when a bike is spotted behind them.) I prefer to know the driver has seen me in preference to seeing the driver jump out of their skin as the bike they hadn’t noticed comes storming past them, at pace.

That said, drivers don’t need to put one wheel in the gutter/up the bank and don’t need to slow down, especially if I choose not to overtake immediately. While neither actually “helps”, it can at least be said that they are trying to help the situation.
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Offline Phmode

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Re: Why do car drivers pull over?
« Reply #13 on: November 27, 2018, 08:06:34 pm »
I agree with almost all of your comments David.

But...and there's always a but, (or however if I were being supportive)...when they actually stop and park up on a blind left hand bend then that tells me all I need to know about the driver  >:(