O/T ok so I was probably in the wrong, but bl**dy hell

[NMH]

It sounds like the other guy had a point, and you shouldn't have decided it worth "gesticulating" at all.

I had a situation going west in Worthing, and the lanes merged with me ahead of the guy inside lane from me. He "gesticulated" and honked, shouted and grimaced at me. I got out and told him he had to give way to his right, and I don't care for his attitude.
His reaction was "yes SIR, yes SIR" like that means something (?)
Simple highway code, really.

Anyway, where lanes merge you give way to your right - but it's only when the outside vehicle is alongside or overtaking / ahead of you.

Another annoying thing is on roundabouts when you are trying to emerge while giving way to the right. Then, after another car has gone across the lane, the guy coming from the right comes out and SPEEDS UP to make it an issue that you finally emerged into the circular. Anyone speeding up just to show you their ego, is a moron.

 

[markw]

A few clueless cocks on here. The problem nowadays is the drivers in the left hand lane who go nose to nose and try to stop legitimate drivers filtering in when lanes merge. What part of 'lanes merging' do some people not understand , use both lanes and filter in nicely, it keeps traffic flowing nicely. You should of given the selfish twat a slap or at least try to run him over. I had a similiar incident years ago, some cock came to the window of my volvo t5 to have a go and stuck his hand in, i grabbed it and put the electric window up and took him for a little walk! After he see me close up, he did not want a confrontion anyway and walked back to his car 40 yards away.

 

[tedebear]

The thing is, everyone manages to find the shortest queue in the supermarket, why can't they do it on the road.

The only time I get annoyed by it is for exampe on the way to Arundel when there is only one lane from the A27 up the hill (the other lane goes left at the top) and you get the knuckle draggers in bazzed up cars who race up the left lane until they find a gap and push in - now that I find annoying...

 

[thealbionfan]

The bloke sounds a bit of a fruitcake, but dont you feel a little bit of a wimp for letting him talk to you like that in front of your other half and not doing anything ?


PS I cant stand people who do what you did either !

Hmmmm, a wimp?...not sure what to say to this...if by wimp you mean I weigh up the situation and prefer to walk away from confrontations where I can then I guess that makes me a wimp. Foul and abusive words do not really have an impact on me...as you say he seemed like a fruitcake...so I made my decision based on that...

 

[R. Slicker]

A lot of people are defending rank arrogance here. I'm pretty sure most of the drivers who get as far up front on the outside , aren't thinking of the highway code, they are thinking how clever they are by saving 3 minutes at everyone elses expense.
Are they the same people who, when joining the A23 northbound from the 27, leave it so late to get in the filter lane that they actually block the inside lane of the A27, causing the legitimate traffic to swerve into the outside. once again, to save a minute on their journey.

 

[Guy Fawkes]

Its not 1 car its numerous cars. Who is too say who should go first ?. Would you like it if you were queueing an the Bank for 20 minutes and someone came in and just barged to the front. This is no different as far as I am concerned.

So let me get this right, if you are queueing in a bank and someone in front of you but in a different lane / queue decides that they don't like the fact your lane is moving faster and stops you from passing him to reach the counter, that is acceptable?

You are not breaking any rules of the road by driving on a stretch of open highway leading upto roadworks. You are allowed to use both lanes and allowed to overtake upto the point the lane actually merges and there is also nothing to stop the cars ahead to use both lanes and when it comes to merging, take turns to enter the single lane.

Just because someone doesn't like the rules allowing people to do that doesn't give them the right to block the road and especially to threaten anyone

 

[Acker79]

Well, the guy isn't employed to enforce the highway code, so he is in the wrong.

The highway code says you should stay in the left hand lane unless overtaking or turning, and if the road is bottlnecking, there isn't the space to overtake, so you shouldn't be doing so. It also advises you get in desired lane as soon as is safe to do so. So, going into the right hand lane and waiting until the last minute before merging is also wrong.

Neither of you were right, so I don't think either of you have a right to criticise the other.

 

[Easy 10]

So this guy pulled out and blocked the outside lane, presumably with a few hundred yards of empty road ahead, to stop someone (gasp) driving past him.

Sounds like a prize prick to me.

 

[Kent Seagull]

Erm, the new highway code encourages you to use all available lanes until you have to merge in, so the guy that blocked you was a bit of a tool...

Which rule number is that? Can't find anything that says that on the online version.

 

[beorhthelm]

A lot of people are defending rank arrogance here.

of who? im a get in the inside lane early sort of person and tut as people try to go as far as possible on the outside. but to deliberatly block the lane is another level beyond those trying to save a minute.

 

[Gary Leeds]

So let me get this right, if you are queueing in a bank and someone in front of you but in a different lane / queue decides that they don't like the fact your lane is moving faster and stops you from passing him to reach the counter, that is acceptable?

Totally different situation. They are not forcing their way into YOUR queue to use the counter you are queing for, they are using a totally different queue.

As has been said the HC states you should move over as soon as it is safe to do so, this does not mean steam down the outside at 50mph and cut in with 3 foot to go

 

[Guy Fawkes]

So this guy pulled out and blocked the outside lane, presumably with a few hundred yards of empty road ahead, to stop someone (gasp) driving past him.

Sounds like a prize prick to me.

Agreed - whatever next, drivers doing the speed limit taking up two lanes because someone might try to overtake them?

The driver blocking the road and stopping another driver in the overtaking lane from overtaking has no power in law to stop him doing this, the overtaking driver is following the rules of the road in this country and it doesn't call for some vigilante motorist to decide what rules he does or doesn't like and try to enforce them.

 

[SussexHoop]

So if there is a queue in the inside lane and the outside lane is free for say 1/4 of a mile, most of you expect everyone to queue up in the inside lane? What should happen is rather than sitting there moaning, you should all use both lanes and merge at the end where ... the lanes merge.

We should do what I believe the French do ... make it compulsory to alternate where the lanes merge.

To the original poster, did you get a note of his registration? If so, contact the police and make a complaint. The son of a friend was threatened by another driver - they reported him to the police who paid him a visit, warned him about his behaviour and said a repeat would see him in court.

 

[portlock seagull]

Well done for not resorting to his level. He sounds completely out of control and technically assaulted you. Report him to the police, the thug deserves a warning from a uniformed officer. We've all stuck our fingers up and hit horns in frustration because Unfortunately too many dickheads on the road. But I'm afraid the minute you have to leave your vehicle to remonstrate with another person over a traffic queue....well you've lost all sense of perspective and should feel ashamed of yourself. Seen dickheads do this with their families sitting in their cars. How embarrassing to see your dad, son etc behaving like that.

 

[R. Slicker]

of who? im a get in the inside lane early sort of person and tut as people try to go as far as possible on the outside. but to deliberatly block the lane is another level beyond those trying to save a minute.

I'm certainly not condoning matey pulling out to block the lane but to then try & get round him when he obviously feels so strongly is asking for trouble. Nobody seems to mind when lorry drivers do it mind.

 

[Garage_Doors]

Correct. A harsh lesson but the other bloke was well within his rights imo.

was within his "rights" What rights are those then as govern by the laws of the road ?

Guy is a fruit loop, understand he annoyance at the hold-up, but has no "right" to block someone else's to right to passage ( oh er misses).

You keep going until the lanes merge, otherwise the queue is artificially longer than it need to be causing a longer tailback than is necessary.

if everyone used all the available space ahead of them as directed in the highway code then it would eliminate the potential for other to be perceived to be queue jumping by using an empty road ahead of them.

What did the guy think he was achieving by keeping the lane ahead empty ?
It certainly was not speeding up traffic.

 

[Acker79]

So if there is a queue in the inside lane and the outside lane is free for say 1/4 of a mile, most of you expect everyone to queue up in the inside lane? What should happen is rather than sitting there moaning, you should all use both lanes and merge at the end where ... the lanes merge.

Following the trend of bank metaphors...

What you're suggesting is akin to going into a bank seeing a long queue for the one available teller, and deciding to go ignore all the people who got there before you and joined the queue in keeping with general polite, social behaviour, and going to the closed till next to them, then pushing in at the front of the queue.

 

[Guy Fawkes]

Well done for not resorting to his level. He sounds completely out of control and technically assaulted you. Report him to the police, the thug deserves a warning from a uniformed officer. We've all stuck our fingers up and hit horns in frustration because Unfortunately too many dickheads on the road. But I'm afraid the minute you have to leave your vehicle to remonstrate with another person over a traffic queue....well you've lost all sense of perspective and should feel ashamed of yourself. Seen dickheads do this with their families sitting in their cars. How embarrassing to see your dad, son etc behaving like that.

I agree that the driver should be reported, use this Operation Crackdown if the original poster has the vehicle details

 

[thealbionfan]

So if there is a queue in the inside lane and the outside lane is free for say 1/4 of a mile, most of you expect everyone to queue up in the inside lane? What should happen is rather than sitting there moaning, you should all use both lanes and merge at the end where ... the lanes merge.

We should do what I believe the French do ... make it compulsory to alternate where the lanes merge.

To the original poster, did you get a note of his registration? If so, contact the police and make a complaint. The son of a friend was threatened by another driver - they reported him to the police who paid him a visit, warned him about his behaviour and said a repeat would see him in court.

I thought about making a note of his registration and probably should have done, but to be honest, I think the Mrs and I were both a bit shocked and I just wanted to leave it...

 

[Uncle Spielberg]

Following the trend of bank metaphors...

What you're suggesting is akin to going into a bank seeing a long queue for the one available teller, and deciding to go ignore all the people who got there before you and joined the queue in keeping with general polite, social behaviour, and going to the closed till next to them, then pushing in at the front of the queue.

This is the correct answer.