Discussion
Never been part of something like this before.
(TL;DR - road rager wouldn't let it go, tried to force us to stop for nearly 30 miles or so while we were on phone to the police trying to work out what to do.)
On the motorway, we came up behind a 73 plate Honda who was alone in the outside lane - i.e. no one in L2 or L1 for quite a way ahead. As we approached (maybe 200yds behind), he moved from L3 all the way across to L1 (fairly swiftly) - I assumed that he'd seen us in his mirror and had moved out of the way.
As we went to pass (in L3), he dived across from L1, through L2, and half way into L3 nearly hitting us, I had to slam the anchors on, honked my horn, he wobbled his way back to L2, we passed by.
He then decided to honk, flash and weave around right up my tail, and was sat what felt like 1M off our bumper for a bit. I pulled over to L2/1, and thought, let him go;
He refused to pass initially and started to shadow us aggressively, still honking, still flashing, and now gesturing that he wanted us to stop.
He did once or twice go round us and I then sat back to let him go up the road, but he slowed up (in L1) until we passed again with the normal traffic flow, at which point he resumed his aggressive position, flashing and honking super close behind us.
This went on for quite a while, until he came along side to pass us once more (we were in L1 doing ~65) and he veered across from L2 appearing to try and ram us off the road. I had to use the hard shoulder to avoid us being hit.
He then waved what looked like an empty wine bottle.
At this point, we decided to phone the police as he wasn't letting it go and it was getting more and more concerning.
He was then in front of us, the police (999) sent an SMS that took us to a website that allowed them to use our phone camera and they could then see what was going on.
We were on a call with them for maybe 10 mins while this all continued and we explained the above, he brake tested us again, weaved about a bit, and then sped up the road seemingly finally having had enough after 20 minutes or so.
At this point, we thought he had given up as he was two lorries ahead of us and the police had the information they wanted and ended the call.
All good I thought.......unfortunately not, even though I was determined to stay away from him, he was sat in L1 going quite slowly, I stayed behind getting slower and slower while he let the lorries between us overtake him and get back to the position where he was just in front of us again and he could restart his brake testing behaviour gesturing for us to pull over again.
At this point, he was doing maybe 40mph, and we were trying to stay at least 100 yards behind, but he kept getting slower and slower as he moved from L1 to L2 and back again.
The only thing I could think of doing was to continue to refuse to go round him while we both got slower and slower on a motorway.......
After what felt like an eternity, we came across a junction, where we were perhaps now at 30 mph (him in front) and I let him get to the point where he couldn't make the exit, and I dived across the hatchings taking the junction. We then went cross country so as not to rejoin the same bit of road in case he thought that we'd just rejoin at some point.
So we managed to escape but I've now spent some time thinking what could I have done differently / better given that series of events and I haven't come up with much.
(When he was behind us, we did consider whether we could drive to a police station but when you start googling for police stations, the ones we could find nearby all claimed to be closed in the middle of the day, and I wasn't sure whether being on the motorway or being on an A/B road would be better/worse)
Thoughts?
(TL;DR - road rager wouldn't let it go, tried to force us to stop for nearly 30 miles or so while we were on phone to the police trying to work out what to do.)
On the motorway, we came up behind a 73 plate Honda who was alone in the outside lane - i.e. no one in L2 or L1 for quite a way ahead. As we approached (maybe 200yds behind), he moved from L3 all the way across to L1 (fairly swiftly) - I assumed that he'd seen us in his mirror and had moved out of the way.
As we went to pass (in L3), he dived across from L1, through L2, and half way into L3 nearly hitting us, I had to slam the anchors on, honked my horn, he wobbled his way back to L2, we passed by.
He then decided to honk, flash and weave around right up my tail, and was sat what felt like 1M off our bumper for a bit. I pulled over to L2/1, and thought, let him go;
He refused to pass initially and started to shadow us aggressively, still honking, still flashing, and now gesturing that he wanted us to stop.
He did once or twice go round us and I then sat back to let him go up the road, but he slowed up (in L1) until we passed again with the normal traffic flow, at which point he resumed his aggressive position, flashing and honking super close behind us.
This went on for quite a while, until he came along side to pass us once more (we were in L1 doing ~65) and he veered across from L2 appearing to try and ram us off the road. I had to use the hard shoulder to avoid us being hit.
He then waved what looked like an empty wine bottle.
At this point, we decided to phone the police as he wasn't letting it go and it was getting more and more concerning.
He was then in front of us, the police (999) sent an SMS that took us to a website that allowed them to use our phone camera and they could then see what was going on.
We were on a call with them for maybe 10 mins while this all continued and we explained the above, he brake tested us again, weaved about a bit, and then sped up the road seemingly finally having had enough after 20 minutes or so.
At this point, we thought he had given up as he was two lorries ahead of us and the police had the information they wanted and ended the call.
All good I thought.......unfortunately not, even though I was determined to stay away from him, he was sat in L1 going quite slowly, I stayed behind getting slower and slower while he let the lorries between us overtake him and get back to the position where he was just in front of us again and he could restart his brake testing behaviour gesturing for us to pull over again.
At this point, he was doing maybe 40mph, and we were trying to stay at least 100 yards behind, but he kept getting slower and slower as he moved from L1 to L2 and back again.
The only thing I could think of doing was to continue to refuse to go round him while we both got slower and slower on a motorway.......
After what felt like an eternity, we came across a junction, where we were perhaps now at 30 mph (him in front) and I let him get to the point where he couldn't make the exit, and I dived across the hatchings taking the junction. We then went cross country so as not to rejoin the same bit of road in case he thought that we'd just rejoin at some point.
So we managed to escape but I've now spent some time thinking what could I have done differently / better given that series of events and I haven't come up with much.
(When he was behind us, we did consider whether we could drive to a police station but when you start googling for police stations, the ones we could find nearby all claimed to be closed in the middle of the day, and I wasn't sure whether being on the motorway or being on an A/B road would be better/worse)
Thoughts?
That doesn’t sound like much fun at all and glad it ended when it did without further issue.
Out of interest after you had turned off did the call with the Police continue ie did they say what they were going to do ?
I’m not sure what else you could of done assuming there was even an earlier turnoff ?
Blasting past him and then continuing at a speed to lose him is no doubt very PH but consequences might have worked out far less well.
Out of interest after you had turned off did the call with the Police continue ie did they say what they were going to do ?
I’m not sure what else you could of done assuming there was even an earlier turnoff ?
Blasting past him and then continuing at a speed to lose him is no doubt very PH but consequences might have worked out far less well.
Sounds bonkers.
The SMS and monitoring site stuff is new to me - if his vehicle is registered in his name then he is royally f
ked.
I can’t understand how you didn’t get a police car arrive given the length of time this went on for.
I’d be interested to know if you get any follow up from this.
The SMS and monitoring site stuff is new to me - if his vehicle is registered in his name then he is royally f
ked. I can’t understand how you didn’t get a police car arrive given the length of time this went on for.
I’d be interested to know if you get any follow up from this.
The motorway wasn't empty but it wasn't busy - it was monday lunchtime ish.
All this went on both when other cars / lorries were nearby and when it felt like it was just us. Start to finish it was maybe 30 mins / 30 miles....
The police sent another sms link for us to upload photos and videos (which we did) - and after that we have heard nothing since.
In terms of the police phone call - this ended while we were still on the motorway, they did suggest calling back if we needed to (which perhaps we should have done) but we weren't on the call with them when getting slower and slower, and whilst we exited.
All this went on both when other cars / lorries were nearby and when it felt like it was just us. Start to finish it was maybe 30 mins / 30 miles....
The police sent another sms link for us to upload photos and videos (which we did) - and after that we have heard nothing since.
In terms of the police phone call - this ended while we were still on the motorway, they did suggest calling back if we needed to (which perhaps we should have done) but we weren't on the call with them when getting slower and slower, and whilst we exited.
Edited by fat80b on Wednesday 4th September 16:59
Had it twice on motorways, both instances them hogging the outside lane.
1st was white van on busy M40 whom I flashed and eventually had to undertake. I gesticulate as I passed. Next thing he came back oast me in outside lane and threw what only I can assume were stones out of his passenger window and pebble dashed my car. Thankfully no serious damage and it was a hire car and I let him stay ahead of me until he turned off.
2nd M3. Similar to the OP but i3 and older man. He followed me, intimidated me for 10 miles until I pulled off and drove to a MOD establishment where he couldn't follow.
Good job OP nothing else you could have done
1st was white van on busy M40 whom I flashed and eventually had to undertake. I gesticulate as I passed. Next thing he came back oast me in outside lane and threw what only I can assume were stones out of his passenger window and pebble dashed my car. Thankfully no serious damage and it was a hire car and I let him stay ahead of me until he turned off.
2nd M3. Similar to the OP but i3 and older man. He followed me, intimidated me for 10 miles until I pulled off and drove to a MOD establishment where he couldn't follow.
Good job OP nothing else you could have done
I would have thought the Police would have sent a car but I think the driver will be getting a knock on the door.
We had an intruder in our garden who had shoplifted locally before, I sent the Police our cctv and never heard another thing but when talking to the shop owner they confirmed the perp had been charged with theft. Our cctv confirmed him as the baddie.
We had an intruder in our garden who had shoplifted locally before, I sent the Police our cctv and never heard another thing but when talking to the shop owner they confirmed the perp had been charged with theft. Our cctv confirmed him as the baddie.
bad company said:
Sounds like you handled the situation very well op. Please keep us posted when/if you hear from the police.
This. You didnt escalate the situation, you remained calm and sensible and involved the Police. Nothing else you could have done differently.Its terrifying that people like this are out there, as it could have ended very differently for a young inexperienced driver, for example.
You did the right thing not to provocate (beyond the initial horn). I had similar once because I strayed into someone's lane (40mph road and on a bend). We are talking 10-15cm at most. He caught up with me when I was lane 2 and tried to drive his car into me from lane 3. We ended up bringing all 3 lanes to a halt and giving the beans to each other, which I am not proud of. I had a certain rally-based vehicle at a time which helped me to get away from a start though that didn't stop him making one last ditch attempt to hit my vehicle!
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