Road rage - just what ARE we supposed to do?
Discussion
I now know several people who have been victims of various "road rage" type incidents. In most cases, they didn''t bother calling the police as they had so little hope of seeing justice being done. The few examples who _did_ call the police were all fobbed off in one way or another.
It seems to be very rare for action to be taken against dangerous loonies who are putting peoples'' lives at risk (and often damaging property).
I was once harassed by a white van man who followed us all the way to the front door of my GF''s parents'' house. I got out of my car first and attempted to pacify him. After seeing that I was bigger than him, then frothing at the mouth (for what seemed like several minutes!), he drove off at manic speeds. I reported this to the local constabulary, who advised me to fill in some sort of standard form. Having posted this off, I later got some pathetic reply about "...no independent witnesses... blah..blah...". Even more galling was that the confrontation took place outside a copper''s house!
The reason I''ve brought this up is I''ve been reading a thread elsewhere, and it is full of similar stories:
"Back to the original thread, years ago I had a nutter brake testing both lanes of a dual carriageway by sitting in the outside lane at 60mph, and if you tried to pass on either side, he swerved in front of you and hit the brakes. Nearly had a guy on a motorbike in the ditch! I had 4 passengers in the car, and reported the incident to the police immediately with registration number. They refused to do anything as there were no "independant" witnesses. At lease a quiet word with the driver might have stopped him doing that sort of thing again, but they didn''t even fill out a report sheet!
"
And the police wonder why we get annoyed about gatsos...
So my question is... just what the hell ARE we supposed to do in these situations? Surely if the incident is recorded it could provide some evidence against the offender in case of future offences? And surely a warning would do no harm? And why exactly is my word considered SOOO worthless?
A friend of mine had her car stolen and burnt out a few years ago. It was fairly obvious where the thieves had come from and it wasn't the first time it had happened. All we did was fill in a form. No investigation whatsoever.
Back then they didn't even have the excuse that they were busy filling GATSOs with film...
Best reaction to road rage is to drive away from it. That's what I always do. Well... er... except when I brake-tested the knob tail-gating me and the other time... am I rambling...? Time for a pint me thinks...
to be fair...Im sure that for every 'they didnt do anything' story, in other times they have....they certainly did with me.
The police are constrained by rules as well as the rest of us, so Im suer that in a lot of these cases there really is nothing worthwhile they can do, just cos it isnt realistic.
with regards to the original subject....Im with Ted, drive away! (or carry a 22 foot golden burrmese python in the car with you at all times 
)
Night
)
Night 
that is bloody awful....guess the Police believed your story though or things might have gone a bit different.. (qould sir suit a full body search? 
)
MrT...nah, wrap it round the rear wing
I dont really take her with me... (obviously ) god knows what Id do when I stopped anywhere....! Would be bloody funny if I got anyone with road rage and I did though!
Night
)
MrT...nah, wrap it round the rear wing
I dont really take her with me... (obviously ) god knows what Id do when I stopped anywhere....! Would be bloody funny if I got anyone with road rage and I did though!
Night My advice, don't take them on, if possible drive off and to the local cop shop, report it , or take the reg no and a description of the nutter and report it. You will probably be given two options , we go round and advise the nutter or go round and report them for due care/dangerous driving. I have done both as a result of complaints. I do not try to fob people off, its as much a part of my job as potting speeders of catching burglars.
Yeh, had a similar incident last week up near bracknall where this twat in a vectra tried to put me onto the middle of the reservstion as i went down the outside of him on a dual carrageway and then laughed at me with the usual bird gesticulation. He then tried to put me into the roundabout as i tried to avoid him at the next one. Finally i pulled up behind him at the next roundabout and the arsehole reversed into me on purpose and then sped off at high speed between two cars on the said rounabout giving me no time to get hold of him. Tell you what thinking of taking me battered up Saab to work for the next couple of weeks!!!! Obviously joking with that one JR....
What worries me is that, even if the other driver is *clearly* wrong, they're the ones that seem to go tonto and start threatening you !
My wife was cut up by some silly bint in a brand new car and very nearly ended up in the central reservation of a dual carriageway. She hit the horn and had to brake / swerve to avoid the other car hitting the passenger seat where our 16 month old daughter was sitting. However, the other driver proceeded to mouth verbal abuse at my wife even though she was the one that nearly caused the accident.
And then yesterday I was driving down the same piece of road in the outside lane doing about 70mph when I came up to a Scorpio which had wandered across the white line between the inside and outside lanes a couple of times. I held back until I had room in front to overtake quickly and then, just as I was accelerating he had another wobble. I gave him a short hoot of the horn and he got back in his lane but the look I got was priceless !!! Mind you, he must have been annoyed at being woken up from his Sunday afternoon nap....
Sadly until society changes so that the immediate reaction to any situation (whether it be on the roads or elsewhere) isn't "it weren't me guv !!" then we're doomed to have to deal with the retards who think road-rage is an acceptable way of dealing with their shortcomings as a human being.
Frankly I think the police should stop arsing about stopping people for speeding all the time and try to stop people who clearly commit acts of stupidity on our roads. OK, so they may not be able to prosecute them, but pointing out the error of their ways is the only way most of them will realise they've actually done something wrong.
My brother (tricky2bruv) will hate me for this but the funniest and most politically wrong bit of roadrage i have heard was when we lived near Telford. He was on his way back from work and was cut up by this silly moo. He peeped the horn as you do and she slammed all on at the next junction and lept out of the car. He decided to be the gentleman and sit in his and just wind down the window. Few exchanged niceties!!! and wallop she gobbed him!!!! I absolutely pissed myself when he got home and told me as you do!! But seriously though she got off with it. If it had been the other way round he would have no doubt got a suspended and a big fine? I Still laugh at him though!!
The Police do act buy need reliable 3rd. party witnesses. I was involved in a hit and run by a driver who pulled out of a junction right in front of me, and I flashed my lights at him, and left it at that. He then slowed right down to slow me down and crawled along at 15 mph. I couldn't overtake due to traffic, but when I could I passed him and he then sped up and kept me in the wrong lane, with a line of traffic coming towards me. I swerved back in and he nearly lost control at the next bend, so I overtook him. I was so angry that I stopped him by doing his tric, and several other cars who witnessed the incident stopped too. I got out and went to talk to the guy - I honestly wanted to ask him why he was trying to kill me. A guy got out of his car behind the nutter, also. As I walked o the road the guy revved his car and ran into me, making no attempt to go past me. I wa sthrown onto the bonnet, James Bond style, and fell onto my feet. The bloke stopped then sped off! The 3rd. man came up and gave his name etc. and said he was going to stop the guy and smack him, if I hadn't stopped him first! Anyway, the guy will be in court for dangerous driving. And please, don't tell me I shoulnd't provoke people, get out of my car and all that - I know, but most of us would do the same, if angered enough!!
Sympathy for everyone. There isn't a country that doesn't have this problem. Maybe this will help: pretend you are in USA, where people carry shotguns & Mac 10's. Yes you can get your car fixed, and your pride will heal, and you will make it home for dinner, not the morgue....now all I have to do is convince myself this is the way!!!!!
quote:I remember reading Clarksons bit in the Sunday Times once where he got chased but someone,and carried on for some miles, JC found one of his childs water pistols in the car which he then pointed at the guy who then backed off
Maybe this will help: pretend you are in USA, where people carry shotguns & Mac 10's.
I think he said he carrys one all the time now
Was enjoying a spirited drive back from the TMS Open Day (TVR Dealer in Melton) 'playing' with a Sunny GTiR when a right road captain in a Range Rover who we'ed overtaken some time ago caught up in traffic, overtook the Nissan,(dangerously) and sat in my boot, I nailed it and left him for dead, (TVR Power!) at the next island I did a complete 360 and came up behind the Nissan, with the Tonka Toy now trying to block both lanes of a duel carrageway, was very funny watching the Rover wollow from one lane to the other as we both reved up to overtake, eventually the Mud Plugger pulled off the road, and we both could give him a cheary wave and get back to enjoying ourselves.
quote:I've had a few of the same 4x4 wannabe racers do the same to me, quite strange how they seem to think that 2 tonns of pig iron on stilts with marshmellows as road springs will handle on the twisty bits - was basic physics only ever at my school?
Was enjoying a spirited drive back from the TMS Open Day (TVR Dealer in Melton) 'playing' with a Sunny GTiR when a right road captain in a Range Rover who we'ed overtaken some time ago caught up in traffic, overtook the Nissan,(dangerously) and sat in my boot, I nailed it and left him for dead, (TVR Power!) at the next island I did a complete 360 and came up behind the Nissan, with the Tonka Toy now trying to block both lanes of a duel carrageway, was very funny watching the Rover wollow from one lane to the other as we both reved up to overtake, eventually the Mud Plugger pulled off the road, and we both could give him a cheary wave and get back to enjoying ourselves.
quote:
Apparently, a bad bit of road rage happened to a mate of mine and he rang the police saying that he thought the car was 'stolen' as it was driving so erratically, and they were a lot more interested... blues and twos within a few minutes. Maybe if you thought they were under the influence of drink or drugs, the reaction would be similar. Of course, only to be used if you *genuinely* believe the car stolen, the driver drunk etc ;-) Don't want to be wasting police time, what with all those Gatsos to fill! (Only joking John!). I hate to piss on your campfire but exactly the same thing happened to me about a year a go. Some arse driving a repmobile down a dual carrageway cut across my lane and clipped my front wing. Refused to pull over at the next two laybys & wasn't exactly driving in a straight line if you get my drift. Anyway, phoned 999 from the car to report the incident i.e. leaving the scene, dangerous driving etc & just got told to report it at my local station !! Very encouraging..... Oh sorry, did I forget to mention that they lost all of the paperwork as well...@rse Now, I dont wish to have a go at JR as he seems pretty sensible but its experiences such as this that make my patience with the boys in blue very very short.
Gassing Station | Speed, Plod & the Law | Top of Page | What's New | My Stuff