The curse of the 4WD

[w6navigator]

I was having a nice drive back from a meeting in Guildford yesterday along the A3 with the roof off. I was in the fast lane when a black 4WD pulled up alongside in the middle lane. I accelerated to "pass" him, but he kept speed alongside. I then dropped back so that I could drop in behind him, but he dropped pace too, still alongside. This went on for over 2 miles until he pulled off for Putney just before the Roehampton exit. I then stopped at the Shell garage to compose myself before heading home.

[Steve_T]

Not a pleasant experience I'm sure. Best not to engage with these kind of people if at all possible. Probably he took issue with seeing a lady driver in a sportscar. Far too much attitude on the road these days.

Steve.

[tonyrec]

I would certainly agree with that Steve.

[raceboy]

Being devils advocate

w6navigator said:

I was in the fast lane

Which lanes that then? It's the same speed limit in each one

w6navigator said:

when a black 4WD pulled up alongside in the middle lane.

So there was nothing to your left then?

w6navigator said:

I accelerated to "pass" him, but he kept speed alongside.

So there was nothing in your left hand lane for a reasonable distance then?

w6navigator said:

I then dropped back so that I could drop in behind him, but he dropped pace too, still alongside. This went on for over 2 miles until he pulled off for Putney just before the Roehampton exit.

Does sound like he was being a bit arsey though
But remember keep left if your not overtaking someone

[FourWheelDrift]

If they pulled alongside you in the middle lane then slowed as you slowed (so as to not undertake you) then I would suggest they were probably trying to point out to you that there is more than one lane on the A3 and the outside lane isn't the fast lane, you can go just as fast in all the lanes.

[hut49]

w6navigator said:

I accelerated to "pass" him, but he kept speed alongside.

Didn't know TVR made a 4WD

[simpo two]

Maybe he was trying to tell you that you should have been in the middle lane and he didn't want to undertake? If it was me I'd either have gone through on the inside or stayed behind and hassled. Not in the HC I know but that's life....

[Marlon]

Have to agree with several of the comments here. Lane discipline is a real problem with many drivers - we should all make more of an effort to drive safely and sensibly; i.e. keep to the left unless overtaking.

Sounds like the 'other' driver was making a bit of a point, and I'm sure it was unnerving, but most of us would be (are frequently) annoyed to see a car in the right-most lane when the left is clear - and under normal circumstances I would slow down if a car on my right slowed down - undertaking is BAD.

Admittedly, they should have let you gain distance to the point where you could safely move in front of them, or drop back and move out behind you to show their intention to pass (speed limit permitting), but it does sound to me as though you may have instigated the situation by being in the wrong lane at the time.

I don't want to hear tish-tosh about "tram lining" either, it doesn't cut the mustard. If this analysis doesn't apply to your incident, I apologise.

[Plotloss]

FWIW going through Roehampton

Lane 3 is the fast lane (i.e the one that moves) as all the numpties try and cope with the on/off at Putney.

Lane 1 is left hand turn only lane coming up to the Putney turn.

Bloke in the chelsea tractor sounds like a berk in light of this.

[Steve_T]

Have to disagree with some of what was said. My read is this. If the guy was making a point, he'd have moved into the outside lane, flashed his lights requesting you to move over and given you time to do it. If the guy had an attitude, he'd have acted as he did and not allowed you to move over when you clearly wanted to.

Steve.

[YI8TVR]

Are you running on two cylinders . I could blast past a 4WD in reverse

[burriana500]

hut49 said:

w6navigator said: I accelerated to "pass" him, but he kept speed alongside. Didn't know TVR made a 4WD

I'm with Hut on the obvious question... how the hell did he keep up with you?

[w6navigator]

I quite agree with not fast lane hogging. I had spent much of the journeyin the far left/slow lane as the roads were not too heavy and the pace good, but had moved out to overtake someone else behind the 4WD and then decided to keep going and overtake him. When he left the A3 he crossed all 3 lanes as either he made a last minute decision or almost missed his turning. I was more worried we'd travel back all the way to West London like that! Thanks for all the advice.

[w6navigator]

In answer to your last question...I don't actually drive very fast. But yes as the fastest I was doing at the opint of overtaking (or trying to overtake) was 83mph I could have put my foot down. But sadly I was unnerved and the look on his face wasn't pretty either

[bouffy]

he sounds like an *rse.

Yes, lane hogging / wrong lane driving / incorrect lane selection is a problem, and we ALL get p*ssed off when we hoon up behind a numpty in the fast lane when all the other lanes are empty...

BUT - intimidating a TVR driver with a 4x4 isn't cricket. It's quite unnerving, and I don't even feel 100% comfortable when I'm undertaken by lorries etc when slowing down for roadworks on the motorway (why does the inside lane tend to move quicker in jams?).

It may not be considered approriate for the ladies, but I would suggest using the internationally recognised gesture for w*nker. It would probably inflame the situation, but makes you feel better.

All IMO of course - you don't want to get caught up in a 'Duel' type situation. Mind you, that guy didn't have a fast car did he?

Guy

[burriana500]

bouffy said:

- you don't want to get caught up in a 'Duel' type situation. Mind you, that guy didn't have a fast car did he? Guy

he said... as the traffic all slowly came to a grinding halt

(w6navigator said; But sadly I was unnerved and the look on his face wasn't pretty either)

Yeah but i bet it would've been a picture if you'd blown him a kiss and booted it like a good un

[snarfy]

aaaah as bouffy said...why does the inside lane move the quickes in heavy traffic and roadworks....?

Cause just before you hit the roadwords/traffic everyones stacked up with very little space between them in the outside and middle lanes. The inside lane mind has about two lorries per mile of road so as everything bunches up the inside lane has a lot less utilsed road space. If I see traffic ahead I always move over to the inside lane and cruise past everyone at 60 or so