Rude driver?

[morg_monster]

While driving this morning I came off a roundabout in the outside lane onto a dual carriageway, with slower cars on my inside so I stayed in the outside. By the time I was doing 60mph there were 2 cars left to pass, doing about 45 mph.  Suddenly there was a car behind me, flashing lights, driver shaking his head at me.  I thought maybe there were emergency vehicles around, but no, so I carried on, passed the cars a few seconds later and then pulled in.  As the guy passed me he mouthed something at me and then did the same thing to the next car.  The man looked so respectable that I thought I'd done something wrong! 

If I was overtaking someone then it is fine to be in the outside lane isn't it? I passed my test about a year ago and still get fits of inferiority sometimes - Am I right in thinking this guy was just a t*sser?  (which happened to be what I mouthed at him... the best word I find as you don't have to move your lips to say it... I'm a good girl really!)

[Grunty]

Of course we don't know what he would say, but on the facts given, you don't seem to have done anything wrong.  Even if you had, your assessment of his character appears to be accurate. 

[5029]

Touch your footbrake if they get too close behind you, it makes them drop back.

 

Either that or give them the finger as they pass!

[Cockney_si]

Slow down to see how slow you can actually get before they back off, usually gets results!

Not recommended but I always find braking with the left foot works as an extreme measure.

[acw]

Probably being dumb here - but how does the guy behind know which foot you breaked with?  Surely stick ur hazards on, slow down to annoy him (nearly swore then! oops!) and if really annoyed, get his plate and call the police.  My school friend's mum once followed someone who did that and dumped a dirty nappy on his lawn.  Not sure that was hugely legal, but funny i guess!!!

[kempie]

acw - Left foot braking = depressing the brake pedal just enough to activate the brake lights but because your right foot is still on the accelerator you can maintain your speed so the car behind can't run into the back of you. 

Seeing the brake lights should cause an automatic reaction by the driver behind you without the risk of a collision.

[acw]

And are we MEANT to do that?  I remember my horrible driving instructor treating me like a moron when I asked why we break with the right foot.  I had assumed that once you hit the break, the accelerator is overridden anyway.  Perhaps not.  Ho hum! thanks though! :-)

[Sasha13]

Be careful when left foot braking though - the first time I did it I nearly went through the windscreen cos I pushed the brake too hard by mistake - too used to usually only using my left foot on the clutch I think!!

[kempie]

' ...are we MEANT to do that?'

No, but the other driver in question isn't meant to drive like he was either! (I know two wrongs don't make a right).

'I had assumed that once you hit the break, the accelerator is overridden anyway.'

Not on a car with manual transmission; that's what the clutch is for. (Question doesn't specify type of car being driven although predominantly manual in UK).

[Cockney_si]

Sasha 13, I was aiming at that response, left foot braking is extremely excessive braking unless you are a rally driver and have the feather touch.

Only test it out on a private road with noone nehind you.

[cockneyexile]

i would not resort to the measures suggested by other ab,ers as it just makes you as bad as the guy mentioned in the original post instead just let the ****** pass and think to yourself i have a long life ahead of me but the way he is driving he will be lucky to see tommorow

[FordGranada1]

Personally, I wouldn't touch the brakes in this situation. If the other driver slams into the back of you, it's obviously his fault, but is it really worth all the aggrevation of going through the claims process, and de-valuing your car as a damaged-repaired vehicle just through an unnessessary collision?

To answer the original question, as others have pointed out, you didn't do anything wrong, and it sounds like you were totally correct in your assessment of him as a self-abuser.

[guymonde]

Sounds like what you did was fine. But whatever, don't go beyond mouthing names. These things can just escalate and nobody wins. Feel quietly superior!

[EssJay1]

You were right, he was wrong. Don't get wound up, don't react, drive as you were. Life's too short to let ignorant people get you down.

[icemaiden]

Was he driving an Alfa Romeo? Only it really sounds like my "road rage" other half!!!!

[icemaiden]

Sorry my mistake. You said "respectable". Can't be him!

[Otrere]

If I get some t*sser of a driver (like the one you encountered) yelling abuse at me I just turn round and calmly stick my tongue out at them. It gets some fantastic responses - most of them gobsmacked.

[BenDToy]

Whilst I am inclined to agree with other views of this guy, is it at all possible that you did something to aggravate him? Not that I am condoning his behaviour, but just pointing out alternatives. Were you by any chance in the wrong lane (turn left and go to outside lane) or maybe change lanes in front of him on the roundabout? I consider behaviour on roundabouts absolutely appalling, and sins like this never cease to amaze me. Last week a woman on my left at the start of the roundabout tried to turn right, and was amazed when I blew my horn as she breezed across in front of me. I am convinced that she thought I was in the wrong!

[morg_monster]

Thanks for all your answers I'm glad you all agree with me on the whole!  BenDToy, no I didn't do anything to annoy him, apart from just being ahead of him... I drive this route every day to work, the roundabout had both lanes for going straight on, he was in the same lane as me going onto the roundabout at any rate.  I just hope I don't come across him again!

Otrere, I LOVE the tongue idea.  It sounds brilliant, I am pretty mild-mannered and never want to aggravate situations like this, cos whatever I think about these aggressive drivers any hassle is just not worth it and they can cause serious trouble.  As long as I'm smiling at them, what can they do?!

[kazzareee]

I had a similar experience once, but when the driver passed and turned to look at me and mouth some obscenity (as I just knew he would!) I calmly smiled and blew him a big ole kiss!   Ha - that got to him and his taken-aback reaction seemed to make me feel a bit better as well, just because it was probably the last thing he was expecting.

Give it a go next time anything like this happens and see what reaction you get!