Nexuas

I am not sure if this point has been made yet...

Don't you think it is strange that there is no formal motorway driving as part of your test. Yes it is in the Highway code, but people are not taught how to use a motorway!! There is no legal requirement to have a lesson on a motorway, so why should these people know they are doing any wrong.


Just because you know what it says on page 12 of the highway code...

scoobynutta555

I hate middle laners too. I dont undertake them tho, that seems a bit too dangerous. Normally overtake and straight into lane 1, sometimes a flash if Im pi55ed off.

However, 'fast lane' hoggers i undertake if the other 2 lanes are free, i undertake in lane 1 ( leaving a free lane between) with plenty of welly

Jamesn

We all hate the *******, but the best thing to do is to overtake safely and then just make a point of moving back over all the way to the slow lane - closely.

Needless to say most of them will think "why has he done that, he will only have to pull out again?"

Twin-turbo

Fast lane? Slow lane?

How can you moan at others for not knowing how to use a motorway? There is no such thing as fast, medium or slow lane!

You are not able to go faster in one than you are in any of the others.

Your just as bad as the lane hogs for not know how to use a motorway.

scoobynutta555

As you will have noticed, '' were used with the term fast lane. That was simply a colloquial term that many people use as a way of describing a particular lane on the motorway, get a grip and stop being so ****.

And when did i say slow or medium lane?

Unfortuantly to some people saying 'lane 3' confuses them.

Twin-turbo

It wasn't aimed at you, dont worry.

The people who use this term as they dont know any different know who they are.

I would like to know why the government dont do anything about it, it needs to be part of the driving test. I like the bit posted earlier about the lorrys in Germany not able to overtake each other at certain times, that would be excellent!

scoobynutta555

Charlie H

I'll probably get flamed now but I'm pretty sure moving past a vehicle that is sat in the middle lane while you are in lane one is LEGAL IF you are following the flow of traffic and not just doing it to pull back in front of them once you are past. Therefore if there in nothing in lane one and you are observing the speed limit I cannot see what the police can do. I do this all the time

NotoriousREV

Passing on the left is perfectly legal providing you don't make another vehicle change speed or direction and you stay within the speed limit, IIRC

Scooby96

I think its only illegal if you are deemed to have been 'racing' on a highway in a 'road-race'. If it was illegal I could see the government sticking loads on plod on the motorways especially near roadworks and if anyone in the left hand lane was to inch past someone in the middle or third lane us drivers could further bankroll the lardy **** MP's!

Twin-turbo

You are able to 'undertake' if it is deemed that there is a queue of cars in the lane to your right and the lane you are in is moving at a faster rate. So next time you see a everyone driving along at 60 in the middle lane and the inside lane is empty, drive along it at 70.!

So really, with an idiot sitting in the middle lane not overtaking anyone and not in a queue, you shouldn't undertake it, as its not in a queue of cars. But the highway code also states that once you have overtaken any vehicles you must return to the inside lane. So you would both be breaking the law!

chiark

Undertaking will get you pulled without doubt if you are caught, like it or not.

The defense "why didn't you pull over the middle lane hog" will not wash whatsoever.

Let them get on with their lives, and switch lanes twice. You're not going to change their behaviour, so you're better off not risking them deciding to be truly bloody minded and move when you're undertaking...

Now traffic queues are quite different

vindaloo

These days if I go 'the long way around' a 'middle lane hogger' I make a point of not pulling in to precipitately. I do pull over as far to the left as possible and usually forget to turn off the left hand indicator for a couple of hundred yards. I've noticed in France that they tend to leave the indicator on after they pull out. Anyone hogging gets a polite flashing reminder in the mirror (assuming they use it).

I saw a SAAB cut back in front of a Montego once on the M40. Montego driver got p*ssed off, overtook, slowed down to 80ish and then blocked the SAAB over all four lanes of the motorway. I was leaving the motorway so I just stayed the hell out of it.

IMO, humour is fine but anything likely to p*ss off the other driver can quickly lead to a dangerous situation.

Vindaloo.

chiark

Vindaloo, exactly... I used to do that, then saw a "police camera action" or something similar when the MLH (middle lane hog) decided that they'd had enough...

Anyhow, there's a lot more annoying and dangerous driving out there.

Tailgaiting soapbox, anyone ?

micaAB

after years of driving in a manner which i thought would change the habits of other people (getting them to drive in the "slow" lane), i gave up trying and now just go round them.

me shaking my fist at them while undertaking seemed to only throw these sort of people into total confusion as to what was wrong with ME.

they will never realise......once a cr@p driver, always a cr@p driver i think

the DoT should put up huge informative signs up along with normal directional stuff such as:

"MOVE INTO THE SLOW LANE YOU C&%T"

Carl2

I always knew they were fast cars.

sulli

The best thing on this thread by far, and it'd do wonders for reducing traffic. In the same vein, the chevrons that remind people of the '2 second rule' are sort of adhered to for their duration, then when they stop, people just bunch up again. Tailgating is worse than lane-hogging, but everyone knows that - that's whay I thought i'd mention it.

MGJohn

Right Children:

All those on this thread guilty of using the term FAST or SLOW lanes take 100 lines and write out:

There's no such thing as a fast or slow lane!!

...... reading here and elsewhere, apparently not a lot of people know that ....

There's far too much of this "I drive an expensive Subaru, BMW etc so you won't catch me dead in the SLOW LANE" mentality demonstrated on our motorways. Famous last words ...

Middle-lane-hogs on light traffic or otherwise deserted motorways are very annoying, effectively and wastefully reducing the width of any road in so doing. Yours and my taxes paid for all those lanes so why waste them?

I'm occasionally guilty of undertaking this way on a "slower moving right lane of traffic basis" but Mr. Mobile Motorway Plod may well interpret that act differently even when otherwise performed very safely. I've even done it in full sight of said mobile plod.

A better way is to approach M-L-Hog on the nearside lane ( No, not the SLOW lane dummy, were talking about the lane nearest the hard shoulder ). Then in an exaggerated way but in good safe time, signal to overtake M-L-Hog, safely change lanes still in a safe but exaggerated way and thus pass M-L-Hog to their right. Then signal left and again in an exaggerated way, pull towards the nearside lane (that's the one next to the hard shoulder remember).

Over the years, done this many times ... why not? ... all perfectly safe and LEGAL .... and more often than not, M-L-Hog will suddenly become aware and Whoopee, move to the otherwise empty left hand lane. Never known anyone get the "hump" over this, unlike the very occasional M-L-H plonker with a safe undertake ......

In this way I hope I have spread the word a little by demonstrating the wasteful and selfishness of their lane hogging behaviour. However, there will always be those few who wouldn't be seen dead in the SLOW LANE on account of the car they drive .... plonkers ....

[Edited by MGJohn - 6/30/2003 9:09:30 PM]

Dracoro

The problem is, there's often a queue of cars overtaking in the outside lane. Getting over there is sometimes more hassle than it's worth. Sometimes simpler just to carry on in the inside lane (making sure no plods are nearby ).

MGJohn

Carl2 WROTE:

quote:
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Montego driver got p*ssed off, overtook, slowed down to 80ish
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

I always knew they were fast cars.

Carl2 ...... you are sadly in a minority with this knowledge ...

In my personal experience, many drivers of so called superior cars always under-estimate the shall we say "nippyness" of the average Montego ....and lets face it, like the vast majority of cars on our roads, they are average ....

slasha

I find pulling up along side them and spraying a can of coke followed by a bag of flower over the windscreen makes them pull over without the need for any confrontation, verbal or hand jestures, or undertaking. It's just not worth getting involved in that sort of thing in this day and age so just do what you've got to do and happily carry on your way knowing that said person will think twice about hogging the middle lane the next time their on the motorway.

pslewis

Well, if I am travelling at 70mph in the middle lane its VERY safe BECAUSE no-one should be overtaking me anyway!! Whether it be on the left or the right of me!!

No need to get all worked up over it - any car that passes me is speeding and needs their bollocks cut off and shoved in their mouths!!

Pete

scoobynutta555

Notice the term "Middle-lane-hogs " being used. If you wanted to be pedantic it could be said that this term is ambigious to say the least. What is the middle lane when on a 4 laned motorway ( not counting the hard shoulder).

And whoever it was that was bunching BMWS with Subarus, we all know there is a BMW lane that is to the right of whatever lane we normal plebs think we should be in

Alpine99

I just overtake and go on my way without trying to get too stressed about it.. You overtaking on the inside or going all the way around the outside makes little difference to these people. I'd swear they don't even register your presence 9 times out of 10. If they went through learning to drive and are regular Mway users and still drive like this your little lesson isn't going to make them see the light.. Get on your way.. and away from the plonker asap..

TopBanana

Well gentlemen I used to tell these people wind me up, and in the past I've probably taken all of the 'countermeasures' listed above. I've come to realise that I'm not going to change the behaviour of these people so I might as well chill out and accept it. I feel a lot less stressed at the end of a journey now. If we want to do something about it, we really need to lobby the govt / police to take action. Perhaps the ABD could get behind it?