Brake Testing
 

I know I can drive fast and possibly aggressively sometimes but some other road users get my goat...

I'm driving the A66 on Saturday afternoon & I'm going a reasonable pace but not excessive. The road is pretty empty dual carriageway but its coming up to some roadworks where the road goes to a single lane (cones). Ahead of me is an XC90 and an X5. The XC90 I would clear safely before the roadworks started and I would tuck in behind the X5. XC90 thinks otherwise, I guess see's me coming up faster behind him and moves to the outside lane at the 800m marker. Annoying as I was already in the outside lane and had to back off. I moved to the inside lane, not to undertake but more to make the point that he was a bit of a knob by pushing out in front of me when I could have safely passed him. Also, I wouldn't then be tailgating him. This knob piles on and comes up behind the X5 around the 200m marker. I was expecting him to back off but no, he floors it at the last moment and overtakes the X5. X5 has to jam on the brakes to avoid cones/accident/XC90 and I do too, moving to the outside to keep away from them but far enough back to let them carry on safely. We carry on into the roadworks, XC90 disappears. After 3 or so miles, the road opens up again and I expect the X5 to move back to the inside. He doesn't, stays in the outside, so after 1/2 mile of this, with a completely empty road ahead and on the inside, I flashed him. He reacted by jumping on his brakes at 65mph :freak3: Obviously I avoided him and went to the inside lane to undertake him. He twice deliberately swerved at me to try and get me to back off, but I had speed/momentum and went past. At which point I braked him down to almost a full stop before driving off again. I enjoyed seeing his eyeballs popping. There were no cars behind us. But why was he being such a **** to me when it was the XC90 that had nearly caused him to crash? Up until I went past, I had shown him no malice, had been considerate to give him space when the XC90 passed him & in no way done anything, other than a gentle flash of the lights (not long/drawn out) to remind him to pop back to the left so I could go past :rolleyes:
I've come across many idiots in my time driving but that one was pretty special. I hope his wife gave him an earbashing after I'd driven off.

Did the x5 have "x5" somewhere in his number plate this is usually a very reliable indicator of the increased mental bmw behaviour of its occupant

Can't help thinking there's another side to this story!

why?

Anyway I used to hate the bad looks when the other driver has cut you up or done something stupid and then they cuss you.
I've learned to calm down and not get angry any more but I have done quite a few brake tests in the past.
All I would have wanted was an acknowledgement. I do if I've done something wrong.

Woe betide should you ever encourage a driver hogging the overtaking lane to move over, espcially if its a female driver or a SUV..or worse..BOTH.

There have been times in teh past where I've followed patitently for over five miles, not tailgating, but close enough to see I would like to go a bit faster. No light flashing, nothing else. SO emtpty road ahead lanes 1 and 2 are empty. So I undertake. What I don't expect is the driver to swerve intentionally block me from getting past.

This is why I always drop a few gears and be ready to gun it when undertaking - most drivers are oblivious to what they are doing, but roughly one in every ten have mental issues.

It also one reason why I don't drive lumbering/lardy laggy cars (your typical diesel SUV)...it doesn't matter if its a big powerful TDV8 sport....By the time the autobox has worked out what to do and the turbos have spooled, I'm away and gone :D

Get a dashcam, then post the video on youtube and show a copy to the local constabulary.

X5 driver enough said.

An X5? Sounds more like they should be driving an Audi.

Like someone's plans to cut in at the last minute were thwarted :D

I've increased my traveling massively in the last few months and found that 9/10 lane hogs are women, who as I pass them don't appear to notice me at all.

The middle lane is the worst of course, but I feel awkward being in either right lane if the lane to my left is empty.

Only if the dashcam ameleorated (sp) his own driving. There would be less work for plod to do to admonish the driver in front of them than search for bigger fish.

Drive a fast enough car that getting passed on the inside gives them no time to react ;)

Because people don't just brake test for no reason and without any provocation!

But the OP clearly stated he flashed his lights and therefore provoked him, his questions are why he decided to stay in the outside lane and then why he decided to brake test him when asked to get out of the way and drive on the left like the law states he should have been doing in the first place i.e. why did the X5 get p1ssy with him when it was the Volvo that created the initial incident?

:thumb::D

speeding has been vilified to such an extent over the last ten years or so that over taking is now seen as anti-social, even on multi lane carriageways...oh and people are d1ckheads too.

OP has a Subaru, not a DeLorean

Off topic but what would happen if the front driver brakes hard deliberately (brake testing) and the driver behind doesn't react quick enough and drives into the back of the car in front. Who's fault would it be because I could imagine a huge argument and more hassle than what it would be worth if you just kept calm and stayed your distance?

That's a different story altogether and not what I'm asking. My original question still stands.

The most dangerous ones are those that join from a slip road and make it their immediate goal to get across to lane 3 and sit at 70, normally cutting across all three lanes at once.

I do 40 miles of motorqay driving each day and I'll frequently sit in lane 1, moving out to overtake lorries. Seemingly when I was in my orange Focus ST or now in the Scooby this is a massive issue to the row of traffic sat in lane 3, funnily enough was never an issue when driving my mk5 Golf GTI or the wifes Lupo.

Lets not forget the retarded 98.7% of drivers with no clue how a multiple lane road works and that if there is no traffic in the outside lane you should move over and let the cars on the slip road join without them having to stop. The amount of times I see this is ridiculous, there is a MASSIVE lack of awareness and anticipation on our roads today.

Just got back from a trip down the a52

Followed a particularly erratic bmw coupe who couldn't decide whether 40 or 70 was the appropriate speed for a dual carriageway and became aware of a black Peugeot following fairly close.
I kept my distance and the bm finally pulled over, as i overtook a quick glance to my left revealed a woman driver distracted by "something" on her lap ?
I picked up the pace and pulled across to the inside lane and had barely a thought about the Peugeot now vanishing rapidly some 1/2 mile behind

Eventually i was slowed by two vehicles waiting for a focking great big furniture van v slowly over taking a small knot of vehicles In the inside lane.
I had no option but to wait patiently.
The stupid bint in the black Peugeot comes flying up behind me starts tail gating and weaving around behind and gesticulating that i should move over into the inside lane already occupied by three slow moving vehicles even if ihad wanted to pull over there was no where for me to go.


Now i love and revere that portion of our species with their funpark fiddly bits but feck me they are becoming aggressive drivers,
I witnessed another fiesta on the same trip weaving in and out like she was playing frogger never once touching her indicators.

Even her in doors habitually drives to close to other vehicles but then she's an ex rep

I simply never get involved in any dialogue/communication with another driver (wife excepted)

Whether that is the verbal, non verbal or even the car weaving/braking kind

Never worth it, and I am quite happy to be called a cVnt or recieve the "clenched fist" wave all day long by a Neanderthal with anger management problems