[Cozy]

When I bought my BMW, my friends all ripped into me and jokingly told of how my driving skills would now go out of the window, I'd never indicate, I'd always exceed the speed limit and I'd permanently be in the 'BMW' lane on the motorway. This of course never happened and they're all happy/feel safe while I'm driving, apparently I'm "really good, for a BMW driver".

Anyway, perhaps this applies only to the enthusiast with a respect for the car, the road & other users as I had the mispleasure of being on the receiving end of this apparent stereotype today, while in one of our fleet cars (Vauxhall Corsa).

M3, traffic in the inside lane (nearest hard shoulder) doing around 55mph as loaded with lorries, middle lane traffic doing around 60mph in no real hurry, 'BMW' lane...well no speed limit or driving style applies here. I'm doing 70mph almost dead on and overtaking middle lane traffic as I catch them and then pulling back into clear spaces. This was fine for a while and then I see this Audi A4 S-line (B8) roaring up behind me at I'd guess...100mph, I had no intention of breaking the limit or pushing my little 1200cc engine to the edge just for some tool in a rush so I carried on at 70mph passing middle lane traffic pretty well. I was just about to overtake the last car in a long line that were keeping me in the outside and literally as the Audi about rams me, he flashed his lights signalling his superiority apparently. I look in the mirror and it's some middle aged guy with his how-do wife. This rubbed me up the wrong way, I'd not take this from someone trying to shove me out of ther way while walking on a footpath so I'd be f*cked if I'm doing it on the road. I slowed down a little to match the middle lane just so I could ruin his day a little before finally moving in, he then passed me and I gave the death stare to which he looked genuinely shocked at and then started behaving on the road.

A whole other host of German machinery roared passed throughout my journey but I was generally in the middle lane then as traffic thinned out but it got me thinking, what is it about some car owners thinking that this is acceptable? His reaction seemed to imply that he thought this was the norm and that I shouldn't be annoyed.

Are you one of the offenders ? If so, shame on you!

[JLR1969]

If you are in the outside lane and someone is behind you then move over no matter what the speed.

[Dr Dave]

Driving standards in the UK esp on the motorway networks are truly shocking.

[jonl1983]

People sitting in the middle lane are the biggest problem on the motorways IMO.

Don't know why but it really winds me up, had some dick flash and call me a wanker for overtaking from the inside lane to the outside, around him and then back to the inside lane the other day. I carried on and he sat in the middle with other cars backing up behind him. Twat

[RCUK]

Thats why i love our discovery... flying up the outside lane with xenons blazing... everything just moves over but given that over 80mph the disco is like bambi on ice - this isnt often.

[dobbo99]

quality! you cant beat gentle deceleration to give yourself a sense of achievement. my favourite tool.

he was perhaps over aggressive, but thats no great surprise in the rushed world we live in. as you describe it, had he waited 5 seconds more you would have been over and out of the way.

[Hotcoupe]

Did you indicate when you eventually pulled into the middle lane? (I bet you did'nt )

The outside lane on a M/way is no,no for a Corsa,know your place JJ

[DarkAnt335i]

Generally on the motorways im in cruise at 70mph using all lanes as appropriate. But i do think if you are in the outside lane and someone is trying to pass, you should move over regardless of what speed you think they are doing. After all it is (in the UK at least) an over-taking lane.

[j3bbe]

Originally Posted by Hotcoupe

Did you indicate when you eventually pulled into the middle lane? (I bet you did'nt )

The outside lane on a M/way is no,no for a Corsa,know your place JJ

WHAO

[Cozy]

I was being a good boy, or rather I was forced to be because that mighty Vauxhall couldn't go any faster . I admit I didn't indicate as I moved over as I wanted to annoy said Audi man. I agree with what you say, don't sit in the outside lane in a slow car but I was doing it because I was 10mph faster than the middle lane traffic and I couldn't move over as there was a string of about 12 or 13 cars I had to overtake, I was committed to the manoeuvre at this point. You know that rocking motion you do when you want something slow to move faster?...Well that was pretty much my journey all over .

[CarAbuser]

To be honest you shouldn't have been in the outside lane in that case. If you could see the Audi approaching then surely you knew he would need to use the lane.

Being self-righteous because the speed limit is 70 is one of my major grievances with other road users. If im doing 80 and i see someone tanking it behind me I make every effort to give them the space they require, I don't act like a prick and park myself infront of them just because i think the speed im doing is sufficient.

[dxb335d]

Never witnessed any "poor" driving from any BMW really, none of this stereo type shit anyhow.

Never had any negative comments like you have experienced either.

[Mart1000]

The amount of times I've had people do stupid/dangerous shit in front of me in the unmarked Mondeo. The look of sheer terror as the front lights up like an Xmas tree is quite funny sometimes

[Mike in Hampshire]

Here's my take on this sort of stuff. I don't witness that much overtly dangerous or bullying driving (maybe the roads around here, eg M27, are so clogged there's no point).
What I do see a lot is lack of attention, usually due to drivers on mobile phones (yes YOU the silly bint on the Tesco run) or old codgers who surely shouldn't still be driving. It's that "driving doesn't get my full attention" attitude that worries me, rather than aggression.
Mike.

[gIzzE]

Today I had around 10 or so people pull out in front of me making me slam my brakes on.
Just because you indicate doesn't mean you then have a right to pull out, only pull out if it means you are not going to slow someone else's progress down.
Now you may think that because you are 'doing the speed limit' you have a right, but it is selfish and fucking dangerous!
Also, do you know your speedo is right? I know in my daughters Fiesta when her speedo says 70mph the nav says 64mph, my Merc is bang on. So when I get some fucking chump being right on sitting in the outside lane doing the speed limit we are often only doing 65mph.

I always let people out who are indicating and waiting for the road to clear and don't get annoyed if they then go passed everyone at 65mph, if they need to overtake let them, but when someone just pulls out, indicator or not without a decent gap.

[dxb335d]

Agree with Gizze 200%

[KadeSdad]

It's not called the fast lane for nothing.

[phil200tdi]

Dont drive on the m25! Every fucker wants to be in the outside lane..

I usually drive along at 70-80 and do get pissed off by people not pulling over when there is space to do so. But if I'm overtaking and someone tail gates and gets aggressive the slowing down trick works a treat. Then pull over and when they try to over take bury them with 420bhp... Bye bye!

[dxb335d]

Originally Posted by phil200tdi

Dont drive on the m25! Every fucker wants to be in the outside lane..

I usually drive along at 70-80 and do get pissed off by people not pulling over when there is space to do so. But if I'm overtaking and someone tail gates and gets aggressive the slowing down trick works a treat. Then pull over and when they try to over take bury them with 420bhp... Bye bye!

Mate I love engine braking like a tosser. That catches the fuckwits out

I love nailing it off also!

[mowflow]

Originally Posted by dxb335d

Never witnessed any "poor" driving from any BMW really, none of this stereo type shit anyhow.

This is because you floor it everywhere so all other traffic is just a blur.

[dxb335d]

Originally Posted by mowflow

This is because you floor it everywhere so all other traffic is just a blur.

Actually you are probably right

[zltm089]

Why does someone think that just because they are doing 70 mph give them the "right" to be in the right hand lane? The right hand lane is the OVERTAKING lane. End of.

When I approach someone from behind, I normally give them plenty of time for them to see me and move out of the way. If they stay in the right hand lane thinking its their lane because they are doing 70mph, then they get to see my BMW badge, flash, horn and middle finger after I drive pass them in the middle lane. (That middle lane they should have been in the first place!).

Jamjay, why is a Corsa in the right hand lane? :-) You should have used your Cobb!!!