35mph in a 50mph zone !

[Alex_374312290]

Afternoon All,

Got more than a little frustrated with a fellow vanner on the way back from Crail this afternoon.

Big twin axle, pulled by LWB Shogun. Joins the main road country road ( 60pmh limit ) from a side road, everyone has to break and slow down. OK, not ideal but give them a bit of leeway and time to settle in. Then proceeds to toddle along at 40mph on a straight road, again not a major problem, maybe a little in experienced, give them the benefit of the doubt. Come to a small town, everyone down to 30pmh, but this guy wants to tootle along at under 25mph, wide road, no parked cars, 30mph safely. Starting to get a little hacked off by now. Leave the small town, speed limit is 50mph, OK give the guy time to speed up. He did speed up, to 35mph and stuck at that, on big wide open road !!

Why ? No consideration for the mile long tailback of traffic behind him. I was so frustrated and embarassed, I'm ashamed to admit that I overtook him. It wasn't difficult, he was going so slow.

Was I wrong ? As I feel a bit guilty about it.

 

[Guest]

Don't be guilty. He was obviuously a dipsh.t whose brain was significantly smaller than his vehicle. More money than sense and probably a bird beside him who thinks Colleen Rooney is the greatest advert for brains. Hopefully, he was English..........OOOPs sorry!

 

[Alex_374312290]

LOL ! I thought I was about to be set upon.

Cheers for the laugh Scotch.

 

[Lord Braykewynde]

I know the van you mean Alex, I got behind him at Pittenweem, I was the 51st in the queue. Her Ladyship used the binoculars to count the cars behind him and said he was probably slowed up by the drag from the Campbell kilt he was flying off his aerial. I countered that if he was a Campbell it was a Scots thrift that was making him drive slower, trying to save fuel ;O)

Heh! heh! Couldn't resist that SL.

 

[Alex_374312290]

LOL ! I'd say that was 15-15 Lord Henman. Looking for Scotch Murray to counter and make it 30-15.

I know we're tight, but this guy was taking the michael, surely ?

Overtaking with the van on the back shouldn't really be done, should it ? I could have sat behind him, at 35mph all the way to Dundee, I wasn't in a hurry. I was just so embarassed !

 

[Garfield]

Is there a law that says you can't overtake with a van on the back??? I do it all the time

 

[colin(bridgend)]

Thank God it was not a Wales as Lord B. would have really gone to town on us. As it is you Scottish cousins can have all the flack from an Anglo Saxon/Norman immigrant who drove their chariaots at reckless speeds with no respect for other road users.

 

[colin(bridgend)]

Thank God it was not a Wales as Lord B. would have really gone to town on us. As it is you Scottish cousins can have all the flack from an Anglo Saxon/Norman immigrant who drove their chariaots at reckless speeds with no respect for other road users.

should read "... not in Wales ...."

 

[cooky1]

Don't feel guilty Alex I overtake slow vehicles and slow outfits - usually being towed by a Volvo!

 

[Alex_374312290]

Cheers People,

No adverse comments ( well, not about my overtaking anyway, Lord !! ) in an hour and a half, don't feel guilty at all now.

I probably wouldn't have done it had it been a wee country road but this was a wide sweeping road and I could see well ahead.

If anyone knows the road well from St Andrews to Dundee, it was just after Guardbridge, just before entering Leuchars. Absolutely no reason to be doing anything other than 50mph and the overtake was a breeze.

Nearly tooted at him too. LOL !

Cheers again All,

Alex.

 

[Lord Braykewynde]

I can identify exactly with what Alex is saying though. I was on my way home from Doldowlod CC site and as I was waiting to pull out of the site a similar outfit went past on the main road. It had a queue of traffic behind it and eventually I was able to pull out. We passed four places he could have pulled in but still continued to dawdle at 30/35 mph. Eventually I had a stack of cars up behind me as well so I pulled in to let them all pass although it didn't look as though they would get far.

Correct, they didn't, I caught them up again and that's how it stayed until Builth where thankfully he went a different way.

Simply ignorance and no consideration for others Alex and they give us all a bad name.

 

[GeorgeB]

Yes it can be very frustrating being stuck behind a dawdler, but don't forget the speed limit is a limit not a target & he just might, just might be a novice at this towing lark.

& as my dear old mum used to say "patience is a virtue" & ther's absolutely no point being early for your own funeral! better 5 minutes late in this world than years early in the next!

Just a thought!

 

[Gumbo]

Alex

Give us a bit more was it a younger man driving ?? or some old doddery fool ??? Did you wave as you went past ??? Did you keep a good gap between you and the slow coach so other could pass and fit into the Gap ??

Half a story

LOL

 

[Alex_374312290]

You're quite right George and he did get the benefit of the doubt, but it was just too much. Honestly, there was no reason even for a novice to travel so slow on that road. If had been winding and narrow I would more than understand.

Frank, he looked about the same age as me, 40. I wamted to toot, but was too busy concentrating on the overtake.

When I quickly looked over, he certainly looked very relaxed, one hand on the wheel, other arm resting on the door.

 

[Alex_374312290]

Alex

Give us a bit more was it a younger man driving ?? or some old doddery fool ??? Did you wave as you went past ??? Did you keep a good gap between you and the slow coach so other could pass and fit into the Gap ??

Half a story

LOL

Also meant to say, no there was no gap for overtaking, because as soon as the taxi between us pulled off, I was overtaking him.

 

[weejock]

Alex I am assumming that you went via Kingsbarns ( the small local town that has been trying despeatley hard to get motorist to slow down) Headed on towards the Bay hotel ( past the bad double bends where farmer has given up replacing wall due to the amount of accidents). Ripped through St Andrews to hit the first bit of straight well surfaced road on the journey.

Last time I was up that way delivering turf I had to stop everytime I met a bus due to the width of the road the sharpness of corners and constantly changing cambers and ruts.

But hey I must be a timid driver like the one you met thats why my Scania has 700hp not 620, its why folk like hgv Dave cant keep up with the rest of us.

Why did you not get onto the guys tail flash your lights a bit toot the horn really make him uncomfortable with a bit of luck he might have got out of his comfort zone and crashed letting you hurry on your way.

It does not matter if the chap is 40 or 80 if he was driving to his capabilities he has every right to do so please don't anybody else read this thread and then think I must do 60 on the motorway incase Alex is behind me. You keep driving to the conditions and your ability.

 

[Alex_374312290]

LOL ! I think you've taken things to the extreme a bit x11, in an attempt your point.

You are spot on with my route and I was barely doing 40mph from Crail to St Andrews due to the twisty narrow roads. Slowed down and left-indicatored a couple of cars past me.

" Ripped through St Andrews ", that's just laughable mate. You know how narrow it is especially with all of the cars sticking out into the main drag. Stopped and started a few times to allow other coming the other way to pass.

The fact is that I didn't toot my horn or flash my lights, so how can you criticise me for that ?

This driver had no idea the frustration he was causing behind him, due to his inconsiderate driving. I solved the problem myself by overtaking which affected no-one.

You'll know the stretch of road I mean, between Gaurdbridge and Leuchars. Do you think 35mph is a suitable speed for that stretch of road ?

p.s. I wasn't in a hurry, it was a lovely day, but I was embarassed by this guys lack of consideration.

 

[weejock]

Hi Alex

I have no problem at all with you passing the guy and the spot that you passed at was definatley okay and I do admit to a touch of sacrism but over time reading posts on this site I have come to realise that a lot of people are nervous about towing and drive with a knowledge that is made up of half truths and myths.

I would just hate for a novice or someone who is not very confident to start to speed up because they were embarassed by the hold up behind them.

As a 21 year old going down Daviot on The A9 in convoy with 4 other artics I was in this situation the resulting smash you would not belive just missing a loaded coach and various cars.

Remeber it is inappropriate speed that kills not speeding, at least I got the chance to learn.

However I do total agree that there is no excuse for bad manners when driving but you must realise that due to the state of the ecconomy we have to let English and Welsh drivers in.

 

[Lord Braykewynde]

Nervous or not, although some would say they shouldn't be towing if they are too nervous, there is no excuse for inconsideration for other road users.

If it was his very first time out he could still have pulled in at an appropriate safe place to let others pass and then continued on his way. If he's dawdling then obviously he's in no rush so a few minutes in a lay-by wont hurt him and will do other caravanners reputations with the motoring public a power of good.

 

[RonD]

I share other's frustrations. I have just returned from Holt in Norfolk to the Midlands. Before Kings Lynn I came up behind an HGV who never exceeded a maximum of 40 mph for mile after mile. Anyone who knows this road knows it's there are very few safe places to overtake and the queue became ridiculous. It's not just some caravanners holding things up!

 

[Alex_374312290]

Thanks for the reply x11, I appreciate it. I also take your point regarding hassling someone up to a speed that they are uncomfortable with and given your experience on the A9, I can

better understand why you said what you said. Cheers. I supose it's not just the caravanning fraternity who have inconsiderate drivers.

 

[Andrew._374353608]

Ron d I understand your frustrations but why should a lorry traveling at the legal speed for the type of road have to pull in for others to pass, it's not his fault, remember the law is an ass.

Andrew.

 

[ProfJohnL]

Hello Alex,

I can fully understand your frustration, and overtaking is fine, providing it was safe to do so, and that you did not break the speed limit or cross a solid white line.

From the other drivers point of view though, It is in order to travel at any speed below the limit, but others have said that it is now being taught that you should not inconvenience other road users by travelling too slow.

I have a stretch of the Chester Road (A452) near me which I have to frequently travel. The planners have increased the extent of solid white lines, and hatched boxes with bollards, so much so that it is almost impossible to overtake any thing that is moving faster than a snail. The Speed limit is 50mph, yet most mornings I come across someone in a car who is doing 30 to 35 mph, with no obstructions ahead. Where there are sufficient space to over take, but only if you can accelerate rapidly Gordon has placed his speed cameras. To allow for these inconsiderate drivers I start out at least 10 minutes earlier.

 

[Alan Partridge]

I share other's frustrations. I have just returned from Holt in Norfolk to the Midlands. Before Kings Lynn I came up behind an HGV who never exceeded a maximum of 40 mph for mile after mile. Anyone who knows this road knows it's there are very few safe places to overtake and the queue became ridiculous. It's not just some caravanners holding things up!

HGVs are limited by law to 40mph on single carriageway roads. Your point still stands, but the HGV driver had no choice if he wnated to remain legal.

 

[Andrew._374353608]

Brittania Bridge between the island of Anglesey and the mainland is a 50 mph limit why I don't know as it is wide enough to overtake. Needless to say it is a bottle neck wher traffic jams are caused by people who want to toddle over at 25 30 mph, they also won't move over to be passed.

Andrew.