vRS - road rage magnet?

[decuk]

06-30 this morning. Two lanes at traffic lights which merge to 1 lane after. Audi A3 1.4 on my left. Me in Vrs tsi dsg, comfortaby ahead after light change so he could see what my car was (it has VRS number plate).Just as my lane starts to merge they decided to try and out run me. Get a grip.......Then flashed me.This is when I use my secret weapon. Screen washers with added headlight wash.He soon pulled back.

[banksie]

06-30 this morning. Two lanes at traffic lights which merge to 1 lane after. Audi A3 1.4 on my left. Me in Vrs tsi dsg, comfortaby ahead after light change so he could see what my car was (it has VRS number plate).Just as my lane starts to merge they decided to try and out run me. Get a grip.......Then flashed me.This is when I use my secret weapon. Screen washers with added headlight wash.He soon pulled back.

I think you've intimated what's going on here with this road rage.

I understand your sentiments about been cut up, but I can't fathom out why you did what you did with the screen wash - apart from giving you satisfaction of putting water with an additive in it onto a metal and glass object! Oh and also possibly antagonising further!

I'm not having a go at you specifically here but trying to get over the psychology of yours and others actions. You know the driver was wrong but your screen washing him/her isn't going to stop them driving in exactly the same manner at the next set of lights! It also could up the stakes as I say, with the potential for a collision further down the road, after which in the cold light of day with the damage to cars, the blocking of the road, the been late for work, the inconvenience of sorting out your damage, would it have been worth it? I suggest not.

Also think about when you see two others involved in a road rage incident, I bet you think "what are they doing...is that really necessary", think how silly they look to you! Then think how the driver is thinking in the car behind you both in this incident. Think how much better they would think of you if you did nothing of even extended the courtesy and let the guy in. They'd probably be expecting you to do what you did but by letting him in they'd see a very nice Skoda VRS with VRS number plates been driven in a very profession, courteous and correct manner. Nice, you never know they might do it for someone at the next lights.

I'm not saying I'm whiter than white at driving by any means but when this happens to me I think back to an early advanced course I did when the policeman told me I had to remember that "95% of the population couldn't give a s##t how they drive and you won't change it!"

So they get a car in front, or they sit flashing their lights.....So what....you drove correctly! Sit back and enjoy the car

[decuk]

My windows were dirty and it was the first time I'd used them that morning. Not my fault the headlight washers spray everywhere. Single road through 2 more sets of lights at 40/30/40 mph limits.

It did produce a safe travelling gap behind my car, so Result for safety reasons.....

[Greg R]

This thread made me think of this video... Thought id share purely for amusement value

Road Rage Karma:

[TomLux]

I had a rather sobering experience with road rage early in my driving career, that still has an impact on how I deal with other people's road rage/behaviour:

Heavy traffic on on the motorway. I was in the left lane in my very powerful Nissan Micra (remember this is mainland europe, so technically I was overtaking) keeping a rather short but safe distance to the car in front. I could see in my rearview mirror a large SUV weaving in and out of the different lanes to get ahead. Just before I was overtaking a lorry and he reached my side, accelerated hard and pushed right in front of me, leaving me to brake hard to avoid a collision. He had to brake as well since the car in front of me was doing the same speed than me. I got ****ed off and flashed my headlights.The moron slowed down and we went from about 100kph to 25. Since he then had a comfortable opening in front he accelerated hard and left me with my Micra in the left lane doing 25kph and I struggled to accelerate to get back up to a safe speed so that the following cars wouldn't crash into me.

 

It was then that I realised that morons know very well that they drive like morons. And unfortunately the best way to react is to do nothing, since arguing will only make them behave more childishly than they already did. We won't make them see the error of their ways, only the police an fines will.

 

I had similar experiences after that with people intentionally blocking me (in the Scirocco) from overtaking them on motorways. I just slow down and relax, because eventually they will get tired of their own stupid game.

 

As for people who block the left or middle lane on motorways because they are too busy playing with their mobile phones, reading newspapers, maps, well they get one flash to wake up, if that doesn't help, go around the other way.

Edited 22 January, 2015 by TomLux

[banksie]

My windows were dirty and it was the first time I'd used them that morning. Not my fault the headlight washers spray everywhere. Single road through 2 more sets of lights at 40/30/40 mph limits.

It did produce a safe travelling gap behind my car, so Result for safety reasons.....

So your a lost cause then.

Did you read anything I said?

So what your saying is you were driving along, got cut up and then immediatley and completely went and forgot about it, cause you realised your windscreen was dirty?????

Doesn't make sense I'm afraid and that's why, if you'd tried to "discuss" this with the other driver, neither of you could have seen each other's point and would have gone away totally oblivious!

ATTITUDE!

[decuk]

No I was several car lengths in front and as I said the lanes merge equally into 1. Do you accelerate to under cut others, I certainly don't.In New Zealand they have signs that say, " merge like a zip" with a zip picture. Maybe they would be good in the UK.

[TomLux]

 New Zealand they have signs that say, " merge like a zip" with a zip picture. Maybe they would be good in the UK.

We have the same in Luxembourg. The problem isn't the signs, it's the people ignoring it. Basically people are supposed to use both lanes until nearly the end and then merge like a zipper. Usually when people see the sign of lanes merging they immediately take the right lane (europe) and when you use the left until nearly the end it's difficult to get in, because you are "cheating".

 

But let's be honest we all drive thinking we are right most of the time, but when you have somebody next to you (e.g. SWMBO) and it turns out you do it all wrong. But it goes both ways, because she's not better . We are human after all and tend to not accept that we have done something wrong (unless it's something really big, maybe). But all these things (merging, overtaking etc) are small stuff, and I for one might get my pulse racing but then realise that it's not worth the hassle, because for some reason they think they are in the right, or don't want to play by the rules. Nothing you can do about it. (we can't even have dashcams so there is no way of reporting obvious breaches of the code).

Best thing to do is have a folder of chillout music on that massive SDcard to calm down, because RATM, Metallica etc won't help :sun:

[jrw]

No I was several car lengths in front and as I said the lanes merge equally into 1. Do you accelerate to under cut others, I certainly don't.In New Zealand they have signs that say, " merge like a zip" with a zip picture. Maybe they would be good in the UK.

In the UK you give way to the right, simple as that. Islands, dual carriageway, motorway, merge lane. Same rule applies to all. People in the left lane who close the gap or straddle both lanes need shooting.

Road is there to be used. Follow the rules and use some common sense.

Lorry drivers are the worst at closing the gap or straddling lanes. It's driving without due care and attention

[banksie]

Oops didn't read jrw's post correctly so deleted!

Edited 22 January, 2015 by banksie

[decuk]

Banksie. Thats Ok I get carried away sometimes once I start hitting the key pad.

[banksie]

Banksie. Thats Ok I get carried away sometimes once I start hitting the key pad.

Think we've got crossed up! I was replying to jrw's post. Me trying to merge...don't spray me!

Edited 22 January, 2015 by banksie

[jrw]

Oops didn't read jrw's post correctly so deleted!

Good job you did as I saw your response in my email! Left and right mixed up!?

[racman]

Maybe it's just me, but since I've had the vRS, I have been subject to literally 10 times as many road rage incidents as I ever had in the previous three cars!

 

For instance last night on my way home, I came out of a village into a national speed limit and accelerated up to it (admittedly, I accelerated hard) and caught up with the guy in front quickly.  Well before I got to him I backed off and coasted down to match his speed.  He started tapping the brake pedal until he was doing about 30.  I'd like to point out, I was a sensible distance away and I wasn't tailgating!  The road in front cleared, so I indicated and pulled out to overtake him - at which point he booted it and tried to stop me from pulling back in.  Luckily the Mercedes he was driving either wasn't quite as fast as the Octavia or he booted it a split second after me.  Unluckily, a car came round the corner coming towards us and we'd caught up with another car; I had little choice but to indicate, pull in (cutting him up severely) and then slam the brakes on!  Suffice it to say, he flashed his lights, honked his horn, drove about an inch off my bumper until the next roundabout where he tried to overtake me.  He followed me for the next 3 miles with his full beam on and alternately sitting a distance away and flying up behind me.  I'm not a confrontational chap and I must admit, I was wondering what I should do, but I managed to 'lose' him by overtaking a lorry on a roundabout.  It was lucky that the timing of the lorry pulling away and me pulling up to the roundabout gave me the opportunity to do so - even then, he tried to follow me and almost got squashed by the lorry.

 

OK, sometimes I might be to blame, but last night the guy just seemed to be psycho - I genuinely thought he was trying to force me to crash when he wasn't letting me in.  Does anyone else get this kinda thing?

If you drive like a prat you should expect people to get the hump

[banksie]

Good job you did as I saw your response in my email! Left and right mixed up!?

Sorry!

[octavianestate]

Best way to react is to do nothing especially when you are stopped in traffic or at lights and that biker comes over and batters you and your car for being dangerous on the road.

Keprotec and armoured motorcycle gloves along with aluminium reinforced boots leave nasty marks and dents on the wafer thin Czech steel.....

[vrs red]

Had a Focus driver today not keen to be passed on a dual lane section. No tailgating,indicated, pulled out nice and early, as I started to go past he pulled into my lane, had to rub the brake a little. Once he pulled in I applied the loud pedal, which prompted him to go faster ! Unfortunately the Focus tdci wasn't quite up for it and I sailed by. From then on (for the next couple of miles) it was speeding up and slowing down behind me and drifting over the white line ! Even to the extent of pulling out to over take, and not going past ? I really didn't think there'd be such a problem with being over taken ! !

[classic]

You think its bad in a vRS, try overtaking in a basic Skoda, some other drivers hate it and go to great lengths to get in front again !!

[Blanes]

Have had many boy racers overtaking the vrs, I think it's a challenge to them to see if I will bite. I just generally wait till the next Hgv appears ahead and watch them slam on their brake lights or the next set of red traffic lights only so I end up cruising up behind them. The vrs can easily be used as a hooligan car but let's face it there's no where really to go fast safely or legally in this country, the roads are so full, most of the motorways have camera gantries, so just chill and relax these days. I certainly see no need to drive any car faster than a vrs on our roads, just a waste of money.

[stokevrs]

Just choose Meteor Grey, then no one notices you!

[octavianestate]

Maybe as the vRS is easily game to all hot hatches etc is the reason why it suffers this phenomenon?

[Greg R]

Wow.. Really?

[octavianestate]

It's a possibility I'm sure

[Richf]

I'm sure Bossfox will have a tale or two to tell about the joys of the r35 and having every chav within miles desperate to demonstrate their manhood by overtaking it, whatever the risk, I've had it numerous times when driving performance cars but not in a vrs, in fact had one in one of those little Rover/MG hatchbacks today bringing the 370z back from its mot

[Toxicvrs]

I'm sure Bossfox will have a tale or two to tell about the joys of the r35 and having every chav within miles desperate to demonstrate their manhood by overtaking it, whatever the risk, I've had it numerous times when driving performance cars but not in a vrs, in fact had one in one of those little Rover/MG hatchbacks today bringing the 370z back from its mot

Big car syndrome, often people raging at others on the road due to a nicer car or being sour about being overtaken, get it lots in anything quick. All try to prove who's better and all that... Waste of time on the road.