Filtering etiquette

Lord Danoir the first · September 16, 2014, 04:35:06 PM

Had a little run in with a chap driving a van today which got me thinking.

At traffic lights, if there's room I slowly filter my way to the front.... occasionally if the lights change before I get there, rather than carrying on to filter, I drop in behind the car or van in front.

Today I had a van driver take umbrage with me for doing exactly that, I pulled in behind the car in front of him and thus, in his opinion forced myself in.

So we had a little chat where he explained that he's busy and needs to be somewhere and I jump the queue and hold him up....... I retorted by acknowledging his point but thought he was being petty as we're talking micro seconds..... not the sort of time which is going to get the lad fired..... right.

I suppose what I've done could be interpreted as rude?

I'm not sure what the options are.... take my place at the back of the queue or continue to filter in the moving traffic and get to the front ASAP (not always possible as traffic tends to close up when moving).

Advice, as always, welcomed.

terry950sm · September 16, 2014, 04:58:11 PM

http://www.beginnerbiker.com/filtering-motorway-dual-carriageway/

Lord Danoir the first · September 16, 2014, 05:05:17 PM

Very useful thanks Terry.

Reading in to that then I suppose it's inevitable that you have to fall in line eventually and a car will have to make way for you.

tucola · September 16, 2014, 05:22:28 PM

Terry's link doesn't seem to work for me.

But in my view Mr Van is being a fucking twat.

What you're doing is absolutely fine.

Maddog · September 16, 2014, 05:39:37 PM

Most people would agree it was acceptable.......but....you always get one or 2 that dont. Its a bit like the video of the fella that sadly lost his life on camera on his bike when a car pulled in front of him....

Hpwever.......The link isn't correct......AFAIA....(i learnt AFAIA the other day

........re solid white lines.....it said you must not cross one.......

I thought you could to pass a stationary vehicle, push bike, slow moving thing going less than 10mph etc

monkeyb0b · September 16, 2014, 05:46:41 PM

Quote from: Maddog on September 16, 2014, 05:39:37 PM
Most people would agree it was acceptable.......but....you always get one or 2 that dont. Its a bit like the video of the fella that sadly lost his life on camera on his bike when a car pulled in front of him....

Hpwever.......The link isn't correct......AFAIA....(i learnt AFAIA the other day ........re solid white lines.....it said you must not cross one.......

I thought you could to pass a stationary vehicle, push bike, slow moving thing going less than 10mph etc

From what I remember of the theory test that is correct.

I'd do what you do Dan in most instances

Stuno1 · September 16, 2014, 05:55:36 PM

Quote from: terry950sm on September 16, 2014, 04:58:11 PM
http://www.beginnerbiker.com/filtering-motorway-dual-carriageway/

This is what i was taught. There are still a lot of people who believe it is illegal/wrong to filter. I had a disagreement with one such person a while back who said they straddle lanes to stop bikes passing. Maybe a police video about filtering would be good.

636steve · September 16, 2014, 05:58:15 PM

Wouldn't worry about it, I do exactly the same every morning and think nothing of it. Providing you do it slowly and don't actually cut anyone up when the traffic starts moving I see no problem.

Nat · September 16, 2014, 08:43:55 PM

If Mr Van Man was on a motorbike, would he sit at the back of the queue, or would he do what you did? Being a van driver he'd probably just shove his way to the front and not care, so you've already been more considerate than him.

LewisBeGoog · September 17, 2014, 02:03:47 PM

Sounds like an asshole to me

Gilby104 · September 17, 2014, 02:41:35 PM

Not much you can do about people with those sorts of opinions. There is nothing inconvenient about letting in another road user that will be out of your way in a moment - same reason I despise needlessly aggressive behavior to pedestrians / cyclist etc.

What I would say is, even if you concede that what you are doing is rude, hanging someone out to dry and blocking their path is dangerous and I dare say illegal. I know you're not allowed to speed up whilst being overtaken to prevent exactly that sort of behavior. Being dangerous on the roads isn't acceptable and I'd hope plod would side with you in those circumstances.

I am pretty inconsistent in my approach to situations like that. I've gone from dropping a car back and letting them have the 'win' to doing another 4 cars and jumping in a later (much more dangerous) gap to prove a point - to simply moving across pretending to be oblivious to their attempts to block me out and finding out whether they really think the size of their penis is something they actually want to have a crash about. I'm lucky never to have judged any of the above wrong.... although i am sure it's not impossible.

David W · September 17, 2014, 04:01:03 PM

People that filter with High Beam on need a good fucking slap though.

Gilby104 · September 17, 2014, 04:09:36 PM

Quote from: David W on September 17, 2014, 04:01:03 PM
People that filter with High Beam on need a good fucking slap though.

uuuuuhhhhhhmmm.... I .... uhhhh, um, hmmmm .... I filter with high beam on!!

I do it on dual carriageways and motorways when I'm filtering in stopped traffic when lane changers and door openers love to carry out their movement without the slightest glance in the mirror. I reckon you've got to get their attention rather then rely on them.

I know it's rude but it does seem a whole lot safer

T.C · September 17, 2014, 05:04:23 PM

Quote from: David W on September 17, 2014, 04:01:03 PM
People that filter with High Beam on need a good fucking slap though.

Well said that man

And apart from the fact that it burns out the retinas when someone looks in their mirrors, and is illegal, it also causes confusion as drivers who are dopey enough as they are have even less chance of guaging speed and distance, and.......... In the event of a crash, you are loking at some serious contributory negligence so your compensation could be seriously reduced or compromised, possibly as low as 100% so you could get nothing at all or very little.

Gilby104 · September 17, 2014, 06:53:33 PM

Quote from: T.C on September 17, 2014, 05:04:23 PM
Quote from: David W on September 17, 2014, 04:01:03 PM
People that filter with High Beam on need a good fucking slap though.

Well said that man

And apart from the fact that it burns out the retinas when someone looks in their mirrors, and is illegal, it also causes confusion as drivers who are dopey enough as they are have even less chance of guaging speed and distance, and.......... In the event of a crash, you are loking at some serious contributory negligence so your compensation could be seriously reduced or compromised, possibly as low as 100% so you could get nothing at all or very little.

*dips beams*