BMW X5 vs Citroen C1 - What would you have done?

[Boris Bajic]

I wonder whether the marque and model of the 'opposing' car sets our response to a degree.

I live in a small market town whose roads are narrow and whose houses seem all to attract multi-car-owning occupiers. This leads to a lot of beckoning, headlamp flashing and waiting as we negotiate the streets, even when on a bicycle.

Most people are decent about it, but once a week or so you just get a git who's had a bad day and needs to take it out on someone. Our narrow, car-lined roads offer the perfect opportunity. Best to let it wash over and give them the cheap win. They will still be cross when they get home and you will be smug.

I find myself much more forgiving of an old dear in a Micra than I do of a lardy, head-shaved Bravo Two-Zero wannabe in a Mitsubishi Evo. The effect in terms of traffic flow is the same, but my response differs. I'm not sure why this is.

Most of the time I drive a GM econobox shitpoke hatchback. Nobody lets me out at junctions and it's always 50/50 at these pinch points. Occasionally I drive a beautiful 1960s roadster of my wife's. I never wait at junctions and am ALWAYS flashed through at pinch points. ALWAYS. It's like a magic carpet. Everybody smiles and nobody is aggressive. The make and model of car seems important.

So there may be an extent to which it jars even more that the malefactor in this scenario was in an X5... no taste AND no manners!

In answer to the question: When I ived in london I'd have been confrontational and unpleasant (my natural state most of the time). Now that I've been in the country for nearly two decades, I would smile and reverse and think some sardonic and unpleasant thought about the Beeyemdubblyouist involving a broomstick and their back passage. They would stay self-important and cross and I would stay happy.

 

[Brandane]

I wonder whether the marque and model of the 'opposing' car sets our response to a degree.

I'm sure it does. Not every BMW/Audi driver think they own the road, but my personal observation is that quite a significant proportion do. It is for that reason that when given the opportunity, I will NOT let drivers of said marques out at junctions or otherwise show them courtesy that is not required by the law. Do unto others as they do unto you .

 

[KEEF]

Ignition off, feet on dashboard and begin snoring.

 

[PpPete]

I like to think I'm neutral about car marques.
I took a lot more objection to this driver because he was barelling down the middle of the available space rather than slowing down and squeezing over to the left.
Even driving a BMW, if he'd given even a semblance of apology for pulling out past the parked cars when it wasn't his priority, and made a least a token attempt to give me space I think I'd probably have pulled over the kerb to get by quite happily before either of us needed to stop.
Every driver makes mistakes, and I'm quite happy to forgive/forget/share the road, but on this occasion it was very difficult to interpret the driver's actions as anything other than an attempt to intimidate me into reversing.

 

[swee'pea99]

I like to think I'm neutral about car marques.
.....
Every driver makes mistakes, and I'm quite happy to forgive/forget/share the road, but on this occasion it was very difficult to interpret the driver's actions as anything other than an attempt to intimidate me into reversing.

Indeed. But the BMW does tend to flag up the other aspect that accompanies the attempted intimidation - the implicit assumption of superiority. "Out of my way, peasant!" To which the only acceptable answer, unless you're blessed with a positively Buddha-esque level of karma, is: "Up yours, daffodil!"

 

[asterix]

Has it given way yet? It's been long enough!

 

[deptfordmarmoset]

Keep a rag or a baby wipe handy. When you're clearly not going anywhere, get out of the car and start cleaning it. Be careful not to lose your rag, however, you may offer it to the other driver if they seem in danger of losing theirs.

 

[Profpointy]

I heard a nice story of a "businessman"-type in a Big Car pushing through after the road gang chap had flipped the stop-go sign to "stop". Said workman shouted to his collegue who duly gave the offending car a hard slap on the bonnet with a shovel. Driver had enough good sense not to stop and argue the Class War, but the point was well taken - no doubt a few hundred quid of damage.

 

[Arch]

On a slightly different note, I was told today that one of the houses next to a school where my wife knows the staff went out of their house to find a big 4x4 on their drive. It was a parent picking up their child - when they returned and the homeowner said you cannot park here, they were given a volley of abuse. People are imbeciles.

A few weeks ago, NT looked out of his window to see a car pull up outide his house, right across the driveway, te driver get out and walk away, leaving a couple of passengers sitting in the car. So he went down, and told them they were blocking his drive. they more or less said "So?" He said he would need to go out in the car shortly, to pick me up from the station (a small lie, I get the tram up to his, but it could be true). They said "Can't she get the bus?"

At which point he stretched truth a little further and may have suggested that I couldn't do that thanks to disability. Again, perfectly possible. Not to mention he may have needed to get to an appointment, or an emergency. Eventually, they had the decency to try and think about moving the car, but since the driver had gone off with the keys, and the ignition steering lock on, and the wheels at an angle, releasing the handbrake and pushing the car would have left it blocking the whole road. I think he told them to get it sorted and walked away and eventually the driver returned.

The really annoying thing is there are plenty of places the driver could have parked, without blocking a drive. Why would you choose a place deliberately to block someone in? I just can't get into the head of people who are so inconsiderate and selfish, and I come across a lot of pretty thoughtless/brainless people in my job.

When he had the Matador, apparently, if he caught anyone about to block the drive who said "I'll only be a minute" or whatever, he'd stroll up to the truck, release the handbrake, which set it trundling very slowly towards the road, and walk back to the house. They'd move then.

 

[Arch]

We have small slow electric truck at work, and driving it is a bit like riding a bike, only with armour. Some people simply must push past at every opportunity, regardless of oncoming traffic, bollards, traffic islands etc. Fortunately, she's sturdily built, and looks like sh1t, so if we don't give an inch, they tend to back off more than they would with a bike. I love to watch in the mirrors, someone coming up to overtake and then having to brake when they realise they really can't get by just there.

Also, there is no bonnet, the cab is flat fronted and we sit right forward, so if someone does cut us up and then is held in traffic, I like to pull up right up to their bumper (carefully of course!) to intimidate them. Frankly, our truck wouldn't intimidate a jelly, and I doubt half of them ever use their rear view mirror, but it makes me feel better....

 

[Black Sheep]

I had similar happen to me while out on the motorbike, the gap was too narrow for bike and vehicle to pass, he was insisting on me reversing, up hill.

His reason for me reversing is 'You're lighter'

after an argument about me demanding £4000 damage deposit prior to pushing a heavy motorbike up a hill backwards and explaining that if I drop it I'll loose my job as I won't be able to get to work and 4k is the cost to walk into a dealership and buy a like for like replacement he eventually reversed.