Omega Owners Forum
Chat Area => General Discussion Area => Topic started by: Sir Tigger KC on 05 June 2013, 09:47:41
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From Auntie Beeb this morning, news that middle lane hoggers will face on the spot fines of up to £100 plus 3 penalty points!! :y
That's assuming that there are actually Traffic Police around to issue them however.... ::) :-\ ;D
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-22770064
and watch out if you have the nasty habit of using your mobile as the fine for that will go up to £100 as well! :)
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at friggin last >:(
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I have mixed feelings about it.
On the one hand there is an awful lot of bad driving (tailgating, middle lane hogging, texting on the move and so on) . So any action would be good.
On the other side it may become like in other European countries. Targeted (got to do so many people a month , so more likely to get done towards month end......), a source of personal revenue for the officers concerned, and a source of revenue for the police force in general. Will you get a receipt.? Will you be able to pay £50 cash to avoid a £100 fine and penalty points. Will the insurance companies have a field day pushing premiums up more?
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Well that's BMW drivers oppsed then :-X :-X ;D
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Hmm, can think of many instances of "careless" driving around here from driving too fast for conditions, through not having lights on in fog, not indicating , tailgating (whilst not seemingly having the ability to overtake) to driving too slowly (you know the ones-they'll do 20-25 on those bendy country roads where its virtually impossible to see to overtake them and the tail of traffic behind them grows in proportion to your frustration-and,no,I dont mean tractors before one of you lot says it ;D). But, like Tigger says, where are the police vehicles to pick up such offences and apply this new law? Hogging the middle lanes on motorways-and other offences on motorways-may be caught on camera and there are certainly more patrol cars on motorways than elsewhere that may catch people, but what about the rest of the road network? Fewer speed cameras, more patrol cars. Not going to happen.
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I hope it has an impact as its an issue I see every day.....will it have an impact, I doubt it as there just isnt the Police presence anymore to address it.
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I hope it has an impact as its an issue I see every day.....will it have an impact, I doubt it as there just isnt the Police presence anymore to address it.
Indeed, the only thing I ever see now are "Highways Agency" cars .. although I'm told they have powers to stop and issue fixed penalty notices now.. not sure how I feel about non-Police having Police powers, though.
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I don't understand our system at all.....
Mobile phone use is equal to someone just over the drink drive limit. Texting is higher and causes a major leap in accidents and deaths........but no ban for the driver. Why not !!!!!!!!
My daughter in law was lucky to escape serious injury when she was hit by a driver using a mobile phone. Bans have not stopped drink driving, but it has seriously reduced it. Massive publicity with a ban if caught using a mobile phone, would make a lot of people think twice !!!!
Now we are going to have pubs in motorway services......... :o
Middle laners deserve to be fined.....they cause accidents by frustrating even the most placid drivers
What sort of system are we running >:(
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Just last week I lost a good half hour on the motorway due to a middle lane muppet doing 50 mph! I'm limited to 62 mph and not allowed in the 3rd lane and as undertaking is an offence I've got to just sit there! Nearly 30 miles I was stuck behind this moron. He then has the cheek to roll down his window, put out his arm and gesture that I overtake him in the 3rd lane! He was fairly young so do instructors not inform learners of such highwaycode rules? Like keeping up with the flow of traffic and the fact that some vehicles are restricted from the outside lane
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On the other side it may become like in other European countries. Targeted (got to do so many people a month , so more likely to get done towards month end......), a source of personal revenue for the officers concerned, and a source of revenue for the police force in general. Will you get a receipt.? Will you be able to pay £50 cash to avoid a £100 fine and penalty points. Will the insurance companies have a field day pushing premiums up more?
I'm not in the least bothered about this. Because I don't do it! I almost always move back into the inside lane when there's space, and only stay in the centre lane when I can see that I will shortly need to overtake another vehicle and there's nothing close behind me. And I can't see how a police officer can possibly increase his collar count (or whatever they call it) by nicking people who aren't committing an offence.
On the very few occasions on which I have been stopped by the police, both in the UK and in the Netherlands where I lived for 20 years, they have always been very polite. I've never been asked to pay an on-the-spot fine, so I've got no experience of attempting to bribe a police officer, and I'm very dubious about whether or not this actually happens in real life. But then I'm boringly inoffensive, respectable-looking and law abiding at all times. :)
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I have mixed feelings about it.
On the one hand there is an awful lot of bad driving (tailgating, middle lane hogging, texting on the move and so on) . So any action would be good.
On the other side it may become like in other European countries. Targeted (got to do so many people a month , so more likely to get done towards month end......), a source of personal revenue for the officers concerned, and a source of revenue for the police force in general. Will you get a receipt.? Will you be able to pay £50 cash to avoid a £100 fine and penalty points. Will the insurance companies have a field day pushing premiums up more?
Me too.
Also it will be interesting to see if there is an increase in HGV Vs Car collisions on the inside lane. I often have to tell my Mrs about hogging the middle lane, but she's terrified on the inside with 32 tonners tailgating her. And they do, often hooting and flashing to try and bully drivers out of the way due to their timetable.
I know we all love to bash the French, but I drive over there quite often and I find the lane discipline of both car and HGV drivers pretty good compared to us.
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You're allowed to undertake queues :y
Which, by definition...
http://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/queue (http://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/queue)
...is more than one :y
Even stuck at 56mph, there are people I could easily over take. Saw a car yesterday travelling at 47mph in lane two of the M25 yesterday afternoon. Retarded doesn't come close >:(
To add to the last post, police cannot take payment. Hence they give you the ticket which you then take to the court to pay. As for the Traffic Wombles enforcing anything, well... :-X
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Saw a car yesterday travelling at 47mph in lane two of the M25 yesterday afternoon. Retarded doesn't come close >:(
This is a common problem there. Take a muppet who has probably never been taught how to drive on a 3 lane motorway properly and give them an extra couple of lanes to worry about.... >:(
It seems that they need to be a maximum of 1 lane away from the central reservation, otherwise they feel lost. ::)
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It is quite legal to "undertake" .. if done correctly.....
The term "undertaking" means actually moving deliberately to pass a car on the left hand side.
If you are travelling in the left lane, and the traffic on your right is moving slower than you, it is permissible to continue without changing lanes .. we do it all the time in traffic queues..... so if you are doing 56 in the left lane, and a plonker in the middle lane is doing 50 .. there is no need to move out... just continue in a straight line and go past.
If you are in the middle lane and you meet such an idiot you must move to the right to pass, as a move to the left is an undertake, not a "traffic moving slower on your right"
So keep to the left and keep a constant speed... but be VERY CAREFUL in case the plonker suddenly sees you and makes a dirty dive left ... :(
I do this lots with the tin tent on the back as I'm not allowed in the outer lane, and I don't want to sit behind said plonker doing 50 in the middle lane when I can legally do 60 .. :)
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. . . . . . I would like to add that yes of course middle lane hoggers are a pain and inconvenient. Last weekend I was chewing the steering wheel on a 5 lane section of the M25 with 3 almost empty inside lanes.
However, the hoggers are not aggressively dangerous like the lane Nazis who make a big point of cutting in front of the hoggers almost taking the front of their car off. Or is that a really safe and sane thing to do ? ::)
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So keep to the left and keep a constant speed... but be VERY CAREFUL in case the plonker suddenly sees you and makes a dirty dive left ... :(
I do that from time to time but, as you say, it's often with a good deal of trepidation even if I know there isn't a junction for miles (and I won't do it on the approach to a junction for obvious reasons) as ML*s are well known for their unprompted and utterly unpredictable lane swaps..
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Saw a car yesterday travelling at 47mph in lane two of the M25 yesterday afternoon. Retarded doesn't come close >:(
This is a common problem there. Take a muppet who has probably never been taught how to drive on a 3 lane motorway properly and give them an extra couple of lanes to worry about.... >:(
It seems that they need to be a maximum of 1 lane away from the central reservation, otherwise they feel lost. ::)
;D I thought at the time that the car looked familiar, (conspicuous number plate RON...R on a 15 year old Rover), and suspect that it was a case of 'If I sit here travelling well below the speed limit, then I won't get pulled over and my car won't get searched...' :-\
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Well that's BMW drivers oppsed then :-X :-X ;D
Oi!!! >:(....... ;D
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They could always do it with cameras, gauge the distance between cars and use ANPR to nab the tailgater, same could be said for middle lane dawdlers :y
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I have mixed feelings about it.
On the one hand there is an awful lot of bad driving (tailgating, middle lane hogging, texting on the move and so on) . So any action would be good.
On the other side it may become like in other European countries. Targeted (got to do so many people a month , so more likely to get done towards month end......), a source of personal revenue for the officers concerned, and a source of revenue for the police force in general. Will you get a receipt.? Will you be able to pay £50 cash to avoid a £100 fine and penalty points. Will the insurance companies have a field day pushing premiums up more?
No Varche that cannot happen in the UK.
Indeed, these fines, as of now, are in the form of Fixed Penalties that is a ticket (like an invoice) that gives you a limited time to pay your fine to the DVLA, and they will also attach the Penalty Points to your licence records. It is all done by paper by the officers, and no cash will ever change hands.
I thoroughly agree with these changes, and personally would have increased the fine for using a mobile phone whilst driving to £200 and 6 penalty points for the first offence, and doubling for the second. Then I would treble the penalties the penalties for tailgating, with automatic bans for the worst offenders, especially those driving any type of commercial vehicle, especially PSV's and HGV's.
As for driving whilst under the influence of drink, I would introduce a life ban and £5,000 fine on anyone caught with more than double the current limit, with an automatic ban and a £1,000 fine for those between 35 microgrammes and 69mg of alcohol per 100 millilitres of breath or 80 milligrammes and 159mg of alcohol in 100 millilitres of blood. As for those under the influence of drugs that is more complicated, but with new equipment being supplied to the police it should become easier to prosecute to the same degree as with drink driving.
;)
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It is quite legal to "undertake" .. if done correctly.....
The term "undertaking" means actually moving deliberately to pass a car on the left hand side.
If you are travelling in the left lane, and the traffic on your right is moving slower than you, it is permissible to continue without changing lanes .. we do it all the time in traffic queues..... so if you are doing 56 in the left lane, and a plonker in the middle lane is doing 50 .. there is no need to move out... just continue in a straight line and go past.
If you are in the middle lane and you meet such an idiot you must move to the right to pass, as a move to the left is an undertake, not a "traffic moving slower on your right"
So keep to the left and keep a constant speed... but be VERY CAREFUL in case the plonker suddenly sees you and makes a dirty dive left ... :(
I do this lots with the tin tent on the back as I'm not allowed in the outer lane, and I don't want to sit behind said plonker doing 50 in the middle lane when I can legally do 60 .. :)
This is where, in practical terms, there's very little difference between passing the car in lane 2 on either side. As they are as equally, if not more, likely to move into your path in lane 3 as they are if your in lane 1.
Hopefully the lane hogging will cure some of the tailgating as well.
But as Mark says, and its the same as with mobile phones, they can make the fine as expensive as they like, there's no coppers about to see it.
I just hope the headlines will increase awareness. But I won't hold me breath.
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It is quite legal to "undertake" .. if done correctly.....
The term "undertaking" means actually moving deliberately to pass a car on the left hand side.
If you are travelling in the left lane, and the traffic on your right is moving slower than you, it is permissible to continue without changing lanes .. we do it all the time in traffic queues..... so if you are doing 56 in the left lane, and a plonker in the middle lane is doing 50 .. there is no need to move out... just continue in a straight line and go past.
If you are in the middle lane and you meet such an idiot you must move to the right to pass, as a move to the left is an undertake, not a "traffic moving slower on your right"
So keep to the left and keep a constant speed... but be VERY CAREFUL in case the plonker suddenly sees you and makes a dirty dive left ... :(
I do this lots with the tin tent on the back as I'm not allowed in the outer lane, and I don't want to sit behind said plonker doing 50 in the middle lane when I can legally do 60 .. :)
This is where, in practical terms, there's very little difference between passing the car in lane 2 on either side. As they are as equally, if not more, likely to move into your path in lane 3 as they are if your in lane 1.
Hopefully the lane hogging will cure some of the tailgating as well.
But as Mark says, and its the same as with mobile phones, they can make the fine as expensive as they like, there's no coppers about to see it.
I just hope the headlines will increase awareness. But I won't hold me breath.
An increasing number of cameras will help identify more offenders. :y :y
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Would have to be video, as it would need to the context of the surrounding situation. Can't see that happening any time soon in the current economic climate, can you?
Stills won't capture the ground before a rear facing camera, or behind a forward facing one.
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Bloody BBC. Cover the story in their own fashion as usual. Concentrating on tail gating instead of the route cause of hogging, which gets no mention at all. Ffs. >:(
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Should also add, that it is refreshing to see a move away from the blanket all ills "sipped kills" line. :y
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Should also add, that it is refreshing to see a move away from the blanket all ills "sipped kills" line. :y
Speaking of sipping.. ;D We just had a heated debate about the new pub they're opening in a motorway services..
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Would have to be video, as it would need to the context of the surrounding situation. Can't see that happening any time soon in the current economic climate, can you?
Stills won't capture the ground before a rear facing camera, or behind a forward facing one.
Don't know Chris really, but I know now Sussex police are actually able to recruit additional officers and the pressure is on politically for there, at least, to be no reduction in front line officers. IT, with new APNR cameras are also already making a difference. So we shall see! ;) ;) :y
God, I've just re-read that and what a mouthfull; won't change it though! ::) ::) ;D ;D ;D ;D ;) ;)
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Well that's BMW drivers oppsed then :-X :-X ;D
Oi!!! >:(....... ;D
;D >:( >:(
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Well that's BMW drivers oppsed then :-X :-X ;D
Don't be daft, we drive in the BMWoutside lane.. :P ;D
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Should also add, that it is refreshing to see a move away from the blanket all ills "sipped kills" line. :y
Speaking of sipping.. ;D We just had a heated debate about the new pub they're opening in a motorway services..
Seems a bit of a silly idea, however there is a hotel there also. If I stayed there the idea of being able to have a pint would be quite appealing. :y BUT on services without a hotel, silly :o
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This is an extract from the diary of a BMW driver:
"The other day I was cruising along as usual coming onto one of my motorways, which was very busy with inferior cars. First off, I couldn't believe that the volume of traffic DIDN'T slow down for me AT ALL as I came off the slip road! I had to squeeze into a barely big enough gap between two cars in order to get onto my motorway! (The driver of the car behind me did realise his mistake though and honked an apology to me with a long blast of his horn.) Unbelievably, I had to do the same again before I could get to the BMW lane. (Why do underlings use this lane? Surely everyone knows it is for BMW drivers only?)
Anyway, once I was in the BMW lane and cruising along at 110mph enjoying the adulation that the inferior car drivers were giving me, I noticed an inferior car ahead of me which was not only in the BMW lane of my motorway, but was driving at a ridiculous 70 mph!
Naturally, I got to within a foot or so of his rear bumper and flashed my headlights to remind him he shouldn't be in the BMW lane of my motorway and to get out of my way.
Of course, once he realised it was a BMW behind him, he did just that, but I could hardly believe it when he pulled straight back out behind me! He also tried to keep up with me and when he realised I would out-run him, he put on some blue lights in his front grill and urged me to get onto the hard shoulder so that he could congratulate me on my excellent car.
Needless to say, I was eager to oblige and when we had stopped, the man gave me a piece of paper confirming what I already knew - that my car goes fast! Apparently he wants everyone to know what a superior car I have, so I had to take my driver's licence to a Police Station to be sent away to have some points put on! (They're not free points either - they're £20 each and I was only allowed 3.) But the man at the Police Station said that because I drive a BMW, it won't be much longer before I earn the full 12 points, and then I won't even NEED a driving licence, so they will take it off me!
See, now THAT's the sort of respect you get when you buy and drive a BMW!"
Pokes wasps nest, runs for cover. ;D ;D
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Should also add, that it is refreshing to see a move away from the blanket all ills "sipped kills" line. :y
Speaking of sipping.. ;D We just had a heated debate about the new pub they're opening in a motorway services..
Bah! SPEED. <cart man voice on> "God damn it" <cart man voice off> ;D
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This is an extract from the diary of a BMW driver:
"The other day I was cruising along as usual coming onto one of my motorways, which was very busy with inferior cars. First off, I couldn't believe that the volume of traffic DIDN'T slow down for me AT ALL as I came off the slip road! I had to squeeze into a barely big enough gap between two cars in order to get onto my motorway! (The driver of the car behind me did realise his mistake though and honked an apology to me with a long blast of his horn.) Unbelievably, I had to do the same again before I could get to the BMW lane. (Why do underlings use this lane? Surely everyone knows it is for BMW drivers only?)
Anyway, once I was in the BMW lane and cruising along at 110mph enjoying the adulation that the inferior car drivers were giving me, I noticed an inferior car ahead of me which was not only in the BMW lane of my motorway, but was driving at a ridiculous 70 mph!
Naturally, I got to within a foot or so of his rear bumper and flashed my headlights to remind him he shouldn't be in the BMW lane of my motorway and to get out of my way.
Of course, once he realised it was a BMW behind him, he did just that, but I could hardly believe it when he pulled straight back out behind me! He also tried to keep up with me and when he realised I would out-run him, he put on some blue lights in his front grill and urged me to get onto the hard shoulder so that he could congratulate me on my excellent car.
Needless to say, I was eager to oblige and when we had stopped, the man gave me a piece of paper confirming what I already knew - that my car goes fast! Apparently he wants everyone to know what a superior car I have, so I had to take my driver's licence to a Police Station to be sent away to have some points put on! (They're not free points either - they're £20 each and I was only allowed 3.) But the man at the Police Station said that because I drive a BMW, it won't be much longer before I earn the full 12 points, and then I won't even NEED a driving licence, so they will take it off me!
See, now THAT's the sort of respect you get when you buy and drive a BMW!"
Pokes wasps nest, runs for cover. ;D ;D
Yep, they all work in Marketing. ;D
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About bloody time this was put into action.
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However, the hoggers are not aggressively dangerous like the lane Nazis who make a big point of cutting in front of the hoggers almost taking the front of their car off. Or is that a really safe and sane thing to do ? ::)
No the correct and safer procedure is to cut in front of the hoggers, almost taking the front of their car off and then briefly switch your lights on to simulate brake lights coing on :).
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Should also add, that it is refreshing to see a move away from the blanket all ills "sipped kills" line. :y
Speaking of sipping.. ;D We just had a heated debate about the new pub they're opening in a motorway services..
Seems a bit of a silly idea, however there is a hotel there also. If I stayed there the idea of being able to have a pint would be quite appealing. :y BUT on services without a hotel, silly :o
Firstly, there's already a Harvester at another services up north.
Secondly, there's absolutely nothing stop any one from pulling into services and going into a Waitrose or M&S and buying as much booze as thery can carry.
Cannot see any difference tbh. At least, when parked over night people would be able to geta half decent meal washed down with a pint or two. And before anyone passes comment on lorry drivers drinking when they are stopped for the night... how many people here pop in to their local of an evening for a couple of pints after work, or have a bottle of wine with their dinner?
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Firstly, there's already a Harvester at another services up north.
Secondly, there's absolutely nothing stop any one from pulling into services and going into a Waitrose or M&S and buying as much booze as thery can carry.
Cannot see any difference tbh. At least, when parked over night people would be able to geta half decent meal washed down with a pint or two. And before anyone passes comment on lorry drivers drinking when they are stopped for the night... how many people here pop in to their local of an evening for a couple of pints after work, or have a bottle of wine with their dinner?
That was basically my argument.. her (somewhat irrational) argument was a loudly spoken "It'll make people drink and drive! They're stupid if they think it won't!" ;D
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Been waiting for this for ages, can't wait to get me ticket book! :y
Had an op on the M6 today, seized quite a few cars for no insurance. That seems very popular at the mo, the ANPR was working overtime, like shooting fish in a barrel. (No wonder us law abiding citizens insurance is so high >:( >:( >:( ) One guy No tax for 14 months, no MOT, no Insurance & no valid licence?????
Like a few have said on here if we're all legit & bide by the rules there's nothing to fear. To prove the new offences I recon that most will be on video to prove beyond doubt. Its just now a matter of catching the culprits, with our numbers dwindling funds lacking and no one fighting our corner its gonna be just a small drop in the ocean of whats out there.
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more ways to hit the motorist . and make easy money >:( >:(
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Damn, does this mean my own personal lane on the M40 - the inside lane - I will now have to share with the donkeys?
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more ways to hit the motorist . and make easy money >:( >:(
Bloody right. They'll make an absolute fortune on this one. Hopefully :y :y
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more ways to hit the motorist . and make easy money >:( >:(
Bloody right. They'll make an absolute fortune on this one. Hopefully :y :y
swmbo seconds, she really really hates middle lane hoggers........... :y :y
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Sky News. Excellent service btw. :y showed a gentleman pulled over by the plod. Do you know why we've stopped you sir? Speeding? Yes and sat in the middle lane all the way while your doing it. ;D
And what car was he driving...? BMW X5 ::)
Now if he'd been in lane 3 where he belonged...? ;D
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I haven't read any official reports so, what constitutes lane hogging, as surely if someone is actually overtaking, the fact that they may be holding the car behind up is surely irrelevant, as long as they are not overtaking at a stupidly slow speed. How does this affect a 62mph truck overtaking a 58mph truck. :-\
I was watching 'Traffic Cops' the other night and the officers watched a guy in front of them overtake a car and then pull back in to lane one. He continued for about a quarter of a mile, pulled back out to overtake and then moved back to lane one. He did this several times and the officers pulled him over and told him to stop lane hopping. :-\
This shouldn't be a problem to me as I am always in lane three move over when its clear anyway, just wondering how they will police it. :-\ Does this lane hogging stretch to lane three as well, as a lot of people sit there to avoid constantly going out to overtake an overtaking truck. :-\
None of this affects me as the car I drive is exempt from these rules. ::) ::) ;) ;D
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Sounds like BMW / Audi owners tailgating in the middle lane while concentrating on texting on a mobile might be an expensive experience in the future then. ;D ;D ;D ;D
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I kinda like this, The battle for the middle ground/lane
Farage on the right, Cleggy on the left, with Camoron and Millipede fighting for the middle
(http://i.telegraph.co.uk/multimedia/archive/02582/ADAMS20130606end_2582612a.jpg)
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The red car and the blue car had a race...
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for the past 25 years ive been wondering how these pricks manage to get a mortgage on the middle lane!hooray may the force be all over them!! :y