Motorists who lurk.....

[PeteT]

You know the ones. Follow closely behind you - even when visibility is good and the road is clear to overtake. I'm thankful they don't come charging past too closely etc., but it is unnerving (as has happend to me a lot over the years) when they just sit there behind you for no apparent reason.

I used to think it was because they were admiring my cute, pert derriere and always hoped it would be a leggy blonde female behind the wheel - but it's almost invariably (but not always) one of our 'senior citizens'. Sometimes I got paranoid, wondering whether they had some plot to kidnap me and melt me down for glue. I really don't know why they do this. I've tried waving them through - ignored. Some sit there for a good half mile or more before deciding to pass (although a couple of days ago down the Teign valley, an elderly couple stuck on my back wheel in their car all down the long straight past the golf course and then promptly overtook me as we entered the blind bend!) Luckily there was nowt coming the other way.

What to do next, that is the question - waving them on doesn't seem to work......

 

[oldfatfool]

aye its coming up to xmas as well so they will be soon getting their new driving licenses, at least I presume they get them out of crackers because they certainly have no clue how to drive.

 

[byegad]

I had one the other day sit behind me for several minutes. No real issues for him to pass he just sat there at 11mph! In the end I waved him past. He didn't go. So I thought sod him and ignored him. A couple of minutes later we were caught by a van who passed us both, and my shadow then overtook me and pulled away?????????????

Anyone with a rational explanation?

 

[Deleted member 1258]

This is a something new, many years ago this did not happen, everybody just blasted past. These days we get lurkers who just sit behind you, even if its safe, even if you have waved them through. Now I have no problem with them , its up to them what they do, the trouble is the driver behind them who is likely to do something stupid because they've been held up. I have wondered if the sudden appearance of lurkers has something to do with the road safety messages that have been put out in recent years, or have they had a bad experience with an overtake they have cocked up, or perhaps they don't know how to overtake.

 

[Chrisz]

Sounds like my ride home today through Faversham - tonking along quite nicely at around 23mph with a lotty up my jacksie, got to the bottom of the hill and started to grind up at about 12mph and he still didn't go past. In the end I pulled right over at the roundabout and waved him past while I was almost stopped at the kerb!

Felt sorry for the steady stream of traffic immediately behind him (me).

 

[PeteT]

We don't like them passing us now we don't like them not passing us - who would be a motorist when there's a cyclist about

Erm..no....I don't mind them passing me at all - even if it's a bit close sometimes; at least you can see what they are up to then - and it prevents problems with risk-takers as Dave R alludes to.

 

[dalewheeler]

Isn't always the driver that is at fault. I drive a VW campervan which is long, wide, and with crap acceleration, compared to most cars - it takes some planning to overtake anything!

But yeah, it's usually the driver

 

[Alun]

Better than passing too close, probably due to a lack of confidence. Pull over if you can and give them a friendly wave, it'll only cost a few seconds.

 

[HovR]

Yep, I had one of these whilst powering up a local hill today. It was fairly busy, so made a tailback of 5/6 cars. Pulled over part way up the hill, and only got thanked by one of the drivers.

Edit to remove Gloucestershire faaarmur dialect.

 

[guitarpete247]

I tend to hold back if I can't see far enough ahead to overtake safely. The same as I do for horses. I try to pass cyclists safely.


















I even do the same when I'm driving .

 

[tincaman]

You know the ones. Follow closely behind you - even when visibility is good and the road is clear to overtake. I'm thankful they don't come charging past too closely etc., but it is unnerving (as has happend to me a lot over the years) when they just sit there behind you for no apparent reason.

I used to think it was because they were admiring my cute, pert derriere and always hoped it would be a leggy blonde female behind the wheel - but it's almost invariably (but not always) one of our 'senior citizens'. Sometimes I got paranoid, wondering whether they had some plot to kidnap me and melt me down for glue. I really don't know why they do this. I've tried waving them through - ignored. Some sit there for a good half mile or more before deciding to pass (although a couple of days ago down the Teign valley, an elderly couple stuck on my back wheel in their car all down the long straight past the golf course and then promptly overtook me as we entered the blind bend!) Luckily there was nowt coming the other way.

What to do next, that is the question - waving them on doesn't seem to work......

Everytime I run the Teign valley, its the same, stuck behind you thinking about it and then try an inappropriate pass when a corner appears. I usually stick my hand out or vigourously shake my head, usually does the trick.

 

[Freddyflintstone]

I have noticed that some car drivers past you fairly close and others that need to get over to the other lane. My conclusion on talking to cyclists that are car divers is - the "lurkers" are actually
cyclists and are fully aware of what the effect of a vehicle passing can do to a cyclist. (eg. A 40 ton
lorry sucking in a cyclist) Its happened too many times

 

[Arjimlad]

Most off-putting, I agree.

And then there are those who half-overtake and stay on your tail, with the car out in the middle of the road and the front bumper in line with your rear axle... !

 

[MissTillyFlop]

I had a berk in a van tailing me up Brixton Hill last night and beeping at me (not sure why, I was in secondary and in an operational bus lane).

Eventually I got fed up and turned around and pointed to the other TWO COMPLETELY EMPTY lanes to my right. Cringe dosn't even begine to cover his reaction...

 

[MontyVeda]

a bit off topic but yesterday I was waiting to turn right out of a side road whilst on the opposite side of the road was a car also waiting to turn right... they were very slowly pulling out and even though there was nothing coming in either direction, they failed to actually pull out... until a car appeared and they pulled out in front of it!