Dangerous Driving - what do you do?

[bertiewooster]

Encouraged by the response to my earlier poll about hats, I thought I'd ask another question posed by recent events (but without trying to be funny...).

I was taught from an early age to always acknowledge with a nod or wave all other road users as they passed me. This included people who didn't slow down or give me room etc, on the basis that it would 'shame' them into slowing down next time! Now I'm a grown up (ha ha), I'm not sure I buy the 'shaming' argument, and I'm finding it increasingly difficult to acknowledge people who pass me too closely or too fast, on the basis that the moral high ground will be no use to me if I'm dead! In fact, I feel an almost irresistable urge to yell 'slow down, you w*nker' instead. What about you?

 

[CrazyHippo1]

My friend happily waves the finger! Thus why I don't hack with her! Generally I just ignore them, I'm quite lucky as the only roads I hack on are pretty quiet, and full of speed bumps! So it's not often you'll get drivers that can speed past you!

 

[matthew]

I acknoledge drivers how ever they drive but if they are prats it is more in a sarcastic way really-like if i hold a door open for someone and they dont say thank you-i say thank-you in a loud voice hopinbg to embarress them!!

 

[JessPickle]

I dont ride on roads so cant really say

 

[so03]

I always thank drivers who pass wide and slow. The drivers coming along too fast i always ask them to slow down with the correct hand movement (no not the rude ones

) and if they don't I shake my head at them.

I'm not rude to anyone as I have spoken to many drivers who say that horse riders have been rude to them so therefore do not slow down as much as they did before.

 

[Safina]

I am a "I acknowledge everyone" rider.....its just sometimes I acknowledge them with a nod and a smile, othertimes with a comment or scowl and in the past with a slap of my whip on the roof or bonnet.

I must add that the whip slapping incidents both occurred when I felt the boy and I were in mortal peril and if I did not signal to the driver that they were far too near we could have been hit by a car.

 

[ihatework]

I have been known to hold my whip out further than normal ...

if the car touches it they soon slow down pretty quick thinking they may have rubbed me

Disclaimer - not intending for you to all go out and copy. Thankfully my horse is a saint on the roads

 

[Super_Kat]

I will always acknowledge every driver who comes past, I will raise my hnd to say thanks, smile and nod if I can't take my hands off the reins and/or say thankyou if they have their window down to the drivers who actually slow down, people who don't I'll smile at them to make them feel guilty and to anybody who continually drive dangerously around me I put my stirrup iron through their passenger window (yes he was THAT close!)

 

[bertiewooster]

[ QUOTE ]
I acknoledge drivers how ever they drive but if they are prats it is more in a sarcastic way really-like if i hold a door open for someone and they dont say thank you-i say thank-you in a loud voice hopinbg to embarress them!!

[/ QUOTE ]

Ha ha ha, I'm exactly the same!

 

[bertiewooster]

[ QUOTE ]
.. people who don't I'll smile at them to make them feel guilty...

[/ QUOTE ]

So you were brought up with the same philosophy? Oh well perhaps it isn't as outdated as I thought...

 

[SillyMare]

I acknowledge most of them - definitely the polite ones and generally anyone who gives me plenty of room regardless of how fast they are going.

However I often have to ride past parked cars (always spooky for some reason) which necessitates me to go across onto the 'wrong' side of the road. Amazing how many drivers STILL try to overtake you, sometimes by driving along the pavement if I am too far over for them to fit along! Now those ones I turn around and shout at!

 

[hayliana]

i will acknowledge all drivers, does my head in seeing horse riders on the road being ignorant about these things! however i wont be quite as smilie or nice to people who get to close etc. and if they really are being irresponsible i have been known to shout at them!

case in point, im trotting along a road trying to get round a corner quickly for cars to pass, im asking the cars coming round the bend to slow down, and the cars behind to wait. but no, one idiot decides to over take on a blind bend, another car is coming in the other direction and theres barely and inch of room between both the vehicles and my horse! totally idiotic, you'd think even if they didnt care about the horse they'd wanna save their car some scratches!

also id like to say i was really truly saddened by the news story in H&H about the horse killed in a road accident. the attitude of the driver was sickening.

 

[druid]

Bj..I go one better, I have a schooling whip with one of these in florescent yellow minus the hook on the end. A very visual detterent to pass wide!

 

[Ashf]

On a few occasions I've had to resort to using the D*ck-head gesture, I wonder if they get it though

 

[Claireg9]

Depends really, if someone goes really fast past me but not too close or dangerous i just ignore them, if someone comes past fast and close i tend to swear at them and sometimes the odd hand gesture, if someone passes to near but fairly slow i have been know to leave my stirrup iron out and scratch the car, if someone passes me wide and slow i put my hand up nod and say thank you. I beleive in credit where credits due!

 

[airedale]

I say thanks to those that slow down properly

thanks to those that more or less slow down

and shout 'idiot' to those that don't bother. Use of the word idiot is not an offence under public order acts and similar, whereas swearing is.

 

[Tempi]

Well i have to say if anyone passes to fast/dosent slow down/too close then they get verbal abuse and the finger from me!!!!!

I do however thank all other people that are considerate to horses.

 

[riotgirl]

Ignore the idiots, nod or wave to the nice people!

 

[katelarge]

Well, my own bugbear are the VERY rude riders who my husband and I encounter regularly. We pass wide and slow, creep past and then give the rider a cheery wave or smile of the "we're horsey too" variety - and we get a look that would freeze lava! Not even a nod of the head or a flippin smile.

I am really considering saying something to these people! "I generally try to thank considerate drivers when *I* RIDE out" will be coming out of my window in more than a few people's direction I think!

 

[the watcher]

[ QUOTE ]
Well, my own bugbear are the VERY rude riders who my husband and I encounter regularly. We pass wide and slow, creep past and then give the rider a cheery wave or smile of the "we're horsey too" variety - and we get a look that would freeze lava! Not even a nod of the head or a flippin smile.

I am really considering saying something to these people! "I generally try to thank considerate drivers when *I* RIDE out" will be coming out of my window in more than a few people's direction I think!

[/ QUOTE ]


Not such a problem for me as I have one of those Equine Market Watch car stickers..the 'Cars Dent- Horses Die' type that everybody sees and we mostly all know each other locally so tend to waving frantically any way

 

[SecretSquirrell379]

I always ackowledge everyone, 99.9% of the time with a smile, a mouthed thank you and often a wave.....this is occasionally followed with the W'er word if they have not slowed down enough. If we are on a narror piece of road or bend we normally trot so so don't hold the drivers up too much but my schooling whip always goes out at a 45 degree angle to put them off trying to scoot round.

There are loads of horses round our way and most people are really good and the kids often wave at you, bless

 

[Noodlejaffa]

[ QUOTE ]
Well, my own bugbear are the VERY rude riders who my husband and I encounter regularly. We pass wide and slow, creep past and then give the rider a cheery wave or smile of the "we're horsey too" variety - and we get a look that would freeze lava! Not even a nod of the head or a flippin smile.

[/ QUOTE ]

I know exactly what you mean. I was driving home in my lorry from a comp the other weekend. Was aware of seeing something in the distance so slowed down, only to realise once I got closer it was a girl with dark clothes on riding a dark bay horse. However, she had no fluro gear on whatsover, she was on a main road which has very fast traffic and her horse was prancing around all over the place.

Knowing how awful it is not have drivers slow down, I slowed down til I stopped and pulled into the side (still well ahead of her) and she then proceeded to flap her arm up and down telling me to slow down, etc. What was I meant to do - become invisible?! There were no other cars about.

I thought I had been exceedingly considerate, especially as she appeared to have no knowledge of how to ride correctly on the road. I smiled and waved at her as she went past and she proceed to shout at me for being inconsiderate.

Well, for the girl how rides on the A697 near Carfraemill I hope you a) learn some manners and b) take your BHS Riding and Road Safety test (which should be compulsory for all riders!).

It's riders like that that give us considerate riders a bad name!

 

[Greyhound]

I always try to acknowledge everyone even if they arent driving how I would see fit past a horse. I will however ride in the middle of the road down our lanes, this increases my visability and I am not to fast at moving out of a cars way. This way I am controlling the traffic not them controlling me. I know that isnt possible in all situations though.

I also drive, and there is a yard about 3 mins away from me, and they insist on hacking up a twisty rat run of a lane - fair enough. I always make a point of going past slowly and as someone said before giving the I am horsey too smile. Regulary I get no anckowledgment not even a nod of the head. MUPPETS. Feel like beeping my horn and getting them to sit to that movement.

GH

 

[katelarge]

Well, good to know I'm not imagining it! The thing is that these people do so much damage - non-horsey people must think "stuck up so and so, don't know why I bother".

If people can't be bothered to be polite, then wear a vest with "thank you for slowing down" or something!

 

[OWLIE185]

I acknowledge all motorists, cyclists with my hand or nod my head.

I do wear Hi-Viz as a hat band, on reigns and nose band.

Because I hack out regularly most of the motorists who use the local roads get to know me.

I do get upset by other riders who refuse to acknowledge motorists as they make life more dangerous for the riders that show common courtesy to others.

 

[Snowberry]

we always thank considerate drivers and have been known to give the finger to the less considerate ones!!!

One of my bug bears is that I live along a bridlepath, it literally is our driveway and many times I've pulled over into the fields to allow riders pass and not one of them ever thanks me!!

Its usually older riders too - they just throw me a snotty look as if I shouldnt be driving my car up my driveway in the first place!! grrr..................manners cost nowt!!

 

[Horseymum]

I acknowledge everyone with a wave or nod and smile but I have been known to utter "Thanks for nothing" at the less considerate ones. I too find it infuriating when I am the driver going past riders who are too ignorant or busy (chatting to their mate, speaking on their phone or having a fag) to thank me for slowing down so I can understand why non-horsey drivers sometimes behave like they do.

 

[jinglejoys]

I try to acknowledge everyone but I'm increasingly starting to ask myself why WE,concentrating on handling a few tons of unpredictable blood and muscle have to be distracted by nodding or waving when THEY

would get done for dangerouse driving for doing the same thing in a vehicle

 

[bertiewooster]

[ QUOTE ]
I always make a point of going past slowly and as someone said before giving the I am horsey too smile. Regulary I get no anckowledgment not even a nod of the head. MUPPETS. Feel like beeping my horn and getting them to sit to that movement.

[/ QUOTE ]

FOMCL!!

I get cheesed off with ignorant riders too - I end up with face-ache from all the polite smiles I give if there's a lot of traffic on my hack, so can't see why other riders have to look down their noses at me in my car (slowed down to crawl or stopped, music turned off etc)!

I'm encouraged by lots of the responses and I will continue to be polite to all, whilst muttering under my breath at the rubbish drivers. BTW, I always wear my Hi-viz vest (even though it ruins my trendy outfits lol) and also ride positively, actively asking people to slow or stop and doing my best to get out of the way/not hold people up etc.

 

[bertiewooster]

[ BTW, I always wear my Hi-viz vest (even though it ruins my trendy outfits lol) and also ride positively, actively asking people to slow or stop and doing my best to get out of the way/not hold people up etc.

[/ QUOTE ]

Blimey, I sound like a right revolting goody two shoes teacher's pet!