Why are there so many idiots on the road???

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NELSON11

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Yesterday was my 2nd hack on my youngster, since bringing him home from being backed/produced.

I only wanted to go for a 1/2 hour hack with Applecart 14 with the 2 boys just down the lane, which is fairly straight but narrow. We meet a tractor, lots of cyclists, a 4x4 pulling a trailer with a whinnying horse in the back which my boy was very intrigued over.

And then we meet him, The ultimate old old idiot driving like he is posessed straight for us. Applecart 14 tries to hand signal to slow the idiot down, but oh no he keeps on coming. Both our boys are 17.2hh, mine is 4 1/2 years old and the guy just skimmed straight past us. If ever either horse had stepped sideways, we would of been hit. My nerves were shot especially sitting on my exuberant young man who is still learning the ways of the world etc.

I admit the obsceneties that came out of my mouth, I was praying he would stop and I could of had a full scale row with him/thrown him head first in a ditch, but oh no he kept on going, completely oblivous that he had nearly ran 2 horses straight off the road.

Hasten to add, thank god the horses didn't react. but more luck than judgement especially with the baby.

Sorry, but had to vent my anger and yes I am still calling him all the F' words that enter my head.

Couldn't even get his reg as was too fast!
 
Shame you didn't get his number plate. Unfortunately dealing with idiotic drivers is just one of the things you have to accept if you are riding on the roads, but if you are able to report them, hopefully they can have a stern talking to and won't do it again.

Can I ask if you were wearing any hi-viz? I'm just thinking - if the driver is elderly, he may not have seen you until it was too late to do anything (and his reactions would probably have been that slow that he'd be into the middle of next week before he could think of slowing down...)

I had a 'funny' experience one afternoon on my (thank god bombproof) horse. Riding along a fairly quiet road and a white van was coming towards me doing at least 50mph. I waved for him to slow down, which he didn't, and as he rocketed past, I saw that he was waving back at me! I also got a cheery 'hello, love' as he went by!!
Muppet, but I couldn't help laughing to myself.
 
I feel for you & its only getting worse :(
It doesnt help that a lot of horse riders these days cannot thank drivers for slowing down. Just Saturday I was driving towards 2 girls riding abreast on the road, slowed right down & they didnt even look at me, so with people like that on the road everyone else just doesnt stand a chance :(

I was riding out with a friend once & a driver clipped her foot with his mirror & it got caught on her stirrup, luckily the leather broke or she would have been dragged up the road by him :(
 
this is why you dont signal at drivers- they dont understand, probably thought you were waving them on.

make eye contact (really stare, especially if coming from behind), and thats about it. if i think they are gonna be daft i move into the middle of the road. would rather block them completely than risk squeezing past and definitely ending up on the bonnet (as is what will happen with one, other is a saint so just keep to the kerb/on the verge)
only time i signal is left or right, and thanks if they dont hit us(!)
 
I too have stepped out in the road to slow down a car and, on long straight roads we ride two abreast.

My horse is prretty bombproof on the roads and I have been known to thwack cars that come too close with my whip :eek:
 
I had a white van man squeeze between me on my horse and a pedestrian refuge on a road near the stables. It was so close that I was able to smack the side of the van with my whip. I could have hit it with my hand it was that close!

The woman in the car behind stopped and told me off because 'You shouldn't hit people's vans'.

Words failed me.
 
Flicker said:
Shame you didn't get his number plate. Unfortunately dealing with idiotic drivers is just one of the things you have to accept if you are riding on the roads, but if you are able to report them, hopefully they can have a stern talking to and won't do it again.

Can I ask if you were wearing any hi-viz? I'm just thinking - if the driver is elderly, he may not have seen you until it was too late to do anything (and his reactions would probably have been that slow that he'd be into the middle of next week before he could think of slowing down...)

I had a 'funny' experience one afternoon on my (thank god bombproof) horse. Riding along a fairly quiet road and a white van was coming towards me doing at least 50mph. I waved for him to slow down, which he didn't, and as he rocketed past, I saw that he was waving back at me! I also got a cheery 'hello, love' as he went by!!
Muppet, but I couldn't help laughing to myself.
Click to expand...


Yes both horses kitted out in Hi Viz, on a failry straight lane where he could see us at least a mile up the lane as he came towards us. No excuses at all.
 
Having had many years of experience of riding in 'Central London' I always ride with a long slevved Hi-Viz jacket on. If I want a vehicle to stop then I simply point at them for three seconds and then put the palm of my hand up towards them. Always does the trick becuase they can easily see my hand signals and understand what i want them to do.
 
must admit im a bugger for smacknig roof's with my whip or wiping out wing mirrors if close enough (& this is why i ride out with an old hunting cane, long & hard) i also carry pea gravel in pocket to toss at windscreens if they insist on sitting up my horse's
A$£&!0!E, better that than him hitting it!!!

ive got full hi-vis & the back of my trap seat has an old reflective & hi-vis exersize sheet fitted to it so the whole of the back of us is OBIVIOUS plus a pair of rear bike lights close together on back (one blinks one doesnt)
 
OWLIE185 said:
Having had many years of experience of riding in 'Central London' I always ride with a long slevved Hi-Viz jacket on. If I want a vehicle to stop then I simply point at them for three seconds and then put the palm of my hand up towards them. Always does the trick becuase they can easily see my hand signals and understand what i want them to do.
Click to expand...

I agree it is very important to make very clear hand signals as even though the signals are in the highway code, nobody hardly ever knows them!

If I want someone to slow down I use the signal (as reported in the highway code) of sticking my arm out and moving it up and down...and then sometimes follow this with me mouthing "SLOW DOWN!"

People are idiots. We are very lucky in that we have a bridleway right opposite our gate. We have a little path running through the bramble bush which the council have told us they are blocking as it is "illegal" access. Instead, we should use the deignated entry a couple of hundred yards down the road. While using said designated access point, having to walk the last hundred yards on the road before turning right across the road to access our gate I could hear a car roaring up behind us. We were both signalling right and had moved nearer the centre line. The cars on the other side of the road had slowed to let us cross. I warned the rider in front not to turn, just as the car overtook us at speed. As he passed I shouted "What are you doing?!" and my friend used a "special" hand signal. What an idiot, it would have just taken one of our horses to spook and he could have had a horse on his bonnet. Would he overtake a cyclist or car that was about to turn. I sincerely doubt it
 
I tend to plonk my horse in the middle of the road so the car can't get past until either they slow down or i get to a wide enough passing place. I try to be as helpful and polite to drivers as possible but if they're clearly going to do something stupid then i'll do something to stop it before it's too late.

Rein back and lateral work are also very useful for slowing cars down from a distance ;)
 
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