Quote:
Originally Posted by ScotchanDry
Dont you love the "passing lane in 500 mtrs" and behold the guy in front cruising on 94 suddenly finds the accelerator and you have to risk your licence to get past, and if you dont you will sit behind at 94 for the rest of that winding road...  |
Had that happen in the Xmas holidays late last year - a young couple in a silver Hyundai would do over 100 in the overtaking zone, then dawdle between 70 & 80 everywhere else. We must have done 6-7 overtaking sections like that - nobody was game to do more than 5 over in double points, and couldn't get around.
What made it worse, was when there was a gap in the oncoming traffic, and there were broken lines with a chance to overtake, the driver would speed up - leaving you hanging out to dry.
Eventually I went out to the right in an overtaking lane area & did 110 in the 100 zone in an attempt to get around him, and he still held me out. As soon as we moved back in at the merge, blue & red lights went on behind.... I thought "great, he's gunna get me" but the cop shot past me & rounded up the Hyundai.
An hour later I was coming back to the car after filling & paying, and the same cop pulled in the servo to refuel. I asked how he got to drive the particular "loaned" car he was in, and his reply was "you don't bend the regular cars" and we struck up a convo. I asked about the Hyundai, and expressed my frustration with his behaviour. He chuckled & told me I won't see him back on the road anytime soon. Along with failing to display P-plates, he also got him for exceeding P1 speed limit by 20km/h.
I was quite pleased to hear that, and was about to ask about dangerous driving (holding me out to dry in the oncoming lane) and he told me he dealt with that too - he wrote him a fine that was along the lines of "increase speed to prevent another vehicle from completing an overtaking maneuver."
I expressed surprise, and he rattled off the road rule number, the amount of points, and the fine. He then told me they'd been handing out quite a few of them, as the behavior had been observed, it was on the increase when "city folk" travel up the Pacific, and it is a very dangerous practice. I thanked him for doing a great job, and actually policing something that would make a difference to the traffic flow, and safety of many road users. I think he was surprised that someone complimented him on a good job. There are some good cops out there who do try to deal with the selfish clowns who create more danger for others.