Roundabout test/road rage taximan

cargrouch

Hiya folks, had a (wee) bit of an incident this morning, so I have a bit of a quiz for ye. See the attached pic? Which lane (A or would YOU take up to take exit X?

Anyway, I lined up in one, taximan in the other. My spider sense started tingling about half way round that he was gonna go for the same exit as me, sure enough he does. I brake, give a few beeps and he locks up the brakes.

I stop (barely!) and he gets out. I unfolded myself out of the small hatchback I was driving, and I think the guy realised I wasn't as small as the car suggested. So the taximan mumbles something along the lines of "I'll leave you off this time" and hops back in his car!

There's a small bit more to it, but first I want to confirm my choice of lane, rather than getting into a taximan/roadrage/etc debate

crosstownk

I hate people who get out of the car agressively. You could report him for dangerous driving (assuming he was in the wrong?) and threatening behaviour.

I'd be interested to the rest of the story..............

Big Nelly

I would say B......but a strange roundabout

Is X a road or another housing estate?

cormie

lol, I picked the one that 4 others picked. Which one were you in?

cargrouch

Naw, it didn't even get near to threatening, maybe if I wasn't the size I am. I'm fairly certain I'm right - my answer is B. Third exit, and past 12 o'clock. I think the guy was just cranky and thought he could take it out on the likely driver of a small french hatch.

X is a road into the actual village, badly drawn sorry!

cormie

Yeah the Taxi-Man was in the wrong fo show, it wouldn't have made a difference what X was, as long as it was an exit:)

crosstownk

Is the road into the village a single lane or dual lane road? What about the 12 o'clock exit?

Big Nelly

cargrouch wrote:

Naw, it didn't even get near to threatening, maybe if I wasn't the size I am. I'm fairly certain I'm right - my answer is B. Third exit, and past 12 o'clock. I think the guy was just cranky and thought he could take it out on the likely driver of a small french hatch.

X is a road into the actual village, badly drawn sorry!

Did you get out? I would have sat in car on the horn and not moved, if he didnt get back into car and I would make sure it was safe and pass him and drive into the town. Fcuk him would be my atitude. Also note number plate and if he trys to follow would ring Garda the first moment I see him in rear view mirror. Its time we got gobsh**ts like this off the road.

Big Nelly

Come forward....who voted A?

smarty

Does lane B really have a right only road marking?

cargrouch

12 o'clock is a two lane exit to flyovers/sliproads for the town bypass. Road X is a single lane into town.

Lane B does have a right only.

Special (imaginary) prize for anyone who can identify this roundabout in county cork.

smarty

Don't know cork very well, but is there a shopping centre to the left of the roundabout?

Magown3

I vote B.

http://www.highwaycode.gov.uk/17.htm#160

Squirrel

The lane markings give it away also in your drawing, lane A for the 9 and 12 O'Clock exits, and B for the right (3 O'Clock) exit and subsequent exits

crosstownk

cargrouch wrote:

12 o'clock is a two lane exit to flyovers/sliproads for the town bypass. Road X is a single lane into town.

Lane B does have a right only.

Special (imaginary) prize for anyone who can identify this roundabout in county cork.

In that case, lane B can be the ONLY option for exit X.

cargrouch

smarty wrote:

Don't know cork very well, but is there a shopping centre to the left of the roundabout?

Nope.

Eoin

X is the third exit, and way past 12 O'Clock, so you take "B" - can't see why there would be any ambiguity about it at all. In fact, as there were two lanes both entering and leaving the roundabout, I am pretty sure you would be correct to take "B" even if you were going straight through.

cargrouch

Yes, I think if you were going for the RHL of the 12 o'clock exit then usually lane B would be fine. The marking here would suggest otherwise though. Anyway, the road is never too busy so I always line up in A and go for the left-hand-lane of the 12 o'clock exit.

civic

As with all roundabouts the left lane (Lane A) is for the 1st or 2nd exit. For any other exit you use the right lane (Lane . This is always the case unless the road markings coming up to the roundabout state otherwise.

mike65

As voting is between myself and the ballot box I wont say how I voted

Mike.

crosstownk

cargrouch wrote:

Special (imaginary) prize for anyone who can identify this roundabout in county cork.

Is it the roundabout on the Midleton bypass?

kippy

If your drawings and descriptions are acurate I am going with lane B.
Kippy

manor15

This might help you out

http://irishmotoring.ie/cms/publish/article_66.php

Manor15

Bards

Happened me once a good few years ago in Waterford City... Williamstown road roundabout coming from Tesco heading into town before the Outer Ring road opened. At the time there were only two exits.

1 was at 9 and the other was at 3. again I took the right hand lane at the roundabout and a taxi driver took the left hand lane and we were both going for the 9 o'clock exit. I had to brake and blow my horn. He stopped his car got out and started screaming and shouting about how I was in the wrong

Luckily for me I had three other people in the car with me.. but what the hell is wrong with these guys.. the sooner they are put off the road for good the better for all concerned

cargrouch

crosstownk wrote:

Is it the roundabout on the Midleton bypass?

Nope, I'll give ye a clue, the nearest town starts with B. If the thread is anywhere on the first page monday I'll reveal the answer!

dudara

Ballincollig bypass.

ninty9er

Does X lead to Blarney.

Definately B. Report the Bas|<|rd. He's a taxi driver. It's hisw actual job to take people safely from A to B or X as the cae may be. He should get 2 points

unkel

mike65 wrote:

As voting is between myself and the ballot box I wont say how I voted

Though you have The Power to convert the pole to a public one

mike65

If I can (hav'nt checked) that would be unfortunate for the 2 that voted A

Mike.

Big Nelly

mike65 wrote:

If I can (hav'nt checked) that would be unfortunate for the 2 that voted A

Mike.

Name and shame I say

Armadillo

Taxi Drivers view on life:

Driver by Profession = Professional Driver



The OP put him back in his box though.

vector

unless the road markings say differently then B.

However, use A if in doubt, then no one can drive on your inside but of course the onus is then on you not to hit someone else

as for the taxi driver, don't mind that is the way alot are, another line he might have used is "if this was last year i'd do something, but i'll leave you off" (referring to a fictional event last year to explain his refraining from physical violence is a condition of his early release and not a reflection on his masculinity)

RiderOnTheStorm

lane B! absolutely no doubt or ambiguity about it.

like prev poster said, you can use A or B when exiting @ 12 oclock, but for 3rd exit (or any exit after 12 oclock) you MUST be in the right hand lane.

amazing how many people just dont know how to use roundabouts. they should bring back those tv info-mercials showing different rules-of-the-road. Anyone remember *sings* 'If you had the only car in the world, you could drive as you please' lol....

cargrouch

They are going to bring them back* aren't they? I heard some talk of it anyway. (*Originals were before my time I'd say)
They need them for:
1)Roundabouts
2)Overtaking lane hogging
3)Appropriate use of Foglights!!!! Grrr!

They should have a whole "Just say NO" ad dedicated to boy "racers"* - a 94 corsa with spoilers, badly fitted bodykit, neons and a bootload of badly wired cheapo subs. Show it wheezing and farting it's way down the street as the leaky drainpipe exhaust announces the 1100cc of raw power struggling to pull a car packed with tracksuits and baseball caps.

BTW, the roundabout is between Ballincollig and Cork.

*I don't have a problem with people with genuine performance cars with a genuine performance exhaust.

Hagar

I'll work on the assumption that both yourself and the taxi driver indicated left immediately after the 12 o'clock junction. I will also assume you then commenced your manouevre into the left lane to exit at x. Surely the taxi driver could see your left indicator as it would have been flashing quite clearly from his viewpoint? That said, you wouldn't by any chance have attempted to change lanes with a car driving inside you, regardless of who it was or where he originated, would you? Your Spidey sense warned you of a dangerous situation yet you persisted in trying too force a lane change. How odd. While the taxi driver did position himself badly from the outset when he actually reached x it was he who was in the correct lane not you. I don't think that pulling across him was wise regardless of how big you are. I would have gone around the roundabout once more sooner than risk a collision.

Defensive driving not "might is right" should be the order of the day.

DublinWriter

cargrouch wrote:

Hiya folks, had a (wee) bit of an incident this morning, so I have a bit of a quiz for ye. See the attached pic? Which lane (A or would YOU take up to take exit X?

Hang on a sec, am I missing something here?

The last time I checked, roundabouts in this country were one-way traffic systems travelling clockwise.

If you take route 'B' then aren't you effectively going the wrong-way up a one-way system?

shoegirl

cargrouch wrote:

My spider sense started tingling about half way round ....

Amazing how after a few years of driving you start to instinctively get a "feeling" that the twit who is like yer man - in the wrong lan / not indicating / etc etc - is just going to do something? I've often got this instinctive feeling about drivers.

Funny you pick up on this issue - its one of my pet issues too.

Two places where it is utterly notorious, in one case partially because of design:
1. Pinnock Hill roundabout in Swords (where the Little Chef/Travelodge/McGowans is). About 50% of drivers coming out of Swords exit take the left hand lane to go towards the airport - incorrectly, of course.
2. New roundabout at west end of Midleton main st - pretty awful, and partially because of the appalling design of the roundabout, where at every point, the two lanes lead to only one exit. About 75% of all drivers take the left hand lane all the time - especially when turning right. Another one people do here is not yield to traffic coming from the right if its in the inside lane - very dangerous - and stupid.

The_Magoo

DublinWriter wrote:

Hang on a sec, am I missing something here?

The last time I checked, roundabouts in this country were one-way traffic systems travelling clockwise.

If you take route 'B' then aren't you effectively going the wrong-way up a one-way system?

The right hand lane, with the right only marking indicates that this lane is only for vehicles taking the 3rd exit!

blahblah06

civic wrote:

As with all roundabouts the left lane (Lane A) is for the 1st or 2nd exit. For any other exit you use the right lane (Lane . This is always the case unless the road markings coming up to the roundabout state otherwise.

I had the same problem this morning. some geezer was in lane a i was in lane b turning right. so the guy in lane a came across onto lane b at went to the 12 o clock exit. so i beeped and he freaked. surely he shud have not came across to my lane or am i wrong ?

cargrouch

Hagar wrote:

I'll work on the assumption that both yourself and the taxi driver indicated left immediately after the 12 o'clock junction. I will also assume you then commenced your manouevre into the left lane to exit at x. Surely the taxi driver could see your left indicator as it would have been flashing quite clearly from his viewpoint? That said, you wouldn't by any chance have attempted to change lanes with a car driving inside you, regardless of who it was or where he originated, would you? Your Spidey sense warned you of a dangerous situation yet you persisted in trying too force a lane change. How odd. While the taxi driver did position himself badly from the outset when he actually reached x it was he who was in the correct lane not you. I don't think that pulling across him was wise regardless of how big you are. I would have gone around the roundabout once more sooner than risk a collision.

Defensive driving not "might is right" should be the order of the day.

We both started side by side at the same point. As I was on the inside track I arrived at 12 o'clock on the inside lane marginally ahead of him. In my peripheral vision I saw him in a position where he shouldn't have been if he had taken that exit (the last correct exit for his original lane).

Before I went to change into the outside lane to exit at X, I glanced over my shoulder to confirm that the tool was still there. I didn't force any lane change! I had to brake and pull in behind him. When he stopped he was ahead of me blocking the road (there was concrete kerbing separating the lanes).

As you said, defensive driving is the way to go. I was prepared for him to be in the wrong lane. If he had just raised his hand in a kind of "sorry, i was wrong there" way and driven on I'd have thought nothing of it. Happens everyday. Getting it wrong, jamming on the brakes, blocking an exit from a roundabout and denying that you were wrong is just the sort of behaviour that gives taximen a bad name.

Hagar

cargrouch wrote:

In my peripheral vision I saw him in a position where he shouldn't have been if he had taken that exit (the last correct exit for his original lane).

Before I went to change into the outside lane to exit at X, I glanced over my shoulder to confirm that the tool was still there. I didn't force any lane change! I had to brake and pull in behind him.

You saw him exactly where you expected to see him and yet a "situation" still arose? You braked and pulled in behind him. So no reason to for him to pull up and get out of his car then was there? Unless it wasn't that simple. Even the worst taxi driver doesn't stop and get out for nothing. So was there much honking or gesticulating on anyone's part before he pulled in?

Don't get me wrong I have have no great love for the average taxi driver.

fdisk

While you are correct that when taking the second or subsequent exits at a roundabout you should position yourself in the right lane when entering the roundabout, you should remember that as you approach your exit you are moving into a different lane (the outside lane) and it is your responsibililty to ensure that it is safe to do so. Regardless of what lane the taxi driver started in, if he was in a traffic lane on a roundabout and you moved across and hit him, you would be entirely at fault. This has been tested many times through insurance companies and the outcome is always the same. The fact that he entered the roundabout in the wrong lane does not mitigate your responsibility when changing lanes.