Ducati Sporting Club UK > General > Idle Chat > My scary drive home from Blackpool - so when should we help the police ?

[Nattyboy]

Thought I would share my shocking experience with you when returning back from blackpool on sunday morning with the family.

It was my daughters 2nd birthday on Friday so took the family upto blackpool to see the illuminations (nice 6 hour congestion and 3 hour queue to see the lights..! )

Left Blackpool about 10PM on Saturday and it was on the M5 just before my turnoff to Swindon where things got 'interesting'

It was about 1.30am and approaching the junction, there was a mazda doing about 50 in the slow lane - with NO lights on at all - very scary as the motorway wasnt lit and you just couldnt see it until you were very close !!!

Flashed a couple of times as I approached and overtook to pull off at my junction about half a mile down...it was then I realised that the car was turning off too (no indicators). and following.

I slowed right down to about 10mph see what the crack was, and the car slowed with me..by then im a little worried as my young children and wife are in the car with me.

Then..the car spins up past me and starts swerving all over the place at high speed !! As I really thought the t**t was going to kill someone (probably drugged or pi%%ed up and STILL no lights), chased it and got close enough to take the plate and called the feds who asked if I was happy following at a distance until we got to the next roundabout so I could tell them which direction they were going in.

Then backed off and the car slowed down and blocked me from getting past on a hill - bugger.

The passenger then got out and started hurling abuse and I had nowhere to go !

The police controller was still on the phone at this stage, but I just reacted as I thought fit and started to open my car door to the guy to see how he reacted (thought if I stayed in the car then he would just come anyway, and luckily he seemed to bottle it and got back in his car (im sh.itting it by now BTW !!).

"Glad thats over" - I remember thinking - and as the police were still on the phone told them I would let them take over..

Then..as I look up..this mazda is REVERSING at a rate of knots towards my car to try and smash the front in of my pride and joy !!!! My wifes awake by now and a little hysterical as you can imagine.

Luckily I reacted quickly, reversed at high speed, span the nose round and floored it to get away (proper sweeney move )..they then started to chase me but as my car is pretty quick and they were just in an old mazda..felt OK about getting away.

The old bill then arrived in seconds and took over/chased the car into the night (still no lights).

Had a call about 2am to say they'd dumped the car and done a runner and they asked if Id be happy giving a statement in the week (there popping round tommorrow night) - they apparently knew who they were and this would help nail them.

Now..to be honest im a bit shook up by it all and wondered - what would you have done in the same situation with your family in the car ?

What scares me most in hindsight is that they could have been robbers/druggies or anything and pulled a gun or whatever, but what equally scares me is that if they continued driving like that with no lights on, on an A road, then there could have been a mirror image family coming the other way who may have been seriously injured or killed.

Difficult call really. In hindsight, I would of just bit my lip and carried on, phoned the police and let them do the chasing.

And I cant believe that I went to get out the car - feel a bit stupid there TBH, but its a bit like pub pyshcology I guess..if youve got some bother and back off..then your deffo going to get a slap anyway whereas if you confront the issue, there more likely to back down.

Sorry if i'm babbling on but just wanted to share my experience really....not a very pleasant one (my heart was beating like mad on the final 30 miles home!!)

When I pulled my 2 young kids out of the car when I got home to put them to bed (they'd slept through everything!) the whole thing hit me and it was quite upsetting to be honest as i've no doubt every parent on here could relate to.

I dunno..whats this bloody country coming too eh ??

Cheers
Nat

[skidlids]

Crikey Nat, all sounds a bit scarey.
Not sure what best to do in those situations, if they're already known to the Police it's unlikely they were just having a problem with the car, but your not to know that.

[Rob B]

Nat,

Been thinking about this sort of thing more and more. Never mind the situation, but a simple gesture - in your case a totally reasonable "flash of the lights," can bring a huge and disproportianate response.

I'm sure we've all had 'em but I am trying to ignore all the situations, and as you say, "bite the lip, and ignore."

Recently, I pulled into a gap, left by the guy in lane 3 as he was stationary and seemed to be fiddling with the radio, changing lanes in the M3 road works. His response, as he saw me indicate right and start to change lanes, was hard acceleration to try to close the 100 yard gap, loads of flashing head lights and gesticulation. There where 3 heavies in the car with him. Doing 5-10mph, I was a sitting target if they'd decided to get and and start.

You just don't know who's in the car next/behind you these days and I'm rapidly coming to the conclusion that that's the way I prefer it..............


Rgds, Rob

[Harv748]

Shiiiiieeet Natt...glad it all turned out OK

Have to agree with Rob...as a 6ft, 15st rugby playing, broken nosed, physically very active 30 year old (sounds like a singles advert!!), I like to think if need be I could handle things myself, even if it meant running very fast in the opposite direction. However the shitty world we live in today means that the guy in the car next to you (or on the other side of the street shouting abuse, or next to you in the post office etc.) could be off his head on drugs/medication/alcohol...and I for one am quite happy not to know what his problem may be.

It sounds like in your case, that the guy(s) in question were looking for agro no matter what...The fact that you slowed after flashing them was probably the reason they needed to take things further.

Give 'em a flash yes...but then if the car followed me down the slip road and started acting in a funny manner towards me, I would have been off like a scalded cat!

Unfortunately intimidation is becoming a bigger and bigger part of todays society, whether its a 12 year old giving people a hard time in the town centre or 50 year old family man with total road rage...and its 'normal' peeps like the majority whom have to accept this beahviour as the norm...or take your own health in your hands in doing something about it.

dear me...I'm getting a headache up here on this soapbox

[antonye]

Don't worry - the network of GATSOs and Camera Safety vans (manned by civillians and only operational 9-5) will make sure they are taken off the streets in no time at all!

[Mark]

Man, scary stuff Nat. I'm more likely to call the feds, and leave it well alone. You just don't how people are going to react. Sometimes, it could have been a genuine mistake Most people, one time or another have pulled away and forgotten to turn the lights on. Then again, I've read on here, and somewhere else about people who go about with no lights on, and when someone flashes them they chase after you, and the story goes on from there.

[Paul James]

Luckily I reacted quickly, reversed at high speed, span the nose round and floored it to get away (proper sweeney move )..they then started to chase me but as my car is pretty quick and they were just in an old mazda..felt OK about getting away.


You mad hooligan !!! I'm sure you'll have gone through a speed camera during your high speed driving and will get nicked as a matter of course. Fancy upsetting those nice people who were just out having fun

[Nattyboy]

Think these were well known to the old bill..upto no good or just off there heads. Im sure they knew they were travelling with no lights mark, as the motorway was empty and unlit..youd have a job to see where you were going..

Didnt try to wind them up either..when I slowed down coming off the motorway just wanted them to pass to be honest, but they obviously thought differently..!

Its certainly made me think how to react (or not as the case may be) next time...

nat

[Mark]

I blame Merc drivers myself....

[GsxrAge]

You did the same as I would have mate Except...................
















OPEN the bloody door.




If more peeps did what you did mate we would live in a better world