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Orange Vespa Huskyteer

The Good Samaritan

mood: embarrassed embarrassed
I was on my way home from karate last night when a young black man in a BMW started driving erratically behind me: too fast, too close, weaving, trying to come up my inside and hooting at me. Eventually we pulled up next to each other at the lights and I turned round to give him a glare, and possibly a piece of my mind...

...and he wound down his window and said "Do you know your tail light's not working?"
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Posted on Jan. 15th, 2014 at 11:05 pm | | Leave secret message | 11 secret messages |

Comments


strange_complex

Hmm... it's nice that he wanted to alert you to the problem, but I still think he could have gone about doing so in a way less likely to cause alarm on your part. I guess maybe he didn't realise how ambiguous hooting is, or that you wouldn't stand any chance of seeing or understanding any of the wild gestures he might have been doing while he swerved around behind you.
Posted on Jan. 16th, 2014 09:51 am (UTC) | | Thread | Reply

gerald_duck

Mmm. I was thinking that. I tend to wait until stationary then flash the corresponding light on my own car and hoot once, or similar. Pulling up alongside also works, and is even simpler, as the guy eventually discovered!
Posted on Jan. 16th, 2014 10:35 am (UTC) | | Parent | Thread | Reply

huskyteer

I get incredibly paranoid when other drivers try to attract my attention. I know flashing headlights usually means "police speed trap ahead", but my initial reaction is always "AM I ON FIRE!?"
Posted on Jan. 16th, 2014 10:10 pm (UTC) | | Parent | Thread | Reply

schnee

in a BMW

I was gonna say, that explains it. :P (BMW drivers don't have the best reputation over here, all in all, though Audi's been catching up to them in recent years in terms of jerkish behavior.)

Well, nice to hear this one was just being nice and alerting you to your tail light malfunction. But still, what a weird way of trying to get your attention.
Posted on Jan. 16th, 2014 10:35 am (UTC) | | Thread | Reply

huskyteer

Over here, too, and, as you say, Audis are pretty bad also. Generally, in south London, I'm wary of any small black car containing one or several young men, especially if the windows are tinted or the back's covered in stickers...
Posted on Jan. 16th, 2014 10:11 pm (UTC) | | Parent | Thread | Reply

st_crispins

That's a great story. Ya never know.
Posted on Jan. 16th, 2014 01:40 pm (UTC) | | Thread | Reply

huskyteer

I was certainly forced to confront my prejudices. Mind you, those prejudices are in place following many, many negative experiences with young chaps in BMWs...
Posted on Jan. 16th, 2014 10:12 pm (UTC) | | Parent | Thread | Reply

wardy

Me being the exception to that rule, I hope! ;-)
Posted on Jan. 17th, 2014 09:36 pm (UTC) | | Parent | Thread | Reply

huskyteer

You're not young any more!
Posted on Jan. 19th, 2014 08:16 pm (UTC) | | Parent | Thread | Reply

wardy

Oh, cheers!

Edited at 2014-01-19 08:31 pm (UTC)
Posted on Jan. 19th, 2014 08:31 pm (UTC) | | Parent | Thread | Reply

porsupah

Eep! Indeed, I think just about any of us would’ve been feeling at least a little worried by that kind of behavior. Though I’m not sure matters would be improved by the compulsory integration of scrolling LED signs on all vehicles. Might be entertaining from a distance, though. =:)
Posted on Jan. 19th, 2014 01:10 pm (UTC) | | Thread | Reply