What have you done today with your Austin Seven

[Nick Lettington]

I noted with some curiosity on the way home yesterday, on larger roads than these, that when I occasionally tucked in to the left to let traffic behind pass, they simply slowed down too, scared or unprepared to overtake even on quite open stretches of road. That and drivers who seemed prepared to drive miles behind cyclists at 20 mph rather than attempt to pass them!

I have been surprised by this reluctance to overtake for some years now. I keep well in to the left, I try to wave them past, nothing seems to persuade them that it's possible to overtake safely.

When using trafficators and hand signals (I now have flashing indicators), I found if you signal a left turn, people will go to overtake you without looking what is coming then swear at you for waiving them past... perhaps you could try that!