Jan

Thanks Richard ... much appreciated. :shifty:

Hi Gary Thanks for that ... and I didn't really mean I had a PhD ... except in Experience!!!! To me, that's better than a piece of paper in a frame!

Hi All I don't post very often ... okay, in truth hardly at all. But I keep up to date with news and views and I'd just like to thank you for my surprise HAPPY BIRTHDAY message :balloon: This birthday is special, not just because I'm now in my 60th year .... and yes, unlike a lot of ladies, I'm well proud of that, means I've got a PhD in Life!!!!! But TonyB and I also got engaged in February. So the year is going well. My Z still leaves people standing ... or sitting ... or whatever it is they do as I speed past them :clap: So thank you for being part of my year ... part of today ... Wishing you all well ... whatever the age and year :blush: Best wishes Jan :balloon:

Hi Roobarb Good to hear from you and glad you joined this thread. Someone said fairly early on that I should talk to you about Fair Ladies driving Zs ... seems we share similar experiences? :yes:

Okay guys, new scenario. And this stuff really does happen to me. I may be an author, but I don't have to even start making up stories cause there's already enough going on out there ... and believe me when I say the 'pen is mightier than the sword'. It's the only weapon I have!! And I use it well!!!! Country road in Warwickshire. To be honest, I turned too early, took an immediate right down a very narrow country lane because Gobby (Tony's sat-nav) told me to (duh!). Anyway, the dark blue BMW Z4 that had been hastling me earlier, tail gating etc and I knew must be resident around that area because I'd seen him a few times before but managed to avoid his attentions ... he was there, just ahead of me. :whistling: I turned in behind him. He came to an almost stop. And then did stop. He just sat there. Idling. Doing absolutely nothing at all. Now if you are a guy, you would no doubt hoot a bit, open your door and get out, yell a good deal, ask what the f*** they're doing, even end up going to his door and banging on the window. But if you're a female you don't really want to go there. I've had a bad experience on the M42 when I broke down and a guy pulled in behind me, parking bumper to bumper, trying to get me to open my door, offering me a cell phone, etc. And after a looooooong time a police car stopped and ended up calling the RAC for me, while arresting the guy for abuse because there was absolutely nothing wrong with his car and he'd had no reason to stop in the first place. But I digress. I flashed my lights in the little Warwickshire lane. Hooted my horn. But I wasn't about to get out the car for anything. The lane was dark and quiet and still. Nothing moved. Tony was in meetings so I knew I couldn't get him on the phone if I tried. He's since fitted a panic button on my phone as well as 'Latitude' so he'll know where I am if in trouble. But right then and there, for more than an hour, the driver was amusing himself at my expense, moving at a pace, then slowing, then stopping again. And it was like that all the way up that lane. There was no ignoring him or getting away from him, too narrow to turn around. You don't have to be on a wide open motorway for games to happen. Just someone trying to get from A to B minding their own business. What do you do in that situation ... remembering you're a female and want to stay safe? :confused1:

Hey ... thanks for all the postings ... it's proving to be a very interesting evening! :smartass: But one thing you have to know. Ignoring the attentions doesn't go far. Because they really will up the anti and want to grab you where it hurts in order to do so. Believe me, I've been there! I've tried that. And you simply can't just poodle along as if nothing is happening, when other dirvers are suddenly giving you a wide berth, and the nutters just keep on coming ... keep on upping the anti ... making you switch lanes .... slow ... speed ... switch lanes ... slow ... speed ... slow ... you get the idea? :closedeyes: I don't know why ... I don't know when ... but it happens anyway. And like I said, I've been told it's a game they play. The police know the game. The drivers will call one another and feast on the adventure that is happening, even bringing those nearby to see some action. I used to work with offenders ... I mean the real bad guys. It was they who told me. I have also been told by a couple of white van drivers who play the game themselves. They say it relieves the boredom of trips across the UK. I wondered what would happen when I started driving the Z ... now I know. And they're up for the challenge BIG TIME! :2guns: So what do other Z drivers do to avoid the frustration, the stress, the angst? Is there a fail safe method of getting away smoothly other than flooring it? What about Tony's latest suggestion: get a flashing light like the police have and switch it on when the fun starts and they get the message - 'I SUGGEST YOU GET OFF MY TAIL. I'M ON THE PHONE TO THE POLICE. I'M GIVING THEM YOUR REGISTRATION NUMBER' :hammer:

Well, yes, if you're a big giant then it helps. Size can be an issue also, I guess. But as has been said already, it's the eyeing, and the nosing, and the 'let's see if we can shake her' or even better 'frighten her into submission and get her to pull over onto the hard shoulder, preferably without a cop in the way' attitude that starts the ball rolling. :wacko: And before you know it you're right in the middle of a war that you didn't start and you don't know how to finish :taz: I've had it too many times on the roads and it doesn't matter what the distance or what the car. Female on her own ... yummy! I just become fair game. And I've even had two cars before now playing games, mincing me in the middle of them. I'm interested to know what other females do ... or have done in the past ... and I'm defnitely interested if this is happening to anyone else ... male or female ... because once you're in it and it's happened before there's a feeling of 'Why me?' And 'GET ME OUTTA HERE!' :sweatdrop:

Thanks for the offer Zedzilla ... next time then? :clap:

Thanks Chris I'll see what comes and who picks up this thread. Jan :yes:

Thanks for sharing that. I wasn't sure whether it was a female only thing or not. At the time it feels like an imminent hostile take-over, some kind of war that you become a part of without even knowing. And often you don't even know the rules. It happened big time just before I met Tony a couple of years ago now. Young guys in black car, tinted windows, sped past in the fast lane with Mickey Mouse flying on their ariel. They waved as they passed, and I didn't take any notice. But then suddenly they were in my path, slowing right down. I moved over, they did the same. I moved back, right over into the slow lane. They followed, but this time giving me less and less room for manoevre. And they were mouthing from their windows (to put it politely!). Okay ... I thought ... enough! So gradually we got back into the middle lane. Then into the fast and I pushed my foot to the floor. It was just as I was gaining distance between us that a plain police car behind suddenly pushed up its sign and pulled me over. Turned out they'd been following Mickey Mouse for a good many miles. But then I floored it and they pulled me instead, while they whizzed past hooting and shouting and carrying on. The police let me off. And if ever I'm in that territory now I'm very law abiding, very careful, and always a considerate driver :smartass: Something else I've tried is suddenly going off at a junction without warning and then coming back onto the motorway so I'm behind them. But it doesn't always work. They seem up to poodling along, waiting to see if it's a ploy. And then they start big time, as if it's some kind of punishment. I just wish they'd really have a go when Tony is riding ahead of me and me behind. But they never come out and play on our terms ... do they? :2guns:

I don't post very often and there's not too many female Z drivers I guess. But I wonder those who are, whether you share the same experience as me? We were in convoy, me and TonyB (my better half!) travelling south to the Z World Bash (thanks Jeff and Linda, it was brilliant!). I've told Tony how this happens to a female driving on her own, but he still needs to see it to truly understand how it works. And yes, it did happen a couple of times to me. Now before we go any further, I'm not paranoid! I've been told more than once how this game works, mainly by those who drive white vans for a living ... sorry any of you on here! Guys who drive BMWs also play the same game, and others. The game is about scoring points with the aim of driving a lone female onto the hard shoulder. That scores them high!!!! They love 'tail-gating'. They will vroom up behind you (if you're a female driving alone) pushing ... pushing ... pushing ... and when you move aside to let them go, they move in front and then go slow. They harrass you to such an extent it can become a nightmare. Until I got my Z, that is!!!!! Now at least I can floor it and leave them well behind!!!!! Which is what I do. Unless, of course, they also have a performance car and accept it as a challenge! It happened a couple of times to me while on the way to the Z World Bash last weekend. And it got me wondering, is there any other female on here who shares these kind of experiences? If so, I'd love to hear from you. It's happened to me whether I'm driving a BMW, a Peugeot 206 or 307 SW, an Audi, even a Citreon ... It's not about the car. It's the fact it's a female driver that is the lure. :helpsmilie: Tony is just begging to see one try while he's near me ... he says to get on the phone, ask for motorway police, explain what's happening, take their number if poss., ask their help ... but to be honest, it's all about focus, keeping out of danger, keeping safe. Happy to share your thoughts :winkiss:

Hi Steve Your family are in our thoughts. We are rooting for you, wishing you all the best. Love and best wishes, Jan & TonyB

BIG ooopsie By me...... I meant can't tow an auto !

The paper can't count anyway there are nine vehicles in the picture !

Check that the fuel flap hinge pins haven't come adrift. You can open the flap with a credit card to check Happened to Tonyb's and it was a pin loose that holds the spring and the flap hinges on