A DRIVER has used a sneaky “slingshot” trick to swerve traffic at a busy roundabout – before later confessing he was in the wrong.
The motorist from Newcastle managed to speed past plenty of cars, before pre-empting critics with an apparent apology online.
Shaun Jobber has a TikTok account dominated by ‘slingshot’ driving movesTikTok/jobbertok
Footage was shared on TikTok by the driver evidently dedicated to the manouevre seeing him abruptly change lanes to bypass traffic.
This clip by Shaun Jobber, or @jobbertok, comes with the title “Slingshot engaged”.
While hurtling past other vehicles by veering through, he tells viewers: “I’ll never accept criticism of my merging lanes videos because that’s how you’re supposed to use the road.
“But please by all means bully the hell out of me for doing a slingshot on a roundabout because it’s not how you’re supposed to drive.
“But I still take advantage of a situation and get where I’m going quicker.”
He signs off the 19-second upload with the “Lovely jubbly”, catchphrase of Only Fools And Horses sitcom character Derek “Del Boy” Trotter as played by Sir David Jason.
It comes as video he shared of a similar “slingshot” move at a busy roundabout in Hull, East Yorkshire, won both praise and condemnation from viewers.
The driver in that instance was seen nipping into an inside lane and completing a full circuit before racing off at the first exit.
They left behind in their wake a long line – in footage Shaun shared online with the words “Love the old roundabout slingshot”.
That clip has been watched more than 2.1million times, attracting more than 206,000 “likes”.
Shaun’s “not how you’re supposed to drive” clip has almost 250,000 “likes” though viewers are not permitted to comment below.
His Hull video attracted responses calling the move “such a good idea” and “genius”.
One admirer wrote: “Every time I do this I start telling myself out loud I’m the smartest guy on the road.”
Another posted, “I actually love doing this and seeing everyone get annoyed”, while it was also said: “I also do this at roundabouts and wonder why no one else does it.”
But a commenter admitted, “I always feel like a criminal”, while another responded: “I’ve been one of the chumps sitting in traffic oblivious to the slingshots taking place next to me.”
And there were also critics, including one viewer who labelled the move “dangerous”.
Another sceptic warned the anti-congestion measure could “create the same problem if everyone does it”.
There were also concerns about spreading the word, with one viewer joking: “I’m glad this manoeuvre has a name, but this is secret knowledge that shouldn’t be shared.”
The TikToker, who used to work as for a leading UK insurer, decided to use his experience as a motor insurance claim handler to inform drivers in a bid to prevent unnecessary traffic jams.
He called other drivers “stupid” after overtaking 20 queuing cars in June.
He has also shared footage of the moment an SUV smashed into a parked car, almost ripping the driver’s door clean off.
There have been other examples of motorists using a “roundabout slingshot” trick to avoid morning traffic, while a video of a car driver losing control on a wet roundabout went viral on social media.
The advice comes as congestion trapped furious shoppers at a major city shopping centre elsewhere in northern England for hours, forcing many to abandon their cars in frustration.
There have also been complaints from homeowners about lengthy traffic queues caused by “the UK’s cheapest petrol station”, in Wolverhampton in the West Midlands.
When addressing critics, he noted many might dislike his motoring approachTikTok/jobbertok
Yet the Newcastle motorist’s TikTok account suggests he remains unrepentantTikTok/jobbertok
Shaun says his clips are aimed at improving life on the roads for other driversTikTok/jobbertok
His recommendations have prompted both praise and condemnation onlineTikTok/jobbertok Read More