1st day back at work and...

[Lerxt]

So I'm riding to work on a stretch of road that has a bus lane on the left, the right hand lane is open to all traffic. I'm approximately 150 meters away from a lighted junction and this taxi driver pulls into my lane and then out again coming into within a foot of my front wheel. The lights are red so I pull up along side him and look into his car clearly wanting a word. He winds down his window and I tell him what just happened and he just goes ballistic, accusing ME of weaving all over the road trying to avoid pot-holes etc. Then he starts on the abuse, swearing and calling me all the names under the sun. I realize this guy is not to be reasoned with so I just give up trying to have a reasonable conversation with him and take up my position at the lights. He then continues his abuse and then says "I"ll run you over you f@*king w@$ker" so I look down at his plates and inform him that I have his number. The lights change to green and I set off. Unfortunately the lane then narrows down to one and I find him riding right behind me still screaming abuse. Fortunately for me he quickly turned off, still however, spouting abuse. For those interested who live in Sheffield it was just before the junction on Abbeydale Road and Broadfield Road heading into town.

I'd like to go to the police but realize, given many peoples' experiences on here, that I won't get far. I am going to complain to the taxi company but as I completely forgot his number as soon as I'd ridden off I don't see what good that can do either.

I realize a number of errors I made here. First I didn't have a helmet cam so I can't verify the incident. Secondly, it was probably not wise to confront a taxi driver and expect any sort of mutually respectful conversation. I thought the guy was going to kill me he was that wound up. Thirdly, this has really put me out. I didn't do anything wrong and this guy feels he has the permission to threaten to kill me because I pointed out his poor driving and the danger he was putting me under. I suppose I'm also angry at myself for forgetting the number plate so I could have least had that to give to the police.

Is this something that I should get used to?

Thoughts welcome.

L.

 

[Jezston]

Do go to the taxi company. I assume you did get a good look at the guy? If you can give a reasonable description of his appearance, and where and when the incident occured, the taxi company should be able to work out who it is. Is it a major firm, or a little minicab firm? If the latter, it may be better to report it to whatever body regulates your local taxi industry.

I had a similar incident with a bus driver a month or two back - went absolutely apeshit at me immediately after I palmed the side of his bus to stop him crushing me. Some people seem to be a great big bubble of rage only requiring the most insignificant of pushes to burst open, especially when they are behind the wheel, and are most happy to unleash it on those least likely to be able to fight back. My incident after reporting it to the local bus company resulted in me having a meeting with the company to discuss the incident where they apologised profusely and were interested in any suggestions I might give to improve drivers behaviour around cyclists. Although I haven't heard back yet what ultimately happened to the driver I was given some off the record assurances which I shant repeat here

 

[downfader]

Do two things if you're not going to the Police with it:

1) add it to stopSMIDSY so the CTC can use the information
2) at the VERY least fill out a crimestoppers online form.

You really should report this to the public carriage office too, he should in no way abuse another road user like that.

 

[BSRU]

I cannot see any satisfactory outcome to your situation, no registration number means it could be difficult to identify the vehicle, therefore the driver. If they do identify him, unless there happen to be independent witness's available, it would end up as your word against his, unless he incriminates himself, no action will be taken.

A similar verbal tirade was one of the reasons I started wearing a helmet camera.

 

[StuartG]

I had one of these last week. Pull up behind a white van at a roundabout. Instead of proceeding when the roundabout cleared I saw the reverse lights come on. My screams were fortunately sufficient to stop him before he reversed into me. I stopped for a polite 'word'.

However it was entirely my fault. I could not be seen in either side mirror (true), he was quiet on the fact I was clearly visible in his rear view mirror or that I had eyeballed him yards earlier when he turned right into the lane in front of me. Oh and I should have realised he was trying to park (without indication) on double yellow lines blocking the left hand entrance to the roundabout. Silly me!

I did point out it was a very scary experience for me. He was glad of that. I then lost it pointing out that such actions kill people. "Calling me a killer, I'll kill you" alerted me that this conversation was going nowhere useful. So, like you, I memorised his number plate, noted a witness (who I know) nearby and beat a retreat.

However shock (and age) does terrible things to the memory and when I got home 3 minutes later the numberplate was un-recallable.

I didn't write it up here (till now) as I decided to basically erase the incident from my memory banks and move on. This because taking it to the police was unlikely to be successful, bearing grudges is harmful and cycling is to be enjoyed rather than a source of catalogue of aggravative memories. I've cycled fo 50 years and I guess I have had the average number of sad verbal attacks in that time. Always on a bike. People are much kinder to me as a pedestrian or driver. So its nothing personal. Its just a paranoid hate some people have for people on two wheels. It is not going to be solved by reasoned discussion. It is not going to be solved by the police whose culture and tasking needs to be changed first.

So there you are. Some may call me a wimp for walking away and putting it behind me and blaming myself for allowing this idiot to wind me up.

Stay cool, stay alert, stay alive. That's all that matters. Changing cultures is something very unlikely to be done at the kerbside. Looks like it won't be done by Philip Hammond's department as the stream of car-centric decisions continues. I've no idea how to change this culture. But I sure know most of Hammond's opponents haven't a clue either ...

 

[mgarl10024]

cycling is to be enjoyed rather than a source of catalogue of aggravative memories.

Spot on.

So there you are. Some may call me a wimp for walking away and putting it behind me and blaming myself for allowing this idiot to wind me up.

I don't.

As tough as it sounds, and as easy as it is to say, all I can suggest in my limited experience is to try not to let it bother you and enjoy your cycling. This taxi guy must have other issues if he is that flammable.

 

[Lerxt]

Thanks for your thoughts. I'll try the memory thing until I get a helmet cam but here's hoping that I don't have another altercation for a long time.

I spoke to the taxi firm and they were very helpful, giving me the number of the council's taxi licensing department so that I could take the matter further. They also said that it was totally unacceptable for a driver of theirs to behave in such a way and that they would have a word with the driver concerned. As I gave them only a recollection of a number plate, one which I'm sure is not accurate I'd say they'll struggle to track him down. It's also a big firm so I doubt any description would be that helpful.

As BSRU has said, I think there will be no satisfactory outcome to this. Stuart G and mgarl10024 I think you are right, I'll try and erase it from my memory and not get too hung up on it. However, riding back from work this afternoon I started to feel a bit paranoid thinking that the guy was possibly in the vicinity and what he'd do given half the chance. As I say paranoid. I'm going to time my journey slightly differently tomorrow just in case.



It is a real shame that the joy that cycling brings is tainted for the most part by the dangerous behaviour of others and by unreasonable actions of some drivers.

Thanks again,

L.

 

[Arfcollins]

This might be obvious to some, but if you need to remember a number or a registration plate, instead of trying to memorise it straight, quickly make it into a rhyme or an acronym, or a famous person's name, or most effectively something completely bizarre or obscene. There's lots of research to show that material stays in memory longer if encoded in this way.

[/quote

I use the voice recorder on my phone for little 'notes' like this. I think all phones have them now. I have the recorder as one of the shortcuts so I don't have to wade through the menus. Although I've never had to record an incident like this is occurs to me that you could also list witnesses with their contact details, or indeed anything about the situation that would help your recall.

 

[PBancroft]

Information is everything.

As you know, without knowing which taxi when and where this happened, the company won't be able to take action. They can't penalise all of their drivers for the actions of a few. Equally if they send round messages about good behaviour they run the risk of wallpapering important info.

Don't get too hung up on it; the world isn't out to get you. Most drivers are decent honorable people and when you get a bad apple try to get their details - if you can't or don't, don't let it eat you up inside.