GrumpyGregry
Here for rides.
We've covered this ground a lot in the last couple of years tis true.I agree CP, I am not advocating standing there whilst somebody repeatedly bops you on the conk, but, to do everything possible to avoid a situation escalating into physical violence. Lots of threads like this have had a lot of macho posturing, in reality 90% of those posturing would be shook rigid by the first bop on the conk, then they are in trouble. And over what? Practically nothing.
90% of sober people lamping someone else sober do it in such an ineffectual fashion, aka handbags, like chummy here, as to be a) laughable b) hardly worthy of the physical response.
9% of the rest know what they are doing, will do some damage in the first flurry of fists and heads and may well incapacitate their victim at which point the victim is incredibly vulnerable because the remaining
1% will try to kill their victim and if they fail to do so it won't be for want of trying.
As to the video I remain confused... do I admire the cyclist for his sterling attempts to de-escalate a situation which has got out of control or hold him in contempt for lacking the spine to finish what he started when he chose to chastise the nobber-driver for his ASL infringement. In part the answer lies with his motivation. If he was de-escalating because calmly and rationally he decided to be assertive and take control then I should admire him. If he was de-escalating because he was afraid (and my gut feeling is that was his motivation) then he had no business commenting on the driver's performance or gesticulating at him in the first place. Do not start something you are not prepared to see through to the bitter end.
I'd like to think I'd ignore chummy, at the ASL, on the road, and when he is standing on the pavement. But I know I'm kidding myself. I wouldn't pass comment on the ASL infringement as it is sounds like it was a technical offence that didn't endanger the cyclist one bit. If he endangered my, say by a close pass I would respond; most probably these days with a "more room please" gesture - 90% of the time this is responded to by drivers with one or two fingers and I then respond in kind childish I know.
But if I encountered chummy asking "am I a *anker? am I a *anker?" and getting in my face in the manner of the video then as soon as his handbag was deployed agin me I know I'd just end up saying "yes you are a *anker , what are you going to do about it?" just to wind the pathetic numpty up even more. But them I'm a very bad man.