Bad journey to work yesterday.

[eldudino]

I had an awful journey to work yesterday as I came within about a foot of being knocked off by an idiot lady driver in a VW 4x4 Chelsea tractor (with private plate if that makes a difference?) who undertook me on a roundabout giving it full revs and tyre squeals.

I was doing 20-25mph and it wasn't long before I caught up with her (amazing how much extra power adrenaline gives you!) and tapped on her window. She gave me an exasperated look, wound it down and proceeded to tell me I was in the wrong, then said she didn't know where I was going, so I told her she knew full well what I was doing as the road markings are clear (right hand lane goes straight on at the roundabout, I knew she knew she was in the wrong as she was behind me when I took the primary in that lane).

Her response was to say "Sorry, my mistake then" in a really condescending and blasé way then drove forward. At this point the red mist dropped and I got back up to her and started on the "it's my life you're playing with!" rant, explaining how protected she is and how very near she was to killing me. So the bloke in the back of the car (grandad I assume, either that or it was her sugar-daddy) said "tell him to f-off!".

Now up to this point I hadn't swore as there were 3 kids in the car but I'm ashamed to say that I let rip after that, and I have an inexhaustible vocabulary when it comes to the finer points of telling someone to go forth and multiply - cue lots of shouting from both sides, which didn't achieve anything except the bloke going so red that he looked like he was about to have an apoplectic fit, followed by me punching her wing mirror and riding off.

I'm actually getting quite tense writing this! I don't think I could have written it yesterday as I was still a bit shaken up by it. Normally my commute to work is very relaxed and people give me a lot of room, sometimes there are close overtakes but they're more dozy drivers rather than someone trying to cut me up in such a way that it puts my life at risk. My only regret is that I swore in front of the kids in the car but people can't put people's lives at risk and think they can get away with it without facing the consequences. I just hope that she doesn't try a stupid manoeuvre like that again.

 

[Tharg2007]

i feel your pain.
These people are everywhere, they seem to think they are the best thing since sliced bread and couldnt give a shoot about anyone else. When im at fault i will gladly hold my hands up and apologise/admit it, these kind of people are increasing in numbers, they seem to think they are right whatever the circumstances and even when they are wrong they will maintain they are right!!!!! i want to smash them into the ground GRRRRR

 

[magnatom]

Sorry to hear about the incident, sounds nasty. Of course you shouldn't have got so agressive and that certainly didn't help.

My serious suggestion is to get a helmet camera. Don't do what I do, i.e. post videos on youtube, just keep filming and ride normally. When someone drives as badly as this lady does then you don't have to get into an argument. You can point to you camera and say, 'the police will deal with this' and leave it at that. That way, you can leave the rant to the police.

Although we do sometimes grump about the police, in general they will visit a driver in these circumstances. This is often enough to 'wake the driver up'.

As for a camera, a great wee camera can now be had for about £50. Have a look at this thread. I was very impressed with the latest video in the thread.

 

[fossyant]

Chill...... most folk don't care, and if questioned, they were not wrong. I get folk doing silly things like that, like when you are in the correct lane, but they will use the left or right turning lane just to get through quicker than you, or indeed just cut you up. Let it go.... you soon pass them again.... Just impatience - A to B as quickly as possible.

Only get's you worked up as they won't see reason. I think someone here got a bad overtake some time ago, tapped on the window to the female driver (had kids in car) and explained he had a couple of young children too, and it maybe some kids father she wwas endangering - she apparently got rather upset...

I had a guy last night floor it in his Scooby WRX down a side street just to get past me, turbo and waste gate chirping away, didn't get far as there were speed humps. After that he shot off...only for me to pass him in a queue about 3 miles further on....ho hum...

 

[eldudino]

I think a more considered approach would be preferable next time. What I did didn't really achieve anything, I did say that I've got a 10 month old daughter who I'd like to see again, but it didn't seem to bother her. You're just not going to change some people's attitudes no matter what. I think the whole swearing/shouting part of the incident got me more upset than the close overtake. I'm really not proud of swearing in front of those kids at all, really felt as though I'd let myself down to be honest.

As for a camera, Maggs, I'm not really sure I could be bothered! 360 days of the year my commute is genuinely very relaxed and not filled with such issues. All I can say is she must have been on a day trip from Weegieland, she was probably fed up of terrorising you!!!

 

[Lazy-Commuter]

Sounds as though you were fairly calm until the whole "oh did I nearly kill you, so what? It doesn't matter you're only a little cyclist who's clearly unimportant as you can't afford a car" attitude; is that correct?

If so, your reaction is understandable to some extent: it's obviously not normal behaviour for you given how you feel about it now. I tend to be fairly ambivalent about incidents and try not to get wound up - not that I get that many, like you. But I despise that whole "I'm more important than everyone else" attitude.

There does seem to be an increasing attitude of "I know my rights, but don't talk to me about responsibilities" in society. And that's one of my particular hates.

 

[eldudino]

Sounds as though you were fairly calm until the whole "oh did I nearly kill you, so what? It doesn't matter you're only a little cyclist who's clearly unimportant as you can't afford a car" attitude; is that correct?

Correct, I was shaken up and I know I sounded stressed but still moderately calm up until then.

But I despise that whole "I'm more important than everyone else" attitude.

Same here, that's what really got me, the fact that she thought it was acceptable to act in such a way without consequence.

I've never been that wound up before on the bike, but seeing a 2.5 ton car cutting your path about a foot from your front wheel with the driver then being unrepentant is something that I didn't feel could go without discussion.

Maybe I will let it go next time, I don't know, I hope so. I hope I'll do something a bit more sensible like reporting the incident to the fuzz.

I'm not a violent person at all and I'm not really used to conflict, the last fight I had was at school with a bully who had been pushing me and some friends around. He was doing it for months until one day he stole something off me so I found him with it and laid into him, I didn't do much damage but he didn't land one punch and later apologised to me for the way he'd been behaving. I just detest some people's unrepentant attitudes for something that's quite clearly wrong.

 

[sadjack]

Do you think that its just towards cyclists that this impatience by some drivers is shown?

In my experience its everywhere now. Roundabouts are race tracks that people just HAVE to get onto and round as fast as possible. Whatever happened to the "No overtalking on a roundabout" rule I was taught when I learnt to drive?

I am lucky in that I have a rural commute and I dont dice with the crowded roads that some of you do, but nevertheless there is always the odd car that just cant wait to get by. Not to mention the wagons that push through leaving little room and the wind suck from them travelling at 40-50 odd is quite frieghtening

Its the instant throw away must have it now society we live in.

Unfortunately the reality is that on the roads its someones life they may throw away.

 

[Landslide]

...and tapped on her window...

 

[Tharg2007]

hahah Followed by:

 

[Lazy-Commuter]

You sound a lot like me eldudino: normally relaxed about things, but when you go you go big time?

Do you think that its just towards cyclists that this impatience by some drivers is shown?

In my experience its everywhere now. <snip>

It's not just towards cyclists, I'm sure; I think it is everywhere. But of course it's not everyone - and the ones that do it tend to stand out. And be remembered more.

Its the instant throw away must have it now society we live in.

Unfortunately the reality is that on the roads its someones life they may throw away.

I think a lot of it is down to the "must have it now" attitude of some, you're right; possibly it's an overspill from the "customer is always right" mantra. Not that the "customer is always right" idea is bad of itself, of course, but some people seem to carry that into all walks of life: "I pay road tax, therefore I'm a customer, therefore I can do what I like".

 

[XmisterIS]

eldudino - it could have been anyone that she did that to - just happened to be you that day!

People like that don't care whether you're on a bike, motorbike, in a car or on foot. They will treat you like you're scum and like they rule the road.

I had one the other day - I was walking across a pedestrian crossing, a guy wearing shades and a "power" suit and tie, driving one of those Porsche 4x4s, came screaming up to the crossing, went as close to me as he possibly could (i.e. on the crossing) and held his hand on the horn.

 

[eldudino]

I had one the other day - I was walking across a pedestrian crossing, a guy wearing shades and a "power" suit and tie, driving one of those Porsche 4x4s, came screaming up to the crossing, went as close to me as he possibly could (i.e. on the crossing) and held his hand on the horn.

Maybe this would work in that situation?!

I agree though, I fear they won't have learned a thing, but I've got to take some responsibility for that for acting like a gorilla at them!

 

[XmisterIS]

Lol! Class! I reckon that's fake though ... still funny!

 

[neslon]

As for a camera, Maggs, I'm not really sure I could be bothered! 360 days of the year my commute is genuinely very relaxed and not filled with such issues.

Interesting. I was going to start a thread called 'nothing to report' based on my use of a camera for a year or so, with no incidents. But yesterday some idiot passed me within centimetres so I emailed the police. Tonight they called round, watched the footage and said they were straight off to visit the driver and scare the wits out of him. They made a point of emphasising how helpful it was for them to see what actually happened, so there will be no 'your word against his'. I shall continue charging the batteries and wiping the SD card every day.