In my view he only noted their number plate after the driver had started to have a go at him.
Confrontation with a motorist: I did nothing wrong this time
- Thread starter Matthew_T
- Start date
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In my view he only noted their number plate after the driver had started to have a go at him.
OP
OP
Matthew_T
"Young and Ex-whippet"
- Location
- Prestatyn, North Wales
I took the reg plate after he had started to move away. The incident was over by my reckoning.
The thing is with this web cam stuff. If you are going to admonish car drivers for indiscretions. Then you really have to be whiter then white yourself when it comes to your own road craft. Otherwise you will get picked and pulled apart from those on here and on You Tube.
OP
OP
Matthew_T
"Young and Ex-whippet"
- Location
- Prestatyn, North Wales
I am not taking much regard anymore from people who have negative views on here and Youtube. I dont mind constructive criticism, but somethings are borderline abuse.
I fear that if every driver I shrugged, shook my head, or muttered at responded in this manner then I'd be doing more brawling than cycling most weeks.
I think Matthew has been a little unlucky here in that not only did the driver both see and hear him, but he was also of the character (drink fuelled or not) to take immediate offence and create a scene. I can only think the driver probably assumed that Matthew was being more offensive in what he said than he actually was, was under the influence, or is in need of some psychiatric examination.
I can't quite get into the head of the driver slamming his brakes on to remonstrate for such a minor incident. I'm prone to the odd red mist myself but I would have to be particularly het up to actually bring myself to stop the car and have an argument through the window, let alone actually going out of my way to hunt down the other party for round 2 when not even one reference was made to either party's mother. So in that case I'm guessing it's either down to alcohol, mental health, or both. I don't agree with Matthew's 'see ya' comment but given the temper of the motorist I don't think that had any bearing on how the situation escalated.
The actual corner cut itself is pretty much irrelevant. Yes it's bad driving. It's certainly not a bad incident though. I'd have probably shaken my head too in the same way I'd shake my head at an RLJ or a speeding motorist, or any other piece of bad driving or cycling, and then been surprised to get the reaction it did.
Did Matthew have to get involved? Once the brakes were on there was no going back. I don't think he could have dealt with the situation any differently to have made the resolution any better once contact was established, so credit for pedalling away with his teeth intact. I'd probably argue that once Matthew didn't stand up for himself when the guy was in his face, that's when he really went to town with the insults because he knew he was getting away with it. Most of us who are a little more mature and have a little more presence would have told him where to go once he was out of his car because being in a couple of tons of metal was the only thing that really made him dangerous.
I can't help but think that if this was an incident with another camera commuter there would be a little more sympathy. Yes Matthew has appeared to attract a disproportionate number of incidents in the past but I believe many of us could have found ourselves in this same situation given this same incident purely due to the character of the motorist.
I'd echo everyone else on here who has expressed concern for Matthew in his riding incidents to date, but I don't have any criticism for him on this occassion.
I think Matthew has been a little unlucky here in that not only did the driver both see and hear him, but he was also of the character (drink fuelled or not) to take immediate offence and create a scene. I can only think the driver probably assumed that Matthew was being more offensive in what he said than he actually was, was under the influence, or is in need of some psychiatric examination.
I can't quite get into the head of the driver slamming his brakes on to remonstrate for such a minor incident. I'm prone to the odd red mist myself but I would have to be particularly het up to actually bring myself to stop the car and have an argument through the window, let alone actually going out of my way to hunt down the other party for round 2 when not even one reference was made to either party's mother. So in that case I'm guessing it's either down to alcohol, mental health, or both. I don't agree with Matthew's 'see ya' comment but given the temper of the motorist I don't think that had any bearing on how the situation escalated.
The actual corner cut itself is pretty much irrelevant. Yes it's bad driving. It's certainly not a bad incident though. I'd have probably shaken my head too in the same way I'd shake my head at an RLJ or a speeding motorist, or any other piece of bad driving or cycling, and then been surprised to get the reaction it did.
Did Matthew have to get involved? Once the brakes were on there was no going back. I don't think he could have dealt with the situation any differently to have made the resolution any better once contact was established, so credit for pedalling away with his teeth intact. I'd probably argue that once Matthew didn't stand up for himself when the guy was in his face, that's when he really went to town with the insults because he knew he was getting away with it. Most of us who are a little more mature and have a little more presence would have told him where to go once he was out of his car because being in a couple of tons of metal was the only thing that really made him dangerous.
I can't help but think that if this was an incident with another camera commuter there would be a little more sympathy. Yes Matthew has appeared to attract a disproportionate number of incidents in the past but I believe many of us could have found ourselves in this same situation given this same incident purely due to the character of the motorist.
I'd echo everyone else on here who has expressed concern for Matthew in his riding incidents to date, but I don't have any criticism for him on this occassion.
Linford
Guest
Would you have been so quick to engage with him if the cam wasn't rolling ?
I'd like to think you consider I am offering sound advice and some which might help you avoid losing your teeth or worse over something as trivial as this. If you want to argue the toss with someone who is sat in a tonne and a half of metal, you need to make sure you are in similar, bigger or a lot quicker.
MontyVeda
a short-tempered ill-controlled small-minded troll
- Location
- Lancaster... the little city.
well up until yesterday I'd have said this was acceptable, he can see the road is clear ahead and nobody died as a result of cutting the corner... but seeing as I've been shot down in flames for suggesting it's acceptible, I think ... I don't know what to think...
maybe those who think a two dimensional dashed white line on the tarmac is like a red light or traffic barrier at a level crossing should tell me what to think???
If that comment was addressed at me, I'd start by telling you to read what was actually written and not just what you wished was written
Why?, is the question you have to ask yourself. He was driving away, no one was reporting anything to anyone at that stage. The incident was over. Why read out his numberplate in a voice much louder than the voice he seemed to easily hear a second ago when you told him he was putting people in danger? (if someone had told me that I was putting people in danger after cutting a corner like that I _would_ have said something about their mother).
MontyVeda
a short-tempered ill-controlled small-minded troll
- Location
- Lancaster... the little city.
it's directed at several people actually... you are not alone
[QUOTE 1897240, member: 45"]This is about age. An older bloke was admonished in a pretty condescending manner by what he saw as a young boy. You being cheeky to him. I can understand him getting wound up by the way you spoke to him, regardless of his driving. Add to that a bit of hurt pride and this just escalated.[/quote]
I missed this the first time, but you're absolutely right: the motorist has some kind of unrestrained "I am older so must be better" complex and it all hangs off that. Just goes to show that age and maturity are not the same thing.
Funny that we're all advising the young and impetuous party that he should have let things lie, when in this case it's the older party who really really needs this advice to avoid making a complete prick of himself
I missed this the first time, but you're absolutely right: the motorist has some kind of unrestrained "I am older so must be better" complex and it all hangs off that. Just goes to show that age and maturity are not the same thing.
Funny that we're all advising the young and impetuous party that he should have let things lie, when in this case it's the older party who really really needs this advice to avoid making a complete prick of himself
Why don't you address the people directly or quote the words you're referring to, otherwise it looks like you're arguing with yourself?
If you think reading out a number plate aloud is the same as assault and threatening behaviour then you're a numpty. There is no way any sensible person would equate the two.
