Eeeeyuuugh!

[Eat MY Dust]

I disagree, twenty seconds of yelling obscenities at each other and the situation is over. Your method requires the bottling up of emotion and hours of subsequent work fiddling about with cameras, uploading and downloading, campaigning, phonecalls, turning up for photo shoots with the red tops...

I'll stick to shouting at people as and when I need to thanks.

I'm with Dom,

A quick f_uck off gets through to drivers alot better than "excuse me have you read Cyclecraft?" and as for handing out cards Mags, are you having a laugh?

 

[magnatom]

I disagree, twenty seconds of yelling obscenities at each other and the situation is over. Your method requires the bottling up of emotion and hours of subsequent work fiddling about with cameras, uploading and downloading, campaigning, phonecalls, turning up for photo shoots with the red tops...

I'll stick to shouting at people as and when I need to thanks.

As bentmikey suggests it is much more satisfying to take the higher ground, to use reason against them. Talking sensibly confuses them, they expect to be shouted at. They don't expect you to calmly point out what they have done wrong. Then when they flounder or talk complete gibberish you have the satisfaction that you can place them on youtube to be seen as the idiot that they are.

I genuinely feel that this approach is more satisfying than shouting and as mike says can have positive effects. I have had drivers genuinely apologise.

 

[magnatom]

I'm with Dom,

A quick f_uck off gets through to drivers alot better than "excuse me have you read Cyclecraft?" and as for handing out cards Mags, are you having a laugh?

I wouldn't use the line about cyclecraft of course. Just point out what they have done wrong, or ask them would they have done that on their test. Something along those lines.

I really can't understand how you could think swearing at them, will get through to them. Which approach is more likely to lead to the driver understanding what they did wrong? As I said I have had drivers apologise, just as mike has.

As for handing out cards, I don't do it, but you could. It would be one way of avoiding conflict. As I said, road rage is road rage. People loose their lives because of it.

 

[domtyler]

As bentmikey suggests it is much more satisfying to take the higher ground, to use reason against them. Talking sensibly confuses them, they expect to be shouted at. They don't expect you to calmly point out what they have done wrong. Then when they flounder or talk complete gibberish you have the satisfaction that you can place them on youtube to be seen as the idiot that they are.

I genuinely feel that this approach is more satisfying than shouting and as mike says can have positive effects. I have had drivers genuinely apologise.

I generally wait until I get to work, log on to Cycle Chat and use reason against you and watch you flounder and talk complete gibberish!

On the roads a quick Faaaack orffff Wankaaaa is all it takes.

 

[GrahamG]

Oh man - you should have got a picture! I can't imagine seeing anyone in full bibs with no top, I'd have probably crashed.

 

[magnatom]

I generally wait until I get to work, log on to Cycle Chat and use reason against you and watch you flounder and talk complete gibberish!

On the roads a quick Faaaack orffff Wankaaaa is all it takes.

You certainly try Dom, you certainly are very trying......

 

[Origamist]

I disagree, twenty seconds of yelling obscenities at each other and the situation is over. Your method requires the bottling up of emotion and hours of subsequent work fiddling about with cameras, uploading and downloading, campaigning, phonecalls, turning up for photo shoots with the red tops...

I'll stick to shouting at people as and when I need to thanks.

The problem with yelling obscenities with each other is that things can escalate and turn ugly - I'd rather avoid this kind of confrontation for those reasons.

 

[domtyler]

The problem with yelling obscenities with each other is that things can escalate and turn ugly - I'd rather avoid this kind of confrontation for those reasons.

One thing I have found is that most 'big men' are incredibly reluctant to actually get out of their cars when it comes down to it.

Of course if you you do get into a tangle with a six foot psychopath we, as cyclists, are still in possession of the best method of evasion known to man!

 

[Eat MY Dust]

I wouldn't use the line about cyclecraft of course.

I take it that your tongue is firmly in your cheek with that comment. Isn't there a video on you tube of you asking a taxi driver if he's read Cyclecraft?

 

[Maz]

Oh man - you should have got a picture! I can't imagine seeing anyone in full bibs with no top, I'd have probably crashed.

Did his man-boobs bulge out of the side of the bib straps?

 

[magnatom]

I take it that your tongue is firmly in your cheek with that comment. Isn't there a video on you tube of you asking a taxi driver if he's read Cyclecraft?

No. I have used it in the past, but only when I wasn't prepared. Now I either point out the specific error or ask if they would do that on their test. I do try and learn from my mistakes....

 

[tdr1nka]

I'm of the belief that the 'Feck orf waaaaaaaaaaanka' approach although kinda liberating and obviously heartfelt leaves no one any wiser to their wrongdoing and just enforces drives opinions of cyclists being petty whingers.

(Not that I haven't shouted, raged, kicked and even thrown my bike at a car or two in fear and disgust at someones driving.)

 

[Tynan]

true to being calm but in a real near miss I'm always too angry to do anything other than shout and swear, if I've been riding hard I'm already halfway there, I'm fine in a car

 

[Origamist]

One thing I have found is that most 'big men' are incredibly reluctant to actually get out of their cars when it comes down to it.

Of course if you you do get into a tangle with a six foot psychopath we, as cyclists, are still in possession of the best method of evasion known to man!

People don't have to get out of their cars in order to inflict pain on a cyclist, pedestrian or motorist.

It may feel cathartic to shout and swear, but I'd try to avoid this kind of conflict.

 

[domtyler]

People don't have to get out of their cars in order to inflict pain on cyclist, pedestrian or motorist.

It may feel cathartic to shout and swear, but I'd try to avoid this kind of conflict.

If you are suggesting that there are many people who would deliberately drive into, knock over and kill or injure someone in cold blood then you are plain wrong. There are very, very few people around who would.

That said, if you prefer to avoid conflict, that is purely up to you. I find that I rarely have incidents nowadays anyway as I can predict what people are going to do and avoid them. If I do get into a situation, I don't hesitate to throw a few expletives around.