eejits in cars

[speccy1]

It must be that time of year again, the tin shed lovers have got nothing better to do than throw abuse at those doing something that they enjoy. And to the chav in the red Escort in Plymouth tonight, thanks for the comment on my shorts, you made my evening

Anybody else fallen victim to the muppets on the road yet (the engine powered variety)??

 

[Monsieur Remings]

Yep, yesterday descending down through Cheddar Gorge. I had a car in front and he was doing alright, sensible speed given the people around either side of the road. I was behind him for nearly a mile so unless he hadn't bothered checking what was around him (which is unlikely given his cautionary approach already mentioned) he must have seen I was there.

So what does he do? He stops dead to let a car out in front of the both of us, we were both doing nearly 30mph and I have to swerve him and try braking before the car he tried letting go spots me and signals me on before him.

Thanks 4 X 4.

 

[speccy1]

Terrible, and it`ll always be you (or me!!) that`s in the wrong!!

Also, have you noticed that when any tin shed passes you, abuse or not, it always stinks to high heaven of cheap magic tree air fresheners?? How the hell do these poeple breath?? And it`s always the same smell.......yuck

 

[JamesAC]

[QUOTE 1376574"]
Sorry but that's down to you.

Don't assume people will see you and leave enough room to the car in front.
[/quote]

I agree with him.

You should be able to stop safely in the distance you can see to be clear. If there's a car ahead waiting to pull out, you've got to weigh up the likelyhood that it just might, so adjust your speed accordingly.

 

[mcshroom]

[QUOTE 1376574"]
Sorry but that's down to you.

Don't assume people will see you and leave enough room to the car in front.
[/quote]


+1

If you are riding at any speed you need to leave a big enough gap for you to be able to emergency stop if they do,
whether on a bike or in a motor vehicle

 

[Monsieur Remings]

Points taken, but it was the car driver that stopped suddenly and let the car out when it was his own right of way. I did anticipate him doing this otherwise I would have gone into the back of him and I still think it's idiotic behaviour on his part to be so unaware of what's around him, that he stops in his tracks for no good reason.

 

[Globalti]

The three previous posters are correct of course but I agree that whether you're cycling or driving it is irritating when the driver in front of you stops unnecessarily to allow someone out. I'm all for good manners but if you are the last in a queue of cars there's no point as the waiting driver will soon be on their way.

 

[Cubist]

Points taken, but it was the car driver that stopped suddenly and let the car out when it was his own right of way. I did anticipate him doing this otherwise I would have gone into the back of him and I still think it's idiotic behaviour on his part to be so unaware of what's around him, that he stops in his tracks for no good reason.

Me too I'm afraid. Effectively inviting other vehicles to cross your path because they aren't aware of others around them is unforgivable. Well done for anticipating, and leaving a reactionary gap. Happens to me almost daily on a yellow box junction, with cars flashing others to cross the junction from the right when they could have cleared the junction themselves. There's a cycle lane to the left of them and I am always filtering on their offside at this point, so anticipation is vital for survival.

 

[XmisterIS]

I had one "incident" on Sunday that actually really pissed me off more than I realised.

I was riding along the seafront down at Southsea (in Portsmouth), which is a mecca for those wanting to chill out, relax, take it easy, have an ice-cream, let your worries slip away ... which is the whole reason why I went there!

So there I was, cruising along the wide, pleasant road that runs along the seafront. I was keeping a little bit (about a couple of feet) away from the parked cars, as you do. The only vehicle coming the other way was a bus. That's all. Just one single bus. Suddenly I heard a long "beeeeep!" behind me, I glanced round to see an old grey BMW accelerating towards me. Before I had any time to make sense of the situation, he squeezed his twatmobile between me and the bus, missing me by about an inch.

Approximately 100m further on, there were cars queuing to park and, naturally, he had to sit and wait.

So I pulled up beside him and asked him, "what the hell did you do that for?"

His reply? "You, you ride on left of road, you not ride in middles of road. Not for bicycle".

Then I asked him, "I was not riding in the middle of the road, I was giving myself space in case somebody started to reverse, and anyway, you impatient thug, you couldn't wait for one second while the bus went past, and now how far has your aggressiveness got you? Nowhere! Perhaps all these people in front of you should get out of the way too so you can have the road to yourself because, clearly, you own the whole damn thing." (yes, I was pissed off at that stage!)

He then angrily said something to me in Russian/Estonian/Polish/etc and afterwards refused to even acknowledge that I was there. Just kept staring straight ahead.

My parting shot was, "When you drive in this country, you talk to us in our own language and you drive by our rules and ettiquette! Do you understand me? Du bist ein verdammtes Arschloch!"

(yes, I was enraged by that point and wanted to make the point about language too!)

 

[Archie_tect]

I'm convinced that car drivers get so used to driving through narrow gaps, which they know from experience they can get through, that they genuinely fail to appreciate the problem that a person on a bike [motorised or pedalled] isn't necessarily capable of riding without deviating from a straight line, so it comes as a shock when berated about it. I'm sure it's all related to the isolated detachment that occurs as soon as they get behind the wheel.

Road rage is ill advised, whoever does it, but I suppose, knowing how close to serious injury you are on a bike, it is probably justifiable in a close call, at the time... but I'm not a fan of belated, abusive posturing to make a point.

 

[gnvqsos]

I had one "incident" on Sunday that actually really pissed me off more than I realised.

I was riding along the seafront down at Southsea (in Portsmouth), which is a mecca for those wanting to chill out, relax, take it easy, have an ice-cream, let your worries slip away ... which is the whole reason why I went there!

So there I was, cruising along the wide, pleasant road that runs along the seafront. I was keeping a little bit (about a couple of feet) away from the parked cars, as you do. The only vehicle coming the other way was a bus. That's all. Just one single bus. Suddenly I heard a long "beeeeep!" behind me, I glanced round to see an old grey BMW accelerating towards me. Before I had any time to make sense of the situation, he squeezed his twatmobile between me and the bus, missing me by about an inch.

Approximately 100m further on, there were cars queuing to park and, naturally, he had to sit and wait.

So I pulled up beside him and asked him, "what the hell did you do that for?"

His reply? "You, you ride on left of road, you not ride in middles of road. Not for bicycle".

Then I asked him, "I was not riding in the middle of the road, I was giving myself space in case somebody started to reverse, and anyway, you impatient thug, you couldn't wait for one second while the bus went past, and now how far has your aggressiveness got you? Nowhere! Perhaps all these people in front of you should get out of the way too so you can have the road to yourself because, clearly, you own the whole damn thing." (yes, I was pissed off at that stage!)

He then angrily said something to me in Russian/Estonian/Polish/etc and afterwards refused to even acknowledge that I was there. Just kept staring straight ahead.

My parting shot was, "When you drive in this country, you talk to us in our own language and you drive by our rules and ettiquette! Do you understand me? Du bist ein verdammtes Arschloch!"

(yes, I was enraged by that point and wanted to make the point about language too!)

They sound like the Stamshaw boys