How do you respond to inconsiderate/bad driving??

[baisikeli]

Hi - I commute Mon - Fri a little over 100 miles a week on both rural and urban roads and I go out on a club run on Sat so I've come across my fair share of inconsiderate and bad driving - in my opinion of course. I should add that I have seen a fair amount of inconsiderate and bad cycling too. My response to inconsiderate/bad driving has varied from a slight shake of the head i.e I have by and large kept my reaction to myself to talking to the driver if the opportunity later presents itself. Accepting the intial fright you get, I have been trying to temper my reaction for their and my sake because I have been left wondering what good has it done me or indeed them for there now to be 2 more agitated road users. I know after a little set-to and with adrenaline pumping I have put myself at increased risk as I'm thinking more about what has just happened rather than the road ahead and this has resulted in me riding more aggressively until some rationality sets in again.

Accepting the opportunites we get to 'educate' drivers and thus improve our safety, what do you consider are the best ways when we are out cycling on the road?

 

[Spoked Wheels]

I usually carry an AK47 in the saddle bag for those occasions

 

[bonker]

Rise above it.
If you get the chance to talk be measured and calm.

'If you had killed me back there would you have told my wife and kids or expected someone else to do it?'

If you get abusive you just feel disappointed in yourself. Guilty M'lud.

 

[Soup890]

If only I could catch the speeding and dangerous drivers on country roads

 

[mangid]

Hi - I commute Mon - Fri a little over 100 miles a week on both rural and urban roads and I go out on a club run on Sat so I've come across my fair share of inconsiderate and bad driving - in my opinion of course. I should add that I have seen a fair amount of inconsiderate and bad cycling too. My response to inconsiderate/bad driving has varied from a slight shake of the head i.e I have by and large kept my reaction to myself to talking to the driver if the opportunity later presents itself. Accepting the intial fright you get, I have been trying to temper my reaction for their and my sake because I have been left wondering what good has it done me or indeed them for there now to be 2 more agitated road users. I know after a little set-to and with adrenaline pumping I have put myself at increased risk as I'm thinking more about what has just happened rather than the road ahead and this has resulted in me riding more aggressively until some rationality sets in again.

Accepting the opportunites we get to 'educate' drivers and thus improve our safety, what do you consider are the best ways when we are out cycling on the road?

Thanking considerate drivers.

I try to give a thank you gesture by raising my hand as they pass. Drivers who wait to pass, those bus lorry drivers who give you a good few meters, those who let you thru the gap instead of trying to force you onto the pavement. Makes me feel better, and helps temper the reaction to the bad incidents.

 

[markharry66]

Thanking considerate drivers.

I try to give a thank you gesture by raising my hand as they pass. Drivers who wait to pass, those bus lorry drivers who give you a good few meters, those who let you thru the gap instead of trying to force you onto the pavement. Makes me feel better, and helps temper the reaction to the bad incidents.

This will do it most drivers under stand the simple logic of sign language

 

[Big Nick]

I tend to wave my arm in a rapid outward motion after they've passed not that they'll be paying attention enough to use their mirrors though I suppose

Conversely when someone goes out of their way to make sure they pass very wide I give them a friendly wave

My pet hate are the motorists who cut you up and then jam their brakes on in front of you to turn left/stop at a crossing/park up etc

 

[Hip Priest]

I try to rise above it. Occasionally I'll give an open-palmed 'What was that?' type gesture. Very occasionally, if I feel someone has deliberately endangered me, or been extremely reckless, I'll start effing and jeffing, but as @bonker said, it just makes you feel worse.

 

[Stephen C]

If I get a close pass, I just stick my arm out to show I wasn't happy. It might not make any difference to the car that did it, but 90% of the time, the next car to pass gives me more than enough room, and they get a thank you. I also thank any one that holds back and passes safely, and sometimes I get a wave back.

I gave up getting angry, as that would make me ride more aggressively and in the end, it is only me that is going to get hurt in that situation!

 

[ManiaMuse]

Occasional 'wtf' open palm gesture for ditzy/dozy driving. Most commonly for left hooks or trying to squeeze past me at pinch points.

No point talking to drivers though, unlikely that they will take criticism positively.

 

[Nigeyy]

TBH, it sounds like you have (what I consider) to be a healthy attitude.

The fact is that I believe many drivers who do bad stuff don't care about you, and won't care about you. Confronting them -no matter how positively -isn't going to end positively for both of you. In that case, you're probably better off not confronting at all. Of course, the issue here is you don't which drivers are like that! On the flip side, there are drivers who may take positive criticism -but to be truthful, I think they are not very common -and of course almost everyone is very defensive about being criticized (who does about their driving?) and aren't going to take criticism to heart.

With that in mind, I rarely confront a driver for those reasons (plus usually I don't cycle fast enough to catch them up and where I am you really don't know what the driver may be like). However, if you do confront, I do think you should be as calm and as respectful as possible -think of it this way, what if that driver turns out to be your boss, great aunt or your kid's teacher? Would you talk to them the same way? (yeah I know that can cut both ways!). Anyway, sometimes I find myself shaking my head or doing the upturned hand bit, but I feel like that is a more than reasonable reaction given some driving behaviour, and any reasonable person shouldn't react badly to that. You do have to keep in mind though, unfortunately there aren't necessarily reasonable people out there, and they may take that as a highly offensive action(!).

At this point I should be honest to admit there's theory and practice; I've had a couple of times in my life where a driver has done something so inordinately stupid and life threatening, the red mist descended and I ended up.... well... acting in a less than positive manner. Sometimes these things happen -though afterwards I've certainly wished I could have been more positive to hopefully increase the chances the drivers may act differently in a more responsible way in the future. The bottom line for me is that I just try my best to be respectful, constructive and keep calm, but sometimes you are provoked so badly you react rather than plan.......

 

[Nigeyy]

Oh yes, whenever I think someone is doing a nice job, I always try to show my appreciation. A wave, a smile, and/or a shouted "thank you!". The best you can do is reinforce. Plus I think gets you and the other person off to a good start to the day.

Thanking considerate drivers.

 

[HLaB]

I try to either not respond or wave a hello if they beeb but sometimes however when I've had a brown trouser moment, I respond 'What the Feic was that for'; and the Feic might become a stronger word

 

[baisikeli]

Thanks for your replies. What brought me to posting was an incident whilst I was cycling to work on Wednesday morning. The road has 2 lanes and can be quite busy. As I approached cones marking off the inside lane, I checked over my right shoulder to ensure there were no cars immediately behind and then indicated with my R arm that I was moving into the outside lane. A van appeared from nowhere and squeezed past me before I could get into the outside lane. I had to pull on the brakes (was going to say yank on the brakes but don't know if NigeYY would appreciate that - lol). Please don't get me wrong as the only reason I was able to speak with the driver was due to roadworks a little further up the road and he was stuck in a queue of traffic.

Accepting that a little bump between 2 cars generally causes no injury whilst the same scenario between a car and cyclist can be life changing for the cyclist and/or family, it would be great to see an increasing mutual consideration as we share the road.

Martin Luther King, Jr's - "I have a Dream ..." - comes to mind.

 

[Rouge79]

Deep breath, swear to myself (WTF) then carry on. An peanut driver will not be changed by you waving your hands or being abusive to him/her. It just ruins your ride even more.

I believe in karma so hopefully some bad shoot will happen to the tosser concerned