I'm fed up with following the rules!

[Eat MY Dust]

I'm starting to get disallusioned (sp?) with following the rules of the Highway Code. Yesterday on the way into work I was called a self-gratification artist and told to get off the fuc*ing road and on the way home I was told the same but this time with the finger as well. Both times I was doing nothing that a normal human being would consider "wrong". I'm all for the argument that if we don't respect the rules then how can we expect respect from drivers etc......but I see very little respect coming the other way or drivers following the Highway Code. It's as if their driving licenses gives them the right to break any law that is convienent and f*ck everyone else! TBH I'm on the verge of killing the next motorist that pis*es me off!!

 

[swee'pea99]

Is this (at least in part) a regional thing? I read about these kinds of incidents here, but it's never happened to me. Never. And I've ridden to work and back every day for five years.

I ride in central London, where - it seems to me - the guiding ethos is not so much confrontational hostility as 'don't bug me and I won't bug you'. Or in any way relate to you for that matter. Hence the regional question. (Other threads have queried people nodding to/helloing others and/or failing to respond. No-one in London ever does this.)

 

[ChrisKH]

Yes, I think it is at least, in part, regional. There are a couple of people who I would gladly have put in a shallow grave close to home, but I don't feel that way about most drivers in London. Cabbies can be peanuts, but then they do own the road don't they?

 

[thomas]

Just do what I do and swear back....or at least swear at those who annoy you. Makes me feel better


View: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jqS78klBzgo


(first few seconds only)

 

[the reluctant cyclist]

I've had that happen to me a couple of times in Birmingham.

The worst was when I was on the Hagley Road (A456) which I don't go on any more.

I was cycling along at about 6.30 on a summer evening. There was a bus stop up ahead and a bus was behind me and he was waiting patiently for me before he pulled into the bus stop to pick up the passenger.

No problems there until the passenger waiting at the bus stop shouted at me "Why don't you get off the road you stupid f**king bitch"

I can only imagine that he was peed off that the bus had taken an extra 15 seconds or so to get to the bus stop because I was in the way.

It sounds funny (I suppose) but at the time I found it really upsetting and I actually cried (don't laugh) . It fair put me off cycling to be honest.

 

[Eat MY Dust]

[quote name='swee'pea99']Hence the regional question. [/QUOTE]

both incidents were in Harrow, so Londonish. 1st one I was doing 28mph in a 30 and not even that far out, the guy couldn't overtake becuase of a traffic island. The 2nd one was at about 14 mph in a long row of traffic and the guy behind me felt I was in his way for some bizarre reason.

 

[jimboalee]

I've been sworn at and gestured many times. Yeh, sometimes for no obvious reason.
I don't take offence, the motorist is plainly a W****r.

What I do object to however, is being called "Porky" by a fellow chatter who has never met me..

Skinny bugger !

 

[Bollo]

I'm starting to get disallusioned (sp?) with following the rules of the Highway Code. Yesterday on the way into work I was called a self-gratification artist and told to get off the fuc*ing road and on the way home I was told the same but this time with the finger as well. Both times I was doing nothing that a normal human being would consider "wrong". I'm all for the argument that if we don't respect the rules then how can we expect respect from drivers etc......but I see very little respect coming the other way or drivers following the Highway Code. It's as if their driving licenses gives them the right to break any law that is convienent and f*ck everyone else! TBH I'm on the verge of killing the next motorist that pis*es me off!!

Difficult isn't it. I have the same dilemma - I'm a good boy on the roads and I get frustrated at the lack of equitable treatment meted out by a few drivers. That's why I tend to vent my spleen on here when it's suggested that we're whining or told to 'put up with it'. And like you, there are occasions when I've responded to a driver's bad attitude with a foul-mouthed stream of potty talk. Can't say it's always made me feel better though. Ecce homo and all that (threw that one in for Origamist, the clever sod ).

If I've had a (thankfully rare) bad few days I try and plan a long ride somewhere where the chances of unpleasant interactions with motorists are unlikely, to remind me why I love it so much. I'm lucky though, as I live within easy reach of lots of empty country lanes.

 

[D-Rider]

It sounds funny (I suppose) but at the time I found it really upsetting and I actually cried (don't laugh) . It fair put me off cycling to be honest.

I ended up in a shouting match with a daft woman when she swerved out of a traffic queue and into the bus lane just as I was passing her. In a way I started it by shouting "Oi check your blind spot" but she went right into a red-faced rant. Her most coherent claim was that I was a "f***in' liability, all over the f***in' road".

I didn't cry over it but did spend the weekend soul-searching and going back over the last mile or so of my commute in case she'd been referring to some earlier manouver but I decided I'd been flawless! (That day - not always.) Still put me off cycling for a couple of days.

Most embarrassing though was the extent to which I lost my temper... wish I'd been able to stay calm.

 

[beanzontoast]

Don't take it personally - try to shrug it off, especially as you can tell yourself you weren't in the wrong. It's taken time, but I've grown completely indifferent to bad tempered road users of all kinds and don't even remember them nowadays by the time I get to my destination, far less stew over them all day.

 

[Eat MY Dust]

My favourite was the woman with 3 kids in the car who replied "I wish" to my "you could have killed me back there", what a nice mother!

 

[gbb]

Regional... perhaps. Ive said several times that i just dont seem to get all this aggro in Peterborough, even in the rush hour...but of course, occasionally, someone will do something stupid.
I do wonder, if Peterborough being a 'new'ish' town, the roads have been built 'generously'...maybe thats why i dont see many incidents.

But also, you do see a pattern sometimes, and its not about region, its about luck / bad luck. I have been through times where it seemed for a week or two, everyone seemed to be out to get me. They're not of course....it's just that like busses...they all just came together.

 

[thomas]

I ended up in a shouting match with a daft woman when she swerved out of a traffic queue and into the bus lane just as I was passing her. In a way I started it by shouting "Oi check your blind spot" but she went right into a red-faced rant. Her most coherent claim was that I was a "f***in' liability, all over the f***in' road".

The few times I've actually stopped and argued (loudly) with a driver, that has always been their argument, even if I wasn't.

Once had a women try to pass through road works, I should of taken a better position but i thought "what sort of idiot would think they could pass here"...well she did try. She got as far up as her wing mirror and realised she wouldn't be able to fit. I told her off, not too badly and carried on infront...annoyed her a bit by slowing down to tell her off. When she went past she went past swearing, even with kids in the car. I should of just held onto her wing mirror when she tried to pass/knocked it off. I did try speeding up after her because she really annoyed me, probably a good thing I didn't though!

 

[benborp]

I ended up in a shouting match with a daft woman when she swerved out of a traffic queue and into the bus lane just as I was passing her.

I had a very similar incident once, though as the driver swung out she clipped my chain stay. I had an exciting couple of seconds getting it all back under control and came to a stop. She pulled up next to me - she was sorry and concerned, I was civil and we were even joking about how close a call it was when a man marched off the pavement announcing he'd seen it all, asked if she was all right love then stood with his face in mine and screamed at me shouting that I was all over the road and should learn to ride.

He may have had a point as I don't know the correct procedure for getting hit by a car. This was pointed out by a driver on a previous occasion who was quite aggrieved that I failed to indicate my intention to fall off my bicycle as she cut across me.

 

[fossyant]

I had a motorist pull out on me this morning as I was doing about 30 mph (in a 30) going down hill - they didn't accellerate particularly quickly, so by this time I was looking through the back window, and moved to the right of the car to overtake - but decided I couldn't be bothered as the traffic up front would slow him down.

Anyway, he makes some sort of 'go away' hand movement in his mirror at me... let it go, and 20 seconds later I fly past as he's stuck in traffic. The bugger was probably blinded by my lights.....