Last night's ride - Lost my Cool

[thomas]

If you want to read my description (which has a lot more about what went through my mind during it all, etc) then there is quite a long one on the youtube page.

Short(er) story. I overtake a number of stationary cars at the traffic lights as they turn green and I am keeping up with quite fast moving traffic. I feel I can go a bit faster than traffic, but then decide I can't so just drop back so there is a sensible gap between me and the car in front.

This then gives the driver behind the idea that he can overtaken me. I don't have my airzound on my bike and I have lost my voice quite badly so was already feeling quite vunerable. I speed up a bit and should obvsiouly have shown I didn't like him coming along side me. He does it again and I start to panic about him driving into the side of me. I do hit his car to warn him that I'm still on the left of him as I have no idea what he is doing.

He then gets past. I catch him up at the lights really mad, even though my voice is pathetic ask what he was trying to do....


View: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dNTd5EI6s8M


From what I can tell, he was annoyed that a cyclist overtook his car. Now, my overtake at the lights to start with (with the oncoming car) wasn't 100% perfect, but no where near dangerous - I'd been distracted by the car behind coming quite close.

He also wasn't overtaking. He was pulling along side me.

Anyway, cyclechat usually has a mix of opinions so I thought I would share it. This is the first time in probably a year that I've lost my cool like that.

 

[thomas]

BTW- did you do the voice of the teacher on Charlie Brown?

I was trying to go for a Honeybunny impression from pulp fiction. Couldn't you tell - "If any of you .... move, I'll execute every ... ... last one of you!" BOOMMchhaa.. Did I not come across that tough though?

To start with I was thinking "there's no teacher in Charlie Brown." *googles* "ohh!! Not Jackie Brown!".

 

[JiMBR]

BTW- did you do the voice of the teacher on Charlie Brown?

lol


Can't see owt wrong there tbh.

The driver shouldn't have pulled along side you like that...just idiocy.

 

[fossyant]

You're voice sound's knackered....

If someone get's that close, I often just shout 'too close' and do a pushing movement with my hand. To get close enough for you to be able to slap the car is way too close.

 

[thomas]

You're voice sound's knackered....

If someone get's that close, I often just shout 'too close' and do a pushing movement with my hand. To get close enough for you to be able to slap the car is way too close.

If I'd of had my normal voice, I probably wouldn't of slapped the car. It was a defence thing. I didn't have any decent way of warning that I was there (or still there when he was alongside).

Earlier on at a roundabout someone was about to pull out in front of me. It would have been fine as I anticipated it as it nearly always happens there. I just gave a hand signal and they did stop, but it showed me just how vunerable I was without my voice or a decent horn.

I don't think I've ever quite felt like that on the bike before. Couple tonnes of metal Vs a couple layers of skin.

 

[wafflycat]

That driver was positively dangerous, Thomas, and no, there is nothing wrong with carefully filtering up the outside of a line of traffic that isn't actually moving... Have you reported it to Plod if you have the moton's registration number?

 

[jonny jeez]

The vid says you made a mistake...where? your overtake was fine and something that you have to do in heavy traffic unless you are happy to sit *in* the traffic (how else would you get by) and as far as oncoming cars, there was plenty of room...(apparently enough to fit a silver knobmobile alongside)

Send the vid to the Police, the guy was driving really dangerously so you have good grounds to make an "allegation" of dangerous driving.

Glad you're okay otherwise (nice lady at the end, good to see)

Good luck with the voice!

 

[Matthames]

In that situation I would of positioned myself differently to you. You dropped back into secondary when really you should of taken the primary. Your flow would of been smoother if you had been in primary as you would of hopefully of stopped idiot from trying to pull that stunt on you and secondly you would of been able to get past that Mondeo when it reached the left hand bend, hopefully without being trapped by the idiot in the silver car. You would of then been able to take secondary after you had passed the Mondeo.

 

[thomas]

That driver was positively dangerous, Thomas, and no, there is nothing wrong with carefully filtering up the outside of a line of traffic that isn't actually moving... Have you reported it to Plod if you have the moton's registration number?

I haven't reported it no. I was waiting to hear what people thought on here. I am not sure I can be bothered with the hassel. I have been to them before and never been impressed. The last time I made a bit of a complaint and ended up giving up a few hours to give a proper statement. Still haven't heard back from them. This was over 12 months ago.

I think the video this time would boost any argument I would have. I don't know though. What do people think?

The vid says you made a mistake...where? your overtake was fine and something that you have to do in heavy traffic unless you are happy to sit *in* the traffic (how else would you get by) and as far as oncoming cars, there was plenty of room...(apparently enough to fit a silver knobmobile alongside)

Send the vid to the Police, the guy was driving really dangerously so you have good grounds to make an "allegation" of dangerous driving.

Glad you're okay otherwise (nice lady at the end, good to see)

Good luck with the voice!

I put the thing in about the overtake, because I know that when posting on the forums my riding usually gets critised when I think someone else is wrong. At the time I thought the driver was refering to not overtaking into on coming traffic but when watching the video he wouldn't of even seen that.

In that situation I would of positioned myself differently to you. You dropped back into secondary when really you should of taken the primary. Your flow would of been smoother if you had been in primary as you would of hopefully of stopped idiot from trying to pull that stunt on you and secondly you would of been able to get past that Mondeo when it reached the left hand bend, hopefully without being trapped by the idiot in the silver car. You would of then been able to take secondary after you had passed the Mondeo.

Yep. The road is very wide, as I'm sure you can see. Like you say, if I'd of stayed on the outside like at the start it may have no happened, but then with idiots like this they may have undertaken or goodness only knows.

When the Mondeo turned off I was a little nervous that I would go in the back of them. I had been a little bit preoccupied so noticed rather late. I was going pretty quickly and had my hand of the handlebar so was braking with just one hand, making sure I slowed, without going over the handlebars. All was okay though.

I'm sure, position-wise, there could of been ways to have stopped it. I was quite happy with my position. I had a good meter or more to 'escape into' and it allowed me to slipstream the Mondeo a bit better.

I tried to be harsh when going through the video.

So. Police? Yes or No? I can only work out a partial plate - FY06 VS_ (Q/C/

 

[HobbesChoice]

Oh Thomas, you do sound poorly!

From what I saw it seems his manhood was taken away by a young cyclist overtaking him and he had to show you that he could take it back and cause you some issues in the process. I didn't see anything wrong in what you did (was even better being able to see what the thoughts to actions were).

Good to hear that even when losing your call you don't get personal or offensive. Didn't even sound like you particularly lost your cool compared to some "cool losing" I've seen!

My personal opinion is that you can take the high road on this!

 

[garrilla]

"I can only work out a partial plate - FY06 VS_ (Q/C/ "

Its difficult to jog thru with YT but at about 1.34, when you approach at the lights, I make the last letter a 'Z'

 

[Lurker]

...Anyway, cyclechat usually has a mix of opinions so I thought I would share it. This is the first time in probably a year that I've lost my cool like that.

That's outrageously bad driving and the driver shouldn't be allowed to drive on our roads.

Please do report it to the police - and stop blaming yourself.

Also very worth reporting on http://www.stop-smidsy.org.uk/ - behaviour like this is one of the reasons why stop-smidsy has been set up.

 

[thomas]

From what I saw it seems his manhood was taken away by a young cyclist overtaking him and he had to show you that he could take it back and cause you some issues in the process. I didn't see anything wrong in what you did (was even better being able to see what the thoughts to actions were).

Good to hear that even when losing your call you don't get personal or offensive. Didn't even sound like you particularly lost your cool compared to some "cool losing" I've seen!

Hah. I think only just being able to talk helped. I could only really say so much so had to stay on track .

That's outrageously bad driving and the driver shouldn't be allowed to drive on our roads.

Please do report it to the police - and stop blaming yourself.

Also very worth reporting on http://www.stop-smidsy.org.uk/ - behaviour like this is one of the reasons why stop-smidsy has been set up.

I've posted it to the CTC site. I see no harm in it and if it helps there case then that's great!

I might go into town with the footage to the police station, just to see what they think and if anything would actually be done. Last time I went there it was actually pretty exciting as some man was getting pretty mouthy over getting his possessions back...long story short, after about 20 minutes they just ignored him and then these two, 6 and a half foot giants, built like rugby players came down with a nice load of armour on...the guy stopped being so tough then

 

[wafflycat]

Just showed MrWC your vid, Thomas, and he too thinks the driving was appalling.

 

[jonny jeez]

20 minutes they just ignored him and then these two, 6 and a half foot giants, built like rugby players came down with a nice load of armour on...the guy stopped being so tough then

Fantastic, did you ask them to hold on while you went and got popcorn, I would have wanted a front seat for that one!


HC is right tho, you stayed very calm, so well done you. (even when your cracking voice got so high pitched that only dog's could hear you!).

As lurker says, dont blame yourself, nothing that you did or didnt do justified his driving.

Now go gargle some asprin