left hook, chase, confrontation and guilt !!!

[jig-sore]

got left hooked leaving daventry tonight.

the last roundabout before the street lights run out and you plunge into complete darkness. as i was about to go straight on a little green cleo came up past my right side and turned left right across the front of me into the housing estate. it was a close one.

so i give chase through the estate and finally catch up as i see the car reversing into a parking space.

i pulled up to the drivers window and said " why'd you do that ??" (didn't touch car or anything).

a little tiny face of a young girl stares back at me and winds down the window.

"why'd you do that ??"

"i thought you were turning"

"did i indicate that i was turning ??"

"i didn't think"

"no thats the trouble, you didn't bloody think"

" i didn't think"

"you could have killed me"

"i didn't think"

now as the above conversation is happening its slowly dawning on me that this girl is is probably about 17, just started driving and here i am, a six foot 37 year old ranting on at her through her window. !!!

as the conversation ended i turned around a cycled off in a huff with a constant feeling of dread coming over me that I'd just bullied someone who was little more than a kid

in my defence it was close, very close. i dont usually chase people down. and for all i knew it could have been the town thug in the car and i could have walked into a right beating. i didn't know it was a young girl until she turned her head after i'd pulled up to the car window mid rant.

but now i feel like a right tit. a grown man really shouldn't rant at a young girl like that, i wasn't getting nasty or physical but she wasn't to know that.

just wanted to get this off my chest as i feel like the school bully

 

[BentMikey]

Don't feel too guilty mate. She was responsible for her very careless driving, and hopefully the fright you've put on her will save some future cyclist from a crash caused by her. Not only that, but you did have yourself under control, albeit not as much as you might have liked. That's not your fault - she caused a fight or flight reaction in you.

 

[crazy580]

It doesn't matter how old she is, she passed the driving test, she is responsable for her actions.

 

[wesa]

Consider it against the left hook I had this morning. Approaching a give way, BMW moves up on my right, I am in primary indicating left. He had to take the right hand lane through the junction, over the give way line and round me (I thought he was turning right), I tried but couldn't catch him, we were on an NSL road.

I would not have felt guilty in the slightest if I had been able to have a quiet word.

Either one is just as capable of causing an accident so why feel guilty? (but I probably would too!)

 

[jig-sore]

yeah, but she looked so young. you know the type a twelve year old driving a car !!!

she probably thought that no sane person would be riding straight on into the dark country side and probably had very little understanding of "cycles" and how we indicate (or not)

when i think back to the point when she just started repeating "i didn't think" i kinda think she was getting a bit scared.

it was all over in seconds, it was the red mist that came over me...

having three young girls myself... i just kinda wish I'd handled it a bit different

 

[ColinJ]

 Once, I was riding along a narrow lane past a row of parked cars and as I passed one I noticed a driver applying lipstick while looking into her rearview mirror. Then without warning she threw her door open, forcing me to swerve violently to avoid it. The reason that I'd been within door range in the first place was that there was a car coming the other way. Fortunately that driver reacted quickly, braking and swerving to avoid me...

I'm afraid that I reacted like you, in fact I screamed abuse at the woman who looked truly shocked. I felt very guilty about it afterwards, but I think BentMiley is right - it's the adrenaline rush that causes it. When you think you are about to die due to the stupidity of a driver, then politeness tends to gets forgotten about for a few seconds.

 

[GFamily]

yeah, but she looked so young. you know the type a twelve year old driving a car !!!

she probably thought that no sane person would be riding straight on into the dark country side and probably had very little understanding of "cycles" and how we indicate (or not)

when i think back to the point when she just started repeating "i didn't think" i kinda think she was getting a bit scared.

it was all over in seconds, it was the red mist that came over me...

having three young girls myself... i just kinda wish I'd handled it a bit different

You (probably) know where she parks her car, so you could always write her a note and stick it under her wipers on the way home tomorrow.

 

[jig-sore]

You (probably) know where she parks her car, so you could always write her a note and stick it under her wipers on the way home tomorrow.

yeah, might consider that

 

[campbellab]

Tears tonight!

Hopefully it's a good lesson she won't soon forget, no realm harm done to either side...

 

[summerdays]

You (probably) know where she parks her car, so you could always write her a note and stick it under her wipers on the way home tomorrow.

Whilst it's a nice idea ... I can't decide how I would feel as a young girl, about someone coming back and leaving me a note.

 

[Banjo]

She needed the wake up call. even if you were turning left she shouldnt have overtook on the corner.

You may have saved her from a whole lot more grief in future and possibly saved her killing a cyclist.

I wouldnt leave a note, as Summerdays says she may think you are now stalking her.

 

[jig-sore]

mmm, "bully" or "peedo stalker"... tough decision

 

[Banjo]

If you had your avatar gear on its understandable that she may have some concerns

Put it behind you .

 

[ianrauk]

It doesn't matter how old she is, she passed the driving test, she is responsable for her actions.

+1 to this

 

[XmisterIS]

You (probably) know where she parks her car, so you could always write her a note and stick it under her wipers on the way home tomorrow.

Something like, "Last night I watched you sleeping while I sharpened my carving knife" ... is that what you mean?