Losing it

[Nigeyy]

So how do you post your fastest commute? I've had so many good commuting days with such a lovely commute, something was bound to happen sooner or later.....

I was on a twisty narrow road (narrow by US standards that is) and lorry pulling a caterpillar on a trailer overtook me when they shouldn't have done -a bend -and then promptly squeezed in back in without having overtaken me. At one point I know if I'd extended my little finger, I could have touched that
caterpillar (it was considerably wider than the trailer it was on). If I hadn't braked and wasn't in primary to begin with, I'm pretty sure I would have been in real trouble. Anyway, I caught the the guy up at a junction, and alas, much to my embarrassment, here is an extremely accurate account of my interaction:

What my brain should have made my mouth say: hey, did you know you almost hit me, could you please be more careful?

What I actually shouted at the top of my voice: "You nearly f**king killed me back there you f**king idiot!!!!! Keep your f**king eyes open!"

to which the guy just swore back at me and waved me off....

What my brain should have made my mouth say: come on be reasonable, just be more careful please.

What I actually shouted: "f**k off you f**king idiot!!!"

and my middle finger extended gracefully, several times. I don't know what got into me, I have to say it's not like me to get so worked up, but I will say the guy did drive with very obviously little to no care for me. Thing is, the guy was pretty big and could have pulverized me had he got out -then I would have been in trouble. It was truly a spur of the moment thing that just happened.

I've got to learn from it. It was not cool what I did -I think I had a touch of road rage going there -as far as I can recall, this is only the second time in my cycling I've ever confronted a driver negatively. I've always vowed that I would do my best to have the most positive, polite manner possible (as I think the way I did react isn't or won't make the situation better the next time this guy sees a cyclist again, and it could be me), but the situation got the better of me. I really don't want that to happen again and I want to learn from this.

Anyway, from all my macho adrenalin rush, I did post my fastest commute into work for the year. And so beginneth my day.....

 

[Tynan]

I always lose it without fail, every single time, it's human in a moment like that

not productive mind but at least they know you're upset and might think about it despite their automatic reaction

 

[tdr1nka]

I've stubbornly had to learn to count to ten and let these idiots trundle out of sight.
My immediate reaction would otherwise be to chase the driver down and give him/her a thorough dressing down, irrespective of how they may react.

 

[HLaB]

I try to control my temper but every now and again I just explode.

 

[Joe24]

A very cheery and loud 'thank you' and a wave sometimes gets them thinking. I used to get really annoyed with the drivers that overtook me close. I had a few arguements with them, but the best i think was when i caught up with someone and sat by his window looking at him and smiling. I kept knocking on his window when he looked away. Wasnt too keen on starting a conversation. The guy didnt have a clue what i was going to do.
What really did annoy me was when an old man in a Corsa overtook really close, and i shouted move over. I got a reply that was either 'bollocks' or 'never' not sure which. That annoyed me, and when at some traffic lights he waved at me, i filtered past him and thumped his roof hard. A few people looked around and the old guy paniced abit.
It is better to relax, say thanks and if they swear at you just say no problem, i'll contact the police, its on camera, and just keep riding with a grin on your face.

 

[gavintc]

I had a car hit me on the road by Edinburgh airport about 6 months ago. He came out of the airport skimmed past my arm just touching my jacket. I caught him at the Maybury roundabout and half way through holding his tie in a strangle at his throat, I suddenly woke up, realised that killing him was not worth it, and then told his passengers calmly to look after him, walked back to my bike, and rode away. I have since promised myself to always count to 10 and to calm down.

 

[mootaineer]

Thing is, the guy was pretty big and could have pulverized me had he got out -then I would have been in trouble. It was truly a spur of the moment thing that just happened.

I'm generally like that too...shoot first and ask questions later

...and if a big guy climbs out of the lorry...then I'll be angelically polite

 

[Riding in Circles]

I had a car hit me on the road by Edinburgh airport about 6 months ago. He came out of the airport skimmed past my arm just touching my jacket. I caught him at the Maybury roundabout and half way through holding his tie in a strangle at his throat, I suddenly woke up, realised that killing him was not worth it, and then told his passengers calmly to look after him, walked back to my bike, and rode away. I have since promised myself to always count to 10 and to calm down.

I did this today as well, must be the time for it, I was riding along when a car pulled into thye cycle lane in front of me, no problem as the lane crosses the entrance to a layby, but he didn't go into the layby, just parked up in the cycle lane, I tapped on the side of the car and said "you know this is a cycle lane don't you", and rode on, a hundred yards on he screeched along side jumped out and started screaming about me touching his car.

Before I realised what I was doing I had unclipped grabbed him by the jacket with both hands, lifted off the ground and pinned him half to the roof of his car and half to the side, I am a big bloke. I then basically told him I was going to introduce him to God only not in so many words, then sanity dawned.

I told him to get back in his car and drive away while I was still calm, he actually thanked me and drove off, maybe it was the sugar rush from the mars bar I had just eaten, those things should be banned.

 

[Tynan]

I was going to introduce him to God

excellent

I ain't had a fight since school and I'm big and people back down but I think In the moment I'd square up if someone fronted me

 

[andyfromotley]

Nige, i take it that MA doesnt have that law where anyone can carry concealed weapons?

I would take the the madnatom approach...........chase them down shout at them in an incomprehensible scottish accent, point at your helmet a lot and then post it on you tube.

Andy

 

[andyfromotley]

that was a genuine typo but i like it better than magnatom!

 

[hackbike 6]

I've stubbornly had to learn to count to ten and let these idiots trundle out of sight.
My immediate reaction would otherwise be to chase the driver down and give him/her a thorough dressing down, irrespective of how they may react.

Same here.its rare but it happens.im much better than i used to be.

 

[Nigeyy]

Well, I still don't feel proud of what I did. And I can't help but think in another similar situation I could have ended up being in some big trouble (a lot of psychos in the states, and yes, some of whom do carry guns).

On one hand I realize you can't be a meek individual who never fights back, but on the other hand I realize that sometimes it's not worth it, and in all likelihood won't change the individual's attitude or behaviour -or worse still, make it worse.

In retrospect I wonder if the worst thing I did on my part was catching up to the guy ("I've stubbornly had to learn to count to ten and let these idiots trundle out of sight.." -good advice tdr1nka!!!). I also think that the fact the guy was so high up I couldn't get his attention without shouting didn't help either, and made me shout and lose it. I really do think if it was a car, I would have just tapped on the window and kept my cool.

Mind you, I still think he was a complete and utter tw*t.

 

[bonj2]

oh, yeah - what, one of these?

annoying little buggers aren't they. I get 'em all the time round here.

 

[hackbike 6]

Where is bentmikey in this time of crisis?