Met my 'don't stop' road rager today

[Glow worm]

The threat of violence, retaliation or aggression is never appropriate. Ignore it and carry on- people make mistakes, so what?

That's normally my approach and a pretty sensible one it is too. However being called the 'c 'word by some suited clart in a audi who'd suddenly veered left into the cycle path I was travelling along almost knocking me off annoyed me more than any incident for many years yesterday in cambridge. (the idiot was trying to get past a car in front turning right). I banged on the moron's car to let him know I was there as I was about to get knocked off which must have got the muppet's back up (though apparently knocking cycists over is fair game in an audi driver's miniscule brain). Anyway, when I came around to his window for a little chat, his window suddenly went up after swearing at me, and he sped off down a side street. I happen to know there's loads of speed bumps down that street, but not the one parallel, so, admittedly with red mist set in, I chased after the cretin down the adjacent road, hoping to cut him off further down. Anyway, I caught up with him a block or so further down to his disbelief (came at him from a side street) and as soon as he saw me he put his foot down and roared off. Got a few choice words in though as the coward sped away.

It's probably a good thing I didn't get closer to him in retrospect. I'm pretty good normally in these situations, letting them go, but I'm just not having being called the c word by some idiot cambridge prick who's just nearly run me down. I'd always advise against doing what I did of course, but sometimes you just have to stand up for yourself.

 

[dawesome]

Let it go. Don't let them live in your head rent-free.

 

[Bicycle]

If I'm confronted then I'm more than happy to oblige.

So it was Internet banter then....

 

[daSmirnov]

Really? Isn't that just retaliation by proxy? If you are going to have a pop at someone, at least have the stones to do it yourself.

Maybe, but it defuses the situation there and then, for two reasons I let the camera speak for itself, and my actions are also on camera, and let's just say I'm much less confrontational knowing I'm also on camera. A lot of the time stuff won't get uploaded to YouTube because I'll look at it later, and think, actually that's not too bad. When at the time I might be biting my tongue, where a couple of years back I might have shouted a comment or two at them.

Prior to getting the camera I was a wee bit more punctual. Was behind two guys in a car a couple of years back when they RLJed in front of a bus, forcing the bus to swerve and almost hit a traffic island. When going past them a little later I told them what I thought of their f-ing driving and as a result had the car creepily following me around for about 20 minutes before I lost them. Do it to the wrong person and you're in trouble. Nowadays I might give a WTF hand gesture and quietly say to myself what the hell are you doing, rather than riding past them and shouting and swearing.

I'd like to say its the camera calming me down and not my age.

Do you honestly think that, in the unlikely event of, someone seeing a video of themselves broadcast on the internet, they will be "educated"?

Yes. Especially when they're driving company vehicles. In two cases I've had companies write to me *before* I've got around to writing to them informing them of the standard of driving.

 

[Arfcollins]

Perhaps this may have helped? A shout of "Squatch tha loosh fandango?" may have quelled the rant.

http://a1.sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hpho...05781865_283800981864_8752844_906409173_n.jpg

That's good.

I like the idea of a slightly bonkers response as they won't have a prepared answer to it. Years ago I used to have in the car (and I can't remember why!) a pair of joke glasses with a large false nose and moustache. If I was getting 'the look' or some verbals from a motorist I'd offended in some way, I'd pop them on and give 'the look' back. Invariably they'd just look puzzled and drive off. Unfortunately I can't think of a practical way to do this when I'm on the bike.

 

[Jezston]

That's good.

I like the idea of a slightly bonkers response as they won't have a prepared answer to it. Years ago I used to have in the car (and I can't remember why!) a pair of joke glasses with a large false nose and moustache. If I was getting 'the look' or some verbals from a motorist I'd offended in some way, I'd pop them on and give 'the look' back. Invariably they'd just look puzzled and drive off. Unfortunately I can't think of a practical way to do this when I'm on the bike.

That is amazing! Would you look straight at them, wait for them to look away, pop them on then and when they looked back you'd be looking straight at them, but this time with the glasses? The effect that would have ... staggering

Perhaps a set kept in a jersey pocket?

 

[GM]

Get yourself a punch bag for the office!

 

[GrumpyGregry]

Maybe, but it defuses the situation there and then, for two reasons I let the camera speak for itself, and my actions are also on camera, and let's just say I'm much less confrontational knowing I'm also on camera. A lot of the time stuff won't get uploaded to YouTube because I'll look at it later, and think, actually that's not too bad. When at the time I might be biting my tongue, where a couple of years back I might have shouted a comment or two at them.

Prior to getting the camera I was a wee bit more punctual. Was behind two guys in a car a couple of years back when they RLJed in front of a bus, forcing the bus to swerve and almost hit a traffic island. When going past them a little later I told them what I thought of their f-ing driving and as a result had the car creepily following me around for about 20 minutes before I lost them. Do it to the wrong person and you're in trouble. Nowadays I might give a WTF hand gesture and quietly say to myself what the hell are you doing, rather than riding past them and shouting and swearing.

I'd like to say its the camera calming me down and not my age.

Fancy doing something even more constructive and joining the Horsham Cycling Forum?

 

[daSmirnov]

Fancy doing something even more constructive and joining the Horsham Cycling Forum?

Haha if I did that I'd get talked into losing my lazy Sunday mornings.

 

[GrumpyGregry]

Haha if I did that I'd get talked into losing my lazy Sunday mornings.

I doubt it, that's more likely "Horsham Cycling" the club. (They do have a forum on-line so the confusion is understandable)

Horsham Cycling Forum is a small group that meets a couple of times a year to try and positively influence local community groups, and WSCC and HDC to improve cycling in the town. We've a meeting coming up at the end of the month, you'd be very welcome.

No huge victories yet but we have had our voice heard on a few smaller things, like the racks at the station, and that is starting to make a difference. We are also part of the larger West Sussex Cycling Forum.

 

[daSmirnov]

Yeah Horsham Cycling forums and Horsham Cycling Forum do some pretty similar, PM me the details. :-)

 

[fenlandpsychocyclist]

I like the idea of a slightly bonkers response as they won't have a prepared answer to it.

Last autumn i was about 20 miles out on my usual 30 miler, but on my mtb as the roadbike had a puncture.
Going through the village of wiggenhall st germans i got whacked on the shoulder by a mirror as a vehicle passed.

The guy stops hard, jumps out and starts walking round the front of the vehicle to adjust the mirror back i think,
while doing this he was shouting all sorts of bad language and said about "riding too far away from the kerb". (50cm's away actually).

I carried on, he then caught me up again, stops, gets out "oi i'm talking to you" from the side of his car.

I had a bit of a red mist moment (had been pushing hard on the mtb, makes me mad).
I whipped the bike high in the air above my head and told him to "leave now otherwise this will go through your windscreen".

It was sudden, it was wrong, but he didn't expect that sort of response and it worked.

Then after he left a couple of builders on scaffolding over the road started clapping, one said "that prat cut us up earlier
today along this road ... nice one!"

 

[Miquel In De Rain]

I try very hard to not get into situations with motorists. I'll have a shout they'll have a shout that's fine it's banter. Someone gets out the car and continues. Then they obviously want a shot at the title!

Fantastic.

 

[Scilly Suffolk]

... and my actions are also on camera, and let's just say I'm much less confrontational knowing I'm also on camera...

A good point and one I hadn't considered. From what I see posted, I'd say you're in a minority though: too many camera-cyclists seem to view the camera as some sort of "sword of justice" and a licence to seek out wrongdoing.

Yes. Especially when they're driving company vehicles. In two cases I've had companies write to me *before* I've got around to writing to them informing them of the standard of driving.

I can see that working with company vehicles, liveried ones anyway, but surely that is the employer and not the driver doing the educating. With private motorists (such as the case in point), I still think they are more likely to be angered than educated unless you involve the Police.

 

[GrasB]

A good point and one I hadn't considered. From what I see posted, I'd say you're in a minority though: too many camera-cyclists seem to view the camera as some sort of "sword of justice" and a licence to seek out wrongdoing.

I think the problem is the most of the camera users who don't do the "sword of justice" thing quietly go along with their thing without making a fuss about it. I know 6 camera users personally & only one of them posts on youtube etc.