Most aggressive/bizarre incident I've experienced.

[CopperBrompton]

I think the only form of education you can realistically hope to do is use a bulletcam and stick it on youtube. You probably won't reach that particular driver, but you will reach others.

 

[d87francis]

Completely irrelevant. You started it. You reap as you sow. Be pleased you werent injured.

I hadn't realised my moral compass was so off. Clearly giving the middle finger to a driver that near runs you over deserves a battering.

Have I completely misread the whole situation? I know I shouldn't have stuck my finger up at him, and now regret that, but it was done calmly whilst smiling and riding away - not in a threatening or goading manner. I stuck my finger up when I didn't intend to stop, as a means of letting him know I didn't agree to his reaction of my criticism of his driving, not with the intention to cause insult. At no point was I overtly confrontational, getting in his face or egging him on. When he then jumped out of his car and started shouting I stopped some distance from him, and very calmly asked him what the matter was. Am I wrong in thinking that a reaction of trying to hit me several times over a period of 5 minutes, throwing his keys at me and threatening me with his 'bodyguards' is completely uncalled for? I understand that my reactions could be misinterpreted as a "you what mate?" boisterous type response, but it wasn't at all.

Sadly as I have already discussed, part of the Public Order Offences Act accounts for insult caused through actions; my raised finger and indeed pretty much any other gesticulation I may have chosen, such as sticking my tongue out, could be interpreted to have caused insult and make me guilty of section 4a. As he didn't manage to hit me and I don't think there is such a thing as attempted assault, he too is only guilty of a Public Order Offence. Perhaps it would have paid off better if I'd have not dodged on of his swings, let him hit me and in that case he could be charged with assault?

 

[BentMikey]

I think the only form of education you can realistically hope to do is use a bulletcam and stick it on youtube. You probably won't reach that particular driver, but you will reach others.

In some places it's possible to successfully reach many drivers - London and Roadsafe, for example. Company drivers driving liveried vehicles, oops.

I feel that just as in real life, we should also be reasonable and polite on the YouTube videos. I don't always succeed in this, but that sort of thing vastly improves our credibility to others. The more reasonable and nice we are, especially on camera, the worse the angry drivers make themselves look.

 

[400bhp]

In some places it's possible to successfully reach many drivers - London and Roadsafe, for example. Company drivers driving liveried vehicles, oops.

I feel that just as in real life, we should also be reasonable and polite on the YouTube videos. I don't always succeed in this, but that sort of thing vastly improves our credibility to others. The more reasonable and nice we are, especially on camera, the worse the angry drivers make themselves look.

This - it's why many certain professions get taught how to deal with people in a non confrontational manner.

 

[CopperBrompton]

The more reasonable and nice we are, especially on camera, the worse the angry drivers make themselves look.

Absolutely, plus there is nothing so irritating to Mr Angry than a charming response, so it's a win/win.

 

[Matthew_T]

I would not trust the police to be on your side entirely. I was involved in an incident come time ago when a guy in a BMW M5 started honking at me. My reaction started off well, with my just ignoring him. However, at a set of traffic lights, I made the mistake of shouting W4NKER at him as I passed. This of course caused himto pursue me and knock me into a parked car. I decided not to have a chat and made my way into the local police station, unfortunately taunting him as I did so by stating that I had his face on camera.
The woman inside stated that I should call 101 and report it. To my dismay, the driver entered the police station just as I was leaving and said "This tw4t needs to learn how to ride" and I heard the woman at the counter say "Oh, are you the driver?". I didnt hang around to listen in.

When the police woman came to my house to see the footage and to get a statement. She had to review it 6 times to totally understand what happened. She said that as I swore at him and could have easily just ignored him, I caused a confrontation and as the camera was mounted on my handlebars, it was difficult to tell if I was hit or not because I was wobbling about a lot. She said the CPS would see both parties as bad as each other and possibly give both of us a Public Order Offence.

I wasnt happy with the outcome but it changed the way I look at incidents.

 

[dellzeqq]

I love the key throwing bit

 

[Matthew_T]

I love the key throwing bit

Indeed. I too would have picked them up and taken them.

The good thing is that you could not be done for theft as they were thrown at you and you collected them as evidence.

 

[gambatte]

or as they were thrown at you, they were a gift??....

 

[kelvin davies]

This sounds brilliant! What great fun, is this real, in sure I have watched a sketch like this before. Would have been brilliant if you could have caught his keys. Forget the police, everyone is safe and unharmed.

Thank you for the entertaining story.

 

[d87francis]

This sounds brilliant! What great fun, is this real, in sure I have watched a sketch like this before. Would have been brilliant if you could have caught his keys. Forget the police, everyone is safe and unharmed.

Thank you for the entertaining story.

The police are about to come and take a statement, and hopefully it will be on cctv as it was right outside a secondary school, in fact that's where his keys landed after he threw them, just inside the railings of the school.

 

[downfader]

Completely irrelevant. You started it. You reap as you sow. Be pleased you werent injured.

Whoa there.. the finger was a reaction, not the cause - remember he did cut the guy up to park. Not that I'm condoning the finger.

Slightly on topic, maybe theres something in the air. A little white van driver went nuts at me today. Even though I didnt actually do anything as far as I can see to provoke it. He however did actually enter through a "no entry to motorvehicles" restriction. I shook my head at some considerable distance but I seriously doubt he would have seen that considering I was around 100 metres away...

..in fact I had even pulled into a parking bay to let him through. Monkey boy gets within 15 feet of me and started ranting and raving, gesturing and shaking his fist. I have to admit I just laughed and said "what's the problem??!". He had a rollup hanging from his bottom lip and didnt look like he was in the best shape.

I'm getting one of these a week or so now - where someone just loses it. Mostly just a petulant rage that looks pretty tragic.

 

[jdtate101]

A friend of mine also had something similar, but it was a pedestrian who chased him. It was all a bit Benny Hill, with the guy running out of puff, slowing down, then starting up again when he'd got his breath back. My mate just pootled along keeping a respectful distance and was very amused by it. The guy had no chance of catching him at all, plus was best part of 1ft shorter and 50lbs lighter (my mate being a rather large rugby type), not sure what he the guy thought was going to happen if he did catch my mate. Some people just have no common sense.

Glad you're not hurt and you reported it. Chances are with a temper that short he's either been in trouble before, or will be soon.

 

[HLaB]

I had my first really bad pass in Chelmsford last night (did it have anything to do with wearing lycra shorts rather than mtb shorts ) from a WVM how typical. Anyhow, I reacted with the bird and almost instantly started thinking 'oh sugar, what if its a nutter' (with driving like that I wouldn't have been surprised) fortunately my gps had me turning at the next corner.

 

[Glow worm]

Slightly on topic, maybe theres something in the air. A little white van driver went nuts at me today. .

I had similar tonight on my way home. Van driver going mental cos I pulled out and made him stop all of 5 feet before the traffic jam in front rather than 3 (I was basically crossing a road of almost stationary traffic). TBH I find I don't normally get too many problems with WVM - it's the bloody clueless 'I don't give a toss about anyone' Hooray Volvo brigade round here that present the biggest menace I find. Flippin' nightmare.