My first apology

[bluemint]

I had a close pass just where the road narrows so I unleash the middle finger of displeasure (which usually makes the following car give a decent amount of space, I've noticed). A short while later I catch up at the lights, he's in the right turn lane and I can see him watch me in his rear view as I approach, his passenger window is down, I slow up and he asks:

"was I a bit close there?"
"you were a bit" says I
"sorry about that, I do a bit of cycling myself"
"thanks for the apology" I cheerily say and we go our seperate ways.

That really is a first and a nice change to the "...I gave you plenty of room" rubbish I get on the rare occasions I feel the need to dish out some education.

 

[baldycyclist]

me tonight.....
...big double-barrelled merc squeezes me whilst I am doing about 25 mph along a narrowish road (where my arse got slapped last year if you remember!). I give him some displeasure (camera being charged at work so no footage - nothing rude like you big blue!)
Caught him up at the roundabout - give him the signal to wind passenger window down.

me "bit close there fella?"
him "yeah I was"
me "why don't you get closer next time?"
him "okay then"
me "you are having a laugh?"
him "not really"
me "better read the highway code then mate"

and off I went.

He was fat and had a jump suit on....in a car he thought was reflecting his knobbyness. Says enough.

 

[400bhp]

I had a close pass just where the road narrows so I unleash the middle finger of displeasure (which usually makes the following car give a decent amount of space, I've noticed). A short while later I catch up at the lights, he's in the right turn lane and I can see him watch me in his rear view as I approach, his passenger window is down, I slow up and he asks:

"was I a bit close there?"
"you were a bit" says I
"sorry about that, I do a bit of cycling myself"
"thanks for the apology" I cheerily say and we go our seperate ways.

That really is a first and a nice change to the "...I gave you plenty of room" rubbish I get on the rare occasions I feel the need to dish out some education.

Yeahbutt - don't give em the finger mate. You will generally get a different reply.

 

[bluemint]

Yeahbutt - don't give em the finger mate. You will generally get a different reply.

yeah, i know what you mean. I had one doofus brake test me and try and block me from passing. It was a clear stretch of road so I don't know why he expected me to run the risk of passing him. instead I just grinned at him through his mirror.

The finger of displeasure came in handy when I had some miserable sod slow down in front of me and angrily point at the shared cycle path. Several exchanges later he gave up trying to enforce his own road rules. I think it was the same guy who tried to block me going up the left, so I went up the right. He beeped me when he realised his plan had failed.

I will always give a little wave or thumbs up to those that truly deserve it, and many do.

 

[BentMikey]

Yeah, but there's no need to pull the finger or flick Vs at motorists. It only ever makes the situation worse, and destroys what moral highground you might hold.

 

[akb]

Yeah, but there's no need to pull the finger or flick Vs at motorists. It only ever makes the situation worse, and destroys what moral highground you might hold.

Totally Agree...thats why I use the 'loosely closed fist' sign....

 

[calibanzwei]

Deploy the 'Disapproving Finger of Doom™'

 

[glasgowcyclist]

I had a close pass just where the road narrows so I unleash the middle finger of displeasure ...

And all that other people/motorists see is yet another rude cyclist abusing a driver. Guess what image that reinforces.
It takes some discipline to refrain from venting your anger but it's better in the long run.

GC

 

[BentMikey]

It's best to make no gesture at all, as so many motorists will still misinterpret it as a rude sign. Either they're trained to this by other cyclists, or it's because of their guilty conscience. I once pointed horizontally behind my head with my index finger at my rear GoPro (it's mounted just behind my head), and the moton apparently thought I was pulling a sign at him rather than simply pointing at the camera. As a result of that I now just pretend to readjust the camera.

I do often beep on my AirZound and make a pushing out to the right motion when I get a too-close overtake, or point down at hazards on the road such as traffic islands.

 

[bluemint]

I'll carry on as I am thanks. If drivers think I'm being abusive just for the sake of it then that's down to their ignorance. If they see me, at least they're looking about. Most don't as they're lost in their own little world.

i think we need to show our displeasure sometimes, perhaps many here are imagining me frothing at the mouth, not so, but as in my original post I got an apology and the driver will be more careful in future. No reaction just lets them carry on regardless. But hey, opinions and all that. It's probably very different in London or other areas with a higher amount of nutcases where exercising a bit of restraint would be the best policy, I can see that.

But then, I've seen some helmet cammers whose behaviour isn't too far away from road rage if they were in a car, but I guess these people attract criticism too.

 

[glasgowcyclist]

i think we need to show our displeasure sometimes, perhaps many here are imagining me frothing at the mouth, not so, ...

I'm not suggesting you show no reaction whatsoever, my reply to your message was directed purely at the use of the middle finger or any other rude gesture. I've no problem in speaking to an errrant driver and pointing out, say, the danger of a close pass, provided it is done without descending into road rage. Nobody comes out of that feeling better.

I've gone through the various stages myself of giving w4nker signs and shouting at people who've cut me up but I've gradually learned that a bit of self-control and a calm chat with the errant driver yields a better outcome at least 90% of the time. There's also the aspect of how a driver will regard other cyclists after being after being given verbal or gesticulative (did I just make that word up?) abuse. You can be pretty certain he'll be less likely, not more likely, to be considerate around us.

If the first approach you get from someone is abusive, you will not listen to the content of the message, whatever it may be.

Let's try to educate, not alienate.


GC

 

[400bhp]

I'll carry on as I am thanks.

Road rage - pure and simple.

It's not helping anyone.

GC has put it rather well.

 

[lejogger]

I often deploy a sarcastic wave.
It's not offensive to anyone, but gets the attention of the motorist should they bother to use their rear view mirror. First they'll think "Oh, do I know that cyclist, he's waving at me". And then they'll realise "Oh no, he's just being a sarcastic tw*t, I must have upset him".
It's then up to the character of the motorist as to whether he thinks more deeply as to why the cyclist is upset, or just gets on with his day.

Recently I've started using the 'shrug of exasperation' also. Achieves the same as above also without causing offence. That's the main point. One or two fingers is only ever going to get their back up.
Thumbs are ok though (in the right context)

 

[gambatte]

The one I'm saving up is "the last time someone got that close to me, we had to cuddle afterwards!"

 

[petec]

I tend to use my middle finger to push my glasses back up my nose - makes me feel better that I've done something and may confuse the moton as to whether I gave him a gesture or not.