My first run in with a Driver

[Aiden_23]

On my commute home yesterday after a great cycle in the morning and a very good day in work I was really buzzing. So the pedals were flying as I was trying to beat my best time home. I took up Primary on a very wide but particuler bad bit of Road,the whole road is peppered with Pot holes. A tube in a white van overtook me that close that I prepared myself for a hit( Mainly by screaming loads of profanities).He forced me into the gutter where I hit a pot hole and the bump was spine tingling to say the least. I dont really have a problem if drivers pass a little close but when the other lane is empty,there is no excuse. As per the norm I caught him at the next set of lights were I was that fuming I was ready for a fight( I literally mean I was going to drag him out and throw him about the road). However,after watching many videos and reading many posts on this subjet I took a deap breathe unclipped my pedals and knocked on his window,convo went as such
Me= Could you please give me more room the next time you pass me as you nearly ran me off the road
Him=Whit!!! You were riding in the middle of the road!!!
Me=Yes well I am allowed to ride wherever I want in my lane that includes the middle
Him=No you cant you need to ride as far left as possible and I can ride wherever I want
Me=Of course you can but not when Im infront of you!! You have a responsibility to keep a safe distance from the Road user infront. Cyclists do not have to ride to the left we choose to which allows traffic to pass with ease,you had the entire other lane to overtake it was just lazy and could have injured me!!! Please just next time give cyclists more room it minimizes accidents.
(I was expecting the Road Tax argument and fat boy comments but was suprised)
Him=Right sorry mate I will give more room next time
I would just like to thank everyone on here because if I steamed in this would have ended differently. I am glad I took the deep breath and represented the cycling community in the correct manner. On the plus side I cycled 110 miles to work this week so I am well chuffed!!

 

[jdtate101]

Nice cool head wins the day...well done.

 

[400bhp]

Good attitute boss.

Perhaps we should start a religion.

 

[wintonbina]

Fair play to you.

 

[Scoosh]

Benefits of CC !

Glad it all turned out well.

WELL DONE YOU !

 

[paulw1969]

me thinks that driver learnt something by your encounter which can only be good for all cyclists...nice one for keeping your head.... .

 

[TonyEnjoyD]

I just nearly replied saying that you should have landed him one anyway, but I took a deep breath and thought of the telling off I would have gotten here.

You did the right thing.

 

[Aiden_23]

Thanks everyone I do feel that we all need to be "ambassadors" for the growing interest in cycling. I do have a hot head in particular while playing football!!!! But at least on the bike I know I can restrain myself from throwing a motorist around like a wet washing(or emptying them like a wet Kappa Trackie for any of the Glaswegians on here).

 

[Hip Priest]

Wow! An argument which ended in one party admitting their mistake and promising to take the comments on board. Great stuff.

 

[asterix]

Good one. I bet you felt a lot better after for not losing your rag.

 

[Slaav]

Now let me tell me where you went wrong!

You should be wearing a Head Cam, shouting out his registration number so that you can post on YouTube.

Once posted, come on here and show how appalling he was and rant about your experience and that you are acting like a **** to help all of us other cyclists.

When the thread seems to turn against you, offer to go to the press and do an interview showing how 'right' you always are.

Now, that is the way to deal with people who overtake 'illegally'.


Seriously though, Your response will probably help you and everyone to do the same next time. It will probably make him realise we are not all head cam wearing idiots who are out to right the wrongs of the world whilst never seeing our own faults....

Congrats on your behaviour and the outcome

(Hope you got the attempt at humour above - poor though it may be)

 

[BSRU]

Seriously though, Your response will probably help you and everyone to do the same next time. It will probably make him realise we are not all head cam wearing idiots who are out to right the wrongs of the world whilst never seeing our own faults....

Just like the cyclist in the news recently who was deliberately rammed by a bus, oh wait he did not have a helmet camera, how can that be??

 

[Herzog]

I just nearly replied saying that you should have landed him one anyway...

Typical Geordie... and I can say that because I'm one!

 

[TonyEnjoyD]

Moi, a Geordie?!
I'll have you know I'm a born and bred Mackem!
However, I live in Newcastle and find that football is 22 blokes running around kicking a bag of wind!

How do they understand you accent in cuckoo clock land?

 

[goo_mason]

Now let me tell me where you went wrong!

You should be wearing a Head Cam, shouting out his registration number so that you can post on YouTube.

Once posted, come on here and show how appalling he was and rant about your experience and that you are acting like a **** to help all of us other cyclists.

When the thread seems to turn against you, offer to go to the press and do an interview showing how 'right' you always are.

Now, that is the way to deal with people who overtake 'illegally'.


Seriously though, Your response will probably help you and everyone to do the same next time. It will probably make him realise we are not all head cam wearing idiots who are out to right the wrongs of the world whilst never seeing our own faults....

Congrats on your behaviour and the outcome

(Hope you got the attempt at humour above - poor though it may be)

I'll accept the first paragraph as the 'poor humour', but you make another dig in the 'Seriously though..' one. Are you referring to anyone in particular here? I have been known to wear a headcam, but wouldn't consider myself a 'head-cam wearing idiot' or 'trying to right wrongs whilst never seeing my own faults'.

Please try to avoid sweeping generalisations!