jefmcg
Guru
I was cycling along here, a narrow road with cars parked on both sides. It was a little after 7, and there was no other traffic on the road, so I was was positioned well out of the door zone on either side, which is the middle of the road.
I hear a horn bleating repeatedly, and see in my mirror a car closing on me rapidly with it's lights flashing. As the light ahead has just turned red, and I don't want this idiot passing me at speed in a narrow gap, I hold primary up to the intersection. He pulls up close behind me, gets out of the car, veins and tendons sticking out on his neck and starts ranting at me: "What are you doing in the middle of the road?" "I pay £600/year to keep this car on the road" etc etc. I responded in some way, but it did not stop his flow of invective. Note: he was wearing a Royal Mail uniform and driving a late model Audi Sports of some sort.
Finally the lights changed and I surprised myself by stepping off my bike and not moving - I'm not say this was a wise thing to do, but I'd been victim of a stream of abuse for existing (to be clear, the lights and horns started when he saw my tail lights ahead in the distance) so may not have been thinking clearly. Anyway, there was not room to pass, so he was stuck.
He was enraged, so wasn't going to allow this. I was standing to the right of my bike and he mounted to the footpath to pass on the left. There still wasn't enough room, so he squeezed past, pushing against my bike. And here's the thing: his car has nice, expensive duco and my bike has metal pedals. It was too dark to see as he moved quickly away, but I think he probably did more than £600 of damage to his door panels.
A couple of pedestrian witness ran up to make sure I was alright and offer me his license details. I did not take them as I was fine, and certainly do not want any contact with him in the future. I realised I was quite shaken when I got home.
Coda: you always think of clever things to say after the incident "You have to keep taking the tablets everyday, even if you feel fine"; "You don't pay £600 a year to use the roads, you pay it to drive a flash car"; "Google 'door zone'. And while you are there, google 'road rage'".
I hear a horn bleating repeatedly, and see in my mirror a car closing on me rapidly with it's lights flashing. As the light ahead has just turned red, and I don't want this idiot passing me at speed in a narrow gap, I hold primary up to the intersection. He pulls up close behind me, gets out of the car, veins and tendons sticking out on his neck and starts ranting at me: "What are you doing in the middle of the road?" "I pay £600/year to keep this car on the road" etc etc. I responded in some way, but it did not stop his flow of invective. Note: he was wearing a Royal Mail uniform and driving a late model Audi Sports of some sort.
Finally the lights changed and I surprised myself by stepping off my bike and not moving - I'm not say this was a wise thing to do, but I'd been victim of a stream of abuse for existing (to be clear, the lights and horns started when he saw my tail lights ahead in the distance) so may not have been thinking clearly. Anyway, there was not room to pass, so he was stuck.
He was enraged, so wasn't going to allow this. I was standing to the right of my bike and he mounted to the footpath to pass on the left. There still wasn't enough room, so he squeezed past, pushing against my bike. And here's the thing: his car has nice, expensive duco and my bike has metal pedals. It was too dark to see as he moved quickly away, but I think he probably did more than £600 of damage to his door panels.
A couple of pedestrian witness ran up to make sure I was alright and offer me his license details. I did not take them as I was fine, and certainly do not want any contact with him in the future. I realised I was quite shaken when I got home.
Coda: you always think of clever things to say after the incident "You have to keep taking the tablets everyday, even if you feel fine"; "You don't pay £600 a year to use the roads, you pay it to drive a flash car"; "Google 'door zone'. And while you are there, google 'road rage'".
