Note to Impatient Driver bloke..

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Arjimlad

Tights of Cydonia
Location
South Glos
I was waiting to turn right out of a sidestreet this morning when this driver waiting behind me basically lost patience and revved the nuts off his engine, driving forwards and trying to force his way past me to make te same manoeuvre as me.

He lives very locally to me and I will see him again, but I can't let this pass without comment. What do you think of my note ?


21st February 2013


Dear Sir,

I wanted to have a friendly & polite word with you about how your actions made me feel this morning, but you wouldn’t speak to me when we were stopped at the lights, so I thought it best to write you this note instead.

I hadn’t been waiting long to join the Bristol Road when you revved your engine, and made to push me out of the way. That’s how it felt to me with you behind me. I felt your driving to be aggressive and impatient. I was concerned that you were going to force me out of the way.

During the minute or less that I was waiting to pull onto the Bristol Road, I didn’t see one gap in traffic which would have been sensible to take in a car or on a bike.

I don’t think you could have pulled out any earlier if you had been cycling, or driving your car. There was a vehicle turning into Court Road from the left, with a fairly steady stream of traffic coming from the right. Other vehicles were also approaching from the left. The car turning in from the left did not stop and beckon me out, as often happens with considerate drivers.

Your actions made me feel forced to pull out into a smaller gap than I was comfortable to take just to get away from you – which is not a pleasant feeling especially when you’re not surrounded by steel and airbags.

I am sure that the 4x4 which was approaching from Winterbourne had to brake to accommodate me pulling out.

I can pull away quite fast from Court Road, but I need to bear in mind that oncoming traffic (which is usually doing at least 30 mph or more) shouldn’t have to brake to avoid me.

In future I would be very grateful if you could drive more patiently and considerately around more vulnerable road users. As a local person, I cycle to work about four times a week along Court Road and beyond, and I also cycle along your road with my children. Thankfully it is extremely rare that I encounter driving which makes me feel I need to protest.

When I see you again I will be friendly and polite, but if I experience you driving like that again, I will refer to this letter and take appropriate action.

I try to share the road politely and sympathetically whether I am driving or cycling, and I would respectfully ask that you extend me the same courtesy.

Yours sincerely


Another local road user

 

ianrauk

Tattooed Beat Messiah
Location
Rides Ti2
..and what would be your appropriate action?
 

thom

____
Location
The Borough
Once I told a friend about how I remonstrated with a driver who was getting annoyed at me putting my bike in front of his car that had needlessly encroached into 3 consecutive ASLs and also gestured at me while passing.
He's quite wise and suggested a positive thing to explain is how his behaviour makes you feel, to state the perspective of how dangerous it can be on a bike for cars with aggressive drivers.
I think you've emphasised this pretty well in that letter so if you do either speak to him or send it to him, I think thats the right and reasonable thing to mention.
 

Brandane

Legendary Member
Location
Costa Clyde
I'm with 4F on this. Too much flowery language for your average impatient nutter to understand; I reckon he will have scrunched it up and thrown it away by the 2nd paragraph. You're not dealing with a reasonable person here, so something along the lines of 4Fs message would probably be more effective.
 
OP
OP
Arjimlad

Arjimlad

Tights of Cydonia
Location
South Glos
Once I told a friend about how I remonstrated with a driver who was getting annoyed at me putting my bike in front of his car that had needlessly encroached into 3 consecutive ASLs and also gestured at me while passing.
He's quite wise and suggested a positive thing to explain is how his behaviour makes you feel, to state the perspective of how dangerous it can be on a bike for cars with aggressive drivers.
I think you've emphasised this pretty well in that letter so if you do send either speak to him or send it to him, I think thats the right and reasonable thing to mention.

Thanks - he wasn't your average boy racer after all. I'm half writing it with a view to anyone else who might read it in future... and not wanting to make threats of unlawful action either.
 

tyred

Legendary Member
Location
Ireland
I'd pin the note to a horses head and and then leave it on their car windscreen:tongue: .

Do Tesco's sell horse heads now too?
 

siadwell

Guru
Location
Surrey
I'd change "I don’t think you could have pulled out any earlier if you had been cycling, or driving your car" to "I don’t think you could have pulled out any earlier if you had been in front of me", as he probably doesn't cycle.

How about this for next time... Dismount and stand to one side, making an exaggerated sweeping motion to invite him to move in front of you. Then remount and sit behind him, loudy criticising his ability to pull out into any gap in the traffic.
 
OP
OP
Arjimlad

Arjimlad

Tights of Cydonia
Location
South Glos
Good point, siadwell. Judging by the size of his tum, he hasn't been on a bike for many years. Proficient at using his right foot and that's about it.
 
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