Question and poll

[col]

Ok,so as not to attract excuses,Its a straight forward question attatched to no particular incident or person.

Is it right or wrong to cause a driver to lose their temper through the actions or words of a cyclist on purpose when the cyclist is no where near or in any danger of the driver,if the cyclist feels the driver is driving badly?

 

[Landslide]

Depends on the cyclist's words or actions.

 

[tdr1nka]

I'm with Landslide on this Col.

I'm in agreement with you but a cyclist can just as easily rile a driver with the most innocent of head shakes or the most vulgar of hand signals and curses aimed at the driver's Mother.

You should be saying, is it right for a cyclist to perpetuate an argument to the point of making the situation worse.

 

[col]

ok ill reword the question,as normal replies to a situation can be taken badly by some drivers anyway.

Ok there it is in its more focused form.

 

[Yorkshireman]

Doing or saying something with the deliberate intention of causing someone (driver or not) to lose their temper isn't likely to improve anything, so ... no.

 

[John the Monkey]

It's a meaningless question.

If the action causing them to lose their temper is the fact that you're on the road *at all* (and it is for some), what the hell are you going to do? In posts passim some drivers have got angry because the cyclist in question obeyed traffic law/the highway code (not running an amber etc)

 

[col]

Doing or saying something with the deliberate intention of causing someone (driver or not) to lose their temper isn't likely to improve anything, so ... no.

Thanks very much yorkshireman,an honest and sensible answer that i was hoping was out there somewhere,my point is just that,it doesnt do anyone anygood,and its morally bad too,as just by the nature of doing this it shows a vindictive attitude when trying to upset someone in this way.

 

[Landslide]

If the various mindsets of motorists (ranging from normal > psychotic) can be disregarded for the purposes of this question, then I'd say that it is both wrong and foolish to explicitly cause someone to lose their temper.
OTH, I see nothing wrong with pointing out dangerous practices on the road, regardless of the proximity or risk.

 

[col]

If the various mindsets of motorists (ranging from normal > psychotic) can be disregarded for the purposes of this question, then I'd say that it is both wrong and foolish to explicitly cause someone to lose their temper.
OTH, I see nothing wrong with pointing out dangerous practices on the road, regardless of the proximity or risk.

I agree to a point,but what do we turn into,the roads police for people driving badly?

 

[Landslide]

It's akin to "If you're not part of the solution, you're part of the problem."
Aquiescence to poor road use isn't going to solve anything, regardless of mode of transport. I've shouted at RLJ'ing cyclists whilst riding, I've also expressed displeasure at other motorists whilst driving.

 

[col]

I have let motorists know when they have done something dangerous,as most probably have,but not in a way to purposely ridicule,which tends to annoy anyway i think?Thats the key here i think,there are some who want to get the anger going in a driver,so ridicule in the way they do this,no one likes to be ridiculed do they?There are ways of doing things,even though some drivers would react badly to polite actions or words,But to knowingly say or do something to get them boiling is just bad.

 

[tdr1nka]

If deliberate then of course it is wrong.

 

[col]

If deliberate then of course it is wrong.

That was what i was trying to ask TD,and like you say,of course its wrong,but some just dont seem to want to see that,and complicate it with other arguments to confuse the question.But thanks for confirming my belief,i was beggining to doubt myself,and if it was actually ok

 

[tdr1nka]

I've found that simply ignoring rabid drivers can get them just as riled as if I had confronted them.
It's a very inexact science and you really don't know how your behavior is going to effect the next cyclist or road user the 'angry' driver happens upon.

FWIW I find that 'angry' drivers are just as likely to get steamed up at other drivers in these kind of situations by generally getting upset if no one else drives on 'their road' the way 'they demand expect'.

The very worst thing to do in front of an angry driver is be cocky or a smart a*se. This will invariably get a driver out of his car to kill you or worse, use the car to try and kill you.

 

[Nigeyy]

I'm not sure it's a straight forward question-some things to consider:

What causes someone to lose their temper? Simply being there?

Also, when someone loses their temper is it *them* losing their temper (i.e. their lack of self control) or rather is it because of an external stimulus such as someone shaking their head? Calling them names? Banging the side of their car?

But.... for a non-pedantic answer, I think Yorkshireman gives a good response -rarely when someone loses their temper does it result in something good, usually far more likely to result in an escalation and probably something negative.

So yes, but I'm not sure I can say it's "wrong" based on those questions above, but it's certainly very unwise to do so and not a good idea.