Reactions to incidents/drivers

[BentMikey]

So what's your most common reaction after a driver made a mistake and nearly wiped you out? What sort of response would you rather you'd made in hindsight? The more specific examples the better.

 

[HLaB]

If its bad its swearing bwanker, Bar steward, effing etc. I actually kept my trap shut the last time I had an incident. As am I'm going round the roundabout some bloke decides to pull out onto me, its an oval roundabout with a bit of a downhill so I just overtook him made eye contact and to be fair to the bloke he made it too and never complained when I indicated across him. I think more often I like my legs to do the talking not my mouth.

 

[ChrisKH]

I do have to confess having called a 4 wd driver the 'c' word once and told him where to go after he hit me with his wing mirror and then when called back he sat there in the car and said I should have been further towards the gutter, he had priority and cyclists don't pay any tax. All in an arrogant tone. Lost it totally. Not proud of it at all. Had an undesired effect insofar as he got out of the car and started pushing me around. At that point I was so pumped, I told him to do it. Fortunately he walked away, when a pedestrian stopped and asked if I was alright.

In retrospect I wish I could have formulated a better more balanced response and pointed out the error of his ways. But do people like that ever change? Would he have acted any differently if I had said that he had a 80% chance of killing someone if he hits someone in that car at 30 mph so take more care? Can't see it meself. It's the driver mentality.

 

[thomas]

Depending on what happens a collection of air horn, swearing and if someone is really overtaking really close a bang with my hand to get them to move out.

If people are mucking around and I catch them up I may or may not stop and have words - really depends on the situation.

 

[Bollo]

Depends a lot on intent. If its a SMIDSY I'll happily acknowledge any apologetic wave or sheepish grin. I was surprisingly chilled the only time I've ever been hit - it was obvious the driver had made a mistake an was feeling pretty bad about it. No need for me to start ranting and raving.

If someone has caused me minor hassle from carelessness but doesn't seem bothered I'll usually mutter under my breath but leave it at that.

If I think its deliberate impatient, aggressive or tw@tish driving then that's when I can kick off. Before Origamist tells me off, I know it's not big, not clever and more often than not ill-advised. I've admitted as much in threads in the past.

 

[Bollo]

I do have to confess having called a 4 wd driver the 'c' word once and told him where to go after he hit me with his wing mirror and then when called back he sat there in the car and said I should have been further towards the gutter, he had priority and cyclists don't pay any tax. All in an arrogant tone. Lost it totally. Not proud of it at all. Had an undesired effect insofar as he got out of the car and started pushing me around. At that point I was so pumped, I told him to do it. Fortunately he walked away, when a pedestrian stopped and asked if I was alright....

Its difficult when the fight or flight response has been triggered by an incident. I have the same though, its the attitude of the other party that starts it, rather than the original incident. When I nearly came to blows with a courier a few weeks ago, it was his 'fick you' attitude that kicked it off, not the original incident.

 

[thomas]

Depends a lot on intent. If its a SMIDSY I'll happily acknowledge any apologetic wave or sheepish grin. I was surprisingly chilled the only time I've ever been hit - it was obvious the driver had made a mistake an was feeling pretty bad about it. No need for me to start ranting and raving.

Yep, if people realise they were in the wrong it's okay. I had a girl cut me up at a roundabout so I yelled as I had to swerve and she waved in apology. That can be forgiven.

 

[boydj]

If it's close enough to get the adrenaline going, then it's generally a case of lots of shouty, sweary words and single-fingered gestures aimed at the back of the receding car. If words are exchanged, then it depends how the drivers react to 'have you any idea how close you came to hitting me?' - which has been known to quickly degenerate into a fairly foul-mouthed shouting match of which I am seldom proud. These days it has to be really close to get to this stage. Mostly it it's an under-the-breath 'a**ehole' and a smile when I pass at the next set of lights.

On one occasion where the driver actually apologised, I did get a smile when I told him I would have to cycle the rest of the way home at 20 mph to burn off the adrenaline he had generated.

 

[4F]

Depends, on some ocassions a sarcastic "thanks" gets yelled or on other ocassions I sprint after the offending vehicle with the intention of giving them a mouthful before coming to my senses and thinking it is not worth it.

 

[HLaB]

Depends a lot on intent. If its a SMIDSY I'll happily acknowledge any apologetic wave or sheepish grin. I was surprisingly chilled the only time I've ever been hit - it was obvious the driver had made a mistake an was feeling pretty bad about it. No need for me to start ranting and raving.

I also find its SMIDSY's reaction that flips my switch or not. Some apologise (mostly women) for their mistake, ah well smile and wave back these things happen. Some however (mostly men ) refuse to acknowledge my presence and try to ignore me even though they have subsequently seen me, that really winds me up

 

[freewheelwilly]

It all depends on how much danger they have put me in. The worst was last summer when a guy on his phone just pulled out from a side road on the left without even looking. I was on the main road and doing around 20mph. I just managed to stop in time without flying over the handlebars. He was driving a huge SUV and was still totally oblivious to me being there untill i started punching the side of his car and screaming ''it would be an even bigger f@@cking dent if i hadn't stopped in time''. Next thing i know hes chasing me down the street in his car down the wrong side of the road and pulls to a hand brake turn/stop in front of me. Luckily i was able to out-manouver him and escape unharmed. These days i keep alot calmer and try and shrug it off as long as i know the driver is aware of his actions. That incident last summer happened 2 weeks before my wedding. I was so angry that i could have been killed and my poor fiance would have been in bits (like me but on the road)

 

[HLaB]

I think that's the idea

probably

 

[Lazy-Commuter]

I try to avoid reacting if I can help it, but it ain't always easy. I'll often have a little rant to myself under my breath but that tends to be about it. Like everyone, the severity of the "crime" will tend to decide which way I'm starting to go and then the attitude of the other party will finish it off .. we all make mistakes* and if there's no harm done and people apologise that's cool; hopefully they'll learn and having salt rubbed into the wound helps nobody.

But if - like ChrisKH bloke - they take the "you don't pay tax, I'm more important than you 'cos I spent loads on my car" line and seem to think it's somehow their right to do whatever the f*** they want and everyone else can be damned and die, that's a different matter. Although I agree with you, Chris, I doubt you'll ever change the mind of someone like that: they KNOW they're right and everyone else is wrong, with their attitude of "end of, FACT !!!111". Also, those ones tend to be the ones that will try to smear you along a wall if you wind them up. <sweeping generalisation mode off>

* Edit: I know I do. And once or twice people in cars have been patient with me when I've cods'd things up on the bike.

 

[the reluctant cyclist]

I tend to instinctively go nuts - unfortunately

If it is a close overtake I almost always shout something like - watch it you tw*t.

The first two times I was knocked off I started the conversation with a pretty sedate "what are you doing?" but the third time I went absolutely nuts - really lost it. The passenger had opened the door onto me and knocked me off and it is such an avoidable, pointless accident that I just could not be more angry!

I calmed down really quickly though and then started crying as the pain of a broken finger kicked in!!!!!

Only trouble with going nuts is it does sometimes come back to haunt you - there is a personal injury case going on now and god knows what her statement is going to say about my reaction!!!

Afterwards I ALWAYS and I mean ALWAYS wish that I had remained calm!

 

[hackbike 666]

It all depends on how much danger they have put me in. The worst was last summer when a guy on his phone just pulled out from a side road on the left without even looking. I was on the main road and doing around 20mph. I just managed to stop in time without flying over the handlebars. He was driving a huge SUV and was still totally oblivious to me being there untill i started punching the side of his car and screaming ''it would be an even bigger f@@cking dent if i hadn't stopped in time''. Next thing i know hes chasing me down the street in his car down the wrong side of the road and pulls to a hand brake turn/stop in front of me. Luckily i was able to out-manouver him and escape unharmed. These days i keep alot calmer and try and shrug it off as long as i know the driver is aware of his actions. That incident last summer happened 2 weeks before my wedding. I was so angry that i could have been killed and my poor fiance would have been in bits (like me but on the road)

The big thing here is motons totally lose it even if they are in the wrong.

Why is that?

Also I take it there is a big problem in this country?