Reactions to incidents/drivers

[hackbike 666]

You'd think shaking your head would be non confrontational, but on a couple of occassions I've had drivers really go off on one when they've seen me shaking my head!

Same here,also with one woman on her mobile although it was stationary in traffic at the time she took the trouble to wind her passenger side window down to make a comment to me while having phone glued to her ear.

 

[MacB]

Folks, quick question, what's with the 'cyclists don't pay road tax' rationale, it doesn't make sense to me? I have a car as well so surely the fact that I pay road tax, but choose to cycle, means I'm actually causing less wear and other drivers benefit from this? Bit like paying for the NHS but going private.

 

[Bollo]

Folks, quick question, what's with the 'cyclists don't pay road tax' rationale, it doesn't make sense to me? I have a car as well so surely the fact that I pay road tax, but choose to cycle, means I'm actually causing less wear and other drivers benefit from this? Bit like paying for the NHS but going private.

As you are now about to discover, there's NO SUCH THING as road tax.......

 

[Lazy-Commuter]

Folks, quick question, what's with the 'cyclists don't pay road tax' rationale, it doesn't make sense to me? I have a car as well so surely the fact that I pay road tax, but choose to cycle, means I'm actually causing less wear and other drivers benefit from this? Bit like paying for the NHS but going private.

.. ah, but they way they see it ("they" in this case being the numbnuts that would use such an argument) you are causing extra congestion and inconvenience by using such a slow mode of transport and clogging up "their" roads and getting in the way etc. etc. And denying them their freedom to speed to the next set of traffic lights and wait in the queue.

As you are now about to discover, there's NO SUCH THING as road tax.......

.. and even if there was, and bikes were included in the vehicles that were considered for it, bikes would still be exempt 'cos they emit less than 100g CO2 per km. There's even some cars (like some new VW Polos) on which you don't pay "road tax" ...

 

[jezhiggins]

Folks, quick question, what's with the 'cyclists don't pay road tax' rationale, it doesn't make sense to me? I have a car as well so surely the fact that I pay road tax, but choose to cycle, means I'm actually causing less wear and other drivers benefit from this? Bit like paying for the NHS but going private.

Because rather than admit a mistake/deliberate bad driving, some people will say just about anything to absolve themselves of guilt - pay some tax, you were wobbling all over the place, you were in the middle of the road, you all jump red lights, you've got no lights, you were going too quick, you were going to slow, I gave you plenty of room, you should be in the cycle lane, etc, etc.

It's not a rationale, it's just time-filling cobblers. If somebody comes out with something like that, there's almost never any point in trying to engage them because they're right and you're wrong and nothing is going to shift them. Unless, of course, you have to call the police. (I'm hoping, given my recent experience, that'll change his mind, cause massive inconvenience, and cost him money in fines and compensation for damage. We'll see.)

 

[Eat MY Dust]

It's not a rationale, it's just time-filling cobblers. If somebody comes out with something like that, there's almost never any point in trying to engage them because they're right and you're wrong and nothing is going to shift them. Unless, of course, you have to call the police.

Yup, I had a guy scream (and I mean SCREAM) at me "get off the road you fu*king c*nt". I was turning right on a RAB and he seamingly thought I was holding him up. Silly man was driving a works van. I called the company and spoke to the HR Manager, she said she knew all about complaining cyclists ( she was married to one) and she said that she'd make sure the complaint was taken very seriously. I got a call from the MD the next day who told me the guy had been sacked. Apparently my complaint was the third they had recieved about the guy and the second from a cyclist. Might not have been true, but sounded genuine.

 

[Joe]

I'm a headshaker/occasonal swearer.

Being the little skinny bugger (usually in road shoes) I am, any sort of confrontation that escalates will only end in tears. For me.

One time I had a dangerously close pass and voiced my disaproval. The guy stopped in the middle of the road and was opening his driver door to (I assume) "have words". I made my exit pretty sharpish

 

[Rhythm Thief]

wow, lots of memories flooding back!

I was once (a couple of years ago) nearly taken out by a VW Golf in Chiswick, I shouted and he gave me the finger in the mirror. Chance had it that he pulled into the street I was living in at the time and then pulled into a fairly big house with a nice big dark drive. I followed. He knew I was there but chose to ignore my "excuse me"s. I then went on to "oi, you" a little bit louder. By this time he had his back to me and was close to his front door. It was making me more angry that he was ignoring me, so I went into angrier mode. I said something like "what you've got the bottle to stick the finger up to me, but your going to fu*king bottle it when I'm standing right in front of you" I did think it was taking him a fair while to get the door open, it was then I realised he couldn't get his keys in the door because he was shaking so much!! I actually felt bad about it later.

I wouldn't feel bad about that.

 

[Rhythm Thief]

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.

+1

 

[PBancroft]

Only time I've ever confronted a driver, I was as polite as I could be ("Mate, can you give me more room next time? You very nearly knocked me off my bike") to which he started swearing at me. This was an older guy, which was part of the reason why I made a point of being polite and why I was so shocked he was effing and blinding so profusely.

His passenger went bright red at this, so I just turned to her and said "It's times like this I bet you're so proud to have a husband like him."

No idea if they were married or not, but he clamped right up ater that, and she smiled.

 

[HLaB]

I was quite pleased with the reaction of one SMIDSY to my banging on his cab. I was in a bus lane and he was overtaking in the adjacent lane. On reaching a queue he undertook it entering the Bus Lane. Faced with railingings on my left and him encroaching on my right, I banged his door a few times. He stopped quite quickly and I had a descent conversation with him afterwards. I don't want to have any more encounters but I would like them to be like that.

 

[hackbike 666]

Rare that I have SMIDSY's.

(Touchwood)

TNFG.