Road Rage

[TonyEnjoyD]

Just over 3-yrs ago in a bus lane approaching a RBT, said lane continues through the RBT.
Impatient Taxi decides to cut right across me rather than stay behind thru he RBT but had to stop at he lights just after.
I pulled alongside him abt 4ft off near side and mouthed/gestured for him to give more room as I had to swerve to avoid him, at which point he started ranting in the car!.
I clipped in as the lights were changing just as he was getting out of his taxi to have a real go at me so I just set off.

About 200 metres further on he did a Starsky n Hutch swerve/skid stop in front of me in the bus lane and I came to a very fast standstill, his passenger window came down n he proceeded to threaten to kill me etc if I ever did that to him again, he ranted for abt another 30 seconds then pulled away!.

To cut a long story short, I rang plod for advice n they came out to see me but said they could pick him p but it probably would not get to court and to call the council on Monday and report - which I did and I to a call back saying he ad been reprimanded and if again his license would be up for review.

TBH, It had the potential to turn to something more serious but I thought e wise move was to SUMO - shut up n move on, then report it.

 

[I like Skol]

For goodness sake Dan, you really are desperate for it to be a war out there on the roads aren't you? Just chill and focus on enjoying your riding rather than looking for confrontation and the unjust at every opportunity.

I think a good place to start would be to turn off your cycle cam

 

[Melonfish]

I must admit I am a little surprised about how much people seem to get wound up when you ignore them and carry on your merry way.

not nearly half as much as when you give em a smile and a cheery wave

 

[Andrew_Culture]

Only once, a driver overtook me on a left hand turn when I was turning right into a side road. In traffic I ended up next to the driver and said quite cheerfully 'what did I ever do to you?' at which point the driver went a bit batshit crazy and I noticed three scared looking children in the back of the car so I backed off.

I learned a valuable lesson, when you're on a bike don't speak unless spoken to. I find the best defence is nonchalance; you are possibly less likely to get into a situation that forces you to physically defend yourself if you just let it go.

I used to work with violent people and the best bit of advice I can give you if you think a situation is turning nasty is to take a breath and identify your exits before doing anything else.

 

[Andrew_Culture]

not nearly half as much as when you give em a smile and a cheery wave

If I'm in a grump I'll give drivers a cheery wave if they nearly kill me through thoughtlessness. I love it when they smile and wave back, with their waving hand gradually slowing as it dawns on them why you're waving

 

[Cycling Dan]

For goodness sake Dan, you really are desperate for it to be a war out there on the roads aren't you? Just chill and focus on enjoying your riding rather than looking for confrontation and the unjust at every opportunity.

I think a good place to start would be to turn off your cycle cam

i was just asking for stories for me and others to read, whats wrong with that. it does happen, no point saying its doesn't. i cycled a good few years without even thinking of getting a camera i because i enjoy it, shi-t happens... i cant control what the camera sees. If anything the camera its self on or off is a good thing, since getting it i have seen a clear reduction of events. Now this could be chance but there is a clear correlation in my case.

 

[400bhp]

Or it could be your cycling is improving.

 

[Cycling Dan]

Or it could be your cycling is improving.

yes in hindsight i should have included that..... if anything its that.
i let my dad teach me how to cycle like most people however when it got to using the road... he put me into bad habits... one of the worst was hugging the kerb and it took me some time to break it. Bus drivers man hahaha

 

[Cyclopathic]

I stay very calm on the roads and if there are any incidents I take down the reg and track down the driver at a later date. Once I have identified them and where they live I begin a campaign of organised terror on them, stalking them 24 hrs a day waiting for the ideal opportunity to mess with their minds. When eventually they are a broken shadow of their former selves having lost all they once held dear I identify myself to them and say "There, that'll teach you not to bip your horn at a cyclist for no good reason...Think on"
I've only got the wrong person twice but they were worth it for the one bloke that I got right. Of course it takes a lot of time but it's better than having a slagging match at the side of the street. Mwahahahaha

 

[Matthew_T]

yes in hindsight i should have included that..... if anything its that.
i let my dad teach me how to cycle like most people however when it got to using the road... he put me into bad habits... one of the worst was hugging the kerb and it took me some time to break it. Bus drivers man hahaha

When I did my bikeability training about 8 years ago, we were taught to only take primary when negotiating junctions. As a result, I used to get people passing me through pinch points as I didnt take the lane.
Since joining CC, I have learnt a lot about when to take primary and as a result, have very few incidents now.

 

[adamangler]

Not on a bike, but only been cycling on road a few weeks. In the car ive seen 4-5 instances of people getting out and banging on windows, my self personally nothing more than windows down, never got out or had anyone get out on me.

However there was an incident a few months ago where i would of got out and probably hit this bloke if i had gotten the chance.
I was driving along in the middle lane of motorway with my 3 kids in the back, an audi came steaming up the slip road to join and immediately went for the middle lane where i was, he didnt see me at all and would have rammed me into the offside lane, luckily nothing was coming and i swerved into the outside lane to avoid him, he then followed me, right up my arse beeping, i moved back into the middle to let him pass, and he came alongside, i looked at him obviously annoyed...he then started swerving his car at me in anger and then cut right in front of me and braked. I was absoloutely seething, i completely lost it, i got round him and pulled away a few hundred yards onto the hard shoulder, anyway the guy just passed and kept going. That was the angriest ive ever been behind a wheel and honestly cant say what would have happened had he pulled over..

 

[Black Sheep]

I've been in a vehicle when someone in a saxo has overtaken and then slammed the brakes on.

Really should not have done that to an old ex military land rover, we used his back end as a crumple zone. Thankfully there was only him in the car.

 

[Andrew_Culture]

I've been in a vehicle when someone in a saxo has overtaken and then slammed the brakes on.

Really should not have done that to an old ex military land rover, we used his back end as a crumple zone. Thankfully there was only him in the car.

We used to have a Series III and it amazed us that anyone would pull out in front of us - there are oil tankers with shorter stopping distance!

 

[Black Sheep]

This was a 2A Lightweight with the headlights in the radiator grille, both ends of it's bumpers are bent, the other end is from writing off a 2 week old BMW that pulled out right in front of it at a roundabout.

 

[Andrew_Culture]

This was a 2A Lightweight with the headlights in the radiator grille, both ends of it's bumpers are bent, the other end is from writing off a 2 week old BMW that pulled out right in front of it at a roundabout.

Great stuff. Ya don't mess with landies. We had military spec wing mirrors and after years of having wing mirrors on our cars smashed off while parked on our street it was devilishly pleasing finding transit van mirrors under our land rover!

Our street is so narrow hat having the landie acted as traffic calming in much the same way as a skip might.