Road Rage

[Lizban]

Ok, thinking about this for a while and floated it in a response to one of ther numerous clips about bad driving. I wanted to start a new thread so as to ensure this wasn’t an attack on any individual poster, as it is not my intention for it to be that.



When watching these videos the cyclist often is rude, aggressive and confronts drivers. This is in response of course to some provocation, normally a close overtake or undertake.



But is this response not road rage?



Here is wiki’s definition.



Road rage is aggressive or angry behavior by a driver of an automobile or other motor vehicle. Such behavior might include rude gestures, verbal insults, deliberately driving in an unsafe or threatening manner, or making threats. Road rage can lead to altercations, assaults, and collisions which result in injuries and even deaths. It can be thought of as an extreme case of aggressive driving.



Therefore is what the cyclists do in these videos road rage? (albeit they are not driving a motor vehicle of course)



If it is road rage is it ever acceptable?

(As a disclaimer I am as guilty as the next man of doing it on occasion)



Thoughts?

 

[XmisterIS]

Anyone behaving in the way described by the wiki definition is, I agree, an aggressive driver. To behave like that on a bicycle is madness though and a good way to get yourself run over/driven at!

I only shout at people when they cut me up or look like they are about to. In the latter case, it's a shout of, "look out!" or "wake up!" I don't think that's aggressive.

 

[Jezston]

I think the angry reaction of a cyclist in these clips is more of a reaction to a perceived threat to their safety rather than just a threat to their masculinity for example which you might associate with the typical road rage incident, and is thus I feel a lot more understandable.

 

[upsidedown]

Classic road rage behaviour is, in my opininion brought in by an infringement in the driver's space, and/or perceived threat to their valuable car. They are rarely a reaction to any perceived danger.

Cars are a private space in a public place, not a good mix.

Cyclists' reactions are often down to very real and imminent danger to life and limb, a completely different trigger.

paul

 

[Bird Brain]

Yes it is road rage.

 

[CopperBrompton]

Yes, it's road-rage. Sometimes understandable, but best avoided.

I'm unable to cast the first stone ...

 

[Andrew_P]

Yep Road Rage, and yep I have it, lucky for me my commute means I am never able to catch up with them and give up within 5 mins of being out of the saddle as the mist subsides. Still the benefit is that it improves my time.

One of the vids did tickle me as you can see the sequence of shock that was close, then followed by the rider clearly out of the saddle attempting to chase them down, so reminded me of how I react

 

[gaz]

That would depend. I've had plenty of people commenting on some of my videos saying 'you've got road rage, get counciling'
I will admit, i have on occasions shouted at someone (never explitives) but thats only when they litrealy nearly knocked me off my bike down to there own stupidness! I feel that is justified. Sometimes people make mistakes, and I will let plenty of stuff fly without a bat of an eye lid because it's human nature to make mistakes.
But if someone harreses me, nearly knocks me off or does something else potential dangerous i.e on the phone whilst driving. Then you are going to get spoken to, and 9/10 i'm well spoken and calm and i don't think that is road rage.

However, some cyclists on youtube do seem to have a bad case of roadrage and i don't like seeing those reactions even if they are sometimes understandable.

 

[hackbike 666]

Hmmm so have I as the Lorry and Landrover incidents will verify...It's rarer now though.Im older and wiser.

 

[DrSquirrel]

Ok, thinking about this for a while and floated it in a response to one of ther numerous clips about bad driving. I wanted to start a new thread so as to ensure this wasn’t an attack on any individual poster, as it is not my intention for it to be that.



When watching these videos the cyclist often is rude, aggressive and confronts drivers. This is in response of course to some provocation, normally a close overtake or undertake.


But is this response not road rage?

If you run up to them swearing blind, then yes.

If you go up to them to ask them what they are doing, and end up telling them what they think is wrong (road tax, primary, must cycle on the cycle paths), then no.

Don't rely on wiki(pedia?) for anything.

You're best looking up the legal definition of Road Rage (Black's Law Dictionary anyone?).

As for shouting during incidents - most people would call that defence, just like you'd use the horn if someone was cutting into your lane and you think they might not have seen you (which is more of an issue with car vs cyclist than car vs car).



I look through many "cyclist videos" and it's very rare to get any rude returns, aggressive? Maybe, some I would more call passive aggressive.


A road rage response would be as above, continual foul language (not during the incident, that's shock/surprise whatnot) and trying to do something to harm or purposely annoy them (car), so cutting them up, riding at them, "brake testing", slow downs etc -- show me a cyclist that has done this...

 

[Lizban]

If you run up to them swearing blind, then yes.

If you go up to them to ask them what they are doing, and end up telling them what they think is wrong (road tax, primary, must cycle on the cycle paths), then no.

Don't rely on wiki(pedia?) for anything.

You're best looking up the legal definition of Road Rage (Black's Law Dictionary anyone?).

As for shouting during incidents - most people would call that defence, just like you'd use the horn if someone was cutting into your lane and you think they might not have seen you (which is more of an issue with car vs cyclist than car vs car).



I look through many "cyclist videos" and it's very rare to get any rude returns, aggressive? Maybe, some I would more call passive aggressive.


A road rage response would be as above, continual foul language (not during the incident, that's shock/surprise whatnot) and trying to do something to harm or purposely annoy them (car), so cutting them up, riding at them, "brake testing", slow downs etc -- show me a cyclist that has done this...

Don't think we need a legal definition of road rage (if one exisits). It was the broader point that I was keen to explore, let me put it simpler. Wikipedia is unrelaible but it serves the pupose neatly for this discussion.

Is agressive behaviour (including gestures, shouting and rude words AKA road rage) acceptable if you have been the victim of poor driving, or is understandable but unacceptable?

 

[magnatom]

Shouting, being rude and being aggressive is not acceptable. I try my very best not to be, and I think in the vast mejority of my videos I avoid these things. Often it may sound like I am shouting, but you have to remember I am much closer to the microphone than the driver often is!

On the odd occasion where I have made a rude guesture I have always regretted it (I don't think I have ever done that when stopped for a conversation).

Do my chats class as road rage? I honestly don't think so. I'm happy to hear from others if they think it is.

 

[DrSquirrel]

@Magnatom
I don't think they do Mags - I think from being in these situations myself I know how hard it is to actually speak clearly.


@Lizban

I only talk about legal definition because you quoted something from a wiki - unsure which one (wiki doesn't automatically mean wikipedia) - which is edited by anyone.

If you scream it out in exclamation - that isn't road rage, regardless of if you swear or saying "blimey"!

I've not seen a cyclist do any more (mostly less) Than what a driver would do, which is usually following with horn blaring, tail gating and all that fluff - and usually the worst that might have happened in a slightly dented bumper. Whereas cyclist = injury.

As for the lads/lasses that go up to the side of the car - how many of them are swearing at the driver? Try and avoid relying on the tone of voice as shock/being out of breath makes it really hard to get a concise point across.

 

[Lizban]

Shouting, being rude and being aggressive is not acceptable. I try my very best not to be, and I think in the vast mejority of my videos I avoid these things. Often it may sound like I am shouting, but you have to remember I am much closer to the microphone than the driver often is!

On the odd occasion where I have made a rude guesture I have always regretted it (I don't think I have ever done that when stopped for a conversation).

Do my chats class as road rage? I honestly don't think so. I'm happy to hear from others if they think it is.

I think it was one of your vids that got me thinking - you(?) followed somone to a petrol station?.

But please don't think this thread is a 'go' at you - it definately isn't my intention.

 

[BSRU]

I don't do gestures, like to keep both hands on the handlebars, not really a shouter and any rude words are 99% only heard by me.Try not to bother talking to bad road users as they normally have no idea what I am talking about, i.e. "what cyclist" or they take any criticism, how ever small or constructive, as a slight against their family honour and turn into potential homicidal maniacs.