Today has left me utterly depressed....

[Dismount]

I tried,but she was ranting on and on. She was really angry, and yet I had done absolutely nothing wrong. That's what's upsetting me, the terrible anger, for no reason at all.

Don't let them get to you, payback is best, steal her office chair and mouse mat and replace with the below

 

[400bhp]

Car drivers get abuse from other drivers.

driving is much more srressful than cyclin, dont get dragged into the drudgery and mindset of commuting by car.

I think I got beeped tonight, not really interested to be honest. The bit of road I had just entered was choca for a mile and a half, loved filtering through all that and heard myself mouthing losers

 

[RedRider]

The thing about my colleague that depressed me most is, that she had absolutely no concept of what was wrong about what she was saying. She's generally a lovely woman, very intelligent, sensitive and caring - but demonstrated to me that drivers have got no idea about why cyclists behave in the way they do, and rather tahn wondering why, just gets angry.
Same with the woman at the lights, as far as she was concerned I was the devil for slowing her progress to the red traffic light, and I was completely illegal for not being in the cycle lane that would have allowed her to pass me, albeit far too close to be safe.

How frustrating. I know exactly what you're saying, sometimes it's hard to shrug off and it's really to the fore at the moment.
I reckon I'm pretty chilled most of the time, have the odd wry smile about the road and life in general and get on with it but depending on the weather there's something about being beeped just for being there that can really get me goat. Arghh!
Not always tho...A couple of weeks ago I was cruising in a lane of traffic, all going 20mph, a steady ten metres gap and I heard beeping behind. It was a courier on a scooter and he pulled alongside as we carried along. I genuinely thought he was going to say 'your pocket's open' or something helpful. Instead he complained that I was in the middle of the road and I should be 'on the left, the left!' At least you can have a conversation with someone on a scooter so after I got over me surprise I was able to look him in the eye and tell him to 'do one'. In the end it was quite a positive experience!

 

[clockman]

How ever upset you feel, don't get too upset. Let your colleague and the ignorant, impatient drivers get the extra high blood pressure induced brain embolism.
It's their problem, not yours. You have just as much right to be on the road as them. Just stay safe and take the moral high ground and don't lower yourself to their level. It's not worth it.
Just look forward to tomorrow's commute.

 

[BigonaBianchi]

Someone once told me that "you cannot reason with ignorance" I've never heard a truer phrase.

 

[line71]

Stand up for yourself and dish their shoot back,i dont take no shoot from these morons

 

[buggi]

what you need to do is, when they beep at you, smile and give them the thumbs up or wave as if you know them. It really infuriates them. They drive away mad and you arrive at work highly amused.

 

[buggi]

o and as for the bitch at the lights. pretend something is wrong with your bike and get off and take a look. ensure you look long enough to hold her up for one complete cycle of lights. that will make her have a really bad day.

 

[RedRider]

what you need to do is, when they beep at you, smile and give them the thumbs up or wave as if you know them. It really infuriates them. They drive away mad and you arrive at work highly amused.

I've blown the odd kiss in my time

 

[RedRider]

o and as for the bitch at the lights. pretend something is wrong with your bike and get off and take a look. ensure you look long enough to hold her up for one complete cycle of lights. that will make her have a really bad day.

 

[RedRider]

Ha! That too

 

[buggi]

also, a perfectly timed snot shot adds to the comedy.

 

[RedRider]

I'm not that accurate at snots. Shoot myself in the foot so to speak.

 

[buggi]

I'm not that accurate at snots. Shoot myself in the foot so to speak.

just snot into your fingers and then flick it... Way more accurate.

 

[Accy cyclist]

I tried,but she was ranting on and on. She was really angry, and yet I had done absolutely nothing wrong. That's what's upsetting me, the terrible anger, for no reason at all.

At that point i would've given up on doing the diplomatic cyclist bit and reached for my trusty plastic water bottle and cooled the ranting stressed out fool down with a nice squirt!