When a Driver Honks their Horn at you....

[Tynan]

I'd advise not doing the finger etc, at least not routinely

I was twice attacked after doing that, one car went up the pavement to chase me, once he got out his car after passing me and punched me

I'm sure we've all read stories in the papers

Best to let it go or as others say, keep it civil

 

[Jim_Noir]

Slow down, pull up to the driver’s side and hand them some sweets for their kids, thank them for their patience and wish them a safe journey.

You difuse the situation and don't ruin your Chi due to some erse.

 

[just jim]

I was in the bike section at the front of a cue at a junction!

This does really wind some people up!

 

[Lazy-Commuter]

Must. Overtake. Cyclist.

I did wave a cheery "good morning" coupled with a "look, it's me, I'm here, hello" signal to the woman who'd just driven past me (couldn't even call it an overtake she was so slow getting past) on the approach to a mini roundabout on a housing estate this morning. This despite me being in a good strong primary* and having done plenty of looking round with eye contact and all that as she came up behind me.

Course, she got halfway past, remembered the roundabout and kind of half swung in (although in fairness she must have been vaguely aware of me as she didn't come all the way in) and slowed right down and went over the middle of the roundabout: it's quite a big "mini" roundabout with a heavily raised brick built middle - you can drive over it but not at any kind of speed.

My positioning did at least mean I had space to my left to get clear of her, though I did have to slow right down and wait for her to sort her life out on the exit. She then didn't seem in a hurry to get away, having been in a real rush to get in front of me on the approach, and I kept up with her fairly easily for a few hundred yards, waving politely all the time. She never once looked in her mirror though.

* Is it possible to hold both sides of a road to stop them getting past? I was holding the lane, but couldn't hold the other side of the road.

 

[Jim_Noir]

I never realised cyclists got so much s**t from motorists till I started a few weeks ago! They have no idea! I got honked at and hollered at by his ugly girlfriend "f***ing moron!" she said cus I was in the bike section at the front of a cue at a junction!

I have given up road rage, (after only 4 weeks, poor effort!) it only makes me feel bad and not shouting back makes them look silly.
I think some headphones might be a good idea!

To be fair, I think motorists give each other the same abuse, just on a bike it's more life threatening and we are aware of it more. Folk are a-holes when they get on tarmac, the stuff seems to turn the mild mannered janitor in to a bigoted psycho hell bent on killing someone.

 

[D4VOW]

I always slow down to the pace your average POD would ride and hinder their progress further.

 

[ACS]

To date this has only happened to me once while travelling on a single lane road with passing places, I could hear the vehicle behind me but because the road was far too narrow for them to pass the driver sounded the horn without interruption.

As with most of the roads in my area they can be quite lumpy and in this case I was proud to be the very worst climber on the planet. I checked behind, no blue lights, just an old Ford Fiesta so I carried on until I came to passing place when I slowed, drifted left and joined my training partner who had been ahead of me, ‘cause he can climb.

The car came along side and the passenger, a Ned clone, shouted something at us in industrial Gaelic threw an empty Iron Bru can in our direction before the car disappeared in a cloud of diesel fumes.

I must admit we did have a laugh about it on the way home and I know my training partner and next door but one neighbour would see the incident report, he being the local police Inspector and the owner of a mobile phone.

 

[Dayvo]

If you're in France, it means "I am in a car behind you. I am going to overtake once it is safe to do so, please do not be alarmed."

If you're in Britain it means "I am very anxious to reach the next queue of traffic/red light ahead of you, but am not willing to knock you off your bike (yet) to do so, please bugger off out of the way lest I change my mind."

So true, and not just France but probably every country in Europe/the rest of the world EXCEPT the UK!

My favourite is the 'self-gratification artist' hand sign! Unfortunately no-one here knows what it means; fortunately I don't need to use it!

 

[Woz!]

Had a woman slow down alongside me and tell me something last week. She looked peeved that I'd got in her way.
Sadly, didn't hear a word of it because I was listening the the In Our Time podcast.
I just gave her a blank look and waved at her. Which seemed to annoy her for some reason

 

[tdr1nka]

Like Mr. Paul I have also been chased down by an irate moton for giving a less than subtle hand gesture in return for them driving up stupidly fast behind me and having to skid to a halt, just at my back wheel, when they realised they couldn't get past me at a pinch point.

Nowadays I just tend to look blankly over my shoulder to make eye contact and then carry on holding my road position until there is enough space to allow them to pass.

 

[4F]

I always slow down to the pace your average POD would ride and hinder their progress further.

Yep same here

 

[Dan B]

.....what is it they want you to do????

I think you're presupposing a degree of rationality in the driver's actions that, in my experience, is not usually there. A car driver honking doesn't mean anything more than a whinnying horse or a bleating lamb: it's a largely involuntary response to an unexpected stimulus.

 

[Jim_Noir]

They are sheep

 

[purplepolly]

I got honked at and hollered at by his ugly girlfriend "f***ing moron!" she said cus I was in the bike section at the front of a cue at a junction!

I have given up road rage, (after only 4 weeks, poor effort!)

After only four weeks? What are you doing, meditating?

The correct response to beeping at a junction (not abuse which is better ignored) is to put both feet on the ground, turn round confusedly and look around for the source of the commotion. Then remount and set off slowly on green. For the full effect through in a starting off wobble.

 

[jonesy]

On one particular stretch of my commute I think it means "Excuse me Sir, I realise you have every right to use the road, but I am wondering why you don't wish to use the cycle path that is so clearly visible on the side of the road? This is of course purely to help me better understand my fellow road users, not out of any wish to put pressure on you to do something you have clearly decided offers you no advantage".

Though maybe am I reading too much into it!

The irony is that at this particular location the 'cycle path' is merely a normal pavement, it is assumed to be a cyclepath because it is continuous with a shared use pavement further up the road. A good example of how 'cycle facilities' can contribute to creating conflict that would otherwise never have arisen..