how far do you go with road rage?

damo010

Hi,

its my first post here so here goes;

i have had two kick offs with very selfish / dangerous drivers which let me to point out their bad drive only to be given the V's or the bird back so i have then lost my rag a bit, as its their mistake in the first instance but i guess that they can't accept they were in the wrong and felt that attack is better than saying sorry.

anyway whilst a bit of shouting is taking place it occurs to me that its an empty vessel i'm talking to so what the point? on the second occasion the chap was getting out of his car and a fight was very close to happening!

i guess what i'm asking is how do you guys deal with these situations?

any one just waded in the chinned one? i guess taking the moral high ground is safer but the dick car driver will never learn if we don't put then straight for bad driving around cyclists.

one more thing, both drivers stated that i didn't pay road tax! as if that makes a difference? oh but i do pay road tax on my car??

thanks and i look forward to hearing your tactics and stories:-)

cheers damo.

rf6

It's not easy, but try and take the moral high ground. You won't change them, and it saves any grief with the old bill.

Someone will be along shortly to give you tips on alternative uses for a d-lock!

OldSkoolKona

It's all about the karma (no, not ddd's steed). I used to get wound up by every wrong done onto me, but like you say, you're speaking to an empty vessel.

So I learnt to chill, not get wound up, and actually the amount of dangerous situations decreased as a result. You're not going to change anyone's opinions or driving behaviour in a road side rant. Rather you'll get wound up, lose concentration and not be as alert when that next car up the road doesn't see you.

Oddjob62

It's not road tax and, unless they were driving pre 1937 it makes no difference what they pay.

Since 1937 the money has gone into central government revenues and since then has not contributed directly to road building or maintenance.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vehicle_excise_duty

iPete

I blow a kiss and move on.

mroli

Yelling, shouting etc, does nothing. If they are dicks, they are dicks and you ain't gonna change them. I'm just unfallibly polite, will point out the error of their ways and if they mouth off remind them that they are in the wrong and that I have been polite and that in a quiet moment of self reflection later on, they might realise how pathetic their behaviour is. And I make sure my behaviour is as beyond reproach as possible.

dcurzon

smash 'em in

Cafewanda

Kryptonite Fagh d-lock, Job done.

woodford2barbican

It depends what my day has been like.

It has varied from blowing a kiss to taking off a wing mirror.

I have not hit anyone yet.......but it is probably is only a matter of time. If I ever do, I deal with it when it happens.

Yes, I can be an unpleasant person - but when someone has come close to killing me I seem to lose my self-control.

Kieran_Burns

iPete wrote:

I blow a kiss and move on.

This works. You would be amazed at the reaction. Utterly. utterly wrecks anyone.

damo010

thanks for the replies,

the point about it nearly killing you is what gets me so much, how can they say of hand "well you don't pay road tax" as if it matters when your in hospital fight for your life and if we did would they then drive differently?

i got so feed up with dick drivers that i sold my road bike to focus on the MTB but i miss getting in a few road miles and its always these miles which seam to be the most dangerous.

i'm a very mellow guy but i too feel thats its just a matter of time before i end up hitting some one and that thought does not sit well with me but i don;t want to stop doing something i like due to others.

any one know where i can get a tazer gun? :oops:

drawblood

If it is a commercial van or truck and they really were dangerous or inconsiderate, I have remembered the name of the company and when I had a moment, gone back and put in a big order for their double glazed stuff / catering equirmment or whatever. Then a few hours later, cancelled the order and when asked why, stated that one of their vans badly cut up a cyclist and I can't trust their service if their drivers act like that!! - may seem a bit contrived, but I enjoy it...and they may be more considerate to cyclists in the future!!

dilemna

drawblood wrote:

If it is a commercial van or truck and they really were dangerous or inconsiderate, I have remembered the name of the company and when I had a moment, gone back and put in a big order for their double glazed stuff / catering equirmment or whatever. Then a few hours later, cancelled the order and when asked why, stated that one of their vans badly cut up a cyclist and I can't trust their service if their drivers act like that!! - may seem a bit contrived, but I enjoy it...and they may be more considerate to cyclists in the future!!

Ha! That will teach them .......................

dilemna

I read on some forum that a car of chavs harassed a cyclist and the passenger spat at him as they went by. Cyclist caught up with car of chavs at some lights just up the road, ripping the nearside door mirror from it's mounting as he passed by. Car of chavs then followed him, chavs got out and 4 of them gave him a good kicking. Cyclist ended up black and blue, suffering a detatched retina in one of his eyes.

Also another high profile case where a cyclist had an altercation with a moton, then for what ever reason the car's door mirror became detached. The moton chased the cyclist some distance in his car driving up onto pavements finally running him down and KILLING him. Here's the link.


http://www.coventrytelegraph.net/news/c ... -23432533/

Be careful don't bite off more than you can chew so to speak. Pride before a fall.

mroli

woodford2barbican - just out of interest, would you say it is totally acceptable for a pedestrian to smash up a cyclist that RLJ near them?

sundog

Just don't get involved either in a car or on a bike. It's just not worth it. Try and drive/ ride more defensively and be aware that there are a lot of utter utter dicks around.

woodford2barbican

mroli wrote:

woodford2barbican - just out of interest, would you say it is totally acceptable for a pedestrian to smash up a cyclist that RLJ near them?

yes.

edit: not near, but if they hit them yes.

jimmypippa

Bike rage is a dish best served cold | James Randerson

27 Jul 2010 ... James Randerson: When a professional driver cuts you up on the road, a well- aimed complaint can work wonders.

Skippy2309

I generally avoid arguing, I am big enough people usually dont bother anyway.... plus smiling when someone is swearing and shouting confuses them a great deal.

But yesterday I nearly resorted to demolishing a womans car!!

Had an amazing day at work very chilled and happy, chatted to my work partner then to one of the girls at work, happily chucked on my helmet and got on my way. nice clear road, nothing better. Stop at a set of lights (obviously its red) in the ASL box in the middle towards the right of road as I am turning right at the lights. As the lights change I clip in and start to pull away... next thing theres an old woman hard on the horn, driving at my wheel and waving her arms calling me all names under the sun. So i pull round the corner and let her pass giving her a what was the point look. hell I accelerated faster than her car but i slowed so she could pass. So I think end of problem enjoy the ride....

Go down the hill, coasting because I didnt wanna get too close, she brakes HARD at the bottom of the hill, meaning I got to brake hard, then I hear the engine screaming as she floors it again. still kept my cool didnt see the point in having a go at an older woman. what happened for the next mile made me nearly seriously flip out. I was tempted to follow her and take a the car apart (even my father said I should of).

coming to the bottom of the straight section onto roads I know extremely well. theres a weird width restriction, its 3m long, well the woman indicates to turn on to the road, shes slowing for the width restriction, as she enters it I am about 3m back and closing the distance. she slams on the brakes again! She pulls away and flicks on the indicator to say she is turning left... at this point I was annoyed so pulled out to pass her, as I do she swerves into the middle of the road, next turns a right so the right indicator comes on she slows then pulls left hard as I am about to pass..... In the end I decided not to play the games and just stayed behind her... she was doing it at most of the turn offs. she upped the ante at a junction tho, which made me nearly come off the bike! cross roads we both stop at the junction to check its safe I give her time to pull away, as I pull away she locks up her brakes making me nearly run in the back of her again. She started slamming the brakes at pinch points as well.

by the time I got home, My heart and head was pumping, I was missing chunks from brand new cleats where I was unclipping and catching the kerbs where I was nearly forced from the road.

I still do not know what I did to deserve it....

flateric

I got cut up by a pretentious arsehole who's response to me was that cyclists where scum and shouldnt take up space on the road.

Local police following an "anonymous" tip of pulled him for drink driving later on.......

Hrun

Skippy2309 wrote:

I generally avoid arguing, I am big enough people usually dont bother anyway.... plus smiling when someone is swearing and shouting confuses them a great deal.

But yesterday I nearly resorted to demolishing a womans car!!

I doubt you did anything. I bet she didn't know you were behind her and if forced to take her test again would fail. I would put money on it she was nearly blind too.

I agree with people who say be the bigger man and get on with your life.

nich

Since commuting I've noted down my reactions

1) The odd wave as if to say 'wtf was that', along with The Glare. Drivers pulling out in front of me usually get this. Peds that step out in front of me sometimes get this. I seem todo this about once a week.

2) Muttering words under my breathe. Mostly reserved for cars taking up cycle lanes, or cylists pulling up in front of me at the lights, or jumping red lights.

I had a bad bout of rage the other day though. A car overtook me on a bend and almost took out my front wheel. I caught up with them at the lights and did the 'wtf' wave along with The Glare. I got no reaction from them, but secretely I wanted to launch my heavy old road bike into their back window :twisted:

Bacteria Man

It's hard not to get angry just reading this, but we all have to acknowledge that we are the more vunerable party (probably what makes their arrogance so infuriating), and are probably risking serious injury/worse by aggrovating these dicks. You have to just try to run with it and accept that there are a lot of these Jeremy Kyle-watching twats out on the road.

Having said that I do occasionally fantasise about pulling up to the driver's side and throwing a d-lock through the window before doing a 180 and speeding off into a nearby alleyway.

Bacteria Man

Except that I don't actually own a D-lock

Headhuunter

Following on from the filching and spitting thread. Gather up a nice greeny in you mouth and when you catch up with the eejit at the next traffic lights, flob it out on their vehicle. Kills 2 birds with 1 stone - clears your aiways and throat and gets some revenge without actually damaging private property...

Headhuunter

....Or if it's summer and you're REALLY p*ssed off, through their open car window onto them and/or the upholstery...

mudcovered

Skippy2309 wrote:

by the time I got home, My heart and head was pumping, I was missing chunks from brand new cleats where I was unclipping and catching the kerbs where I was nearly forced from the road.

I still do not know what I did to deserve it....

:shock: If you've got a reg number (which may be unlikely) I'd report it too the police. They may not do anything but behaviour like that is worthy of reporting.

If you encounter her again turn off and take a breather and let her get way out of your space.

Mike

homercles

nich wrote:

Since commuting I've noted down my reactions

1) The odd wave as if to say 'wtf was that', along with The Glare. Drivers pulling out in front of me usually get this. Peds that step out in front of me sometimes get this. I seem todo this about once a week.

2) Muttering words under my breathe. Mostly reserved for cars taking up cycle lanes, or cylists pulling up in front of me at the lights, or jumping red lights.

Classic - this describes my reactions to crap driving pretty much perfectly. Taxi not bothering to indicate? Open palm gesture as if to say WTF, plus lots of muttering about what a tw** he is. Car chancing the gap when pulling out? Much muttering, etc...

flateric

Skippy2309 wrote:

I generally avoid arguing, I am big enough people usually dont bother anyway.... plus smiling when someone is swearing and shouting confuses them a great deal.

But yesterday I nearly resorted to demolishing a womans car!!
forced from the road.

I still do not know what I did to deserve it....

She is a woman? maybe thats how she normally drives?

gtvlusso

I believe that yelling/shouting in someone's face can be classed as assault - anyone care to comment?

Personally - after an incident involving me breaking some tw*ts jaw and knocking a few teeth out (I lowered myself :-( )

I will now make all haste to just move on quickly and avoid, I have a long fuse, but when it goes.........kaboom!

Anonymous

When I was younger I used to get so angry and take retaliation.

Now I'm older I've learnt that although very satisfying to take revenge it could get you in a lot of trouble and normally isn't worth the risk.

Tactics that have proved effective in the past though -

1. Bending wing mirrors, not damaging, but just folding them in.

2. Opening a rear door, again no damage, but means the fecker will have to get out to close it and giving you enough time to sprint off.

I think the trick to effective retaliation (shouldn't do it at all, but if you choose to) is to cause annoyance, but leave no lasting damage and more importantly, no evidence.