Roadtwats.......

gtvlusso

Drove the car in today - long night with junior and teething.....

Anyway, as I rolled along in the morning rush hour traffic, I drive quite slowly, but generally stay with moving traffic speed. Some young girl in a Vauxhall Corsa VXR decided that she wanted to be in the lane that I was in, so, without any mirror check indication or shoulder check - just changed lanes on top of me. This obviously caused me to brake excessively whilst moving along a road at 40mph. I didn't "beep" or jesture......

What staggered me was that there was no acknowledgement of idiocy on her behalf....However, she kept on doing this manouvre to try and make up some places in the heavy traffic. Then she turned left after 100 yards at the next junction into a well known business car park.

She basically cut 3 cars up and made 2 places in the traffic before getting into her work car park.

Was it worth it?
Are all people that drive "hot hatches" complete idiots?
Should I have just shoved the 4 x 4 nudge bar into the side of her car?

It angers me that some people sit their believing that the world is revolving around them. I feel a little better in the knowledge that a good plastic surgeon could not remove the chavness from her.

Keith1983

I think the problem is that there are plenty of "roadtwats" as you call them out there, some in cars, some on motorbikes, some on bicycles, some just pedestrians who refuse to remove their head from their backside before crossing the road. The problem is that you remember the morons but make no mental note of those that use the roads with consideration for others. I would just recommend that when you bare witness to such unbeliavable acts of stupidity you can feel smug in the knowledge that you aren't one of these "roadtwats".

lastant

Keith1983 wrote:

The problem is that you remember the morons but make no mental note of those that use the roads with consideration for others

This! The amount of times I've tried to explain to my Dad that not every cyclist jumps red lights etc. and it's just those that are the ones he remembers*.

He probably is getting a little annoyed now with me pointing out every one that has stopped if I'm a passenger in a car with him. Meh.

* ...silly really, his memory's appalling yet he remembers each and every one of those!

rick_chasey

gtvlusso wrote:

It angers me that some people sit their believing that the world is revolving around them.

Err, it revolves around me, and just me. Not 'them'...

KonaMike

After 18 months of commuting by Bike I now hate driving to work and avoid it as much as I can !! I think cycling hightens my sensitivity to bad drivers and makes driving really frustrating .

hfidgen

Keith1983 wrote:

The problem is that you remember the morons but make no mental note of those that use the roads with consideration for others.

I saw a motorcyclist last night who consistently stopped BEFORE THE ASL! It took me several sets of lights to notice and I almost fell off my bike when I did realise. Wanted to go over and shake his hand but the lights went green.

rolf_f

Had a funny one yesterday. I was overtaking a stationary row of cars on the approach to a traffic light. 50 yards before the traffic light is a left turn with another queue of cars waiting to join. As I come round the corner just before this junction I see some dipwit coming from the right is parked right across the oncoming traffic - not only that but he has squeezed his nose onto my side of the road so I have to plan how to get round him.

However, somewhat comically, before I get there, the car on my side of the road but just ahead of the blocker realises he is blocking another oncoming car from turning across his path. So he decides to reverse back a bit. Straight into the blocker; right rear wing impacting front bumper of blocker.

As I see it, they both deserve what they get. The blocker had no right to be obstructing the road the way he was and sticking a small bit of nose into the opposite lane was foolish. The reverser should have looked in his wing mirror as well as the rear view mirror (in which the blocker would have been invisible).

Jay dubbleU

Followed a car across a roundabout on my way home tonight, guy on the left waiting in a blue Peugeot didn't see me behind the car and shot off the line a soon as the other car had passed - missed my rear wheel by a gnats whisker - if he hadn't been so close the look on his face would have been funny

deptfordmarmoset

I had a Corsa deliberately try to force me off the road in Shoreditch this evening. I noted the registration plate and looked for my mobile to phone the police, but I'd left it at home as usual. Anyhow, the driver and his mates drove into the estate 50 yards further up the road. On a hunch, I took the next couple of lefts and saw where the car, engine still running, was stopped.

Now I don't usually carry sharp tools with me but I have to go back to Shoreditch in the next couple of days and a sharp implement added to the tool kit might help me cure a strange clicking I'm getting from somewhere near my bottom bracket.. I think the driver might find himself with only 2 inflatable tyres very soon. After all, we'll all be safer with him on just two wheels.

This of course might just be vengeful thinking but it was such a gratuitous and senseless act of unprovoked aggression that I'm not sure anyone should have to take that sort of behaviour. Without witnesses, there's nothing the police would have done anyway. The nearest thing to justice available to me is vengeance.

Kieran_Burns

deptfordmarmoset wrote:

I had a Corsa deliberately try to force me off the road in Shoreditch this evening. I noted the registration plate and looked for my mobile to phone the police, but I'd left it at home as usual. Anyhow, the driver and his mates drove into the estate 50 yards further up the road. On a hunch, I took the next couple of lefts and saw where the car, engine still running, was stopped.

Now I don't usually carry sharp tools with me but I have to go back to Shoreditch in the next couple of days and a sharp implement added to the tool kit might help me cure a strange clicking I'm getting from somewhere near my bottom bracket.. I think the driver might find himself with only 2 inflatable tyres very soon. After all, we'll all be safer with him on just two wheels.

This of course might just be vengeful thinking but it was such a gratuitous and senseless act of unprovoked aggression that I'm not sure anyone should have to take that sort of behaviour. Without witnesses, there's nothing the police would have done anyway. The nearest thing to justice available to me is vengeance.

that's a disgusting idea - and contemplating slashing his tyres while making sure you cut them only on the shoulder so they can't be patched is truly awful.

tim_wand

Seriously mate I know its a bit "self preservation society" but as long as you and yours are safe then dont let it get to you and certainly dont think about taking any pseudo vigilante action. There are too many things in this life to stress about and try and put right you'll just end up having a coronary and doing the bastards work for them.

I used to hope there was such a thing as Kharma Police but it would appear they have been replaced by some none effective PCSO's at best.

Stay out of your cage (alfa romeo or not ) and enjoy the bike, just remember everyone else is an idiot and you might just survive it all.

deptfordmarmoset

Kieran_Burns wrote:

deptfordmarmoset wrote:

I had a Corsa deliberately try to force me off the road in Shoreditch this evening. I noted the registration plate and looked for my mobile to phone the police, but I'd left it at home as usual. Anyhow, the driver and his mates drove into the estate 50 yards further up the road. On a hunch, I took the next couple of lefts and saw where the car, engine still running, was stopped.

Now I don't usually carry sharp tools with me but I have to go back to Shoreditch in the next couple of days and a sharp implement added to the tool kit might help me cure a strange clicking I'm getting from somewhere near my bottom bracket.. I think the driver might find himself with only 2 inflatable tyres very soon. After all, we'll all be safer with him on just two wheels.

This of course might just be vengeful thinking but it was such a gratuitous and senseless act of unprovoked aggression that I'm not sure anyone should have to take that sort of behaviour. Without witnesses, there's nothing the police would have done anyway. The nearest thing to justice available to me is vengeance.

that's a disgusting idea - and contemplating slashing his tyres while making sure you cut them only on the shoulder so they can't be patched is truly awful.

For moral reasons, I refuse to heed your very useful technical advice.

Tonymufc

KonaMike wrote:

After 18 months of commuting by Bike I now hate driving to work and avoid it as much as I can !! I think cycling hightens my sensitivity to bad drivers and makes driving really frustrating .

Try driving for a living and cycling to work. THEN it gets annoying.

mudcow007

i had a "roadtwat" last night, i was queueing to get onto the M6 from Uttoxeter (been to Alton Towers) i was at the end of the slip road just getting on to the motorway when an BMW X1 tries to over take me an cut in on the slip road, so i just shake my head an carry on...for the next 10 miles the very same white X1 was so far up the backside of my car im pretty sure he was trying to to listen to my cd

bearing in mind we are in bumper to bumper traffic with a 40mph speed limit where was he trying to get too?!?!

davis

mudcow007 wrote:

so i just shake my head an carry on...for the next 10 miles the very same white X1 was so far up the backside of my car im pretty sure he was trying to to listen to my cd

Assuming you've got a manual transmission: left foot on brake, just enough to make the brake light relays come on, and floor the throttle. Seems to confuse most people :-)

Obviously don't try this in real life, your mileage may vary, you're a grown-up; make your own damn mind up, I've never ever done this, nor have I met anyone who's ever considered doing it, won't someone please think of the children? What we need are £9 cameras on every car.

flicksta

gtvlusso wrote:

Drove the car in today - long night with junior and teething.....

Anyway, as I rolled along in the morning rush hour traffic, I drive quite slowly, but generally stay with moving traffic speed. Some young girl in a Vauxhall Corsa VXR decided that she wanted to be in the lane that I was in, so, without any mirror check indication or shoulder check - just changed lanes on top of me. This obviously caused me to brake excessively whilst moving along a road at 40mph. I didn't "beep" or jesture......

What staggered me was that there was no acknowledgement of idiocy on her behalf....However, she kept on doing this manouvre to try and make up some places in the heavy traffic. Then she turned left after 100 yards at the next junction into a well known business car park.

She basically cut 3 cars up and made 2 places in the traffic before getting into her work car park.

Was it worth it?
Are all people that drive "hot hatches" complete idiots?
Should I have just shoved the 4 x 4 nudge bar into the side of her car?

It angers me that some people sit their believing that the world is revolving around them. I feel a little better in the knowledge that a good plastic surgeon could not remove the chavness from her.

It's the modern way I'm afraid. People have lost interest in others under this new culture of entitlement.

I end up saying to many road users and pedestrians who act as above 'you have to remember that nobody knows what you are planning to do except yourself'.

Confusedboy

deptfordmarmoset wrote:

I had a Corsa deliberately try to force me off the road in Shoreditch this evening. I noted the registration plate and looked for my mobile to phone the police, but I'd left it at home as usual. Anyhow, the driver and his mates drove into the estate 50 yards further up the road. On a hunch, I took the next couple of lefts and saw where the car, engine still running, was stopped.

Now I don't usually carry sharp tools with me but I have to go back to Shoreditch in the next couple of days and a sharp implement added to the tool kit might help me cure a strange clicking I'm getting from somewhere near my bottom bracket.. I think the driver might find himself with only 2 inflatable tyres very soon. After all, we'll all be safer with him on just two wheels.

This of course might just be vengeful thinking but it was such a gratuitous and senseless act of unprovoked aggression that I'm not sure anyone should have to take that sort of behaviour. Without witnesses, there's nothing the police would have done anyway. The nearest thing to justice available to me is vengeance.

Vengeance is not justice, despite what Hollywood wants you to believe, it is only vengeance. I'm not saying there is not a time and place for it, but subtlety and a bit of forethought might give you far better results than slashing the tyres with a sharp object. I give you.... superglue. In his locks (including the filler cap), and, after you have let 2 tyres down, in all of his valves. This results in disabling the car expensively and effectively without endangering other road users and he will be unable to take it to a garage to get it fixed, so you have cost him callout charges as well. And, with any luck, he will not discover the damage to the tyres you didn't let down for a while.

Of course, I would never recommend such a course of action. The correct thing to do would have been to note his license number and reported him to 101 when you got home.

dilemna

Confusedboy wrote:

deptfordmarmoset wrote:

I had a Corsa deliberately try to force me off the road in Shoreditch this evening. I noted the registration plate and looked for my mobile to phone the police, but I'd left it at home as usual. Anyhow, the driver and his mates drove into the estate 50 yards further up the road. On a hunch, I took the next couple of lefts and saw where the car, engine still running, was stopped.

Now I don't usually carry sharp tools with me but I have to go back to Shoreditch in the next couple of days and a sharp implement added to the tool kit might help me cure a strange clicking I'm getting from somewhere near my bottom bracket.. I think the driver might find himself with only 2 inflatable tyres very soon. After all, we'll all be safer with him on just two wheels.

This of course might just be vengeful thinking but it was such a gratuitous and senseless act of unprovoked aggression that I'm not sure anyone should have to take that sort of behaviour. Without witnesses, there's nothing the police would have done anyway. The nearest thing to justice available to me is vengeance.

Vengeance is not justice, despite what Hollywood wants you to believe, it is only vengeance. I'm not saying there is not a time and place for it, but subtlety and a bit of forethought might give you far better results than slashing the tyres with a sharp object. I give you.... superglue. In his locks (including the filler cap), and, after you have let 2 tyres down, in all of his valves. This results in disabling the car expensively and effectively without endangering other road users and he will be unable to take it to a garage to get it fixed, so you have cost him callout charges as well. And, with any luck, he will not discover the damage to the tyres you didn't let down for a while.

Of course, I would never recommend such a course of action. The correct thing to do would have been to note his license number and reported him to 101 when you got home.

Maybe it's not so clever to announce such intentions which seem to amount to effectively making a confession on a public forum or maybe what has happened to you has made you extremely frustrated ........

dilemna

gtvlusso wrote:

Drove the car in today - long night with junior and teething.....

Anyway, as I rolled along in the morning rush hour traffic, I drive quite slowly, but generally stay with moving traffic speed. Some young girl in a Vauxhall Corsa VXR decided that she wanted to be in the lane that I was in, so, without any mirror check indication or shoulder check - just changed lanes on top of me. This obviously caused me to brake excessively whilst moving along a road at 40mph. I didn't "beep" or jesture......

What staggered me was that there was no acknowledgement of idiocy on her behalf....However, she kept on doing this manouvre to try and make up some places in the heavy traffic. Then she turned left after 100 yards at the next junction into a well known business car park.

She basically cut 3 cars up and made 2 places in the traffic before getting into her work car park.

Was it worth it?
Are all people that drive "hot hatches" complete idiots?
Should I have just shoved the 4 x 4 nudge bar into the side of her car?

It angers me that some people sit their believing that the world is revolving around them. I feel a little better in the knowledge that a good plastic surgeon could not remove the chavness from her.

I know just the type of car and driver. She was probably so keen to get to her boring job. Was she texting on her mobile?

Last week I saw a white Vauxhall Corsa VXR reg SU51 VXR with chav body kit being driven by what appeared to be an air head texting on her mobile phone.

bails87

I was following a car on the motorway the other week that would start off in the right hand side of the middle lane of an almost deserted motorway, before drifting to the left, hitting a few cat's eyes, jerking back over to the right until it hit the cat's eyes on that side, then it would stop and gradually drift left again. Repeated for about 5 minutes. Sure enough, as I overtook she was texting/emailing/blogging/contributing to Bikeradar on her phone.

Also, the missus's mum has got a Corsa VXR, I don't think she's a roadtwat, and she does an interesting and important job