To phone and complain or not...

CJ Bill
CJ Bill Posts: 415
edited September 2012 in Commuting chat
Had rather an annoying incident this morning and it’s really ticked me off.

Bear with me and let me set the scene: I’m cycling up to a set of lights on red at a junction and as it’s at the bottom of a dip I can tell it’s not far from turning green. There’s a scaffolders truck at the lights before the ASL but as I know the lights are going to change I stop behind the truck to let them get away. Lights change and I wait 10 seconds as they’re on green at which point I shout “Come on, they’re on f***ing green!”. Driver takes off giving me the one fingered salute out of the back window, which is a bit naughty but I did swear so in my opinion that was fair enough. I was very much “Whatever, just pull off” and waved him off (no rude hand gestures, just a come on, get going). He takes off up the other side of lights and up the hill there then deliberately jams his brakes on in the middle of the road with what was pretty clearly the express intention of trying to get me to ram into the back of him. I have working brakes so obviously I just stop and then have to do a cold start up a hill.

Now the thing is, I got the name on the truck, but not the phone number. A quick check has revealed the address of the company which appears to be a one man band operating not far from where this happens. I’m tempted to spin by on the way back tonight and get the number from the vehicle so as to ring them and express my disapproval. Thoughts? Or do I just ring the Inland Revenue and tell them "he offered me a 20% discount for cash as it was VAT free as far as he was concerned"?

Comments

  • rick_chasey
    rick_chasey Posts: 75,661
    Just leave it.

    You'll only work yourself up again thinking about it.
    _
  • mouth
    mouth Posts: 1,195
    Rick Chasey wrote:
    Just leave it.

    He'll take a guess that you probably use the same route every day and wait for you tomorrow.
    The only disability in life is a poor attitude.
  • jonomc4
    jonomc4 Posts: 891
    if I got narked everytime something to this level of annoyance I would have blood pressure of about 400/390
  • mudcow007
    mudcow007 Posts: 3,861
    Rick Chasey wrote:
    Just leave it.

    You'll only work yourself up again thinking about it.

    +1 just leave it an move on he is obviously an idiot

    if you do call who ever up, you will want to avoid the area in case he waits for you, is it really worth it?

    maybe next time your brakes wont be that good :shock:
    Keeping it classy since '83
  • clarkey cat
    clarkey cat Posts: 3,641
    a similar thing happened to me t'other day but I was going about 30mph and he did it about 5 times.

    I just shook my head gave him the 'dickhead' sign and then went home and fantasised about jumping on his skull for 10 minutes. And then all was well. These overly aggressive drivers will get their karma dished up to them one day, I like to imagine a painful heart attack alone in an empty bedsit and as the last embers of life flicker behind their eyes I hope they wish "I wish I'd been a more considerate road user"
    Dolan Mythos
  • mudcow007
    mudcow007 Posts: 3,861
    clarkey cat wrote:
    a similar thing happened to me t'other day but I was going about 30mph and he did it about 5 times.

    I just shook my head gave him the 'dickhead' sign and then went home and fantasised about jumping on his skull for 10 minutes. And then all was well. These overly aggressive drivers will get their karma dished up to them one day, I like to imagine a painful heart attack alone in an empty bedsit and as the last embers of life flicker behind their eyes I hope they wish "I wish I'd been a more considerate road user"

    at times like these i like to imagine the fleas of a camels infesting their (drivers) undercrackers

    which always makes me smile
    Keeping it classy since '83
  • CJ Bill
    CJ Bill Posts: 415
    Letting it lie is the way to go, I know, I am a little stressed out at the moment so I'm over-reacting. It's just that this was so stupid it riled me.
    One, I'd not gone to the ASL so he could get a decent start, two, I was only doing the equivalent of blowing my horn at someone who'd missed the lights and three his name was all over the vehicle which meant that 5 seconds on Google got me his home address (but not number) and full details of his business.
    f only I was :evil: enough to phone the revenue... but I'm not. Still, makes a change from the regular SMSDYs and people who think you only need 6" of clearance when overtaking :)
  • Gussio
    Gussio Posts: 2,452
    Somebody once told me that there are a disproportionate number of people working in the scaffolding industry who have been in jail. It is a trade taught in correctional facilities. Best advice is to steer well clear of scaffolding lorries (and skip lorries).

    As an aside, I'm guessing that you wouldn't tell a pedestrian at a crossing, "its f*cking green" if they were standing infront of you and hadn't realised...
  • mtb-idle
    mtb-idle Posts: 2,179
    edited September 2012
    you didn't really cover yourself in glory by swearing in the first place. Not saying you're wrong or that what he did in slamming on the brakes was right only that you started it and it escalated from there.

    Leave it.
    FCN = 4
  • CJ Bill
    CJ Bill Posts: 415
    I'd walk round them Gussio possibly whilst muttering under my breath but when it comes to being on the road I have a rule of never pulling in front of motor vehicles that may pull off... I find intervals between hospital are shorter that way. TBH, they must have had keen hearing, they were ahead of me and with their windows up, Manchester was chilly and rainy at 6:45 this morning. Sod 'em.
  • inkz
    inkz Posts: 123
    Not swearing at people would probably help incidents like this not happen in the first place :)
  • joenobody
    joenobody Posts: 563
    CJ Bill wrote:
    do I just ring the Inland Revenue and tell them "he offered me a 20% discount for cash as it was VAT free as far as he was concerned"?
    I'd go with this... :twisted:
  • CJ Bill
    CJ Bill Posts: 415
    Well **** me, am I the only cyclist who swears out there (said with tongue planted firmly in cheek as my intensifier wasn't really called for)?!
  • Origamist
    Origamist Posts: 807
    If you did complain, I reckon a small scaffolding firm would just laugh in your face.

    Film of a punishment stop and crash after a sweary shout:

    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tZoLDbWcqY8&feature=plcp

    At least the police were close by.
    Folders
  • Captain_Tentacle
    Captain_Tentacle Posts: 4
    You can't condone behaviour of someone who is trying to deliberately harm you, but by the look of thing you've initated the hostility, did you expect anything other than this reaction?

    I think it's important to remember that the road is dangerous enough as it is, making enemies by flippant remarks and aggressive behaviour is asking for trouble.

    Leave it and save yourself the hassle of more confrontation over something you started.
  • Initialised
    Initialised Posts: 3,047
    JoeNobody wrote:
    CJ Bill wrote:
    do I just ring the Inland Revenue and tell them "he offered me a 20% discount for cash as it was VAT free as far as he was concerned"?
    I'd go with this... :twisted:
    Probably the best plan :bgrin:
    I used to just ride my bike to work but now I find myself going out looking for bigger and bigger hills.

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