Road Rage Week (vent - while we're at it)

YIMan

Had a great 37 mile ride in the sun on Sunday from Nottingham through South Derbyshire.

For those of you that may know it, I was returning through Long Eaton towards Beeston. Going towards Toton corner a 30mph suburban road widens to become two lanes at the traffic lights, with the left hand lane being left turn only and the right hand lane being straight ahead only. As I'm approaching the lights I can see they are on red and there are three cars queueing in the straight ahead lane, so I freewheel towards them, being about 10 metres away.

Suddenly from behind me I hear what I can only describe as furious beeping. I come to a stop in the left hand side of the straight ahead lane behind the stationary traffic and a mini squeezes alongside me. The window comes down and a torrent of abuse comes out about how I should be in the other lane.

I ask the driver where exactly he wants me to be to go straight ahead, this being the straight ahead lane, and where he thinks he is going to get to through the stationary traffic and red light ahead of us.

I feel aggrieved at the situation at not having "done more", as ludicrous as it would be for a 40 year old father of a toddler to be escalating that kind of situation.

Outside of permanently wearing a headcam so that such incidents could be reported to the police, what could you do? I do feel that these odious, ignorant, inconsiderate type of individuals need to have the error of their ways pointed out to them in no uncertain terms and am carrying a certain sense of injustice that he is free to do the same to some other unsuspecting road user tomorrow.

sloppyschleckonds

YIMan wrote:

I feel aggrieved at the situation at not having "done more", as ludicrous as it would be for a 40 year old father of a toddler to be escalating that kind of situation.

Wave and blow them a kiss

rolf_f

If you had done nothing at all to put the other driver out of place then the chances are that they were already having a bad day and taking it out on you as an easy target. On that basis, just do as above, blow them a kiss and sit back satisfied in the knowledge that you've put their already high blood pressure up a couple of points and that one more upset and probably they'll have a heart attack before they get home!

paul_mck

gob on their windscreen

bazzer2

YIMan wrote:

Outside of permanently wearing a headcam so that such incidents could be reported to the police, what could you do?

You don't need a headcam to report it to the Police! All you need to do is keep calm and say nothing that will make the situation worse. I found it particularly amusing when I considered my recent assailant 'mentally challenged' and it made it easier to not lose my cool.

Make a note of the time, location and number plate, with a description of the driver, then report it online. Remember a few key phrases that were aimed at you, and explain how you felt at the time.

I explained my situation to the fuzz saying that I felt I was in peril, worried about my safety and the safety of other cyclists and road users who would come across such an unstable individual - and please could the incident be logged so that any future issues are viewed in context.

Have a read: http://www.bikeradar.com/forums/viewtopic.php?f=40007&t=12919791&p=18331370#p18321026

brindlescoops

I always read these threads in astonishment at some of the numptys on the roads, for some reason I have been lucky and have never been involved in anything coming close to resembling road rage, like you say though I am not sure what I would do if it did happen, maybe respond with something completely irrelevant like, "you wouldn't happen to know what time the swimming baths open do you"? Might diffuse the situation with complete confusion lol.

YIMan

All useful, non-inflammatory stuff, thanks.

saprkzz

If your not in club kit, fold their wingmirror back and ride off, this really angers them!! my mate has done this many times.

I ignore all beeps and shouts, cant be assed with it all. If you ignore it, it disfuses the argument as there isnt one to have!

bazzer2

saprkzz wrote:

If your not in club kit, fold their wingmirror back and ride off, this really angers them!! my mate has done this many times.

Your mate is an imbecile then.

Interfering with someone's car while they're inside it and capable of operating it in a way that could potentially kill you is massively stupid. AND the rage your mate has just induced will no doubt be acted upon next time the driver comes across someone cycling.

houston26

The worst thing you can do is dwell on it, everyone on the road seems to get it, I get hassle when I'm vulnerable on the roads on my bike and I get hassle when I'm driving 16 tonne of bus. You can argue and shout till your face turns blue but the only person you end up upsetting more is yourself

Believe in karma, what goes around comes around. Bad drivers will eventually get caught out or grow up

mtbcommuter

houston26 wrote:

The worst thing you can do is dwell on it, everyone on the road seems to get it, I get hassle when I'm vulnerable on the roads on my bike and I get hassle when I'm driving 16 tonne of bus. You can argue and shout till your face turns blue but the only person you end up upsetting more is yourself

Believe in karma, what goes around comes around. Bad drivers will eventually get caught out or grow up

+1 on this, I cycle, ride a motorbike, car etc. and regularly come across prize c*cks. I always find smiling at them annoys them far more than reacting to their imbecilic tantrums. :evil: I'd like to think I'm doing the world of good to my respiratory system and will outlast these morons sitting in their cages, normally smoking & further clogging their arteries.

If it affects you, report it to the police. If they go on this way with you they'll do it again until they are stopped.

Bustacapp

Not cycling related but I once had an embarrassing confrontation with a 60-ish year old bloke in Lidl.

It's haunted me ever since.

I often imagine myself beating him to a pulp in front of my family and the horrified queue of people. Sometimes, my darkest thoughts emerge and he beats me to a pulp in front of my family and the horrified queue of people.

.....sorry. Just needed to get that off my chest.

prhymeate

I don't usually feel anger towards motorists unless they are actually driving dangerously. If they are frustrated because I'm just riding my bike then I feel kinda sorry for them having such a low stress threshold. To be honest though, riding around SW London I probably see more reasons for drivers to be angry at cyclists than cyclists being angry towards drivers.

high tower

Usually don't have to many issues myself. If I do its usually Mini drivers. The more souped up the car the worst they can be. If its a female driving a mini or a Citroen DS I always keep a distance.

jouxplan

Bustacapp wrote:

Not cycling related but I once had an embarrassing confrontation with a 60-ish year old bloke in Lidl.

It's haunted me ever since.

I often imagine myself beating him to a pulp in front of my family and the horrified queue of people. Sometimes, my darkest thoughts emerge and he beats me to a pulp in front of my family and the horrified queue of people.

.....sorry. Just needed to get that off my chest.

You gotta tell us what happened! I'm intrigued

rolf_f

jouxplan wrote:

Bustacapp wrote:

Not cycling related but I once had an embarrassing confrontation with a 60-ish year old bloke in Lidl.

It's haunted me ever since.

I often imagine myself beating him to a pulp in front of my family and the horrified queue of people. Sometimes, my darkest thoughts emerge and he beats me to a pulp in front of my family and the horrified queue of people.

.....sorry. Just needed to get that off my chest.

You gotta tell us what happened! I'm intrigued

My guess is that they both found themselves trying to try on the same pair of Lidl cycling bibs at the same time

pride4ever

A similar thing happened to me last June. I turned away, put my head back, throated a massive grebber and spat inside his open window and then glared at the driver like a total psycho. He fucked off sharpish on the green light.

gryfon23

pride you must look scarey! Gave me a silent chuckle :-)