Abuse from motorists

destructimo

Hi All,

I was quite mystified by what occurred this morning...

There's me riding into work on my folding bike wearing shirt, jeans, normal shoes and a cardigan of all things...I don't think a less visually threatening cyclist exists

Going up a hill on a wide road in a 40 limit there was a lorry behind me that chose not to overtake even though there was no oncoming traffic. When he did overtake once on the flat at the top all of 30 seconds or so later (very well I must add) it was clear why. He had a very heavy load of concrete sections and obviously just didn't have the power to accelerate safely on the hill. Fair enough.

After he passed that was followed by 3 more cars overtaking me and the fourth was very slow in approaching, that's nice I thought that someone was taking so much care in overtaking me

Then very slowly and closely this retarded wag wannabe of a 30 something pulls along side in her crappy old diesel BMW with her near side window down, gobbing off at me, apparently I was making her late for something extremely important. Unfortunately I couldn't comprehend exactly what she was attempting to shout at me over the rattle of her shitbox motor.

So not only did she think it was fine to just shout inanely at strangers, she also made herself later for no reason because I couldn't comprehend her ramblings

Now I could 'sort of' understand this if I was in a group riding 2 abreast on road bikes with the full mamil gear on...but to simply choose to verbally abuse a gentleman who is obviously quite inoffensively riding his pedal cycle is beyond me.


Cheers





Clive

Colinthecop

Can you post up pics of your attire...?


Just for the comedy value you understand.

destructimo

Colinthecop wrote:

Can you post up pics of your attire...?


Just for the comedy value you understand.

No. I'm shy


Cheers





Clive

willy b

She should have set off on her journey earlier. Muppet.

rubertoe

destructimo wrote:

Ranty Rant....

Now I could 'sort of' understand this if I was in a group riding 2 abreast on road bikes with the full mamil gear on

See here

And i am not sure what atire has to do with anything.

Some people are just W*ankers.

veronese68

willy b wrote:

She should have set off on her journey earlier. Muppet.

Vey true, but it's never the fault of the phucktards of this world. It's always somebody else that's to blame.

DrLex

rubertoe wrote:

destructimo wrote:

Ranty Rant....
[...]

[...]

I read it more as bemused bafflement, given the story and the emoticons.
In those situations (luckily rare), I tend to either
1) smile and wave - perhaps even blow a kiss
2) cup my hand to my ear and pretend I can't hear until they get bored/realise I'm playing deaf
3) ignore them.

rubertoe wrote:

[...]
Some people are just W*ankers.

Amen!

Colinthecop

I've started banging on windows and shining lights in their faces....

Foolproof.

destructimo

rubertoe wrote:

destructimo wrote:

Ranty Rant....

Now I could 'sort of' understand this if I was in a group riding 2 abreast on road bikes with the full mamil gear on

See here

And i am not sure what atire has to do with anything.

Some people are just W*ankers.

I'm with you there Cochise. Don't get me wrong...I know there's nothing wrong with that situation, but it's one that I would expect an 'ignorant' motorist to react to, rather than just one chap quietly riding his bike to work


Cheers





Clive

slowbike

Colinthecop wrote:

I've started banging on windows and shining lights in their faces....

Foolproof.

do you turn on the flashing light on your helmet?

EKE_38BPM

This sounds pretty straightforward.
The OP was pootling, the HGV did the right thing, as did the first few cars.
The BMW driver was a pillock.

However, we need to see pics of what you were wearing (for the aforementioned comedy value) and pics of the BMW driver to satisfy Veronese's strange urges.

destructimo

Pootling? :shock:

I'll have you know I was ascending at a dizzying 16mph :oops:


Cheers





Clive

mtb-idle

I've already decided that I like the relaxed air that Cheers Clive brings to the forum.



Cheers



MTB-Idle

Headhuunter

destructimo wrote:

Hi All,

I was quite mystified by what occurred this morning...

There's me riding into work on my folding bike wearing shirt, jeans, normal shoes and a cardigan of all things...I don't think a less visually threatening cyclist exists

Going up a hill on a wide road in a 40 limit there was a lorry behind me that chose not to overtake even though there was no oncoming traffic. When he did overtake once on the flat at the top all of 30 seconds or so later (very well I must add) it was clear why. He had a very heavy load of concrete sections and obviously just didn't have the power to accelerate safely on the hill. Fair enough.

After he passed that was followed by 3 more cars overtaking me and the fourth was very slow in approaching, that's nice I thought that someone was taking so much care in overtaking me

Then very slowly and closely this retarded wag wannabe of a 30 something pulls along side in her crappy old diesel BMW with her near side window down, gobbing off at me, apparently I was making her late for something extremely important. Unfortunately I couldn't comprehend exactly what she was attempting to shout at me over the rattle of her shitbox motor.

So not only did she think it was fine to just shout inanely at strangers, she also made herself later for no reason because I couldn't comprehend her ramblings

Now I could 'sort of' understand this if I was in a group riding 2 abreast on road bikes with the full mamil gear on...but to simply choose to verbally abuse a gentleman who is obviously quite inoffensively riding his pedal cycle is beyond me.


Cheers





Clive

Why could you sort of understand it if you'd been wearing a mamil outfit and riding 2 abreast? Why does what you're wearing make any kind of abuse "sort of" ok?

notsoblue

Headhuunter wrote:

Why could you sort of understand it if you'd been wearing a mamil outfit and riding 2 abreast? Why does what you're wearing make any kind of abuse "sort of" ok?

Because why else would people wear lycra, if not to invite abuse from strangers?

Mikey23

Fair nuff...

Speaking back in a pretend foreign language might help...

EKE_38BPM

Mikey23 wrote:

Fair nuff...

Speaking back in a pretend foreign language might help...

I was once cut up by a driver with Turkish flags festooning his car (stickers, air freshener, cushions etc) and I swore at him in Turkish (something about his mother's profession and his subsequent parentage). The look of shock on his face was priceless.

kieranb

maybe it was the cardigan that triggered it all off?

Anyway 16mph up a hill is not bad!

timothyw

I gave some abuse to a motorist last night that honked while needlessly overtaking me in traffic that I was happily keeping pace with.

Apparently I should have been on the left, despite the fact that I was overtaking a parked car at the time (and maintaining pace with the traffic in front).

I don't think I swore to her face, but do wish i'd been a bit more and a bit less :x while I explained to her that bicycles constitute traffic also, and that keeping on the left is a more likely way to get my 'big arse killed'.

Did manage a and a wave as she turned off - obviously not wanting to continue our debate, thus giving me the moral victory.

cyclingprop

Cheers for the post Clive.

Cheers
CP

destructimo

kieranb wrote:

maybe it was the cardigan that triggered it all off?

Anyway 16mph up a hill is not bad!

Yes, perhaps if I had spent a bit more time reading this fine forum before embarking on this new persuit, I would have realised that SCR isn't if fact an acronym for Silly Cardigan Racing :oops:


Cheers





Clive

PBo

destructimo wrote:

kieranb wrote:

maybe it was the cardigan that triggered it all off?

Anyway 16mph up a hill is not bad!

Yes, perhaps if I had spent a bit more time reading this fine forum before embarking on this new persuit, I would have realised that SCR isn't if fact an acronym for Silly Cardigan Racing :oops:


Cheers



Clive

Please tell me you have a handlebar mustache to go with it?

Cheers



PBo