Abuse from motorists

destructimo
destructimo Posts: 17
edited November 2013 in Commuting chat
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 :D

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 :D

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 :lol:

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

Comments

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


    Just for the comedy value you understand. :lol:
  • Can you post up pics of your attire...?


    Just for the comedy value you understand. :lol:

    No. I'm shy :lol:


    Cheers





    Clive
  • willy b
    willy b Posts: 4,125
    She should have set off on her journey earlier. Muppet.
  • rubertoe
    rubertoe Posts: 3,994
    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.
    "If you always do what you've always done, you'll always get what you've always got."

    PX Kaffenback 2 = Work Horse
    B-Twin Alur 700 = Sundays and Hills
  • veronese68
    veronese68 Posts: 27,249
    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
    DrLex Posts: 2,142
    rubertoe 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!
    Location: ciderspace
  • I've started banging on windows and shining lights in their faces....

    Foolproof.
  • rubertoe 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 :D


    Cheers





    Clive
  • slowbike
    slowbike Posts: 8,498
    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
    EKE_38BPM Posts: 5,821
    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.
    FCN 3: Raleigh Record Ace fixie-to be resurrected sometime in the future
    FCN 4: Planet X Schmaffenschmack 2- workhorse
    FCN 9: B Twin Vitamin - winter commuter/loan bike for trainees

    I'm hungry. I'm always hungry!
  • Pootling? :shock:

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


    Cheers





    Clive
  • mtb-idle
    mtb-idle Posts: 2,179
    I've already decided that I like the relaxed air that Cheers Clive brings to the forum.



    Cheers



    MTB-Idle
    FCN = 4
  • Headhuunter
    Headhuunter Posts: 6,494
    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 :D

    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 :D

    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 :lol:

    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?
    Do not write below this line. Office use only.
  • notsoblue
    notsoblue Posts: 5,756
    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
    Mikey23 Posts: 5,306
    Fair nuff...

    Speaking back in a pretend foreign language might help...
  • EKE_38BPM
    EKE_38BPM Posts: 5,821
    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.
    FCN 3: Raleigh Record Ace fixie-to be resurrected sometime in the future
    FCN 4: Planet X Schmaffenschmack 2- workhorse
    FCN 9: B Twin Vitamin - winter commuter/loan bike for trainees

    I'm hungry. I'm always hungry!
  • kieranb
    kieranb Posts: 1,674
    maybe it was the cardigan that triggered it all off?

    Anyway 16mph up a hill is not bad!
  • timothyw
    timothyw Posts: 2,482
    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 :lol: 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 :mrgreen: and a wave as she turned off - obviously not wanting to continue our debate, thus giving me the moral victory.
  • cyclingprop
    cyclingprop Posts: 2,426
    Cheers for the post Clive.

    Cheers
    CP
    What do you mean you think 64cm is a big frame?
  • 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
    PBo Posts: 2,493
    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