Forcing you into the kurb to make a point?

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Forcing you into the kurb to make a point?

84 posts & 47 voices | Started 5 months ago by foxyrider | Latest reply from foxyrider

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foxyrider - Member

This morning I was cycling my usual route to work here:

http://g.co/maps/jdmfv

When a guy in a Meriva forces me into the kurb (I ride 1/3 the way out the kurb) - I raise my arm (just my arm) in objection. The guy knows exactly what he was doing as several times he points out the window as the cycle path on the opposite side of the road.

Now this cycle lane lasts for 500 yards - you need to cross the road twice one with a pedestrian crossing so surely that would hold the traffic up?

I have ridden this road on my commute for 7 years now - what gives him the right to tell me to use the cycle path when I am in my rights (and IMHO it is safer) to use the dam road I have paid for in my council tax! Is trying to hurt or intimidate a cyclist the right way of going about it - I think not!

I just don't know what we are going to do about these kind of drivers?

Sorry for yet another rant

Posted 5 months ago #
GlitterGary - Member

If you'd had a cycling partner(s) you could have ridden 2, maybe 3 abreast, and this would never have happened.

Posted 5 months ago #
yesiamtom - Member

I've had this from a truck who thought that he could come within 1 1/2 feet of me because there was a cycle lane attached to the road. Said cycle lane is wet, off camber, covered in leaves and has about 5 semi-blind exits. Great!

Just console yourself in the fact these people are usually fat and look very unhappy with their lives. Im yet to meet a cyclist who fits both of these criteria at the same time.

Posted 5 months ago #
wwaswas - Member

I just don't know what we are going to do about these kind of drivers?

Sussex police have a 'report dangerous drivers' form on their site - no idea what happens but I guess if the same reg comes up more than once then they have a word.

Posted 5 months ago #
foxyrider - Member

Just console yourself in the fact these people are usually fat and look very unhappy with their lives.

Yes - I expect they would die prematurely from coronary heat disease

Sussex police have a 'report dangerous drivers' form on their site

Trouble is I am always to annoyed that I forget to get it - bike cam time On the whole drivers around my way are pretty good TBH - just the odd ****t!

Posted 5 months ago #
crazy-legs - Member

Report him for aggressive/dangerous driving? Or road rage? The police won't do anything about it without witnesses or video evidence (and even then they may not do anything) but if you're lucky it might go down on the record against that number plate. Enough complaints (or if he gets flagged up on ANPR) and it'll help.

Sadly though he's just an ignorant moron. You get them in all walks of life, this one just happened to be in charge of a ton of metal.

There's no requirement to use a cycle path or lane so he's wrong.

Posted 5 months ago #
RealMan - Member

Always wondered how hard it would be to put an elbow through someone's side window when that happens. Either that, or figure out how to attach one of these to your handlebars

Posted 5 months ago #
JAG - Member

On the whole drivers around my way are pretty good

This is my experience.

However the small number of idiots can be very frightening. You are at such a big disadvantage - they don't 'feel' anything whereas the poor cyclist has their life flashing before their eyes.

Reporting them is the only way to make them feel any 'pain' metaphorical or otherwise

Posted 5 months ago #
kaesae - Member

Best to be careful, the roads are useless and drivers can be loony x mental.

Posted 5 months ago #
crankboy - Member

"Always wondered how hard it would be to put an elbow through someone's side window" very hard i couldn't do it with a punch when a guy pulled out smack in front of me.

Posted 5 months ago #
foxyrider - Member

LOL - very temping Realman Perhaps on of these ;0 :

Posted 5 months ago #
njee20 - Member

Always wondered how hard it would be to put an elbow through someone's side window when that happens.

Bloody hard! Chapeau to anyone who does it without then falling off themselves, I imagine the 'equal and opposite reaction' would send one a fair distance away from the van!

Posted 5 months ago #
stumpy01 - Member

@ foxrider. I was going to suggest one of those glass hammers...!

I think that if someone repeatedly did this to me, I would try & gesture for them to pull over to ask them why they think this is acceptable. It would really wind me up.

Posted 5 months ago #
foxyrider - Member

I think that if someone repeatedly did this to me, I would try & gesture for them to pull over to ask them why they think this is acceptable. It would really wind me up.

I wanted them to stop and have a pop so I could fathom why myself? Little car dictators me thinks!

Posted 5 months ago #
RealMan - Member

Bloody hard! Chapeau to anyone who does it without then falling off themselves, I imagine the 'equal and opposite reaction' would send one a fair distance away from the van!

very hard i couldn't do it with a punch when a guy pulled out smack in front of me.

Must get a glock.

Posted 5 months ago #
project - Member

A MERIVA, the shame the driver must have, makes him take out seeming over the top aggression on innocent cyclists.

Best just to put your index finger and thumb about 2 inches apart and shout loudly small cock small insignificant car, that usually has a reaction.

Posted 5 months ago #
chugg08 - Member

Always wondered how hard it would be to put an elbow through someone's side window when that happens.

Years ago as a student I saw a cyclist punch the side window of an old Ford Fiesta. His hand went straight through - not sure who got the biggest fright the cyclist or the driver...

Dunno if the glass was thinner then or if we were just 'arder!

Posted 5 months ago #
thebunk - Member

Had a bus do that to me once (and I still have no idea what he thought I'd done) - complained to the bus company who (said they) threw the book at him.

It's bloody scary. I had to stop before I went into the side of it. People can be nutters...

Posted 5 months ago #
woody2000 - Member

equal and opposite reaction

Indeed, somewhere a Meriva driver is ranting about inconsiderate bike riders.

Posted 5 months ago #
stAn-Bad Brains MBC - Member

forget punching/elbowing the window through - it hurts and theres only one winner.

He was driving a Meriva which is a 5 door. Simply wait until he is stuck in traffic or at lights, open the rear passenger side door and cycle off. Driver will have to get out of car and walk round to close door before he can set off again.

If he comes after you - hit him with your pump.

My own personal favourite was earlier this year when some moron nearly disected me in anopen top sports car - I shouted at him and waved my fist, as you do.He gave me aload of verbals back - about 200yds later he was sat in traffic , so I rode passed and casually squirted him with blackcurrant juice from my bottle - looked good on his white shirt. I simply rode off laughing.

Posted 5 months ago #
GrahamS - Member

Some people are frickin nutters! Why would anyone endanger someone's life just to make a (wrong) point about road rules?

Sadly, judging by the various videos on YouTube, it seems to happen far too regularly.

If you have his reg or a decent description of the car and a note of the time then it is definitely worth reporting it to the local police.

Some forces have a Road Safe team where you can report dangerous driving.

e.g. the Met: http://www.met.police.uk/roadsafelondon/

Posted 5 months ago #
njee20 - Member

Best just to put your index finger and thumb about 2 inches apart and shout loudly small cock small insignificant car, that usually has a reaction.

Yep, great idea that, antagonise someone who's already on the brink of doing you a serious mischief with their ton of metal.

I'd sooner give the vehicle a smack, that may provoke a positive reaction - insulting them definitely won't!

Posted 5 months ago #
foxyrider - Member

Indeed, somewhere a Meriva driver is ranting about inconsiderate bike riders.

Unfortunately probably true in his delusional ignorance!

Thanks guys - I feel calmer now

I think I will try and make a note of the reg next time - something needs to happen - although drivers will moan that cyclists are too unaccountable - pushing for a bloomin' registration or something ?

Posted 5 months ago #
robnorthcott - Member

I think it's true that the arseholes are the minority - unfortunately with the number of cars on the road that means we still meet a couple of them on each journey. I stopped "gesturing" at people who nearly hit me a couple of years ago after one of them chased me, forced me off the road and threatened me (the dickhead even waved his fist around near my face until it just clipped my chin). I just ignore them now - not worth being beaten up over.

shout loudly small cock small insignificant car

Spoken like a true Audi/BMW driver.

Posted 5 months ago #
kaesae - Member

You need to get in touch with your inner KUNG FU, some punk ass couchie gets out of line.

Kablamb no window, kapow big **** off moron! dent to the door, whaa chaa, wing mirror into orbit.

I tend to try and find a middle ground with people, but if they give me shit I send it back with interest accompanied by laughter

Be careful what ever you decide to do, it's wild out there!

Posted 5 months ago #
trail_rat - Member

nick if the glass broke youd most likely end up in beside the driver - as there would be no oppose force

big bar ends and just let him move in onto it - result likely a written off car with a gouge out the side and all his own doing

Posted 5 months ago #
woody2000 - Member

What we all need is a second bottle on your bike, filled with brake fluid. Casual squirt on the offenders car if you get chance

Just don't forget and drink it!

Posted 5 months ago #
foxyrider - Member

I just think that if every motorist (if physically able) was forced to cycle one day on the road they they might be a bit more understanding of a cyclists vulnerability?

Posted 5 months ago #
foxyrider - Member

Just don't forget and drink it!

Having a few more silver hairs I expect I'd just do that!

Posted 5 months ago #
organdonor - Member

big bar ends

a written off car

wow BIG bar ends

Posted 5 months ago #
chugg08 - Member

I just think that if every motorist (if physically able) was forced to cycle one day on the road they they might be a bit more understanding of a cyclists vulnerability?

Or at a minimum every bus and taxi driver before they get their license...

Posted 5 months ago #
khani - Member

"Always wondered how hard it would be to put an elbow through someone's side window" very hard i couldn't do it with a punch when a guy pulled out smack in front of me.

Bang Down on their wing mirror, it not only does the mirror but also crumples the bodywork below it...

Posted 5 months ago #
njee20 - Member

nick if the glass broke youd most likely end up in beside the driver - as there would be no oppose force

Well yes, and getting dragged along with him I suspect - or nailing the kerb and looking like a total pleb! A hammer may do it though!

What we all need is a second bottle on your bike, filled with ~~brake fluid~~ human excrement. ~~Casual~~ Targeted squirt on the offenders ~~car~~ face if you get chance

Good idea

I just think that if every motorist (if physically able) was forced to cycle one day on the road they they might be a bit more understanding of a cyclists vulnerability?

Definitely - weren't they doing that with HGV drivers in London - so they can see the other side of the coin as it were?

Posted 5 months ago #
grittyshaker - Member

As tempting as it is and difficult not to lose one's rag and hurl abuse, objects, fists, bullets in the direction of these drivers, it's these reactions that tend only to fuel their preconception that cyclists are inconsiderate weirdos who ought to pay "road tax", get out of the way, only ride cycle lanes, be banned from breathing etc. etc.

Even a calm word often tends to throw them in to self-justifying, defensive mode where they'll say they had no choice but to run you into the gutter because they were late for an important meeting. Cyclists, by definition, in their eyes, can't be doing anything important or they'd be driving a car like important people do.

Best response is to raise an eyebrow, chuckle to oneself and report to the police at the earliest opportunity. If you must, suggest that their driving was so poor it seemed to you that they must have been drinking. Perhaps they had, in which case they might really cop for some hassle.

On most occasions I've got angry with dangerous, inconsiderate drivers I've been the one left feeling bad. Remember, you can't educate pigs. Fighting with them just leaves you both covered in shit, but the pig loves it. Things might be different if I was built like a brick outhouse. My brother seems to have more success in this respect. However, some people get out the wrong side of the bed every morning, go out with weapons and don't need any provocation to use them. Google "Kenneth Noye" if you need convincing on this point.

Then there was the time I lobbed a lit cigarette back through the passenger window it'd just been chucked from at me. That did feel quite nice.

Posted 5 months ago #
nsdog - Member

You need to find a witness who saw the driver do this and get them to report it.

Posted 5 months ago #