Monday morning commute on some back streets. Going quite fast downhill, but not faster than other traffic, a guy in a Jaguar pulls out in front of me. I saw it coming and was prepared so no harm done. I just pulled in behind him and continued on down the hill.

Step 1: I did shake my head at him. That upset him a bit. Enough for him to slow down, roll down his window, and shout some useful advice to me about how I shouldn’t ride so fast. I’d pulled up beside him to listed to his little tirade. I said nothing, but watched him pull away.

Step 2: I just smiled and blew him a kiss. Perhaps he didn’t like another bloke blowing him a kiss, but it certainly made him angry. His next move was to slow down and pull in attempting to force me to stop. I rode round on his right. More abuse from him followed, along with a demand that I stop so he can knock my block off. He then swerved to the right so that I was on the wrong side of the road (nothing approaching thankfully).

We were close to a road junction, so I got in front of him. He stayed close behind me, but thankfully didn’t follow me when I took the next right.

I’d like to appologise to the next cyclist the guy comes across today. I didn’t realise that my actions would wind him up so much. Just hoping he calmed down and didn’t take it out on someone else.

On a serious note, it was a good reminder that I really need to minimise my contact with motorists. You never know who is sitting in that tin box on wheels.

And report the ####.

The rage that some people carry around with them in vehicles is terrifying and most (but not all) are completely incapable of accepting and then learning from their mistakes

Its seems a bit easy to wind people up at the moment, Wednesday I was at a mini roundabout, just chatting on the phone to a someone at work, handsfree using the iphone headphones, the guy opposite again a jag (a trend here) went right without indicating so I was forced to a stop. He assumed I said something when I was talking to someone else, he slammed his brakes on and stuck his head out the window to give me some abuse for commenting on his driving. When he opened the car door to get out I just cycled off and let him have his rant to no one.

Blowing someone a kiss in a situation like that will usually result in some sort of aggressive response but you probably knew that anyway. If you don’t want incidents to escalate don’t respond in any other way than just smiling, though even that can be taken the wrong way IME.

so angry irate driver and you did something to make them even more angry and irate

they were more wrong [ and a dangerous driver] than you but you were someway short of a paragon yourself.

Why wind up someone in a two ton killing machine who is already angry?

its unlikely to end in them reflecting on their behaviour or respecting cyclists.

Having been assaulted by a car driver before now, I try to resist tbe temptation to respond to drivers.

I did get cyclepath raged this morning. Turned myself inside out to stay ahead of an old boy riding a Carrera mountain bike in his loafers and white ankle socks, then slowed down behind another rider just before my turn off only to get an irate bell ringing and shake of tbe head as he stormed past us.

Why wind up someone in a two ton killing machine who is already angry?

its unlikely to end in them reflecting on their behaviour or respecting cyclists.

Yep, I knew I was in the wrong there. Hopefully I have learned a lesson.

@MoreCashThanDash – loved that story 😀

Just face it – there are plenty of knobbers in the world and if possible, best not to get involved.

Having said that, I was knocked off my bike by a massive dog at the weekend. Owner nowhere in sight. Went off to confront him with a bit of red mist as my already injured shoulder was sore again and it as a posh old fella, looking a bit boozy. He ranted on about the legality (incorrectly) of where I was as a defence for his dog being out of sight and control. I was rapidly losing it, so had to leave him and instead smashed myself over the next 16miles of trails. Happy with that choice as I was in no mood for a rational argument.

Fastest ride of the year so far!

….I saw it coming and was prepared so no harm done

but you felt the need to provoke an already careless driver to the point of rage and reinforce his view that “bike riders are twunnies”

Nice start to the week, take a gold star 🙄

but you felt the need to provoke an already careless driver to the point of rage and reinforce his view that “bike riders are twunnies”

Trying to imply that the OP is in some way responsible for the psychopathic rage of some arsehole in a jag is ridiculous. Shite driving deserves disapproval. Massively OTT raging deserves mockery.

This kind of driver would continue to be a menace to other road users with or without the OP’s intervention.

Trying to imply that the OP is in some way responsible for the psychopathic rage of some arsehole in a jag is ridiculous

Not what I said.
The rage was there, the OP used his skill and expertise to avoid an accident, then proceeded to feel the need to do the “commuting cyclist pantomime of the righteous” routine.
No benefit to either party just entrenchment of stereotypes

Its seems a bit easy to wind people up at the moment,

+

This kind of driver would continue to be a menace to other road users with or without the OP’s intervention.

The anger’s there when these people went to bed last night, got up this morning, and got into their car. I doubt this is the only instance of rage and anger he’s inflicted on someone else – whether driving or not.

What we need is some kind of flag so we know who they are before they’re anywhere near us. Or self-driving cars…

What I’ve learned from dealing with irate drivers, however, is that unless you can get very well clear of them, stay behind them – going back in front puts you back at risk…

Why wind up someone in a two ton killing machine who is already angry?

After being pulled out on and then shouted at for “going too fast” I think merely a head shake and blowing the guy a kiss was impressive self control. I’d have probably shouted a few swearies…

and yes I know that’s not a good idea.

If you don’t want incidents to escalate don’t respond in any other way than just smiling, though even that can be taken the wrong way IME.

I think we all need to get a mirror and practice our vacuous face for next time a driver gets angry at us.

(just googled image vacuous face cameron was third hit 🙂 not sure about 1st hit 😕 )

*googles*

Ha. Indeed it does.

I’m gonna start practicing the face in the first image – I reckon that’d be quite disarming no matter how angry the driver…

Edit – Cameron’s mouth actually looks like he’s in the early stages of telling someone to eff off. Or just sucking in air in order to heat it up a bit before dispelling in a press interview at some point.

I’m gonna start practicing the first image – I reckon that’d be quite disarming no matter how angry the driver…

what happens if they smile and stop the car? 😮 😉

What I’ve learned from dealing with irate drivers, however, is that unless you can get very well clear of them, stay behind them – going back in front puts you back at risk…

THIS

It is one of those we have all done it [ overtake and goad/respond] but it does not help and it puts you in danger

not sure about 1st hit

I would be concerned about the response this would generate

what happens if they smile and stop the car?

Politely inform them you left your smaller mouth at home and can’t accommodate them at present.

Strange – I’d have expected this:

If I encounter an aggressive driver, I tend to shoot all their tyres out, drag them from the vehicle, splay them face down on the floor, cuff them, then make them say that cyclists are awesome.

Nip things in the bud before they escalate innit… 😉

Similar thing happened to me last week… I was on a narrow piece of road with a lorry coming the other way. He had chance to stop and give way to me but didn’t and left me about 3 ft of tarmac as he passed. Sensibly I pulled off the road onto the verge and stopped. Put my arm up in the air in a wtf kind of way.
Lorry driver slams brakes on a jumps out of his cab and starts screaming.
I shout that his brakes do work afterall, blow him a kiss, smile and ride away to a torrent of swearing and threats.

So people are happy to pretty much run you off the road yet threaten to kill you if you protest

So people are happy to pretty much run you off the road yet threaten to kill you if you protest

very true IME*

*not that stuff like that happens to me all the time I hasten to add, but I have seen it a few times over many years.

Not really road rage at all, but thought it worth mentioning an incident I had yesterday and not worth it’s own thread. Driving down a road which has parking on one side and not enough space for cars to pass alongside the parked cars, but regularly marked sections of double yellow to create passing places. Parked cars not on my side of the road. I’d just gone past a “passing” spot at which point a car coming the other way comes into view just approaching the next one. It carries on straight past the passing spot, clearly expecting me to reverse. I stop my car and when they also have to stop I get out and wave them back. Not quite sure what rude words were shouted at me, but they did reverse 🙂

Similar thing happened to me and a friend last year. But when 3 guys got out of the car to threaten us a mini bus full of Rugby chaps fresh from a sponsored cycle ride pulled in behind and kicked the living sheet out of them.

I don’t condone this type of violence and did attempt to stop it from happening. But a little part of me was secretly delighted.

I have not been on the receiving end of much abuse as a cyclist but when I used to run a lot often late at night I did used to get a lot of abuse from teenage divs out cruising with there divy mates.

I would react and end up in some dangerous confrontations.
Then some one who could not believe how often this happened said why don’t you just ignore them, to which I replied what let some little shit abuse me like he’s billy big bollox, if I ignore him it would give the satisfaction of believing he was successful in intimidating me.

He said why does it matter, you have headphones in just pretend you did not hear them.
So that’s what I did, and continue to do so on my bike, just ignore any abuse and carry on about my business.
It is suprisingly satisfying, and no more confrontations.

I’ve done the kiss blowing thing before, it’s brilliant fun.

I was in a car leaving the M5 and due to the time of day, there was a queue leaving the motorway, I was slightly caught out by the length of the queue, so needed to spot a gap.

Gap spotted, I pulled in behind a white estate car, at which point the driver looked in his mirror and went nuts! No idea why, but he was flailing around and shouting a lot of abuse at me while staring in his rear view mirror.

A few yards on the exit split into two lanes and I wanted to turn left while 90% was turning right, including Mr Heartattack. I drew alongside, he wound down his window and was red in the face and screaming… so naturally I blew him a kiss, and drove off.

Ohh, what fun we had.

As for giving blank looks, I’m deaf in my right ear and wear a hearing aid, if a car goes past and someone shouts (rare, but it does happen), I can’t make out what was said, so they all get a slightly bemused grin.

hilldodger – Member

….I saw it coming and was prepared so no harm done

but you felt the need to provoke an already careless driver to the point of rage and reinforce his view that “bike riders are twunnies”

Nice start to the week, take a gold star

If everybody pointed out the careless driving perhaps, just perhaps, the driver might at some point stop being a dick behind the wheel just to stop being hassled? But in the real world you’d spend all your time raging at cars being driven badly.

Funnily enough after reading the first few posts of this thread earlier, I walked down to the town centre and was almost hit by a car that turned down the road I was crossing. I held out my arms (to try to express ‘Where the hell are you going?’ in his rear view mirror) he jammed his brakes on, leaned out of the window and seemed to suggest that it was my fault that he couldn’t indicate or stay within the speed limit. That’s motorists for you – never their fault.

Unless you are really handy with your hands why would you wind up the driver even more OP?

Its just not worth it. Previously I’ve waved/done what you have but if the driver pulled over and jumped out what then?

Its just NOT worth the bother. The only time I do ^ is when its really really close. Unless your 6ft+ and know you can take a stray punch. Leave it.

If the driver jumps out you need to be OFF your bike ASAP and pulling your helmet off fast as you don’t want to be punched/pushed or slapped whilst astride a bike. I’ve done this, it sets the scene very quickly for a driver, for good or bad.

The Police aren’t immune from idiots. There was a Officer knocked off his bike in Macclesfield – some stories say it was a grudge against him (for an arrest or what? Who knows).

If everybody pointed out the careless driving perhaps, just perhaps, the driver might at some point stop being a dick behind the wheel just to stop being hassled?

+1
While I can sympathize with the ‘just ignore them’ school of thought, I can’t help thinking that not remonstrating people for their bad behaviour is pretty much giving them the OK to continue doing it.
After all, if the Police stopped pulling people over because they might get a bit shouty, things would deteriorate pretty quickly.
(I’m assuming that we still have traffic Police, as I haven’t seen one for a long time – and I spend a fair amount of time on the motorway)

I was in a car leaving the M5 and due to the time of day, there was a queue leaving the motorway, I was slightly caught out by the length of the queue, so needed to spot a gap.

Gap spotted, I pulled in behind a white estate car, at which point the driver looked in his mirror and went nuts!

Probably because you were the umpteenth person to ‘spot a gap’ instead of being in the correct lane to start with, thereby delaying his journey by several minutes – for the umpteenth day in row.
(Apologies if I misunderstood your explanation)

I did wonder who had wound up the driver of a new Skoda estate on my ride home this afternoon. All I could hear was a car approaching from behind with the throttle pinned. My heart sank as I saw a van coming the other way guaranteeing inadequate passing space for the rapidly closing car behind me. I tucked myself in to the side of the road as best I could and took a deep breath. I can only thank the van driver for slowing and squeezing over too. It felt like a narrow escape, unfortunately I know it won’t be the last.

Having just started cycling with my daughter in a bike trailer or on crossbar seat, I’m amazed by the amount of space traffic gives me. There is a definite shift of attitude from drivers to protecting a child versus solo adult cyclist who can just get the …. out of their way. Weird how adult cyclists are ‘obviously’ protected by some sort of force field worthy of testing.

If everybody pointed out the careless driving perhaps, just perhaps, the driver might at some point stop being a dick behind the wheel just to stop being hassled?

Has life really taught you this or is it just wishful thinking

How many tomes do you think remonstrating has led to the driver reflecting on their behaviour and changing?

If it worked then all drivers would be brilliant by the end of the month
See this post [ no offence just an example]

lightly caught out by the length of the queue, so needed to spot a gap.

Gap spotted, I pulled in behind a white estate car, at which point the driver looked in his mirror and went nuts! No idea why….so naturally I blew him a kiss, and drove off.

Ohh, what fun we had.

They dont even know what they have done [ failed to drive appropriately, cue jumped and “spotted a gap” rather than wait like the rest of us]

DO you still think moaning works?

It has no impact nor will the explanations on here

Not cycling, but I was waiting at a zebra crossing the other day, and saw a car about 50 meters away. I got eye contact, but thought ‘he’s not stopping”, and he didn’t. He then pulled into the supermarket carpark that I was walking into. I saw him get out, and told him that he should try stopping at pedestrian crossings. Cue shouty-shouty rant in my face, and an accusation of I’m not sure what, as he seemed to be making out that I’d stepped in front of him 😕 I pointed out that I hadn’t as I was still alive, and continued shouting after me as I walked off. I may have called him a self-pleasurer at this point 😆

Mostly just embarrassment op, as he’s made a mistake & feels as though he’s been shown up. Also a feeling that he is inferior in some way, to someone who he sees as younger, fitter, leading a better lifestyle etc.
Give them their moment of anger, don’t antagonise further & just ride away.
All but a few will reflect on it afterwards.

And ditto the comment about drivers attitude changing when I ride to schol with the children. Most actually stop & beckon us across the roads we have to cross when they see kids on bikes, even more so when we used to use the trailer.

Junkyard – lazarus
They dont even know what they have done

You know, I think neilm pretty much exactly knew what he was doing, posting that 😉

The driver was obviously a nob end, but the OP escalated the issue with his actions. If you want to avoid confrontation, don’t do what he did.

You know, I think neilm pretty much exactly knew what he was doing, posting that

Possibly but it still sums up the attitude and awareness of some road users.

Again this morning… Met a lady driver on one of the lanes into work.
She saw me coming from where she had slowed down in a passing place.
Rather than wait 20 seconds she drove up to meet me and expected me to put myself in the hedge.
Instead I unclipped one foot, rolled alongside her car and pushed her wing mirror flat so I could actually squeeze past. She went ballistic that I had touched her car..
*nonchalant wave and Gallic shrug… Torrent of shouty F words from driver

Cars and inheritance: both likely to bring out the absolute worst in people.

You missed step 0 : Get on a bicycle.

You missed step 0 : Get on a bicycle.

True that. Day to day the only time I get abused/shouted at by a stranger is when I’m riding… isolating themselves inside a car does funny things to people