If this @rsehole has the front to have a go at someone your size, Ton, what might he do to your average-sized cyclist who weighs three eighths of bugger-all?

My thoughts exactly. If this whole thing happened to me (certainly not a Ton man mountain) I’d be properly shaken up and probably fear getting out on the bike for a while at best and be pretty unhappy to be anywhere near home at worst. This isn’t the normal few swear words directed at someone from the comfort of their car- this went way beyond that. If this guy behaved like this to your wife by herself would you be so content to let it go?

Sorry but if someone lays a hand on me there game for crack there is no way I could of stayed as calm as you did well done sir.

reporting it doesn’t necessarily mean the police do anything, it can just go on record in case of future incidents (either him in his car or him going round to Ton’s house).

I had a neighbour threaten to burn the house down in the night. I reported it, coppers said they didn’t have previous complaints about him, we agreed that no action was needed (as it would only have caused more aggro) but it was now on record in case I or anyone else had problems with the same bloke.

I’ve never met Ton, but going by the number of people that have mentioned that he’s built like a brick outhouse makes me wonder something.

Do you think that your road rage prone, cyclist hating driver thinks that all cyclists are puny weeds? Even when evidence to the contrary is stood right in front of them?
Thats quite some level of cognitive dissonance.

On a list of people you probably wouldn’t pick a fight with, I reckon Tony is just underneath Chuck Norris and on an equal with Trevor from GTA.

I reckon the driver got off pretty lucky knowing ton 🙂

Well done for keeping calm. Definitely report him though. Next time it could be a child’s face. Or more likely, he’ll not like having been made to look stupid and may go for the punishment knock/tap instead while still driving.

He didn’t work for the Advertising Standards Authority, did he?

What it also shows is that car/bike confrontations don’t just occur because both parties are being stupidly aggressive, or that they only happen to helmet cam warriors….

Aye, the question is ton: do you feel like a victim, waiting for a road crime to be inflicted upon you?
or are you just a cyclist, who happens to ride on very busy roads at probably the busiest 2 periods of the day.

😉

That said, well done for handling it calmly. Sounds like the guy was a right bell end. I do love when folk who haven’t ridden a bike since they were 12 and haven’t read the highway code since they were 17 start spouting off about “That’s illegal it says so in the Highway Code”. It would almost be worth carrying a copy, but I doubt that would help the situation 😀

All this talk of Ton and brick s**thouses has got me wondering
Is this ton? perhaps anyone who knows him can verify.

I point out that he is a stupid foolish man for acting in such a way, this ignites the touch paper

&

I just laugh at him, telling him he is a fool and he needs to read the highway code, this annoys him more and he pushes me in the chest, I just laugh at him right in his face telling him he is a complete fool.

Not sure insulting and laughing at someone who is already enraged is the best way to behave in this situation. This is point when I would have just cycled away. You don’t know what sort of madman he might be, he might come round your house with several friends and baseball bats. I think it’s always better to try and calm the situation or avoid entirely by riding away.

There but for the grace of god though, innit?
Ton didn’t cause the incident and was simply going about his lawful business when laughing boy decided to get all up in his face.
How would I react? No idea whatsoever.

Agree with previous comments – this guy needs reported! Could be he’s just having a bad day but to lose it like that in front of wife and kids, and display this kind of aggressive behaviour – it just can’t be tolerated.

hydrophil
Well done for keeping your cool Ton. Reporting him may inflame the situation further (remember he does know your address) so prob. best not to do anything IMO. Let sleeping dogs lie, claim the moral high-ground and he’ll get his comeuppance one day Im sure

If we keep not doing anything how will he get his comeuppance?

Annebr – divine intervention (hopefully) – aka what goes around, comes around

Not sure insulting and laughing at someone who is already enraged is the best way to behave in this situation.

depends whether you are Ton sized and not in the slightest bit worried about the irate little man shouting at you I guess.

Well done on staying calm Ton, would definitely report him just to say you want it on file incase of further road rage or if he does do anything else silly like call around to your house. Might ease your wife’s mind too.

Last week on a main road I was approaching a parked car, looked around and the car behind me kindly slowed a little to let me move out around it, the white van driver behind mustn’t have appreciated being slowed by a second or two and beeped at the car that had slowed and the look of hate the passenger in the van gave me as he went passed just depressed me, why so angry? This wasn’t an incident, it was normal road use.

If we keep not doing anything how will he get his comeuppance?

+1

divine intervention (hopefully)

good luck with that

.. e.g. tries that on boxer, accompanied by trainer?

Way too many idiots like this about. You’d like to think that people like that having calmed down feel completely stupid and embarrassed, but probably not. It sounds like you dealt with the situation as cleverly as you could possible have. I really cant remember when I have seen fighting irrational anger with anger has ever worked out well for anyone. Clearly you showed no signs of being physically intimidated whatsoever yet remained rational and calm, so he loses 2-0 and should feel a t@sser, if you’d have lumped him, like it sounds like you could have done easily then you’d be in a load of bother now. I used to be a rant back sort of guy, but now as I have grown up have tried to be a more of a stay calm and hope they end up, burning themselves out and feeling stupid. I always sleep a lot better after I have kept calm, lifes too short.
But I don’t agree with the action of “don’t report him as it’ll only make things worse” People like this need reporting, nutters

Do you think that your road rage prone, cyclist hating driver thinks that all cyclists are puny weeds? Even when evidence to the contrary is stood right in front of them?

From my experience defin-kin-ately! Even worse if you are in lycra “road warrior” kit. Van drivers give you abuse, but it is the short tubby guys in repmobiles that get out of the cars.

The Driver sounds like he needs some help TBH, that level of anger management problem doesn’t just occur, Home/Work /Money/etc stress and all the other shite that people heap upon themselves, not that it excuses this sort of behaviour but it’s worth understanding the root causes…

The mark of someone who has properly lost the plot is Stopping and getting out IMO, If you get that pissed off by slightly reduced progress due to cyclists, to the point where you stop, get out of the car and start shouting and/or fisticuffs then clearly any sense of proportion has gone out of the window and the red mist has taken over…

I’d hazard a guess that the fella drove on maybe half a mile and had to pull over, the only time I’ve been on the receiving end of an out of the car Road rager (no fisticuffs then either), He climbed back in his car and I could see his hand shaking…

I’m not sure I’d have laughed at him, but then I don’t think you can ever honestly say “What I would have Done…”, but not being responding in kind, when someone gets in your face looking for conflict, takes some discipline, well done Ton…

Report the Guy, even if he just gets a quiet word from the Rozzers, it might be enough of a shake up for him to examine his behaviour and what might really be behind it…

Poor Ton slims down and still gets everyone going on about how big he is 🙁

Good on you though for not battering the twunt, only once had a bloke have a proper rant at a group of us on a ride his little girl also in the car! What must the kids think is good behaviour?

hydrophil – Member
Annebr – divine intervention (hopefully) – aka what goes around, comes around

I’d prefer something actually happened to sort the problem rather than your invisible friend divinely allowing him to continue.

Poor Ton slims down and still gets everyone going on about how big he is

he’s 6’4″ atleast, even if he was anorexic he’d still be an imposing fella.

Well done on slimming down tho Ton.
Hope your mrs is feeling better about it all today.

I’m having flash backs to my ride on Friday!

Minding my own business on a reasonably sized country road near York….when I hear a massive skid from behind. Some one(let’s call him a tool) thought he could over take me when another car was passing – he couldn’t – all I heard was the skid! Shake my head (thinking that was close) next thing the tool (in his signed up works van) starts giving me the verbal….what you shaking you head at! You’re in the middle of road! (I was 2ft from the edge of the road) then out he gets…off he goes blah blah blah. Thought he was going to go for me…guess what job he does – physical security it said so on his van! DOH! roid rage!

Makes me question why I ride my bike on the road. A lovely quiet ride out ruined by some ANGRY pillock! Makes me sad 🙁 Stay safe.

Annebr – no invisible friend, trust me. The point is that “sorting him out” whether that be in a legislative or aggressive way is unlikely to make any difference. There is an obvious issue here (maybe actually we should feel sorry for him) and even though his actions were inexcusable, no-one actually knows what drove him to behave like this, do we?.

People have all sorts of problems we know nothing about and whilst I am no pasifist, perhaps in this instance like a few people have said, move on rather than inflame the situation further with another course of action.

Life’s too short to hold grudges.

blue touch pater lit…stand well back 🙂

I know one thing I’d have done. I’d have been very scared! I’m just a normal guy, don’t get into fights and this kind of incident would have me outside my comfort zone! Doubt I’d have cycled away though, that needs a lot of self control. My guess is testosterone and fear would have combined to leave me speechless.

Please report him. He may not worry you much but it would benefit the rest of society for this incident to get reported.

been reading all this. I reckon I have mellowed a huge amount in the last 4/5 years ago.
I never felt threatened or intimidated all the time it was going on. I did not even recall feeling angry, I was just amazed at the bloke stupidity and ignorance.
prior to getting ill with my ticker, I would have nutted the bloke as soon has he got out of the car shouting at me.
illness and being a grandad has turned me int a big cuddly teddybear…..not a bad thing eh….. 😆

“sorting him out” whether that be in a legislative or aggressive way is unlikely to make any difference. There is an obvious issue here (maybe actually we should feel sorry for him) and even though his actions were inexcusable, no-one actually knows what drove him to behave like this, do we?.

People have all sorts of problems we know nothing about and whilst I am no pasifist, perhaps in this instance like a few people have said, move on rather than inflame the situation further with another course of action.

Who knows, though? You’re guessing everything will be better if nobody does anything. Just as likely it will get worse if nobody does anything.

Maybe he’ll do something worse next time? Maybe he needs something to make him realise that he’s got a problem and he should get some help? Maybe a knock on the door from a policeman will be the catalyst for a happier life for him and his family?

Realising that his actions have consequences would be a good thing if he’s anywhere near getting help. If he’s never giong to get help, better the plod know about him.

I can’t imagine what I’d have felt like as a kid if I’d seen my dad doing something like that. You can only hope they’re not seeing it very often.

Ton – well said.

ton, just seen yours. good on you!

Wot
No
Fist
Pie?

Well done for being calm, just winds bawbags like that up even more!
I would report him, what happens if he tries it on with someone a little more svelte and batters them?
At the very least people like that should be made responsible for their actions. How would you have reacted if it had been your wife he was ranting at?

If there weren’t kids present, you should have shot the bastard. As it stands you did well to keep calm.

All that is necessary for the triumph of evil is that good men do nothing. 🙂