Long straight busy main road, going downhill at speed. There’s a pedestrian crossing further ahead on red with a huge queue of cars waiting. I intend to turn right into a supermarket immediately after the crossing and as there is no oncoming traffic at all I filter quickly down the right-hand side of the queue and sit in front of a big range rover at the lights. The lights change and I’m off and start to signal right but have to wait for a couple of oncoming cars. The range rover behind has pulled off at speed and has then had to slam on the anchors, because I’m in front of him, resulting in a tirade of abuse from the angriest man in the world. He looked like a beef tomato:) I then gave him the finger from behind as I went on my way.

Who was the dick? Him? Me? Both of us? He must’ve seen me, I pulled in directly in front of him. Unless he didn’t, was remonstrating with children, texting, watching a DVD etc, sensed the lights had changed and put his foot down, only to find a guy on a bike in front of him.

I then gave him the finger from behind

😯

reach around as well or just a finger?

Without him doing any of that it’s him, he’s in Range Rover

Ha! ermm…

I mean ‘without looking back, I casually gave a middle fingered hand gesture in his general direction’

😀

The answer is probably both of you.

He’s clearly the d*ck but the gesture might not have done much for his opinion of the next cyclist he meets! (having said that, it doesn’t sound like it could be any lower).

I found out by mistake that the best way to get an angry driver to turn full tomato is to laugh at them; they expect anger and don’t seem to like getting bemusement and laughter.

5 dead cyclists in London in 9 days has made me start to reconsider my commute lately unfortunately; all most likely caused by someone either cycling or driving like a ****…. i’ve commuted in London for 15 years and have come to the conclusion that the best way to ensure we get treated with respect on the roads is to behave like respectful road users.

Yep, you’re in the clear there OP, he was being a total d!ck all the way. Probably best not to finger him from behind, but when needs must a man’s got to do..

No helmetcam?

Who was the dick? Him? Me? Both of us? He must’ve seen me, I pulled in directly in front of him.

50/50 I reckon.
Don’t know the junction, but filtering to the front doesn’t really save much time in the grand scale of life, and I suspect at some level it’s an affront to the British desire to queue 🙂
So if you then hold someone up who was in a queue first, don’t be surprised that they go mental. Doesn’t mean they’re justified in doing so, but human nature’s rarely about rational response.

Pisses me off when cars are desperate to overtake me and then immeadiately slam on the brakes cos they have to wait to make a turn so I’m gonna say YOU, op. Just to rock the boat and all 🙂

Fair point. I was going that fast that I initially thought that the lights would change by the time I got to them, and with no oncoming, could’ve just whizzed past and turned right before the cars even moved. But alas…

Yeah, ‘the finger’ prob wasn’t the best idea. I’m pretty chilled and usually just laugh at angry drivers, but thought he deserved a little extra.

He wouldn’t wait to overtake you, so why not overtake him? I can’t see the 50/50 in it at all…

If the tomato headed man was going straight on and he was first at the lights his intention was to leave the queueing cars for dead with his throaty V8…. then you ‘push in’ with your stinky digits signalling right? Imagine that!! grrrrrr

I then gave him the finger from behind

Is this real life? Or were you playing Grand Theft Auto?

I’d say he was being dick but you gave him the excuse he needed. If a there was traffic indicating to turn right in that lane when he’d arrived he would have taken the left lane so as not to have to wait behind them while they turn, so he’ll be frustrated at you passing him and then having to wait behind him, just as he’d also be frustrated if a car was in the right lane and didn’t indicate right until the lights changed. But he should have just been “Tsk, typical” or “some people” or whatever under his breath then calming going home and beating his wife instead of making a scene in public , shouting and bawling and then going home and beating his wife.

True. Also, there was only one lane, well, a bus lane on the left full of parked cars, but I see your point.

No helmetcam?

God no. No Road warrior lycra either. Just a dude on a bike 🙂

Oh! You were on a bike! He’s the dick – you weren’t a dick!

Filtering through traffic is a grey area. In broad terms you can filter up to the rear bumper of the car which has stopped on the pedestrian crossing but you can’t pass him. The speed at which you filter is the grey area in law and case law fills in some of the gaps left by statute.

Who cares who is right? The question is you’ll get hurt, the driver won’t even feel the impact so “being right” doesn’t come into it.

And you are not riding defensively by pulling in front of the driver? I appreciate the reasons why but I would argue defensive riding may prolong your life or your health.

A dick is a dick regardless of the mode of transport they use.

Yeah of course, it doesn’t matter who’s ‘right’. Just a weird part of my day and I just thought I’d open it up to the forum to try and shed some light on it. I’m not sure I know what riding defensively means? I guess I ride ‘assertively’ if anything, but try and be courteous at the same time.

Also, there was no danger of any kind of serious collision. We were all stationary just before.

Pisses me off when cars are desperate to overtake me and then immeadiately slam on the brakes cos they have to wait to make a turn so I’m gonna say YOU, op. Just to rock the boat and all

I pretty much agree with this, probably my worst pet hate so I try not to do it when I’m on my bike.

He’s a dick in a 2 tonne bike squashing machine…

Stay safe folks.

cleanerbybike – Member

Without him doing any of that it’s him, he’s in Range Rover

I’d put money on it being a sport (always driven by cocks) rather than a proper Range Rover (which seem ok as far as 4×4’s go).

Unfortunately many people will see you as being in the wrong just for riding a bike. Probably best not to worry about it too much.

if I had a viable excuse for carrying a hammer on my bike, I would

a range rover you say?
pretty easy, this one. tow bar fitted?
yes = jury is still out, may just be a regular driver, with a requirement for a vehicle that will tow, and still be reasonably comfy. possibly a dick.
no = a dick. no question.

TBH when I commute now I seldom filter to the front or use an ASL bike box because I know that 1/5 times I’m going to be getting abuse/revving/punishment passing from the fella who feels that I have stolen ‘pole position” from him. I actually find stopping 2 or or three cars back to be a better compromise, depending on the situation. Less of a rush to pull away from that point and all but the shortest of traffic lihht filters will allow you enough time to get through.

He was being a dick, you were simply replying in kind, by a means most likely to be understood by a Range Rover driver OP…

jeremy clarckson