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On Saturday I was popping back home to get something I'd forgotten having got 200m or so down the road at the start of a road ride. Just before the traffic lights onto the housing estate I live on there had obviously been a multi vehicle smash (traffic was very heavy for some reason - was presumably somebody not paying attention in the queue). Anyway, just as I was coming up to them a car involved in the smash pulled out - from the rear I could see the right indicator going, which was a bit strange as they weren't in the dedicated right turn lane. Anyway, I continued up the left side of them, still in what is a marked bike lane at that point.
It was only as I got alongside this car that I realised it was being towed by the van in front of it - impossible to tell that from behind. At that point the van also put on it's left turn indicator, which he'd not bothered with before (the left indicator on the car was smashed and u/s - I presume he actually had hazards going, hence the right indicator) - the driver of the car also looked at me and mouthed something. Not having a deathwish, I dropped back behind the car even though I was going left also. Went round the right of both vehicles commenting into the open window as I went past that they could have indicated earlier - no swearing at all from me, and not a single rude gesture, as I wasn't particularly upset, just thought they could have avoided me ever going down the left if the van had indicated.
Following a string of swear words in reply, the next thing I know is both drivers out of their vehicles chasing me down the road effectively inviting me to come back for a kicking. What exactly did I do wrong - never got in their way, didn't swear, didn't give rude gestures. I half stopped to try and ask what the problem was (there was a Tesco van coming having to wait for them - didn't think they'd want witnesses to an assault), but just more swearing etc.
Anyway, having been home I did of course have to go back past them on the way out again - this is the only way on and off where I live. Picked up my digi camera just in case, but thought they might have had a chance to cool down by then. No such luck - I tried to ask what I'd done wrong, but just got the driver of the smashed up car in my face (he might have thought he was tough, but he'd separated from his mate and there were other people around so I didn't think he'd hit me) swearing at me, without actually telling me what his big problem was. Finished off with the classic line "you can shut up with your plummy voice", to which I could only retort "so it's actually a class thing then?" - I mean it's not actually like I do have a posh accent, just maybe I was giving that impression by not swearing at him!
I can only put it down to the pair of them being total lowlifes angry at being involved in a smash (given rear end damage, presumably not his fault), and having failed to find somebody to hit at the crash (he wasn't actually that big a chap, just had an attitude) I got the brunt of it.
Any suggestions as to what I should have done differently - really can't think of anything?
I reckon it's sometimes appropriate to get involved in violence. Just because you wear lycra doesn't mean your not handy 🙄
I'm told I'm too positional tho.
Completely ignored them? Ridden in a different direction so they couldn't follow? Once I took evasive action from an angry white van man across some people's gardens.
Some people are t**ts and you can't win with them, they don't want to be reasonable or listen to common sense, best off completely getting away from them and avoiding any escalation of the situation.
Oh - and I'm a tae kwon do 3rd dan, so reasonably handy - there is just no point in bothering with low life.
I think you're spot on, DT78. Got away fairly pronto in the first instance, and wouldn't have ridden back past had I had a choice.
What did you do wrong - rode a bike and they thought you critised them.
What can you do - leg it!
A few weeks ago I ewas cut up by a small flatbed truck. Which then had to stop due to traffic - I looked for a way past and got sworn at - at theis point I had done nothing. I then told 'em to **** off at which point two psychos got out and went for me - I bunny hopped onto the pavement and legged it.
some folk are just psychos - no point in getting involved - my rule is if they get out of their vehicle leg it
the world is full of cocks, sometimes they get in your way. Laugh inside at their blood pressure going up and get on with your life.
Glad I posted - pleased to see it wasn't just me. Strange thing was they weren't actually particularly big psychos - both smaller than me (I'm not exactly huge). I don't think either would actually have been so brave if on their own - but then what do I know, I don't normally come across lowlifes like that, and they probably do a lot more fighting than me.
Unfortunately I did get rather worked up by this - not helped when later on my ride I got 3 cars in a matter of minutes passing me without bothering to cross the centre line (I ended up riding smack in the middle of my side of the road - surprised to find that rather than people cutting me up, every single car then crossed completely to the other side of the road, so maybe I should try that again). Not really what I needed when I was going out riding to try and improve my mood in the first place. looking back though, it's easy to laugh at the fact that I'm not the one with a smashed up car 🙂
more than likely the type of person who would normally say something to themselves about cyclists, but cos of the accident needed to vent to make them feel better about themselves; unfortunately that was directed at you.
Nothing came of it, be happy about that and ride on; just try not to get a flat from all the bits of smashed car in that there road, eh? 😉