[Closed] What to do if a driver gets out of the car to 'sort out' an argument?

I think one thing that video shows is that if you do stop rather than cycle away then the first thing to do is get rid of the bike or at least have it between you and the attacker. That guy was straddling his bike and so was pretty much helpless when the mouth breather started swinging. If you do decide that you're standing your ground make sure you're ready to be attacked.

Another thing to think about is what you're wearing on your feet. A lot of cycling shoes have almost no grip while standing on tarmac so that will put you at a massive disadvantage. Luckily for me I was standing on grass when the guy came at me so that actually gave me an advantage since my shoes had deep treads and studs on the front.

[i]I'd rather stay chilled and calm[/i]

Oh, me too.. and I do when I'm not being endangered.

I'm always amazed by how invincible people seem to feel just because they are in a car.

I have a mate who makes me cringe everytime I get in the car with him driving- he's aggressive, angry, staring people out etc- basically acts like a bit of a tosser. He doesn't seem to realise that once he's stopped someone could just walk over, open his door and pound his face in. Or just put their fist through his side window. I think quite a few people are like this though, like normal rules somehow don't apply.

If I'm on my bike I tend not to get angry if someone drives badly but is just a sh*t driver. Rightly or wrongly I just see this as a fact of riding on roads.

It makes me seeth with anger if I feel someone has done it deliberately though- cutting in front with cm's to spare just for the sake of it or whatever. Luckily it hasn't happened very often though.

ransos - Member
> I see more examples of bad cycling while commuting than bad driving
Perhaps you should think about the consequences of bad cycling vs the consequences of bad driving.

Agreed Druidh - but then if car drivers don't realise they have put you in danger they will do it again.

Hence I will point out the error but not get involved in confrontations.

a significant amount of the incidents I see are not deliberate but the result of not considering the bike

If one of the consequences of bad cycling is that it winds up other road users to an extent that they're encouraged to engage in fisticuffs on the Queens Highway, then it's hardly trivial.

No-one is forcing the other road user to "engage in fisticuffs".

We're talking about how car drivers react when their idiocy is (forcefully) pointed out to them - so let's stick to the topic, eh?

It's a lose-lose situation. If the driver is more of a nutter than you, you're going to get hurt and minimal recompense if they're prosecuted. If you're more of a nutter than them, you'll get prosecuted.

The best thing is to stay calm but assertive. I've had discussions with drivers before, the last one ended with a cheery apology from the van driver in question after a tense standoff when he realised that a) he was in the wrong and b) I wasn't about to thump him.

If someone hits you, the goal is to ensure that any damage to your bike is made good and that the driver is prosecuted. If it's a near miss, then the goal is to ensure that it doesn't happen again.

I've had a habitual problem with one guy in a Honda 4x4 who drives far too close to me and has nearly swiped me by pulling in too soon after overtaking. A couple of weeks back he did this again, but after turning the next bend he discovered a set of roadworks were in place and he had to stop. I rode alongside and tapped on his window, politely - but very firmly - asking him to wind down his window for a chat. He gripped the wheel and stared ahead, refusing to make eye contact and hasn't made a nuisance of himself since.

I find thanking people for their 'advice' or 'courteous behaviour' is the best and most fun. It's non aggressive, can be very insulting and generally leads to smug self satisfaction.

If they get out and are massively aggressive, just be submissive and apologetic and make up some story about being confused as their driving actions and it was a mistake on your part. This makes them feel guilty as hell and they tend to apologise. Which is essentially what you want Result.

If you can catch them up, opening the passenger side rear door before riding off really pisses them off....

I find thanking people for their 'advice' or 'courteous behaviour' is the best and most fun. It's non aggressive, can be very insulting and generally leads to smug self satisfaction.

Tried that one last week, when an idiot nearly side-swiped me, doing 30+mph in a 20mph zone. Driver extended his middle digit in return. That's when I told him he was a ****. I did make sure I had an escape route first...

If you're more of a nutter than them, you'll get prosecuted.

I'm not sure about this. If a driver leaves the safety of his car and invades your personal space aggressively then even if he doesn't try to hit you this should be a fairly clear cut case of self defense. Even if there are no witnesses at all he'll have a hard time proving that you pulled him out of his car to deliver the beating he so rightly deserved.

Just ignore it, don't provoke them and move on. We all blow up, we are human. Unfortunately it happens and whilst bitterly frustrating, you'll feel better in yourself for not letting them ruin your day!

I've done a lit of martial arts including street self defence so can probably speak with some justification behind what I'm writing.
1)try to avoid getting into the situation
2) run away if you can (and you normally can)
3) if the above 2 don't work, hands up, palms out in a 'stop' type stance, shout at them
4) if they come close enough to touch, hurt, and I mean really hurt them. Make sure you do enough to be able to get away.
5) report to the police FIRST that you were attacked, you don't want to be defending!
6) await prosecution for not taking a beating

Generally I'm with TJ on this. Have a good old sout and disappear if it gets ugly (Although it never has for me. I reckon I can get scarier and swearier than most, and definately uglier!)

That said, I have kicked a car, from a motorbike.

My crime was to filter slowly nearly to the front of a queue up the middle of two stationary lanes, then becasue there was a transit in my way I couldn't get right to the front, so as we all turned right from the lights the bloke in the Passat behind me decided to not give me any room. And I mean NO ROOM. I was on Mrs PPs scabby old DT125 trallie, with L plates on, so I assume he thought I was a 17 year old who needed to be taught a lesson.... What lesson I really don't know!
I do admit to giving him the finger when he started to force me into the kerb, after we'd completed the turn, but my right hand was over his bonnet and my left over the pavement. I reckon I had 18in of road, and he was too close to the van for me to pull in front. Seriously. So I slowed down a tad and stamped on the top of his wing, as hard as I could. I left a footprint. Visably shocked, he then gave me enough room to slow right down and pull in behind him, and I turned off left and went on my way. The look on his missuses face in the passenger seat was priceless.

Agreed Druidh - but then [s]if car [/s] bad drivers [s]don't realise they have put you in danger they[/s] will do it again even if you shout obscenities at them.

FTFY.

There really is no need to be aggressive IMO, maybe I'm just a more chilled out person than most on here!

Dez you can say that my philosophy doesn't hold true in the real world, but I can assure you that it does. I've been in one (verbal) altercation this year when a friend thumped a car who was driving like a moron. Had he not done so the car would've continued up the road, our ride wouldn't have been interupted and we'd have not had death threats, and he'd not have had a full coke can thrown at him. He will still drive like a cock, it achieved absolutely nothing other than to antagonise the driver, who now has an even dimmer view of cyclists.

Calling them names doesn't tell them they've done wrong, you could just shout "you cut me up, that's terrible driving", but I'll bet people don't

Just ignore it, don't provoke them and move on. We all blow up, we are human. Unfortunately it happens and whilst bitterly frustrating, you'll feel better in yourself for not letting them ruin your day!

The question is what to do when the driver is out of the car and coming at you. Do you try to find an escape route and risk the driver getting back in his car and chasing you down or throwing something at the back of your head? Or do you stand firm and try to stop the conflict turning violent or defend yourself of the driver is only interested in attacking you?

druidh - Member
> BruceWee - Member
> I don't really want to get into a big description about
> what led to him stopping and getting out of his car.
I suspect your answer is hidden in there somewhere.

Have been knocked off my bike twice in the last 12 months. " sorry mate, didn't see you " was the reply on both counts. Now have my 900 lumun light on full strobe even during the day. Filtering through some traffic at some lights the other day one of the drivers wound his window down and started complaining how bright my light was. " you saw me then?" I asked. " couldn't help not seeing you" he said. " mission accomplished" came my reply with a smile. With that he nodded in agreement, as in ok fare kop.

The question is what to do when the driver is out of the car and coming at you. Do you try to find an escape route and risk the driver getting back in his car and chasing you down or throwing something at the back of your head?

Leg it - u turn / on the pavement / thru the traffic / downva pedestrian bit / whatever it takes.

njee20 perfectly put.

TandemJeremy - Member
Leg it - every time. I do / have got into arguments with car drivers but if they look like stopping and getting out of the car I am out of there - preferably where they cannot follow. Onto pavements, down one way streets or whatever

So, what do you do with the car your'e driving?

Leave it there?

😕

It's a lose-lose situation

Not always. (in the car) I had someone acting like a knob behind me earlier this year. I watched him pull up next to me at the lights and decided to see what he could do..... So I gave it the beans on amber and he lurched about a bit and I shot off to the next set of lights, giggling. He came flying past and cut in front of me, so I slowed right down and pulled in next to him again. This time he REALLY gave it the beans, and I just let him go (He was in a lot faster car, so I knew it was pointless) satisfied at his earlier stupidity, only to have a front row seat of him being totally unable to turn left round the next roundabout, and go spinning into the central reserve in a shower of smoke and turf!! I slowed, saw he was OK, then tooted, waved out the window and drove off. I was absolutely peeing myself laughing! Pillock.

I don't drive a car 🙄

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Bruce wee - if they are getting out the car, then they are obviously going to try and abuse you. Keep moving and ignore them. If you stand your ground, you are going from a bad situation into a worse one. Simply ignore them and keep moving. I don't see how its going to escalate other than standing there waiting for some aggro?

The question is what to do when the driver is out of the car and coming at you

And the answer is to not get into that situation, as explained. Or if you've already done the stupid thing and got yourself into that situation; run away.

Leg it - u turn / on the pavement / thru the traffic / downva pedestrian bit / whatever it takes.

In my case I could have done this and it [i]probably[/i] would have been fine but it was a very open area and the road was big enough and quiet enough that if he really wanted to chase me down he could have. Even with pavements there's nothing to stop a driver mounting the pavement if he's crazy enough and if he's crazy enough to try to attack someone while his 4 year old daughter is in the back seat then you can't really tell what he's going to do.

Try not to be wearing road shoes when you get into an altercation as they can be quite slippy and you may like a bit silly when you slip whilst trying to throw a punch.

No matter how good you are at toe-to-toe I'd say diffuse the situation.

If its at the top point where the driver is climbing out then its fairly well escalated.

Who cares if you have to back down to diffuse? What if you punched him and he fell backwards and landed on the back of his skull? What if you came off better and witnesses came forward to say you assaulted the driver after he got out to tell you off?

Its just not worth it.

As for you the 50:50 aspect. I'd say you are riding possibly combatively as your feeling abit angry/grumpy? Calm down otherwise whats the point in riding to work for fitness- its stress that affects your heart ultimately.

Its seriously uncool when you see two blokes arguing over a motoring incident. No one comes out looking good. I remember seeing two blokes punching each other out on the hardshoulder of the M60 once and I thought 'what a couple of losers'.

Who cares? Calm down.

if they are getting out the car, then they are obviously going to try and abuse you. Keep moving and ignore them. If you stand your ground you are going from a bad situation into a worse one. If you ignore them and keep moving I don't see how its going to escalate other than standing there waiting for some aggro?

My thinking is that in some cases you can't runaway depending on the road you're on. They're faster than you and they have a 2 ton weapon to hit you with. If they are voluntarily going to give up that weapon then I think that levels the playing field.

And the answer is to not get into that situation, as explained

I did say that I try to do this all the time. Sometimes though I have a rush of blood to the head. Maybe it's because of my upbringing or genetics but the simple fact is that I'm human and sometimes make mistakes.

TandemJeremy - Member
I don't drive a car

Oh right, I could have sworn you where in a hire car the last time we met at Als' meet up..

🙂

Just to add - there will also be someone who can uppercut quicker than you can.

In addition some people don't stop the fight just because you might be on the floor. Why have a fractured-cheek bone, concussion etc just because of a stupid disagreement on the road escelatated?

This goes to everyone on here- If you genuinely feel alarmed about a drivers conduct consider a Section 59. Any member of the public can bring one of these and boy its going be more effective than slugging out isn't it?

http://www.fastcar.co.uk/04570735437292594850/what-is-a-section-59.html

In addition some people don't stop the fight just because you might be on the floor. Why have a fractured-cheek bone, concussion etc just because of a stupid disagreement on the road escelatated?

Absolutely, I like to think I can handle myself fairly well. I've done martial arts all my life and have been in a few scrapes when I was young and stupid. I'm not stupid enough now to think that I can win every fight or even the majority of fights I get into especially since I'm 5'6" and weigh 65kg.

I agree that the best thing to do is defuse the situation which is what I did by being on the aggressive side of assertive. the guy was about 5'10" and probably weighed about 100kg so the fact that I didn't back down at all seemed to take him by surprise and I think that's what defused the situation. Had I reacted as he expected and tried to apologise while he was trying to push me then I think he would have continued attacking me.

The fact that he had deliberately driven in such a way that if I hadn't jammed my brakes on he would have driven straight into the side of me told me that he wasn't afraid of using his car to injure me.

Edit: Just to add, I have a friend who had a taxi driver deliberately run him over. Luckily he was able to jump out of the way so it was just his bike but that's something that has always been in the back of my mind when it comes to dealing with drivers.

as i cannot fight/defend myself i will ride away as fast as my little legs can carry me.although luckily i have never had to face a situation like that (and hope i never have to)

Open the rear left passenger door
Leg it to somewhere cars can't go.

Once had someone chase me when I was riding a BMX. He was swinging a steering wheel lock around his head shouting "I'm going to f-in kill you" after I flipped the bird when he pulled out on a [url= http://www.streetmap.co.uk/map.srf?X=425518&Y=565497&A=Y&Z=120 ]roundabout[/url] in front of me.

He first tried to run me over, luckily I got on the pavement and passed a street sign just in time. Then he was out and running. I shot off down a back alley that luckily wasn't a dead-end and hid round the corner.

amazingly, he had wife and child in the car at the time.

unleash your penis, men find it very difficult to keep shouting at you and get close enough to physically assault you if you're spinning your cock around like a helicopter. screaming "BUUUUDGIEEEEEE THE LITTLE HELICOPTERRRRRRRRRRRR!" adds the the effect.

😆

You're not a very well little boy, are you Phil?

unleash your penis, men find it very difficult to keep shouting at you and get close enough to physically assault you if you're spinning your cock around like a helicopter. screaming "BUUUUDGIEEEEEE THE LITTLE HELICOPTERRRRRRRRRRRR!" adds the the effect.

I'm going to start cycling in stripper trousers, this is the best suggestion so far.

i gave him the finger, he then reversed back to where i was stood.
he jumped out of the car and came running round to where i was stood, screaming that he was gonna ****I*g kill me.

He was swinging a steering wheel lock around his head shouting "I'm going to f-in kill you" after I flipped the bird

Indeed. Has anyone actually ever got involved in such a situation without inciting it?

I don't really understand why people are so keen to insult the drivers, but not deal with the concequences, and no one's yet managed to give a coherent answer. It all comes across as cowardly bravado to me I must say.

The answer to this is quite simple. Grow a beard. I have a beard and no drivers have ever started trouble me. Here is why.

Men with beards.

[img] [/img]

[img] http://t0.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcQEup8wR_OOOfHqZtszOtTVPEJR9XY5diiUeoTkKOfjODXw-kQxNSQ_xkIE [/img]

Men without beards.

[img] http://t3.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcSdfOEp5ZkHyf8ccv3aAGZ-0K8rEW8vfECYiklysC1RJRCeT-P8m2m9i6V5 [/img]

[img] [/img]

I rest my case

Depends what you mean by incite. To me a driver is inciting a situation if he has seen you and drives in such a way that you're given the choice of giving way or being run over. Anything you do after that is escalating the situation IMO and that's something completely different.

It seems to me that most of these situations could be avoided by the cyclist simply keeping calm and not escalating the situation in the first place

Grow a beard

I'm 34.
And I can't 🙁

i had an incodent witha car driver recently - i singnaled and over took a parked bus, as i was halfway around the bus i heard the 'big revs' of the car behind who then cut me up forcing me into teh parked bus - and i did the international w#anker gesture.
The driver then stopped 50yrds up and got out blocking me and started having a go, so i hopped onto the pavement to avoid him, he propmtly got back into his car and pulled out very quickly in front of the bus causing which caved in the side of his car!

The bus driver had seen what had happened earlier and the car driver got done on two counts of dangerous driving.