Altercations with motorists – what's your highest level?

My favorite incident happened about five years ago just outside Victoria station.

A van overtook me and pulled in early, I was unsighted and slapped the side of the van:

Van driver: “Oi! Did you just hit my van?”
Me: “Yes. You overtook me and pulled in early, I nearly came off my bike.”
Van driver: “Oh, I’m terribly sorry about that. I didn’t realize I hadn’t left enough room.”
Me: “Apology accepted, no harm done. Good day to you sir”.

With that we shook hands and went on our merry ways.

A fair few altercations during commutes or group rides.

On memorable one, driver turned right in front of me, we had eye-contact as i approached, and I thought the driver was goig to wait for me to ride past , but sure enough, pulled out!
I was just riding my new (original) P7 back from the bike shop. Ended up somersualting over the bonnet of the drivers car. Got up to give the driver an honest apprasial of what had just happenend only to find the most beautifil brunette looking back at me, as visibly shocked as I was.

I couldnt say word, at that moment she had reduced me to a jibbering fool . . . i think I even apologised!

For those that use cameras, do you find the presence of a camera defuses potential silliness from people?
Does anyone use a camera on road rides?

i lost it at a edinburgh taxi driver several years ago. he was in the bike area of the junction waiting for the lights to change. he invited me to a fight. i swearily declined but kicked his wing mirror of at the next set of lights and sped off at warp factor two down leith walk… his passenger applauded me.

not big or clever and decided to be nothing other than zen ever again in similar situations. another perk of now living in the country.

In an effort to spread a bit of cheer on this thread, I was out today on the bike and stopped by a small isolated road in driving snow to have something to eat. Two large scary men in high vis drove up, stopped, asked ‘Are you OK there mate?’ and, when reassured, went on their way. The National Park Ranger went past a minute or two later and completely ignored me. I saw no other vehicles all the way round.

Went for years without anything more than the odd angry walker, was expecting a bit when I started commuting to work across Cardiff but still nothing.

Then I moved to a different part of Cardiff and my route changed. Since then I’ve had four high-level ones in 2 years 🙁

No 1: Riding past the prison at 6 am when a boy racer comes behind me at the lights, I have to go straight on where he want to go left over the flyover. He takes exception to me being there so comes alongside me on the left, grabs my handlebars and pulls me towards the railings we are both approaching 😯 I manage to wrestle free and he speeds off. Called the police and he was given community service. Boy Racer Incident

No 2: Guy in a minibus decides that he doesn’t like me being in the bus lane along Newport Road so sideswipes me. I bounce off his side and have to jump the kerb by a bus stop (narrowly missing it) which makes him really angry so we have words at the next traffic lights where he threatens to deck me. I invite him out but the lights change so he drives off instead. Reported to the police but the minibus is not registered to anyone so nothing happens.

No 3: This one: Learner Driver Episode Still makes me giggle at the instant Karma 😆

No 4: Goy in a Smart Car forgets how short his bonnet is while coming up behind me, manages to catch my foot with the front bumper!! Knocks my foot off the pedal which I instinctively use to push off his car to keep upright. He goes mental and accuses me of kicking his car!! He then races off (well, flat out in a snail-like way), stops up ahead then gets out to have a go at me with his fists!! I take to the other side of the road so he resorts to spitting at me then driving off. Reported to the police (again) who have a word with him but they don’t do anything about it. They did seem to take the position that I must be one of them angry cyclists as I’ve had so many close calls recently 😕

All on unavoidable stretches of road on my commute.

Simular to captaincarbon, when I worked as a delivery driver a car ran into the back of my van in slow moving traffic.

I felt the impact, bounced forward, looked in my mirror to see a Seat Ibiza with the bonnet bent, headlights smashed and bumper disintegrated.

Picking up all the stuff that fallen off the shelf above the cab and hit me on the head, I got out to be met by the most stunning brunette wearing a nurses uniform just to top it. Turns out she was on her way to drop her son off at nursery before starting a shift in A&E

She was crying, kid was crying and she explained little one had been screaming and she stupidly turned to look at him and bang into my van. I kept seeing her around all the time after that and she kinda smiled everytime she passed me.