Had a run in with SLT lately? Ever been knocked back for a promotion?  Ever got yourself into a sticky situation with a student/parent? Ever just said a “little too much?”

No, not really. Funny thing is kids idiot behaviour doesnt bother me, they are kids there supposed to be idiots. Its when adults act like **** I get pissed off as they are supposed to be adults…and yes I do see the irony in that statement. The professional me is very different from the actual me.

I grew up at Greenham in the 70’s, was love and peace/world war 3/Reagan era.

Happy days on my Raleigh Striker cutting fences, riding up runways, chased by Americans.

I digress…

Been thinking about this, I feel I’m getting more aggressive as I get older. I have two small children so I think I’m trying to be calm when out and about/driving etc but my partner seems to think I shout out of the window and get too involved.

Now, I would be the first person to say ‘they need to calm down’ but probably don’t realise it myself.

I am one to shout ‘Thankyou for that ‘ if they pass me and my kids on a trail, I probably wouldn’t back it up if honest with my kids in tow but I can’t help being British.

but my partner seems to think I shout out of the window and get too involved.

lol, well either you do or you don’t?

If anything happens to me (close pass, bad driving etc), I usually just sigh or roll my eyes.  If it happens to my wife, or close friends, I can react unfavorably….

Missus rode across a crossing point on a shared path, about 4-5 seconds before a car got to us. Bloke turns to me and starts mouthing through his window, saying nasty things.  At first, I wondered what he was going on about.  He sped off down the road (into a load of speed bumps) before I could give him the V and told him to eff off!

For some reason, I just knew it wasn’t over.  It’s about another 1/4 of a mile to the next crossing. Little angry bloke had circled around (probably a 1.5 mile round trip to meet us at the next crossing. He stops at the crossing (on his green light) and asks me to repeat what I said…. so I did.

Then he starts making motions to pull his car over, so I just saw the red mist, jumped off my bike and ran at his car shouting all sorts. He then promptly stuck his foot down and ran a red light to get away while shouting “follow me then”!

Some people are just mouthy bullies and not much else. Anyone I’ve ever known who are “handy” or a bit mental have never been bullies. I should add this sort of thing only happens about once every 5 years 🙂

I remember once I had to walk away because I suspected a guy was drunk and had some sort of weapon in his pocket. There were children on the street too. That one was trying to goad his dog into attacking ours (who were on leads). He was very careful not to engage my missus though (probably because she would have had him!! :))

Lots of people are angry and aggressive inside the protection of their car. It’s kind of a lazy-peacock posture. Unfortunately the amount of people who are prepared to jump out of their car to “have a word” with a tyre iron, baseball bat etc it’s just not even worth having a go. I certainly am not going to get aggro at someone if my kids are in the car. Karma’s a bitch, and ultimately people usually get what they deserve.

To quote a kids film….., “Let it gooooooo!”

I lost it today.  Picked up Jnr from School, and as I turned into my road a woman with a small – 5yo – kid on a scooter stood by the side of the road looking me right in the eye while I indicated and turned right into the road…

…and then preceded to walk in front of the car dragging the kid/scooter with her.   After I slammed on the brakes still halfway across the opposite carriageway I couldn’t help myself although I managed not to swear – obviously I’d stopped – I opened the window and ranted angrily at her for a full 30s about how she had a screw loose and has put herself and the kid in danger, notwithstanding showing him the worst possible example of how to cross a road.  Her retort in defense or nearly killing her own kid – its my fault I should be ready to stop for a child.

I mean wtf is wrong with people!!

That sort of behaviour* will be the norm when autonomous cars take over…

*The crossing in front of cars, not (so much) the ranting, that is

If she’d started into the road before you’d turned in, she has priority. 🙂

Yup – unbeknown to most car drivers a pedestrian has  priority if they are crossing a side road before a car turns into it.  so from your description she was in the right and you were in the wrong

as I turned into my road a woman with a small – 5yo – kid on a scooter stood by the side of the road… …and then preceded to walk in front of the car dragging the kid/scooter with her.   After I slammed on the brakes still halfway across the opposite carriageway

Stop trolling Kryton 😂. He was clearly manoeuvring before the pedestrian made her move. HC Rule 170 is clear that the pedestrian only has right of way if crossing the road before the driver makes the turn. Which is common sense, really.

Stop trolling Kryton

You’re no fun. I wanted to see if he’d lose his shit over a story about losing his shit 🙂

😂😂😂 Apologies. As you were…

@anagallis_arvensis I know where you coming from, as I’ve got myself into these situations before and every single time i regret them.

Don’t beat yourself up about this happening, your perfectly entitled to get angry about it, but you already know its how you react that’s the problem.

For some reason I will always call people out on their bullshit too and get myself into difficult situations, similar to what @stevextc said, is it worth doing? 99% of the time its not.  But sometimes you just cant help it.

In terms of finding a solution I think the suggestions to read the Chimp Paradox are well worth following.

Hmmmm,

I don’t “do” this – but the other week a chimp in a campervan offered me out and it was only the thought that I’d likely lose my job that stopped me from taking him up (losing my teeth didn’t seem to be a factor at the time, though I was in no way a cert for the win)

week a chimp in a campervan

Was as it a white VW in south Birmingham?

This thread helped me to not loose my sh!t. I was driving through a cross roads which requires some give an take to flow smoothly, I looked right and it was clear, looked left and saw said van approaching at a distance, so I cross, as I do so he speeds up and tries to drive around me by swinging into the exit I am moving towards. This then prevents me from moving. Instead of manoeuvring around and going on his way he starts beeping and shouting.

I was about to get out, tell him that I could not take him seriously because he had an eyebrow ring and then try to put my foot in his c**t, when this thread can to mind. I then asked him “ if he was going “as the traffic was building up. He cupped his ear in a prehensile way to suggest I should get out and say it, so I shrugged with arms out and looked around. He followed my gaze and could see traffic blocked by his action in all four roads and tens of parents and children on the pavements who couldn’t cross looking at him. His expression changed, realising they though he was a knob even if I had misjudged my manoeuvre. He drove off rapidly and everyone got on with their life. Thanks AA.

I think he must have thought I deliberately pulled out, so instead of slowing to aid traffic flow he tried one up on me, but the bollard in the centre of my exit prevented him doing so. If people get aggro I think it has a knock on effect and everyone gets less patient with the next person to make a mistake/ misjudgement. That’s what happens most of the time, nothing deliberate.

I’m not having a good week.

Over the last year we’ve put up with an escalation of some local hobby-ist lockup’s opposite the house into full scale recovery trucks, engines left running, radios left on shouting swearing and devil may care driving on a residential street sometimes at 1am weekends.  Several complaints have sent the people evicted.   On top of that a council vehicle knocked our front wall down earlier in the year, and we’ve just had it fixed via thier payout.

So imagine after 2hrs sleep because of an issue Friday night/Saturday morning with another “vehicle delivery” and I’m watching yesterdays rugby with one eye on the suddenly rapidly increasing number of recovery trucks outside.  Suddenly, I spot one clearly about to reverse into our wall, and before I’ve got outside, he does.

Well, I lost it.  The “main” garage guy who was giving directions quickly turned on his mate “I told him, I told him to wait” he said.   Well, that was it.  I really ranted and was genuinely very upset, shouting at them that I was “done with **** tow trucks, mess, noise and damage” that they cause, sick of thier excuses and ~I’m phoning the police for criminal damage and the council for illegal vehicle repair on the public highway” lots of heated discussion was had but I was really on one and would have happily punched anybody.  Took a photo of the vehicle and plate much to thier argument.

In the end, I’ve never seen as many recovery trucks and vans disappear from a place so fast.  They clearly knew they were taking the piss.  To be fair the driver calmly reappeared with his name and phone number and offered to pay for the wall to be fixed (again) if we could kindly provide an estimate.

The good thing about this is that the curtains were well and truly twitching in the neighbouring houses.  I know other people have complained anonymously because we’ve received other letters from the council, so I’m glad now the neighbourhood has witnessed the breaking of the final straw and hopefully this will deter any more such activity.

Man, I’ve never been so angry in 20 years, but it’s needed to be done and we need to stand up for themselves sometimes without fear of becoming the accused.

Good work

That sounds rough K57. You are entitled to go off on one there, yours is a situation that has continued and escalated.