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I live in a sleepy little village.
Heading out of village to take Freester Jr to swimming lessons Sunday morning. Running a bit late due. Just as I pulled out of my drive two motor cyclists went past. One on something half decent. The other was one of those what I call 'large mopeds' / maxi scooters whatever you call them.
I followed them out and to our village hall, the motorbike pulled over to the side of the road parked bike. The moped scooter / rider just stopped. In the middle of the road so I couldn't drive past. Looked like someone who had driven there had also parked on the side of the road and was there to meet these motorcyclists.
Patiently I waited. Then the scooterist stopped the engine and got off the bike. We're still not able to pass Mrs F, stressing and slightly out of character said to me 'beep the horn'. So I did. A little 'peep' just to make the rider aware we were there.
Next thing, the driver who was greeting the riders walked straight in front of my car, hands on bonnet, shouting abuse at us (I might add he looked like a pretty normal, run of the mill middle aged guy, nothing large, chavvy or aggressive about his appearance).
I then noted the rider was pushing the bike to the side of the road (it was now apparent to me that this rider was not the most confident and didn't want to ride the bike to park it! So maybe we had been a little impatient).
Shouting ensued. I wound the window down and told the guy we were in a bit of a rush and I only beeped the horn to make the rider aware of our presence.
We drove off and with that the other motorcyclist (the more confident rider) gave me the bird. I saw the red mist, reversed back and wound the window down again. Still just about staying cool I told the rider (who had removed his helmet and ear plugs wtf?) that I apologise for beeping the horn gently to let the other rider know of my presence, and that his behaviour was bang out of order in front of my 6 year old son. I think if my son hadn't been sat in the back I would have been out of the car by then reacting very differently.
He backed down a bit. (I'm a tall guy and apparently can be quite scary to look at when I'm angry). So off we went. But my p**s is still boiling 24 hours later. I left Mrs F and Jr at the pool as I had a few errands to run but had to talk to myself very hard not to go back to where these clowns had parked and confront them again.
As I drove away the less confident motorcyclist was removing their helmet and ear plugs. WTF? Is that to protect your ears from the bike noise? How do they hear what is going on?
Petty and stupid I know. My Mrs who is normally a very easy going laid back type was seething. All I could say was let it go, and we had reacted / came of out if better than the others.
Poor rant. I just needed to get it off my chest.
You do not come out of this well.
Time to post this again
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Holding up traffic outside the village hall on a Sunday morning?? Hanging's too good for 'em!
You come across as the dick of this story, just to prepare you........ And learn to wait ten seconds or better still, take responsibility for your own lateness.
But bravo, you hit all the triggers for a good road rage story. You weren't in the wrong (obviously), you mentioned "chavvy", they were being boorish brutes but it's OK, you're intimidating size is all that's needed to diffuse any situation.
But at least your prementioned lateness still gave you time to blow out your chest and "look hard"
****
We can all get a bit stressed when we're in a hurry to drop the kids at the pool.
[i]He backed down a bit....So off we went.[/i]
You da winner. Get over it! 😆
Personally, I don't think you come across as a "dick", just normal. But normal ain't enough with the life heroes on STW.
We can all get a bit stressed when we're in a hurry to drop the kids at the pool.
Admit it, you actually went back while mini-you was swimming, marched into the town hall and committed a Kill Bill-esque scene and they're all in a shallow grave in your garden now.
I'm pretty sure the very same thing happened in an episode of The Vicar of Dibley, life imitating art eh.
As I drove away the less confident motorcyclist was removing their helmet and ear plugs. WTF? Is that to protect your ears from the bike noise? How do they hear what is going on?
I've done 14-15,000 miles this year on my bike, all apart from maybe 200 of that I wore custom moulded earplugs.
Yes, it's to protect our hearing, the same as you would in any potentially hearing damaging environment. I don't wanna go deaf or get tinnitus thanks. Virtually all regular riders will use plugs. It's sensible.
How do they hear what is going on?
I can hear more than you can in the car. Trust me.
Please don't criticise something you blatantly know diddly squat about.
Yes, most motorcyclists wear ear plugs. Prevents hearing damage and fatigue. You can still hear as much as you can when in a car with the windows up.
You come across as a self entitled twit.
Have to agree, OP comes across as the dick here. The fact that he can't see that is the worry.
Yeah, but why did you stop in front of him PP?
Personally, I don't think you come across as a "dick", just normal. But normal ain't enough with the life heroes on STW.
Plus 1.
Your'e not a dick OP, just normal. Idiot drivers who have no respect &/or are totally oblivious to other road users boil my water as well.
I was taking Mrs Egf to an hospital appointment a couple of weeks ago, on time & driving through Knaresborough with a line of cars behind me, when the dippy tart in front stopped, on the main road to let a car out of a petrol station. Nothing in front of her, no hold ups, but she decides to hold a line of cars up instead.
Thick. (but courteous)
But normal ain't enough with the life heroes on STW.
+1.
Since when did tooting your horn to let someone (stopped in the middle of the road) know you're trying to get past become "entitled"? 😕
Why would any road user think it acceptable to stop their vehicle in the middle of the road and walk away from it? I can understand the op's annoyance.
driving through Knaresborough with a line of cars behind me, when the dippy tart in front stopped, on the main road to let a car out of a petrol station.
[pedant]There are no petrol stations on the main road through Knaresborough[/pedant]
I'd probably have done what the op did with the initial toot but it's against the highway code and leaves you open to prosecution;
[url= http://www.highwaycode.info/rule/112 ]http://www.highwaycode.info/rule/112[/url]
[i]The horn. Use only while your vehicle is moving and you need to warn other road users of your presence. Never sound your horn aggressively. You MUST NOT use your horn
while stationary on the road
when driving in a built-up area between the hours of 11.30 pm and 7.00 am
[/i]
Odd how we all focus in on certain things. Just to set out my stall, I feel the OP going for seconds was the bit that didn't scan well. Lightly caressing the horn to point of it letting out an [url=
inaudible squeak[/url] is fine if being held up for a prolonged period of time.
We can all get a bit stressed when we're in a hurry to drop the kids at the pool.
True that. This just reminded me, a week ago I went to walk the dog out in countryside. Was dying for a piss as have a bladder thing going on. Saw a farm gate, reversed into adjacent layby/hedgerow rather too quickly. Grass was long. Reversed into drainage ditch. Tried to drive out. Wheelspin. Nearly pissed self with increasing urgency to escape to field. Mrs MR sets off with surly disapprobation at my hasty near car-wreckage and stranding. We have words. Should have just gone for a piss instead of getting into argument. Saw horse trailer people drive past into paddock up the lane. Asked for help/tow rope. No go. Saw concrete blocks near gate, asked if may borrow? Tried carrying blocks back down lane to car. Sharply reminded that I have ongoing groin-injury. Temperature rising further. Need a piss but now people are around. Sweating like crazy. Try sliding concrete blocks under wheel. Get strongled harshly by many evil brambles. Then nettles decided to join in the fray. Blood ensues.
Try to vault gate to go for a piss. Sharply reminded etc. It goes on but suffice to say I was raging internally.
#hangingoninquietdesperation
[i]Get strongled harshly by many evil brambles[/i]
I have no idea what this means but it reinforces my love for the english language.
I can understand the op's annoyance.
Same. But I can't understand going from being worried about Jr being late for swimming - which apparently was the issue - to suddenly having all the time in the world to reverse back up the road in order to save face, swimming be damned
Sounds like you need to get some help.
Ear plugs are used to reduce the hearing damage that can be caused by windnoise.(not farting, though that may depend on the rider)
Doesn't stop you hearing...
[pedant]There are no petrol stations on the main road through Knaresborough[/pedant]
Fancy a wager on that? (before you double check)
Fancy a wager on that? (before you double check)
Gary_M - MemberWhy would any road user think it acceptable to stop their vehicle in the middle of the road and walk away from it? I can understand the op's annoyance.
+1.
OP toots at a bloke who stops in the middle of the road causing enough of an obstruction that others cannot get past, before leaving the vehicle in the road & walking away from it.......but it's the OP who is self-entitled!?
If the other motorcyclist & the waiting car were able to pull over sufficiently enough to not cause an obstruction, then surely this person could also?
Devil's advocate......Maybe it was an inexperience motorcyclist out for a first ride on a new bike, or something?
In that scenario, had it been me....I would have got off my bike & gone to speak to the person I was holding up, perhaps apologised & explained my reason for parking the bike in the middle of the road - "sorry, my mate's gonna move the bike; I'm not confident parking it up due to the camber of the road/leaves on the line etc....."
Gentle Beep 🙂
But I can't understand going from being worried about Jr being late for swimming - which apparently was the issue - to suddenly having all the time in the world to reverse back up the road in order to save face, swimming be damned
I imagine being verbally abused and/or threatened by a total stranger in front of his wife and kids might have made a small difference?
Shouldn't have gone back of course but I don't think the OP is the "entitled" one in this situation.
[quote=Duggan ]Since when did tooting your horn to let someone (stopped in the middle of the road) know you're trying to get past become "entitled"?
Since when there were three people there that clearly knew you were there and wanting to get past but still hadn't moved so there was obviously a problem.
I don't understand why the OP didn't just go around the stopped bike? Was it only a single lane road?
Duggan » Since when did tooting your horn to let someone (stopped in the middle of the road) know you're trying to get past become "entitled"?
Since when there were three people there that clearly knew you were there and wanting to get past but still hadn't moved so there was obviously a problem.
Come again? 😕
Fancy a wager on that? (before you double check)
Depends on your definition of the 'main road through Knaresborough' but there are certainly none on York Road/York Place/High Street/Bond End which would be my definition of the main road through Knaresborough. There is one on Boroughbridge Road but that isn't the main road *through* Knaresborough.
got any pistols?
But I can't understand going from being worried about Jr being late for swimming - which apparently was the issue - to suddenly having all the time in the world to reverse back up the road in order to save face, swimming be damned
A little like the van driver who yelled at me for holding him up but then had a few minutes to turn around and argue with the cyclist by the side of the road. There's some pent up anger in drivers and I feel the OP may be one of them.
lol @ Jamie's efforts.
The rest is just shit, though I'm curious as to why Jimjam thinks no one's capable of fighting.
[i]I'm curious as to why Jimjam think's no one's capable of fighting[/i]
See here: 🙂
http://singletrackworld.com/forum/topic/this-morning-i-discovered-im-a-coward
Odd how we all focus in on certain things. Just to set out my stall, I feel the OP going for seconds was the bit that didn't scan well.
+1
Was it a two lane road? You just say you couldn't get past, also, you said he got off the bike, but then started pushing it. So did he go for a cup of tea while the guy was "hands on the bonnet"
Motorcyclists with earplugs will hear more than you can in your car, with your kids and wife who seems to be in charge of how you respond to other road users
I smell shite. Do you just feel the need to share but didn't know how to come out like the good guy?
like the van driver who yelled at me for holding him up but then had a few minutes to turn around and argue with the cyclist by the side of the road.
For some weird reason I used to find myself in quite a few road rage type scenarios. Most were easily diffused by pointing out the obvious - they can't be in that much of a hurry if they've pulled over to [i]'ave a word[/i]. There's the initial look of confusion quickly followed by either an embarrassed eff off or a wordless walk back to their car. Only once did one bloke go further and grab me.
I wasn't reading Guns 'n' Roses or anything so it was a bit weird...
Who told you that youre tall and are scary to look at when you're angry?
We need pictures. I call that you look like Stephen Merchant until proven otherwise.
Motorcyclists with earplugs will hear more than you can in your car, with your kids and wife who seems to be in charge of how you respond to other road users
Shots fired!
[i]Was it a two lane road? You just say you couldn't get past[/i]
How is this bit important? It's like - OP describes a scenario.. but hmm, that's not what I've got in my mind, so I'll question it! 😆