Road Rage – what’s your angle?

[Snoop Doug]

I like marco's "he's just passed his test" quip.

I used to prefer the blow kiss and wave method - but recent research shows that attracts a very high fuse blowing factor. I've given it up, too dangerous. Don't swear just gives 'em fuel for the fire of ignorance which oft burns brightly in their cess pool brains.

I used to use Stu's level three method when crossing the road in a pedestrian stylee. Once I biffed the drivers window on a van that had stopped on a crossing just as we had right of way. It smashed - I must've caught it just right. Legged it off into London streets while van driver recovered from shock. That was a few years ago. More recently some geezer driving a big 4x4 was croozing down Wallyville high street. He had a small child in the front not strapped in, was smoking a fag and talking on a mobile. I guess he must've been a circus juggler or something.... Anyhoo he drifted onto the pelican crossing and stopped on it completely blocking everyone's safe pedestrian passage (leave it!!). I let this great hulking bruiser have it verbally - no swearing but he got the message. He got out of his 4x4 and advanced menacingly telling me and the assembled throng just what he thought of me and road safety and how he was going to tear me a new something or other and stick the traffic lights where the sun don't shine. He was seriously miffed and I was looking good for a pasting. I backed away steadly and he continued to advance - his rage and associated swearing (utter filth by now) just biling (that was meant to say boiling but I'll leave it methinks) over. I've never been so pleased to see the rozzers. They appeared stage left over his shoulder (he didn't see 'em coming) and they caught most of what he said and threatened. Tee hee and all that but it taught me a lesson - I can't afford personal protection and if these eejits'll block a crossing they'll think nowt of taking yer block off too.

Easy squeezy is now my motto, plus the odd fist shake and a rather worryingly indifferent sounding "steady on there" or such like.


Snoop

[Tony]

For the self-righteous drivers - the sort that drive next to you to tell you not to ride two abreast or that you should be riding on the [overgrown / inappropriate] cycle path - a polite wave and smile. It totally confuses them and never leads to any escalation.

For others, it totally depends on how bad or pre-meditated their driving was. And on how brave I'm feeling. I don't think appeasing bullying behaviour is the answer. They're far more likely to think again if someone has stood up to them last time. The big guys in the club have a responsibility to sort out such drivers, if you ask me!

P.S. Who is the hardest rider in the club? What group do they go in on the Saturday rides? I'm in that group next time I'm out....

[Michelle]

I certainly don’t trust car drivers and I try to give cyclists as much room as I can when I am in my car myself.

I have only been riding about 3 years so don’t have tales to tell of what things were like back in the good old days. My observations so far...

1. People with small cars can be bad at giving you enough room.
2. People with mountain bikes in the back of the car generally don’t give you enough room - are they the ones that don’t don’t cycle on the road?
3. Older people have less spatial awareness so sometimes don’t give you enough room.
4. People with massive Mercedes etc don’t give you enough room.
5. Sometimes any type of person in a car doesn’t realise how fast you can go and will cut you up or pull out in front of you.

To illustrate one of the points above, I was cycling through the middle of Padstow last year when a little old biddy and her old biddy friend tried to squeeze past me and a bollard at the same time giving each thing about 2mm clearing space. I thumped the car window and yelled ' Oi, old lady!' being the only thinkg I could think of at the time. Needless to say she nearly had a heart attack and didn't have the balls to overtake me for another half mile.

I am assertive in my road positioning and when there are bollards in the middle of the road or I’m on a long quick descent I now take up the primary position. I wear lairy clothing all the time and try and make sure drivers see me whatever manoevre they or I am doing. I will readily use my voice to effect (as people on the CR’s will know!) However I don’t commute, and tend to do most of my cycling on Surrey and Kent country lanes, so maybe I am lucky in that respect.

Some months ago I gave up cursing folk who passed too close to me as I was getting a really negative feeling from cycling. Instead, I now mentally say thank you or physically wave to all those who pass me giving me lots of space. This is the vast majority of people.

This makes me feel much better about being out and about on my bike. It doesn’t mean I don’t take any of the above precautions, but makes the cycle a lot more pleasant.

[Michelle]

I just found this

God, give me grace to accept with serenity the motorist who
cuts me up, the courage to cycle alongside him, and the
wisdom to refrain from attacking him like a rabid dog.

Rudy Niebuhr

Perhaps something to bear in mind Huw!

[Andrew G]

[quote]I can't afford personal protection and if these eejits'll block a crossing they'll think nowt of taking yer block off too.

[Grahame]

[quote="Tony"]For the self-righteous drivers - the sort that drive next to you to tell you not to ride two abreast or that you should be riding on the [overgrown / inappropriate] cycle path - a polite wave and smile. It totally confuses them and never leads to any escalation.

[Mike I]

I used to have altercations of some sort about twice a week when commuting, but in the last few years they seem much less frequent. It may be that marriage, fatherhood and impending middle-age have mellowed me, it may be that I am calmer as a result of no longer working for a City law firm. But I think as well (and don't say this out loud) that most drivers are more aware of cyclists and our needs than they were, say, 10 years ago.

There are still plenty who are not though, and why spoil a good thread?

There is no point in winding up those who are deliberately aggressive; they are probably tooled-up or drugged-up anyway. I just give them a wide berth and hope that Darwinian selection will take care of matters.

My choice comments for those who are just thoughtless or not paying attention include:

"I left my car at home especially so that you would have more room, but you still seem to need more. Why is that?"

"The only reason you didn't see me is because you weren't looking hard enough."

"Next time, look for cyclists. Trust me, you'll still see the bus."

"Yes, I do pay road tax [sic]. My car's at home today."

"You should come out cycling yourself. You'd look great in lycra."

Strangely, the closest shave I had was when I was chased through traffic along Wandsworth Road one evening. I'd been cut up but, rather than resort to physical violence against the culprit or whatever characterless metal box he was in, I just gave him the 'sign of the cashew nut'. For some reason this seemed to light the blue touch paper - perhaps demonstrating that everything we ever thought about men and their cars is true.

Sometimes there is nothing you can do though, except remember that the world is divided into scum and non-scum.

[huw williams]

[quote="Tony"] P.S. Who is the hardest rider in the club? What group do they go in on the Saturday rides? I'm in that group next time I'm out....

[mrP(Boonen)VT]

A lifetime on the roads and many a tale to tell, but to keep it current, my commute is away from Town, and Croydon is usually the worst bit (mainly those "professional" taxi drivers that seem to think they are bikes when it comes to advance junctions). I must confess to winding them up a teeny bit by positioning myself just far enough out to stop them moving off and waiting for the full green light, pulling away slowly and feigning a slip off the pedal. One guy got so incensed, he chased me all the way to Shirley wound his window down and shouted unrepeatables. I waved at him, smiled and turned off

[Nick]

I'd be happy to Huw to give a full account of my 3 years+ of commutting FUN ;for it was fun. I know it wasn't long compared to some of you long term commuters. And to be honest I miss the ride as it kept my weight down and in touch with Drivers:) on a regular basis.

I managed to release all my frustrations out before I got home back to the family.

[Antloony]

Well I can confirm there is a nasty bout of sun blindness doing the rounds today mainly affecting those on two legs. Ive just got in from a 30 mile thrash and never have I shouted at predestrians to warn them of my presence like Ive had to today. My fav had to the be the woman composing a text while crossing 2 lanes of traffic, thats what I call multi tasking. She soon stopped when I shouted 'BOO' at the top of my voice from about 3 feet away from her.

I have to admit Im terrible at cursing other road uses who seem to want to rid me of my presence on the road. My rants often consist of several choice words I wouldn't mutter in front of my mother. Ive always had a quick temper and a down right evil streak, I can be a real nasty barsteward when wound up and thats my down fall I guess. I tend to retaliate verbally in the wrong way, instead of some cutting, slightly degrading sarcastic remark I tend just let loose with a barrage of abuse and various hand signals not recogonized in the highway code.

Its something I must learn to control and not get so wound up about, if I get road rage Im better off just ignoring who evers caused me to get angry and enjoy my cycling instead of riding round all pent up waiting to abuse the next Stevie Wonder school of motoring student who cuts me up.

[Kevin Rynne]

Ive had 10 years of riding in London traffic with all its scrapes and near death experiences.

The really serious ones where I've been knocked off Ive usually been so shaken up I'm glad to be alive.
The others, well It varies but Ive known friends who have thrown an open bike bottle into open windows and use some colourfull langauge.
The worst of my recient experiences was when a cab did a u turn without signaling. When I pointed out what he had done he threatened to kill me, and he tried, by trying to drive into / over me as I rode off. So I stopped again this time I was not so polite and challenged him to get out of his Cab, he declined. So I turned around pushed in both his door mirrors (without breaking them) and cycled off leaving him enraged on the Kings road. As I left the scene I could hear lots of other traffic blowing at him as he stopped to realingn the mirrors. One of the bigest surpries was that he had a passanger who just sat there quietly.

Ahh feel better now.

[quote]Reading this thread I'm collating quite a useful list of bodyguards for future altercations.

[Phil L]

How's this for a road rage calmer ... a [url=http://www.oregonscientific.co.uk/prod_allterraincamera.htm]helmet cam[/url] - not one that plugs in as an extension to a standard bulky camcorder with lead, but an affordable self-contained mini-camcorder recording to a built-in SD memory card.

Permanently attach it to your helmet. Switch it on when you start your ride, and record any incidents that you may encounter. Knowing that you have caught the b@stard on camera, you can use it to nail them (rather than rage at them). Failing that, post the clip on youtube to shame them. If it involves a commercial vehicle, then e-mail the youtube link to the company, or a taxi, then the Carriage Company, etc. And if you are in your own provocative mood (probably not for the 5'6" pacifist amongst us), pull up beside the driver and ask them to smile into the camera. Can't wait to buy my own.

[djembi]

As I have got older I now realise that road rage is a no win situation, either you beat someone up and get into trouble with yhe law and possible loose everything or you get beaten up. It really doesn't make any difference whether you shout or scream you are incredibly vunerable