Road Rage

[TrevA]

I was watching the BBC programme Oxford Street this morning and they had a five minute piece on Traffic Droid. He certainly seems to wind up drivers, pointing out the errors of their ways, showing them red cards and reporting them to the Police. I wonder how many of his reports end up in a prosecution?

[dobbo800]

I commute 2500 miles a year on my bike, mostly on the road, so, yes, of course I've experienced my share of road rage. And I'm acutely aware some drivers can be provoked by the smallest perceived 'slight'. A small shake of the head is usually enough to kick them off.

And it might not be "a small shake of the head". It might be that you were looking behind, as cyclists do. We cannot avoid these ragers in practice. That's my point.

All I'm saying is these situations can escalate very quickly and it's best not to react if you can, and to ignore provocation. To remind me to (try to) keep a cool head I have a sticker on my handlebars which says 'let it go'. If I have to I will stop, get off the road, and let the idiot drive away. Do I care if he (or she) thinks he's 'won'. No.

If that's it, if that's all one does, then I feel that's being an enabler of the motoring domination of our roads and the literal marginalisation of cycling. Report the offenders to the police. Log the incidents on whatever map you think you can persuade the government to look at. Pester the politicians to do something - especially through the CUK's RoadJustice campaign.

You make me sound like a traitor to the cause

I've tried remonstrating with poor drivers on many occasions. They're rarely interested, never apologise and, if you're unlucky, you'll meet that nutter who wants to push things much, much further. The last nasty incident that happened to me, last year, was when I put my (flat) hand out to ask a driver, in one of those huge Audi Q-series SUVs, to leave me some space on a corner. Cue window coming down and the usual torrent of abuse, followed by him driving at me at the next set of traffic lights. He only stopped being a tit when I pointed out the several witnesses to his madness. Report him to the Police? Why? I had no evidence and they wouldn't have cared one jot. Look, I've been there and done it. I've made two formal complaints to South Wales Police before now, for not investigating incidents (one involving a Police van!), and got absolutely nowhere. My own experience, honed by all-year commuting over the last eight years, is that altercations with drivers and "trying to do something about bad driving" leads to unwanted stress and disappointment. Cheers.

[mjr]

Report him to the Police? Why? I had no evidence and they wouldn't have cared one jot. Look, I've been there and done it. I've made two formal complaints to South Wales Police before now, for not investigating incidents (one involving a Police van!), and got absolutely nowhere. My own experience, honed by all-year commuting over the last eight years, is that altercations with drivers and "trying to do something about bad driving" leads to unwanted stress and disappointment. Cheers.

Thankfully, the whole country isn't policed by the South Wales Police. As I mention elsewhere, Norfolk now seem to take reports seriously.

[Cyril Haearn]

What about Scotland with one police force, are reports taken seriously there?

[fastpedaller]

If that's it, if that's all one does, then I feel that's being an enabler of the motoring domination of our roads and the literal marginalisation of cycling. Report the offenders to the police. Log the incidents on whatever map you think you can persuade the government to look at. Pester the politicians to do something - especially through the CUK's RoadJustice campaign.

Whilst I agree in principal, the unfortunate result of reporting to all and sundry may be that cyclists are then seen as the 'danger' that needs to be removed, rather than the real problem of the 1 tonne car driven by the idiot (that I'm sure we've all encountered)

[Phil Fouracre]

I commute 2500 miles a year on my bike, mostly on the road, so, yes, of course I've experienced my share of road rage. And I'm acutely aware some drivers can be provoked by the smallest perceived 'slight'. A small shake of the head is usually enough to kick them off.

And it might not be "a small shake of the head". It might be that you were looking behind, as cyclists do. We cannot avoid these ragers in practice. That's my point.

All I'm saying is these situations can escalate very quickly and it's best not to react if you can, and to ignore provocation. To remind me to (try to) keep a cool head I have a sticker on my handlebars which says 'let it go'. If I have to I will stop, get off the road, and let the idiot drive away. Do I care if he (or she) thinks he's 'won'. No.

If that's it, if that's all one does, then I feel that's being an enabler of the motoring domination of our roads and the literal marginalisation of cycling. Report the offenders to the police. Log the incidents on whatever map you think you can persuade the government to look at. Pester the politicians to do something - especially through the CUK's RoadJustice campaign.

You make me sound like a traitor to the cause

I've tried remonstrating with poor drivers on many occasions. They're rarely interested, never apologise and, if you're unlucky, you'll meet that nutter who wants to push things much, much further. The last nasty incident that happened to me, last year, was when I put my (flat) hand out to ask a driver, in one of those huge Audi Q-series SUVs, to leave me some space on a corner. Cue window coming down and the usual torrent of abuse, followed by him driving at me at the next set of traffic lights. He only stopped being a tit when I pointed out the several witnesses to his madness. Report him to the Police? Why? I had no evidence and they wouldn't have cared one jot. Look, I've been there and done it. I've made two formal complaints to South Wales Police before now, for not investigating incidents (one involving a Police van!), and got absolutely nowhere. My own experience, honed by all-year commuting over the last eight years, is that altercations with drivers and "trying to do something about bad driving" leads to unwanted stress and disappointment. Cheers.

I have to ask, was the Audi white? While I've been pondering the problem of crap driving, the combination of white, and or, Audi, always seem to rise to the top!!

[Annoying Twit]

This is why it's not worth getting into a confrontation with a driver. You never know who you're dealing with.....

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/av/world-us-c ... ge-scuffle

Ouch. Take care out there.

A man has been arrested, with it claimed that he was preparing to destroy his car to avoid detection. http://www.sun-sentinel.com/news/florid ... story.html

[Username]

This is why it's not worth getting into a confrontation with a driver. You never know who you're dealing with.....

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/av/world-us-c ... ge-scuffle

Ouch. Take care out there.

A man has been arrested, with it claimed that he was preparing to destroy his car to avoid detection. http://www.sun-sentinel.com/news/florid ... story.html

astonishing is with this bit:

"Still, Hendrickson wasn’t completely innocent, according to investigators. On the same day Medrano-Bonilla was arrested, Hendrickson was cited for making an improper lane change."

That's a bit like saying "O J Simpson was arrested for murder, and he's not the only criminal in the family, his brother was once cited for littering".

[Cyril Haearn]

And it might not be "a small shake of the head". It might be that you were looking behind, as cyclists do. We cannot avoid these ragers in practice. That's my point.


If that's it, if that's all one does, then I feel that's being an enabler of the motoring domination of our roads and the literal marginalisation of cycling. Report the offenders to the police. Log the incidents on whatever map you think you can persuade the government to look at. Pester the politicians to do something - especially through the CUK's RoadJustice campaign.

You make me sound like a traitor to the cause

I've tried remonstrating with poor drivers on many occasions. They're rarely interested, never apologise and, if you're unlucky, you'll meet that nutter who wants to push things much, much further. The last nasty incident that happened to me, last year, was when I put my (flat) hand out to ask a driver, in one of those huge Audi Q-series SUVs, to leave me some space on a corner. Cue window coming down and the usual torrent of abuse, followed by him driving at me at the next set of traffic lights. He only stopped being a tit when I pointed out the several witnesses to his madness. Report him to the Police? Why? I had no evidence and they wouldn't have cared one jot. Look, I've been there and done it. I've made two formal complaints to South Wales Police before now, for not investigating incidents (one involving a Police van!), and got absolutely nowhere. My own experience, honed by all-year commuting over the last eight years, is that altercations with drivers and "trying to do something about bad driving" leads to unwanted stress and disappointment. Cheers.

I have to ask, was the Audi white? While I've been pondering the problem of crap driving, the combination of white, and or, Audi, always seem to rise to the top!!

See popular thread here, 'why is it always an audi?'
Maybe a subthread is needed about audi colours
A motor journalist was leafing through the audi price list, for a certain colour (not white) the extra price was €7 000. His next task was to test drive a new lada, a proper car with four doors and a big boot, cost € 7 000
Got him thinking

[Patrickpioneer]

A year ago I was cycling up a narrow steep hill coming to a very sharp bend and I heard a car coming down the hill so I pulled over, when he came near me his face was a picture, and as he went past I said its OK there is plenty of room. he stopped the car and was out of the door shouting, if you don't move, next time I will f@@@@ng run you down!
You just never know with some people how things can escalate into road rage but I have in the past suffered the same sort of thing when I am out walking my dog.
and the lesson is in my case, say nothing, nothing at all.
Patrick