Real confrontation (head on)

[Andy Tallis]

WHITE VAN MAN coming head on towards me at speed on Salisbury Plain!!! He moved out to overtake an oncoming tractor and, seeing me in dayglo yellow, accelerated despite having no chance of making it. Having experienced these incidents before I responded by quickly braking and getting as close as possible to the steep verge to allow him to shoot past.

Does anyone know where these people keep their brains??? If I'd "held my right top the road" then I'd have been wiped out. You could call it attempted manslaughter.

It is very rare (3 times in 3000 miles) and I can generally get out of the way quick enough, but it's seriously scary. At least a soldier driving behind the tractor had the courtesey to ask if I was OK.

[spike]

This has happened to me on several occasions.The first time on the b6277 nr Alston when after experiencing little or no traffic for quite a while,a neanderthal cretin decided to overtake the car approaching me with precision timing.I ended up in a ditch to avoid death and the bas@*rd continued merrily on his way.
Its happened several times since but am always more alert now and often sense it coming(touch wood).You can usually spot an ar@*hole approaching by the roaring engine and shiny alloy wheels !

[pigboy]

In my more radical days, I used to carry marbles in my pockets which I would 'float' up in fron of anyone coming a bit too 'head on' and too fast. I only had 2 successes. Both very spectacular , but the second one very nearly ended in serious injury for the driver and that kinda scared me off doing it a bit.

[gar]

pigboy Don't tell TJ, but that is highly
amusing. I must try it. That is serious London Cycling campaign!!!

LCC lives!

[gar]

If the driver saw the glint of the marble coming thru the window and afterwards the marble in his cabin.... where would you be?

Far less danger to him than there is to Tallis for example with that oncoming driver and you do have the right to play marbles in the street, just because one bounced higher than usual is not your fault, is it?

[mike6]

Andy, good to hear you are still fit to post !! I am rather amazed you consider 3 times in 3000 miles as "rare", hope you reported this incident to police.

[Andy Tallis]

I guess once per 100 miles is a lot too often (it should never happen at all really.) The marbles idea, though tempting, may take too much attention from avoiding the collision.