Dealing with abuse

[Gillstay]

I got cut up several times in Worcester and in the end just waited on the pavement till the guy left.
Went and saw the coppers and they checked the town ctv and then interviewed the guy and reported back to me.
Incident happened about 4 pm and they had it all wrapped up by 7pm. Impressed.
They could not work out what he was so angry about and neither could I.

 

[All uphill]

I got cut up several times in Worcester and in the end just waited on the pavement till the guy left.
Went and saw the coppers and they checked the town ctv and then interviewed the guy and reported back to me.
Incident happened about 4 pm and they had it all wrapped up by 7pm. Impressed.
They could not work out what he was so angry about and neither could I.

Good on you and the Police!

 

[Albrey]

More and more I've come to believe that many motorists play "chicken". If the other car/cyclist/ pedestrian shows any hesitation the driver will push through.

On the bike I take the road space early, if I have priority. Seems like most drivers can read this and will wait quietly. By doing it early I have time to dive for cover if needed.

Thanks - I try to do that as well - probably 80% of the time... but I also think as a cyclist you have to develop a 6th sense as to when you've got a real pr**k coming towards you who aint going to slow down or give room.

I guess I generally stick my nose out to try to slow these down and then head to the side of the road..

 

[Dommo]

I'll be honest here, I actually kind of enjoy this element of my commute in London. I get to work "energised"

I've tried being all "adult" about it, but I just can't help myself. I actually bought a pile of the little highway code books years ago from a discount bookshop and kept them in my bag to hand out to people who I decided could do with a brush-up. I often used to preface the gift with "If you can't read, there are pictures" or something along those lines.

I've only had a couple of instances where it got a little beyond shouting. People in vehicles often seem to feel invincible, then re-consider... Once some guy at the lights was leaning right out of his window waving his arms (actually reaching for me) and screaming at me, forehead veins throbbing. He shouted something along the lines of "if I weren't in my car, I'd do you!" It seemed to me he wanted to come out of the car through the window, so I helped him a little (not all the way). He looked quite shocked at that point and shut up. The seemingly all-powerful vehicle physical shield didn't actually exist!

A couple of years ago I had some guy turn his car around and chase me for daring to criticise his stupidly close pass from the opposite direction. I stopped, propped up my bike on a lamppost and invited him out of his car to "discuss". He drove off very quickly much to the amusement of the onlookers.

So I guess the message is, if you enjoy conflict, go for it, but be prepared for possible escalation. A big smile with D-lock in hand is a good look.
If it's not your cup of tea, ignore them and they mostly go away. I say mostly, because once I was witness to another cyclist in a barney with some driver who ended up driving his car *over* the bike. Unsurprisingly he was arrested. Dunno what happened with him in the end.

 

[ebikeerwidnes]

I'll be honest here, I actually kind of enjoy this element of my commute in London. I get to work "energised"

I've tried being all "adult" about it, but I just can't help myself. I actually bought a pile of the little highway code books years ago from a discount bookshop and kept them in my bag to hand out to people who I decided could do with a brush-up. I often used to preface the gift with "If you can't read, there are pictures" or something along those lines.

I've only had a couple of instances where it got a little beyond shouting. People in vehicles often seem to feel invincible, then re-consider... Once some guy at the lights was leaning right out of his window waving his arms (actually reaching for me) and screaming at me, forehead veins throbbing. He shouted something along the lines of "if I weren't in my car, I'd do you!" It seemed to me he wanted to come out of the car through the window, so I helped him a little (not all the way). He looked quite shocked at that point and shut up. The seemingly all-powerful vehicle physical shield didn't actually exist!

A couple of years ago I had some guy turn his car around and chase me for daring to criticise his stupidly close pass from the opposite direction. I stopped, propped up my bike on a lamppost and invited him out of his car to "discuss". He drove off very quickly much to the amusement of the onlookers.

So I guess the message is, if you enjoy conflict, go for it, but be prepared for possible escalation. A big smile with D-lock in hand is a good look.
If it's not your cup of tea, ignore them and they mostly go away. I say mostly, because once I was witness to another cyclist in a barney with some driver who ended up driving his car *over* the bike. Unsurprisingly he was arrested. Dunno what happened with him in the end.

I can see why some people get into a possibly physical altercation

but that option is not available for some people - a lot of women for example
and I would suggest that if the risk of it becoming physical is lower - such as with women - then the chances of the abuse happening are probably higher

knobheads are often bullies as well - in other words

so an other option has to be found

 

[Dommo]

I can see why some people get into a possibly physical altercation

but that option is not available for some people - a lot of women for example
and I would suggest that if the risk of it becoming physical is lower - such as with women - then the chances of the abuse happening are probably higher

knobheads are often bullies as well - in other words

so an other option has to be found

No, indeed. My comments were somewhat tongue-in-cheek and I'm certainly not encouraging engaging with the the mouth-frothers. The instances I refer to were a while ago now. I'm getting older and slightly more sensible... Also I ran out of Highway Code books and they're pricey now!

I guess the simple answer is to attempt to ignore them, or as has been pointed out by others, use a helmet-cam. I'm guessing verbally threatening behaviour doesn't get much response from the police if videos are submitted though - or does it? I liked the earlier suggestion of reminding them that cyclists are not "others" but could be their family, friends etc...

 

[roubaixtuesday]

I'll be honest here, I actually kind of enjoy this element of my commute in London. I get to work "energised"

I've tried being all "adult" about it, but I just can't help myself. I actually bought a pile of the little highway code books years ago from a discount bookshop and kept them in my bag to hand out to people who I decided could do with a brush-up. I often used to preface the gift with "If you can't read, there are pictures" or something along those lines.

I've only had a couple of instances where it got a little beyond shouting. People in vehicles often seem to feel invincible, then re-consider... Once some guy at the lights was leaning right out of his window waving his arms (actually reaching for me) and screaming at me, forehead veins throbbing. He shouted something along the lines of "if I weren't in my car, I'd do you!" It seemed to me he wanted to come out of the car through the window, so I helped him a little (not all the way). He looked quite shocked at that point and shut up. The seemingly all-powerful vehicle physical shield didn't actually exist!

A couple of years ago I had some guy turn his car around and chase me for daring to criticise his stupidly close pass from the opposite direction. I stopped, propped up my bike on a lamppost and invited him out of his car to "discuss". He drove off very quickly much to the amusement of the onlookers.

So I guess the message is, if you enjoy conflict, go for it, but be prepared for possible escalation. A big smile with D-lock in hand is a good look.
If it's not your cup of tea, ignore them and they mostly go away. I say mostly, because once I was witness to another cyclist in a barney with some driver who ended up driving his car *over* the bike. Unsurprisingly he was arrested. Dunno what happened with him in the end.

This is a profoundly dangerous and counterproductive attitude (sorry for being all preachy).

I've personally been chased at speed along a pavement by an irate motorist, and recently got an incredibly aggressive verbal assault from a motorist who had turned around to do so. This without anything more provocative than shouting "whoa" as he close passed me. I'd bet good money he was coked up.

Deliberately provoking already unstable people in charge of lethal weapons puts not just you, but others around you in danger IMO.

I completely understand the urge, but succumbing to it is wrong.

Here endeth the lesson.

 

[Dommo]

Hmm, I guess I take your point in putting other people in danger.... Exactly as you said yourself though, all you did was say "whoa" and that was enough to have someone chasing you to scream abuse at you. Are you saying you were even in the wrong to do that and you should politely move out of the way for people doing this kind of thing.

 

[Drago]

That's why God gave the righteous four stiff fingers, and the villains windpipes.

 

[roubaixtuesday]

Are you saying you were even in the wrong to do that and you should politely move out of the way for people doing this kind of thing.

No, I don't think I did anything wrong; my action was purely instinctive and very minor. Just reflecting my experience that there are dangerous people out there, and provoking them can end extremely badly when they're encased in high speed metal and we're not.

My original response to you was rather OTT, apologies for that.

 

[Dommo]

My original response to you was rather OTT, apologies for that.

No apologies necessary. You made a valid point about other people, although I disagree to some level on the overall message.

 

[Arjimlad]

Avoiding confrontation and needless goading is wise. It plays out better in court. And you never know who may have Kenneth Noye tendencies.

It would obviously be wrong to say that most drivers are violent criminals, but more likely to be correct to say that most violent criminals are drivers.

 

[Oldhippy]

Totally ignore them personally.

 

[srshultz]

I usually do some quick math in those situations. I’m on a 20 lb vehicle and the jerk is in a 4000 lb vehicle. He wins.

 

[Arjimlad]

Nobody put this up yet?