ColinJ
Puzzle game procrastinator!
- Location
- Todmorden - Yorks/Lancs border
Hopefully he was just passing through and lives in the middle of nowhere!
Dealing with impatient drivers
- Thread starter FitMum
- Start date
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HMS_Dave
Grand Old Lady
My old dad in his youth was an amateur boxer and could look after himself for sure. As i grew up i began to appreciate his temperament and patience. Although never a keen cyclist, he never ever looked for trouble and simply walked away from anything resembling an escalation. It seems where my dad had brawn he also had brains. He earns my total respect. I love my dad. There is no merit in going on the offensive an escalation is bad news for everyone. Ive seen angry drivers with kids in their cars, even if their parent is a raging bag of anger, how is what might end up in a physical altercation going to look to kids? Is society setting an example? Their parents might not but we certainly can. By all means as a last resort you should defend yourself but remember in the eyes of the law, that still comes under reasonable force, which is normally only ever resolved in a court room. I wonder then if you'd wished you'd just carried on without karate chopping a car wing mirror off or not having flipped the bird? Anyways that is my 2 pence worth... You're all adults, do what you want. 
raleighnut
Legendary Member
- Location
- One of the 'Elite'
HMS_Dave
Grand Old Lady
Ahh yes. I read a few years ago now i think that he got chinned outside a pub. Go looking for trouble, it will come and find you...
mjr
Comfy armchair to one person & a plank to the next
- Location
- mostly Norfolk, sometimes Somerset
Hmm. I'd soften that sightly. Don't expect the driver to do the worst but maybe think about how you'll escape if they do?
And never "tuck in". Stay out of the gutter and, where lanes are narrow, ride centrally. Just keep looking back and checking behind for the rare nobber who will fail to overtake safely... then you may need to tuck in or hit the verge.
Hmm. I'd soften that sightly. Don't expect the driver to do the worst but maybe think about how you'll escape if they do?
And never "tuck in". Stay out of the gutter and, where lanes are narrow, ride centrally. Just keep looking back and checking behind for the rare nobber who will fail to overtake safely... then you may need to tuck in or hit the verge.
Yes, no you're absolutely right, that wasn't great advice at all. I was focusing on the getting angry part.
Being assertive and defensive is key, so listen to that in this thread!
Arjimlad
Tights of Cydonia
- Location
- South Glos
The impatience I encounter is chiefly evidenced by tailgating or by a close dangerous pass when there's oncoming traffic.
I wave back at tailgaters who usually back off. If they don't I take a more dominant road position and make eye contact, before facilitating a safe pass at the next available opportunity.
If I can speak to a close-passer I do so by starting politely - they seem to be expecting an aggressive rant, so a polite & friendly request for more space doesn't usually provoke an angry response. Judging who to speak to, and who to avoid at all costs is something which comes with age & experience I suppose. It's unusual for me to catch up with a close-passer on my routes though.
Ultimately, having cameras front & rear helps me stay calm and gives me reassurance when I do attempt to speak with a driver, as I know I will be able to report any dangerous driving or aggressive behaviour so the Police can decide whether to warn, offer training, issue a penalty notice or prosecute. None of my reports this year have been rejected.
I wave back at tailgaters who usually back off. If they don't I take a more dominant road position and make eye contact, before facilitating a safe pass at the next available opportunity.
If I can speak to a close-passer I do so by starting politely - they seem to be expecting an aggressive rant, so a polite & friendly request for more space doesn't usually provoke an angry response. Judging who to speak to, and who to avoid at all costs is something which comes with age & experience I suppose. It's unusual for me to catch up with a close-passer on my routes though.
Ultimately, having cameras front & rear helps me stay calm and gives me reassurance when I do attempt to speak with a driver, as I know I will be able to report any dangerous driving or aggressive behaviour so the Police can decide whether to warn, offer training, issue a penalty notice or prosecute. None of my reports this year have been rejected.
mudsticks
Obviously an Aubergine
I'm wondering if one of the cycling luvvies could get a 'safe passing distance' campaign going??
When I used to drag the kids about on a tag along I was often mighty tempted to bend the warning flag out at a right angle into the traffic side, and attach an old stylus from a record player..
I was fantasising, that the prospect of having to get a respray, rather than just easily wash mine and my child's entrails off their bonnet might have had some effect.
Could we have a week a year where we all affix safe passing space pool noodles to our seat posts ??
Social distancing is all the rage right now -
- let's capitalise on that to maintain our rightful road space.
When I used to drag the kids about on a tag along I was often mighty tempted to bend the warning flag out at a right angle into the traffic side, and attach an old stylus from a record player..
I was fantasising, that the prospect of having to get a respray, rather than just easily wash mine and my child's entrails off their bonnet might have had some effect.
Could we have a week a year where we all affix safe passing space pool noodles to our seat posts ??
Social distancing is all the rage right now -
- let's capitalise on that to maintain our rightful road space.
Daninplymouth
Senior Member
I have really noticed the situation the last couple of days both in the car and on my bike. On my ride this morning not 100mtrs from my front door when a Luton style van tries to overtake me just before a roundabout nearly mounting the pedestrian island in the middle only then to get stuck as he now couldn’t make it around the roundabout so I passed him down the outside whilst shouting a few expletives he did apologise but I just can’t understand what goes through people’s head. Another peeve of mine is when a car rushes to overtake you to then have to stop to give way. Entering a local village the speed drops to 30 and it’s all downhill on the way in then a slight uphill out so it’s quite nice to get a bit of momentum up, so just as we enter the 30mph zone a fuel tanker decides to rush an overtake again nearly mounts the pedestrian island in the middle of the road then within 20seconds he has to stop and give way as the road narrows now I’m stuck in a high gear at the base of a hill 😡
mudsticks
Obviously an Aubergine
This sounds like a very familiar scenario, always expect a duff move from another road user, then you rarely be dissapointed.
Still all this being (fairly) patient with idiots must be accruing us some points on a celestial spreadsheet somewhere yes??
Better than making a tit of yself on t'internet anyhow.
(Plus - who among us hasn't made the odd road use error now and then
)
Fab Foodie
hanging-on in quiet desperation ...
- Location
- Kirton, Devon.
This is generally my approach. Hold position until safe to let them by. Drivers don’t like to scratch their cars by running over cyclists....
Too right, I was out with my daughter today, she is a confident rider but I like her in front of me. We were going downhill along a straight road, I could hear a car behind me not slowing when it should have been, a pinch point was coming up & my daughter was in primary. I moved so far outwards whilst waving him away that he slowed alongside me, got all muddled up and ended up stuck right in front of the pinch point.
mudsticks
Obviously an Aubergine
Soo, what's the deal with French and Spanish drivers via a vis cyclists then??
The other places nearby to here, with equivalent roads, that I've ridden..
It's almost embarrassing the amount of time and space they'll give you..
Patiently crawling up the hill behind you when in truth there is room to pass, but they won't dream of transgressing the centre line.
Is it something in the wine??
How do we import this attitude??
The other places nearby to here, with equivalent roads, that I've ridden..
It's almost embarrassing the amount of time and space they'll give you..
Patiently crawling up the hill behind you when in truth there is room to pass, but they won't dream of transgressing the centre line.
Is it something in the wine??
How do we import this attitude??
There are some Spanish cities, Alicante springs to mind, where cycle lanes go right up the middle of one way narrow city centre streets. It took me a while to get used to the fact that Spanish drivers just accepted that the cyclist had priority.
