Typhon
Senior Member
- Location
- Worcestershire
So today I was driving to work as usual and I found myself behind a car driven quite erratically. We were on a dual carriageway but the driver kept slowing down to approximately 40mph and then speeding up to 80mph again. At first I kept my distance as I drive defensively and like to avoid those who behave in a capricious way but after a while I felt that being slowed down to 40mph and consequently being overtaken by lorries was more dangerous than just overtaking the guy so I did just that.
A mile or two later we reached a roundabout and I turned right onto the now single carriageway A-road, which he must have done too because out of no-where he was on my bumper, so close that I couldn't see his headlights. Despite the fact that I was doing the speed limit of 60mph. We got to the brow of a large hill and I saw queueing traffic up ahead so I eased off and heard a bump, he'd nudged the back of me. When we stopped where the traffic congestion was I got out to see if there was any damage (I don't think so but I will have to clean it to see clearly, it's filthy). This guy then wound down his window and yelled something inaudible at me. I walked over to get the guys details and the second I saw him through the drivers window alarm bells went off - the guys eyes were rolling around all over the place and he couldn't keep his head straight or even look straight at me. He was just rambling and not making any coherent sense. I quickly started to walk back to my car.....and then I heard it..VROOM.....as I was level with my rear passenger door he accelerated as if to overtake my stationary car and then swerved into me, pinning me against my own car. I looked at him through the windows and saw the manic expression on his face, the look of someone totally out of control. I really thought I was going to die, or at least never be able to walk again.
After a while of pinning me against my own car he veered to the right slightly and drove off to join the traffic that had moved all of about 50 yards in that time. Trembling, I got back into the car. As the traffic started to flow again he again didn't keep up with it, still going at 5mph when a gap approximately 300-400 yards to the roundabout developed in front. I took my chance to get away from the lunatic and overtook him, took a different turning to the one I would take to get to work from the roundabout and hid down a country lane before ringing the police. You see, I'd been a good citizen and taken down his registration plate, car model and description (Silver Renault Scenic, ND07NMA, white, late 50s/early 60s, light brown hair, obese).
I rang the non emergency number (101) and they couldn't be less interested. She just said, in an arrogant and patronising voice "if he's hit you and driven off, you need to fill out some forms reporting the RTA". I replied, as calmly as I could that I couldn't care less about the car even if it was damaged, but that a lunatic driver was at large and I got the response "if he's hit you and driven off, you need to fill out some forms reporting the RTA". I then got put on hold. I hung up.
I know this is a cycling forum and this is a driving story but I am really shaken up and just needed to share what happened. I have done a hell of a lot of miles in the car in my life and have encountered the odd case of road rage before but nothing like this. I've just read back and I haven't encapsulated the fear of the situation. When someone is driving their car deliberately at you and you know there's a solid metal object behind you it is just terrifying.
It was 10 hours ago now and I cannot stop thinking about it.
Thank you for reading. I feel a little bit calmer for just putting my thoughts and what happened down on (electronic) paper.
A mile or two later we reached a roundabout and I turned right onto the now single carriageway A-road, which he must have done too because out of no-where he was on my bumper, so close that I couldn't see his headlights. Despite the fact that I was doing the speed limit of 60mph. We got to the brow of a large hill and I saw queueing traffic up ahead so I eased off and heard a bump, he'd nudged the back of me. When we stopped where the traffic congestion was I got out to see if there was any damage (I don't think so but I will have to clean it to see clearly, it's filthy). This guy then wound down his window and yelled something inaudible at me. I walked over to get the guys details and the second I saw him through the drivers window alarm bells went off - the guys eyes were rolling around all over the place and he couldn't keep his head straight or even look straight at me. He was just rambling and not making any coherent sense. I quickly started to walk back to my car.....and then I heard it..VROOM.....as I was level with my rear passenger door he accelerated as if to overtake my stationary car and then swerved into me, pinning me against my own car. I looked at him through the windows and saw the manic expression on his face, the look of someone totally out of control. I really thought I was going to die, or at least never be able to walk again.
After a while of pinning me against my own car he veered to the right slightly and drove off to join the traffic that had moved all of about 50 yards in that time. Trembling, I got back into the car. As the traffic started to flow again he again didn't keep up with it, still going at 5mph when a gap approximately 300-400 yards to the roundabout developed in front. I took my chance to get away from the lunatic and overtook him, took a different turning to the one I would take to get to work from the roundabout and hid down a country lane before ringing the police. You see, I'd been a good citizen and taken down his registration plate, car model and description (Silver Renault Scenic, ND07NMA, white, late 50s/early 60s, light brown hair, obese).
I rang the non emergency number (101) and they couldn't be less interested. She just said, in an arrogant and patronising voice "if he's hit you and driven off, you need to fill out some forms reporting the RTA". I replied, as calmly as I could that I couldn't care less about the car even if it was damaged, but that a lunatic driver was at large and I got the response "if he's hit you and driven off, you need to fill out some forms reporting the RTA". I then got put on hold. I hung up.
I know this is a cycling forum and this is a driving story but I am really shaken up and just needed to share what happened. I have done a hell of a lot of miles in the car in my life and have encountered the odd case of road rage before but nothing like this. I've just read back and I haven't encapsulated the fear of the situation. When someone is driving their car deliberately at you and you know there's a solid metal object behind you it is just terrifying.
It was 10 hours ago now and I cannot stop thinking about it.Thank you for reading. I feel a little bit calmer for just putting my thoughts and what happened down on (electronic) paper.
