Should I keep my mouth shut on the roads?

[Matthew_T]

Give your views.

 

[Martin Campbell]

Depends upon the circumstances. I have shouted at drivers who have cut me up/pulled out on me etc but it does no good. I doubt if they even hear me!

 

[Leedsbusdriver]

What do you think you are going to achieve by mouthing off at every motorist who you think has done something wrong? IMO not every motorist is going to take kindly to having their driving criticized by a youngster on a bike and one of these days it may not end nicely.

 

[rusky]

Depends upon the circumstances. I have shouted at drivers who have cut me up/pulled out on me etc but it does no good. I doubt if they even hear me!

+1 But they do hear me!

 

[Mugshot]

I would if I were you, you swallow alot less flies that way

 

[gaz]

Shout a waaaaaaaahey or something as the incident happens, but after that it is best just to forget completely about the incident.
It makes cycling much more enjoyable!

 

[caimg]

What do you think you are going to achieve by mouthing off at every motorist who you think has done something wrong? IMO not every motorist is going to take kindly to having their driving criticized by a youngster on a bike and one of these days it may not end nicely.

I agree with this. EVERYONE makes mistakes, just some are bigger / more threatening than others. The difference is that we feel more vulnerable so feel more righteous in mouthing off. Personally I have no desire to waste energy at getting into a slanging match with a driver - and anyway, you'll be riding with that new cam soon so just watch, record and report if necessary!

 

[Red Light]

If you can keep your mouth shut you are not pedalling hard enough.

 

[Banjo]

Its easy to say keep your mouth shut but when the adrenalin is running after a close shave its not allways possible.

Be warned though if you abuse too many motorists one day someone will stop get out and try to assault you , your choice its your safety at stake.

 

[RedRider]

I don't care.
Myself I usually get over my meaning with gestures and I give more thumbs up than shakes of the head, exasperated palm out pahs!! and self-gratification artist signs (very rare). I think I've only ever had one spoken conversation with a motorist that didn't leave me feeling more frustrated than I was at their original bad driving so I try not to bother.

 

[Martin Campbell]

What do you think you are going to achieve by mouthing off at every motorist who you think has done something wrong? IMO not every motorist is going to take kindly to having their driving criticized by a youngster on a bike and one of these days it may not end nicely.

IMO bus drivers tend to be among the worst offenders. When someone has come close to knocking you of your bike (for what ever reason) I find it hard to just smile and get on with it.

From an other angle, I do not tar every motorist with the same brush. We all make mistakes, but some drivers blatantly disregard cyclists (with sometimes very painful consequences)

 

[caimg]

I think cyclists who get mouthy (justified or not) need to remember that they are taking on the same responsibility that RLJs and other idiots take on - they potentially put other, law-abiding and quiet cyclists in peril with the driving community as a whole. At all times you should be focusing on staying safe, being alert and abiding the law - you're unlikely to be doing none of these if you decide to get into a futile argument with a driver.

 

[caimg]

You're unlikely to be doing ANY of these...!

 

[gaz]

I think cyclists who get mouthy (justified or not) need to remember that they are taking on the same responsibility that RLJs and other idiots take on - they potentially put other, law-abiding and quiet cyclists in peril with the driving community as a whole. At all times you should be focusing on staying safe, being alert and abiding the law - you're unlikely to be doing none of these if you decide to get into a futile argument with a driver.

Yes, challenging dangerous drivers is of course the same as cycling through a red light.

 

[HovR]

Sorry, but hadn't you already worked this out from all your other "Incident" threads?