What's all the aggression about?

o.O

Women can get BJ's too.

True dat.

^ Who he?

aaaaaah!

Its no big news but I am still shocked by the level of aggression that some car drivers display. Today I was riding admittedly a bit wobbly in the middle of the road and there was a car overtaking me on the left. My arm hit the mirror and turned it in a bit. No dent. no scratch, no big deal. All he had to do was to adjust the mirror again. However, the driver felt it was necessary to shout all kind of abuse at me, the f word, the c word, the lot. Anyway, I apologized, said it was my fault but told him there isn't the tiniest scratch on his car so there is really no need for all the abusive language. That just made it worse. I think the guy would have preferred if he would have killed me actually. And this really isn't the first time this kind of thing happens.

I just wonder is this still normal human behavior? I mean, the normal reaction would have been to ask first, are you ok? Did you hurt your arm? It was absolutely clear that there was nothing wrong with his car, but I could actually have been hurt. I don't want to get into the whole 'what has become of our society?' thing, but sometimes I am really wondering where all the aggression comes from and what's wrong with those people. Am I supposed to HTFU and d- lock his window in return, just because I am living in London? Makes me think. Especially since I just came back from Japan where you don't get any of that at all...

The thing you did wrong was not apologise in the first place. It's the same as walking into someone and not apologising - why would you do it? Yes, no harm done, but IMO you lack manners as well as the car driver. The fact you (seemingly) ignored your misdemeanour in the first is probably what wound him up.

"I apologized"

Chill out. Some people are just twats.

It's not your fault they are a twat, you have no control over that, it is not your fault they were so rude over a simple accident, you shouldn't be riddled with angst over this matter.

You will just find that some people in London are like that. In the world, in fact. The difference in Japan, is that it is such a cultural sin to lose your temper with others that the same people bite their tongue. All you're seeing here is a thousand years of a different culture. Learn to be more British and rise above the idiot's anger. Then if he takes it any further and starts to exit his car, kill him without a word - it is the British way. Otherwise, you pass on by like little has happened and let the twat stew in his own high blood pressure. Job done.

The thing you did wrong was not apologise in the first place. It's the same as walking into someone and not apologising - why would you do it? Yes, no harm done, but IMO you lack manners as well as the car driver. The fact you (seemingly) ignored your misdemeanour in the first is probably what wound him up.

the car passed him and hit his arm because it was too close?

I had a really strange experience the other day with a bus driver. I was going round the lea bridge roundabout in clapton and he sorta jumped ahead and cut me up just where the concrete bit starts so it could have been nasty squishing, and it was completely unnecessary because there was a red so he wasn't going anywhere. I was pretty shocked at his driving so when he got to the bus stop i stopped to have a word. A firm word about how what he had done was dangerous and needless and stupid. and needless to say he blew off the handle and started shouting and threatening to punch me (i'm a girl) by then there was a bit of a crowd gathered and even then he grabbed me and tried to push me over... in traffic. crazy bloke. Ended up cycling really slowly in front of him while he made obscene gestures at me. quite good fun.

got his details, but dont know whether to complain or not, does anyone know whether complaining gets you anywhere?

well he assaulted you so report it to the police

+1 report it to the police and TFL / Bus company. That behaviour is way, way unacceptable and as RPM said is assault.

...ah but have you assessed the caffeine content?

well, he tried to push me over, it didn't feel like assault, as in he didn't hurt me, but i guess technically it was assault... hmm. i'll do that. deffo tfl.

well, he **tried **to push me over, it didn't feel like assault, as in he didn't hurt me, but i guess technically it was assault... hmm. i'll do that. deffo tfl.

attempted assault.

you don't even have to make contact for it to be assault.

This was assault.

*LegalFred™*

Chill out. Some people are just twats.

calling people twats can make them angry.. shouldn't do it

so ved.. this female BJ.....

you don't even have to make contact for it to be assault.

This was assault.

attempted assult
verbal assult
Visual assult (fucking twat looked with intent)
no-balls-to-act-so-act-hard-post-incident-on-internet-forum-assult
(speaks for itself)

these are all according to EU law which is null and void if they are driving a car manufactured in Asia

calling people twats can make them angry.. shouldn't do it

so ved.. this female BJ.....

like I said I saw this programme once on channel 5 and I swear two birds were talking about getting BJ's off their fellas.

Well, I have now quizzed a couple of the more liberal females in my office to find out that birds laydeez do not infact receive BJ's. Live and learn.

I had a really strange experience the other day with a bus driver. I was going round the lea bridge roundabout in clapton and he sorta jumped ahead and cut me up just where the concrete bit starts so it could have been nasty squishing, and it was completely unnecessary because there was a red so he wasn't going anywhere. I was pretty shocked at his driving so when he got to the bus stop i stopped to have a word. A firm word about how what he had done was dangerous and needless and stupid. and needless to say he blew off the handle and started shouting and threatening to punch me (i'm a girl) by then there was a bit of a crowd gathered and even then he grabbed me and tried to push me over... in traffic. crazy bloke. Ended up cycling really slowly in front of him while he made obscene gestures at me. quite good fun.

got his details, but dont know whether to complain or not, does anyone know whether complaining gets you anywhere?

Sounds like the driver who had an altercation with Hael. Report it.

yeah, just reported it. we'll see what happens...

The thing you did wrong was not apologise in the first place. It's the same as walking into someone and not apologising - why would you do it? Yes, no harm done, but IMO you lack manners as well as the car driver. The fact you (seemingly) ignored your misdemeanour in the first is probably what wound him up.

Punk Pixel "Anyway, I apologized, said it was my fault but told him there isn't the tiniest scratch on his car so there is really no need for all the abusive language"

Can I just take this opportunity to apologise to all the drivers that I regularily abuse for turning without indicating, driving too slowly, driving too fast or just generally inhabiting the road, not realising that is rightfully mine. It's nothing personal. You will be pleased to hear that my road rage is now extending to fellow cyclists, in as far as you would refer to a cyclist who RLJ into the route of another cyclist as being part of any 'fellow cycing community'.

Driver opened a door on a cyclist she'd been having a beef with on Walworth road last night. Not enough to knoch her off, but enough to 'teach her a lesson' or something. Mental.

you don't even have to make contact for it to be assault.

hang on a minutes, I thought it's not considered assault if they didn't hit/touch you?

There was a car overtaking me on the left. My arm hit the mirror and turned it in a bit [...] Anyway, I apologized, said it was my fault.

The thing you did wrong was not apologise in the first place. It's the same as walking into someone and not apologising - why would you do it? Yes, no harm done, but IMO you lack manners as well as the car driver. The fact you (seemingly) ignored your misdemeanour in the first is probably what wound him up.

Hang just a cotton-picking minute. The car hit punkpixel and you see this as a misdemeanour on his part? The only thing he's done wrong is apologise for the fact his arm was in the way of an overtaking car.

You got it wrong cowboy...