Swearing at them makes it worse…

So, this Monday mornings commute was blessed with the added excitement of a fellow road user trying to run me off the road, again.

The morning's incident was with a scooter, bringing the 'attempted murder with pavement' tally to four: scooter *2, white van *1, and pickup *1 (+ he threw an apple at me).

All of these incidents started with a near miss (of me), and in all the other party was acting illegally at the time. However, all of these guys (they were all guys) would have driven off oblivious to their error and the danger they'd put me in, were it not for my indignant self-righteousness (I hate self-righteousness but seem to be good at it), which manifested itself in loud swearing (possibly some hand gestures too). And it is at this point, that things got out of hand - cue driving me off the road, demands to stop and fight, violent shouted threats and the aforementioned half-eaten apple.

None of the original incidents were in any way caused by me, however you could argue that all of the more dangerous secondary incidents were incited by me.

Now, I generally follow the road rules to the letter (except on rare occasions when cycling with naughtier forumengers), party due to my owning a little car and having some understanding of the other point of view, but mainly in order to retain the moral high ground (and be disgustingly self-righteous as above). As such, I feel well placed to point out errors to other road users, something I feel is important - too many idiots do stupid things when driving (and cycling you RLJ pavement hopping mountain/fixie/SS/hybrid riding ***** (swear words removed due to fear of violence)) and do not even notice/see their error.

However, all this threatened violence brings me to question the wisdom of swearing at (or even informing at all) other road users when they endanger my life, as it seems to only lead to further endangerment.

I thought I would post this as a warning to other forum members, and to ask;

A) what do you do (and how do you stay calm and not swear)?
B) how can we change driver behavior (non-violently), especially if we say nothing?
C) is there any point in reporting any of this?
D) is it just me? (or just people named James?)

Lego

PS Big thank you to the one cyclist (geared) of many who stopped to defend me and help rescue me from a Monday morning beating, and the very nice couple in the Merc(?) who came along side me later on and gave me the scooters plate number and offered to be witnesses.

You were gonna be beaten up by a scooter rider? For shame..

Kick him in the balls before he gets a chance to argue. When gasping for air, knock teeth out.
Steal wallet and identify place of residence. Kill family. Hang their heads on the spot next morning as a warning for others not to cross you.

lego

I am in a similar position to you.

if someone endangers me then I feel I have theright to bring it to their attention

yesterday some cunts threw sachets of barbecue sauce at me after they drove aggressively at me and I gave them the bird

am reconsidering my interactions with drivers but don't know why I should put up with drivers shit behaviour without making comment

This type of shit never happens to me.

yesterday some cunts threw sachets of barbecue sauce at me after they drove

CLASS!

Im going to start carrying sauce.

Mayo.. it's much more 'wrong'

Scooters are the easiest, get along side them and grab their brake lever hard while pushing the bars away from you.

Most of the time you'll 'off' them *

Salad cream for sure. A squeeze bottle in the bottle holder to squirt cars with.

Perhaps we should all take to flinging an assortment of condiments at offending road users? That'll learn them.

I have (almost) learned that being aggressive never works. On the odd occasion that I have calmly explained their error to them, it's ended in a reasonably conversation. Apart from when one bloke said I should get a car so I called him a fat C*nt that should get a bike.

I think we shouldn't let them drive on blissfully unaware but without making them hate all cyclists, innit.

You were gonna be beaten up by a scooter rider? For shame...

And on the highly visible Kennington Rd too...

...I am in a similar position to you...

I may of posted on one of your similar threads - is it a James thing?

Perhaps you're right to be thinking along these lines Lego, but I just can't let people off if they've endandgered my life through idiocy/impatience/rage. I usually make my feelings clear and rely in the fact I can usually get out of the way of revenge attacks.

You are right to be thinking of holding back though. Thinking about it from the cunts' point of view for a second, after I've cut someone up and they DARE to question my superiority with, say, a rude hand gesture, am I going to be nicer to cyclists in general? No I'm going to start growing a malevolent dislike of them, and if anything am perhaps less likely to be a considerate driver in future.

I find the condescending tone that a policeman might use tends to make them contrite.

Perhaps we should all take to flinging an assortment of condiments at offending road users? That'll learn them.

I have (almost) learned that being aggressive never works. On the odd occasion that I have calmly explained their error to them, it's ended in a reasonably conversation. Apart from when one bloke said I should get a car so I called him a fat C*nt that should get a bike.

I think we shouldn't let them drive on blissfully unaware but without making them hate all cyclists, innit.

100% well said.

Once had a fag end flicked at me too!!!

Being serious for a sec, as Wicksie says, I've not had hassles when it's been a polite, 'do you realise you almost killed me just then?' but I'm afraid I'm not always as collected in the moment!

I may of posted on one of your similar threads - is it a James thing?

It's a James thing.

I generally practice zen and the art of cycling.

I'm pretty mellow anyway and riding my bike seems to mellow me out even more. So when i get cut up or something i just tend to tut under my breath and carry on enjoying my ride.

Maybe Dancing James and Lego should strat a Cnut Magnet Club

I want to hear more about the actual fight. Did he still have his helmet on? It's got to be easy to fuck someone up when they do. Drop kick them in the belly so they puke into the visor then run away screaming and masturbating wildly. That'll shake em up.

Or just carry a gun and wave it around like a threatening cock next time.

Yeah. More guns.

Maybe Dancing James and Lego should strat a Cnut Magnet Club

And CrazyJames, have you not seen his thread about takin a white van's mirror out?

Zen riding is definitely the answer.. I've lost my rag a few times but have gained nothing so just a 'what a cunt' under my breath followed by a filthy look and I'm off again

And CrazyJames, have you not seen his thread about takin a white van's mirror out?

Yeah that dude was a full on cunt, my mate David got taken out in a similar manner early last week, (someone pulling out to the right to overtake from stationary traffic at an inapporiate point!), he wasn't as lucky as me though, as he was going downhill a fair bit faster, he went over the bars, fractured his elbow, road rash in loads of places and twisted/bruised his heel/ankle really bad to, only narrowly avoided getting squashed by oncoming traffic, the police were on the scene quickly and held the driver, he's getting charged with something I can't remember what.

Might have been the same scooter rider i had a 'little chat' with on Friday afternoon. He pulled out through traffic, then suggested that i could have stopped to let him out!

Im always happy yo flip the bird or a quick knock on a window while travelling past... THEY MUST BE TOLD!

My mate Francois just got totalled on his scooter by a drunk Danish cyclist

Four broken ribs and a broken shoulder bone ....OUCH

He was stationary at the time the cyclist just ran into him

I mention it because it is good to see that it happens the other way also

A quick keelhauling usually sorts them out.