ParkingTheBus

I know it's bad, but there's times where I do. Maybe I'm just a hot tempered 22 year old, but I feel like I need to speak up sometimes. Times where I get passed by mere inches, right hooked to the point where I have to slam on the brakes or cut off or just general stuff that puts my life at risk, I get a rush of blood to the head and become frustrated. I'll try to catch up to them at the red light or a parking lot, sometimes reacting with anger, sometimes politely telling them to be careful.

This doesn't happen often, but it's really infuriating when a bad or ignorant driver almost hits me off my bike to get to their destination 10 seconds faster.

An experiences?

spare_wheel

I try to educate or "gesticulate at" drivers who threaten others whenever I can. I don't particularly care about drivers who break minor traffic statutes without endangering others.

YouthInAsia

My advice would be this: Don't let your anger control you. I say that as a 42-year-old man with a confrontational personality. If/when you confront someone, do it tactfully or you're not going to get the result you want. And, in general, I don't consider it worth my time to confront drivers anyhow.

rmfnla

I'm often tempted but there are just too many crazy/angry/armed people out there, especially in cars...

myzamboni

I would never make to work if I did that for every bad driver . . .

ItsJustMe

Nah, I consider motorists being dumb to be in the same category as water being wet. And it's about as much use yelling at the water and expecting it to change. For the same reason I don't get worked up about dumb. I do post videos of the dumb though.

caloso

I admit that I have. And that I have always regretted it. Confronting rarely changes the driver's behavior and only serves to upset my own emotional and psychological peace. I try to remember Marcus Aurelius' take:

Say to yourself in the early morning: I shall meet today ungrateful, violent, treacherous, envious, uncharitable men. All of the ignorance of real good and ill... I can neither be harmed by any of them, for no man will involve me in wrong, nor can I be angry with my kinsman or hate him; for we have come into the world to work together...

spare_wheel

If posts on this forum and the censoring of the word *** are any indication, I would be more reluctant to confront an angry cyclist than an angry motorist.

ParkingTheBus

Cool, where can i watch the videos?
LOL

bubbagrannygear

"Never try to teach a pig to sing. It wastes time and annoys the pig."

Flounce

I think I have the anecdote you're fishing for.

I often bike at night - commuting - and am used to having young guys who are cruising around on Friday night shout stuff at me for no reason, half the time they are probably drunk.

This happened last month, also a Friday night. I could hear the car roll up behind me and some guys laughing and having a good time, I turn to look at them and they were along side me and the car suddenly swerves TOWARD me on purpose. They stopped before they actually hit me and before I could even react, but they came within two feet of me and gave me a real scare. It was obvious they were screwing around with me, maybe trying to get me to swerve into the curb and fall down.

I was really pissed but usually there's not much to do when there's a car full of guys who would enjoy nothing more than to stomp a cyclist.

But as they pulled ahead, everyone in the car laughing at what they just did, I could see that they were a bunch of teenagers, high school guys and girls in an SUV. The arrogance pissed me off. My anger got the best of me and I raced behind them and caught up to them at the next stop sign.

I pulled right up to the passenger window and got in one guy's face and said, "you guys are real tough, how about you to step out of the fuc**** car? " There was no way I could actually take them, but I was so pissed, I didn't care.

There was a moment of silence as they looked at each other before the driver cussed at me and sped off, as I shouted, "Yep, that's what I thought."

I'm a 38 year old physician with four kids, and I haven't done something that stupid or felt that level of aggression since high school.

It was a dumb thing to do, as things could have ended very differently that night if they had actually decided to step out of the car. I used to train in BJJ and have learned that there are a lot of guys out there who train and know how to fight.


P.S. Orange County, California, grants concealed carry permits (CCW) to most anyone who applies, and I've started the process to get one. I don't know if I'd actually carry my 9 while biking at night, as it'd lower my threshold for seeking confrontations with stupid people, but it's fun to think about.

ItsJustMe

Here's my channel, but it's got a lot of electronics videos and band concerts and such

https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCHp...gjn28GnGulXaUQ

Here are the dumb driver selections. There are 2 or 3 of these that I consider to be at least partially my own fault. I think it's useful to keep them and post them publicly so I can remember to not do that again, and to show others a dumb thing to not do.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zCGBR0zYLHk

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BvfjNZsx148
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jiXSEme1_0o
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WcdCdN-dZIY
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ShqVJbC2VHc
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WzhdOW4PPn4
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-hiZgxpWNlQ
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vuVKDTMh4ZM
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UOwv_IXZdIk
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8scqW5cGNuE
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xwEb-HXOPLk
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=41w2rxrkzTE

baron von trail 

I try not to, but sometimes I just have to say something.

B. Carfree

I don't do it very often, but when I do it is generally not done in anger. Most motorists are simply ignorant. They think of themselves as law-abiding good citizens, so I play to their personal story and give them the wording and statute number for the laws they unwittingly violated. I try to stress the reason for the law and do a lot of smiling. Most times they respond positively and appreciate the information. Either that, or they realize I'll leave sooner if they say thank you.

I live in far too small a city to expect anonymity. I expect that most of the people I encounter on any given day will be people that I have encountered before and will encounter again. It's not going to do me much good to scream at them.

bmthom.gis

Nope. Cagers r gonna be cagers. Ill wave or blow a kiss, bc that probably freaks them out more than confrontation ever will.

hueyhoolihan

because i rely entirely on my own wherewithal WRT safety, if i encounter a dangerous situation caused by a driver, i note it, think about how i can possibly avoid it or anticipate it in the future, then and carry on.

Daniel4

There are many threads regarding confronting bad cyclists (red light runners, stop sign runners, riding on the sidewalk). Most suggestions are not to make the confrontation but if the offense is really bad and repetitive report it to the police. Offending motorists will be worse. It's not worth your aggravation and time.

I've once had an impatient driver pass me only to lose control and almost get into a collision with another motorist heading in the opposite direction.

moobot22

In the instances where bad drivers have put me in real danger I've been too shocked and adrenaline flooded to be angry.

Once I was ridding hard in the city on a one way street with a nice big bike lane. A woman in an SUV pulled out and turned the wrong way on to the one way street. As soon as she saw me and the other cars coming towards her she slammed on the brakes and yanked the wheel so that the car went into a sideways slide. At the same time I was sliding for what felt like forever before I kind of gently bumped her rear fender. She was so embarrassed she was crying and apologizing and trying to get the car turned around it was almost funny by the time she got going the right way again.

What does get on my nerves more than anything is the Mexican standoff of ignorant politeness. Where I stop at a stop sign that another car clearly arrived at first but they just sit there smiling, waiting for me to go rather than just following the damn rules. Like look, I'm not going because I'm cautious of idiots. If you're not going to take your turn and just do what the rules say and what I'm expecting you to do we can all go home. I

Cosmic Hawk

A guy ran a light in front of me as I was coming to the intersection years ago only to get stuck in traffic on the other side of the intersection. It was a close call and I can bet he didn't see me at all. I rolled over to his passenger side and said ,"hey man, you just almost ran me over right there!!!" He just looked over at me and said ,fucc you!!" And flipped me the bird.

I completely lost it. I punched the side of his car a few times and kicked it a couple more before riding off. He looked scared ****less, so I guess I made my point. I literally saw nothing but red. I could t believe he had the nerve to say that to me. I would do the same thing all over again too. Perhaps I should be ashamed, but it was the best release of negative energy I have ever had.

ParkingTheBus

Yep, you never know what could happen and it's always best to avoid confrontations. You're right but as we all know, sometimes we can't help it. It would be especially dangerous if it was on a secluded country road for example.

Thanks, going to subscribe and watch

LOL yep, I hate when cars don't proceed through the stop sign when it's their turn... Ruins my damn momentum

This is something I always feel like doing. Even fi they did chase me, I could easily out maneuver a car with my bike.

Reynolds 

I did a couple of times, but no longer. It's not worth it.

Reynolds 

Thanks! A good reminder to be careful. I've been in those situations many times, the last one I was hit head-on by a car coming from the right at a T junction, luckily we both were going slowly and braked at the last moment, so only minor injuries.

CliffordK

Review this thread about a biker that gave a person passing him the finger for passing too close... Then the driver tried to run the biker off the road, and eventually hopped out of the vehicle and knocked the bicyclist off of the bike.

https://www.bikeforums.net/advocacy-s...son-shown.html

I just ignore the bad drivers as much as possible.

I have thought it would be good to photograph the ones that pass cars coming towards me... that is hair raising.

kickstart

As a cyclist, and professional driver it would simply take up too much of my time.

When working I have outside influences and considerations that preclude me doing it. On my own time I tend to be thick skinned and easy going, but also have a temper when pushed, and I have found trouble because of it. Fortunately up to this point it has worked out in my favor, but I know I need to be more restrained as ones luck is bound to run out in time.

kickstart

There's probably some truth in that.
Here in the US cycling tends to attract active, type A, confrontational personalities who are keyed up by physical exertion. There are countless of posts here on BF demonstrate that.
On the other hand, cyclists are probably less likely to be miscreants with a long record and nothing to loose, therefore less likely to go all the way.