I used to have fairly regular confrontations at my previous home. Much of it centered on riding a suburban arterial where I was faster than the cars on many days. I do NOT sit in line.
- someone pulls to the far right curb to block me? I swing left and taunt them as I go by.
- Teen yells something out the window as they pass. I catch them at the light and berate the driver's manhood in front of his friends. They pass me back yelling. I do the same thing at the next light. They pass back yelling. I notice they've turned off and are waiting at a light to come past me again. I quickly stop and start walking my bike back towards their car. They quickly back up and take off.
- I make a legal turn into a shopping center, a car inside the lot cuts me off without looking. When he finally notices me he starts yelling at me. I stop the bike and do my normal taunt of his manhood, daring him to get out of the car. He drives off
- Guy behind me at a light yells something out of the window. I yell, he yells then I once again call him out of the car. This guy pretends like he's going to get out of the car. Puts one foot on the ground and apparently I looked happy because he got back in and shut his mouth. If he's had his turn signal on, I would have stayed further right and this wouldn't have happened.
- Guy yells and blows the horn. I follow him into the shopping center to ask him what his problem is. He tells me that I should have been riding in the "median" (his term for a turn lane). Because our yelling was attracting a crowd, and because I'd have probably had to chase him into the store to get my hands on him, I let it go.
Just hitting the highlights. These were fairly regular. Since I moved, I haven't had a single incident. Basically, if someone yells at me and I'm right there, or I catch up with them, I am going to confront them. The berating, and specifically the calling-out of the other person is cathartic for me. Instead of going home angry I am in a good mood and completely stress free. I like to believe that their inability to respond to the direct challenge will stay with them for some time.