+1

I find you can actually sometimes tell these people apart by the vehicle they're driving. For instance, next time you have a run in with a Range Rover - and to a lesser extent the Land Rover Discovery - notice the level of aggression. Make them feel like an idiot and you've won. I actually had a battle all summer with a commuter in one here in Toronto. It all started when he actually almost smoked another cyclist and I calmly called him on it. He turned and yelled to me on a crowded street, "what a f*#$in' loser!". From then on anytime he'd see me on the road he'd pull up beside me and say, "hey loser". So I started leaving him in the traffic making comments about his shiny wheels and how ugly they were just sitting still like that all day in the sweltering summer traffic. I believe there was also a lot of whooping and arm flailing as I rode hands free between traffic jammed cars.

Since then I've found the theory to be generally true. I find that if you are present in the moment you can make a good call and have an effective exchange. I think that's what's important is having an "effective" exchange. They have to leave changed. For everyone's sake.