I shall never hit a car again !
 

I do sometimes tap cars on the roof or window if the drivers disregards my rights in a dangerous way. Today I was (in the darkness with my headlamp) going to work riding downhill. On my left a smaller road exits into my road and from that road a van is coming. I have right of way but he just keeps coming so I have to brake in order not to crash. I get angry, there is no one coming in the opposite direction so I pass him and taps his window with my gloved hand. He roars the engine and follows me in a left turn down a oneway street. 50 feet down the street he just rams into me from behind with no warning. I summersaults over the bike and it hurts quite a bit. I approach the car yelling about what the heck he thinks he is doing. He swings at me and wants to start a fight. Some other people gather and he claims not to have seen me. Then he angrily accuses me of riding my bicycle as if I were a car. I do not have my wits about me so I do not get the names of any of the witnesses. He hands me his card and says he doesn't care if I press charges. Probably won't do any good(my word against his) but I have an appointment tomorrow morning with the police and will report him. Lesson for me: Never challenge something that weighs 25 times your own weight, I really want to be around to see my childrens children (when and if they come).

WOW it's a good thing you didn't get killed. I think if you took a picture of your bike and took that to the police station they could do something about it. I would think you had some damage. Anyway good luck, I hope it works out for you.

Referred to in the USA as 'road rage' . . . by both cyclist and automobile.
Learned a lesson huh?

The bike is a CX bike and it seems OK. I hurt quite a bit still but think I am OK too.

Be careful...........irrational drivers are more dangerous than you realize.

And more common.

I am amazed that this story comes from "bicycle-friendly" northern Europe. ...

As with caged animals, never stick your hand near a cager.

My thoughts exactly. Perhaps the driver of that vehicle was a transplant.

I have been known to pound on a car that comes too close, and will probably continue to do so. Probably shouldn't but ...

Ramming into you - that should be an assault charge.

Good story. I used to be a car-hitter. I stopped after reading too many road rage incidents.

I did follow a guy to his house one time last year (he ran a stop sign and almost hit me) and have a conversation with him when he got out of his car. I was calmer by time I had followed him a couple of blocks, so it was (I hope) a more productive conversation than if I had yelled at him at the time.

It's not too late to file a hit-and-run. At least in Michigan (and I presume most other places) if there is property damage above a certain threshhold and ANY injury, then the accident must be reported. He didn't, so he can be charged criminally. File the report and press charges. If the injuries are apparent, then he's the one who will have to explain why he left the scene.

I realize that after the collision, you were not at your best. So this is not criticism, just a thought to put into your mind so it can come out if a similar situation happens.

In that situation, the right thing would have been to have someone call the police so that the police can see the situation for themselves. I'm sure that your bike has wounds and so does his bumper. This man assaulted you multiple times, and the assault with a car could be considered attempted murder. I wouldn't be surprised if he doesn't have some kind of record already. But you are right, your words may have less weight without the immediacy of the crime scene.

I'm glad you are safe. Get back out on the bike tomorrow. All cowboys know that you have to get back on the horse as soon as possible so you don't get scared.

+1. I would report it though. This guy may have done this before, or he may do it again later... cops will have a record of it.

I have filed a charge at the police station and they will forward it to the Traffic police who is responsible for these kind of cases. He will probably get a fine but I will not follow up on this any more. I will use it as a warning to be more careful with how I behave when I am biking. Hopefully the pain in my shoulders will not last for long.

I have a hard time controlling my anger sometimes as well, but I can see, it has to be done, good luck.

I slapped the rear quarter panel of a car that was blocking the intersection (verrrry well marked) while stopped at a light. I went around the rear of the car (into the traffic lane) and gave it a whack as I went by. I'm not really proud of it though. If it were daytime I probably would have just given her a disapproving look.

When running facing traffic one time, I punched a car that was coming RIGHT AT ME that was driving in the lined-off parking lane on a very wide road. He was planning a right turn I guess, and was trying to get out of traffic early. Whatever, I had to hop completely into the ditch (there was no sidewalk.) Still P's me O.