Unless Squirrelly Fred is stronger than some of the group. Fitness and bike handling are neither mutually inclusive nor exclusive.

+1 more.

You got a problem with the way someone is riding, talk to him. Don't make it into the Saturday Morning Worlds, leaving a strung out line of dropped riders.

The idiot who goes to the front and pushes the pace in an effort to drop certain "unsafe" riders has just created a bigger hazard than those riders posed to begin with. There's going to be a lot of shuffling going on as gaps open and riders start passing each other in order to fill those gaps and in an effort to not get dropped.

And at the end of it, there's a chance that the targeted riders will still be there, while some of the scholars and level heads of the group will have sat up and not bothered.

dropping doesn't have to mean hammer away. I was on a ride that did a 180 turn at the end of a road and a guy was being annoying so when he took off down the road and we spun around before the end. buh bye.

plenty of other ways i'm sure without having to use pure power. my point was having 1 person messing with the group is avoidable.

Not cool at all. Its much better to say a few words to address the annoying issues. If they just don't get it or don't have the skills needed, then don't invite them on the next ride, or if you know they will be joining in, find another ride that day. There's a few like this I do my best to avoid.

Large open club ride (that splits into smaller groups of similar ability). I'm not sure if anyone tried to talk to him or not. He kept attacking then falling to the back of the group, repeat. our rides are arrowed so it's not like he was lost, just not in our line anymore.

+1

Local group rides

weekly HOP - mostly 1/2/3s and M123s - can go the entire 60 miles without touching the brakes except for stop signs and stop lights (i've kept track)

Danville Thanksgiving ride - open to all and all come out - most terrifying 2 hours i have on a bicycle every year. cat 5 training crits in the rain are not as scary

My rule is that if I do not feel comfortable riding tight, I will leave enough room to the rider in front of me so I do feel comfortable and safe. Some groups we're in a groove and moving steady and and it feels safe with 6" between riders, other times the speed bounces around a bit, or for whatever reason I don't feel safe on the rear wheel of the rider in front, I simply leave enough room so i do feel safe.
A recent group ride we were on wet roads and the tires in front were kicking up an annoying spray of water from the road. I left about a 12' gap behind the rider in front. A rider behind pulled around me and told me to "come on, stay on my wheel, let's catch those guys". I told him to go ahead, catching them is not a problem, getting blasted with water is.

Ride just a bit offset, and you'll get a draft, and the spray won't hit you smack in the face.

I'll agree that the paceline doesn't sound like the place for the OP. If he gets nervous and squirrelly, he's not just putting himself at risk.

OP agrees!