Got Grief for Holding On to Street Furniture.

Yarisbob

Hi All
Well a few weeks on the bike and first unpleasant incident with a taxi driver. Traffic lights were going amber so I rolled up nice and gentle - kept clipped in and held on to the barrier leading up to the pedestrian crossing.

Car driver draws up beside me, puts down his window and such a tirade of abuse I got for holding on to the barrier. You cyclists blah blah blah

Have I done anything wrong or illegal ?

I didnt do anything out of the ordinary back the road either so Im confused as to what the guys problem was. I listened and made no comment or action and just let him off.

Is this a new low in the "Them and Us" story ?

endacl

You did nothing wrong. Taxi driver having a vent. Ignore.

Bet he was sitting on his clutch!

seamus

Just a taxi driver being a cock. Not reacting was the correct way to handle it, he wanted an argument and didn't get one.

One reason why a helmet cam is handy; you'd have his reg so you could make a complaint to the Gardai.

JBokeh

You must have come across the lesser spotter "taxi driver that does no wrong",often found schooling everyone else on the road on what they should and should not be doing

I'd ignore him,it wasn't like you were holding onto his wing mirror. Probably got pissed off by a different cyclist somewhere earlier and thinks he needs to lecture you because of something someone else did/didn't do

codie

Me thinks you just have to get use to this kind of thing when out on the bike.The last month on the bike I have got more abuse ,1 finger ,2 fingers ,horn blowing,smart comments from car passengers than I have got in the last 5 years and I'm in a country area.Take no notice just give a big wave and a smile and move on.

steve-o

If you'd waited long enough he'd probably have given you his thoughts on the weather, water charges, Man United, the thieving government and the state of the taxi industry. Most people pay for that privilege!

07Lapierre

Yarisbob wrote: »

Hi All
Well a few weeks on the bike and first unpleasant incident with a taxi driver. Traffic lights were going amber so I rolled up nice and gentle - kept clipped in and held on to the barrier leading up to the pedestrian crossing.

Car driver draws up beside me, puts down his window and such a tirade of abuse I got for holding on to the barrier. You cyclists blah blah blah

Have I done anything wrong or illegal ?

I didnt do anything out of the ordinary back the road either so Im confused as to what the guys problem was. I listened and made no comment or action and just let him off.

Is this a new low in the "Them and Us" story ?

Yes you did something wrong...don't you know all cyclists should disregard traffic lights? you should not have stopped and you have kept going..I bet you don't pay road tax either?...bloody cyclists

Sounds like he was dying for a chat.

07Lapierre

Its a pity this wasn't posted last week..it would have been a good example of why cyclists should wear earphones!

Bloggsie

next time you meet the lesser spotted taxi driver, give him a wink/blow him a kiss. that'll confuse the bejaysus out of him & he'll retreat to his normal habitat & behaviour. he'll ask "howya Bud, did you see the game and give out about the prices of fuel & car insurance.

arybvtcw0eolkf

"Go f*ck yourself" usually works for me, that said thankfully I rarely get abuse.

At least in Dublin I find taxi and bus drivers to be the most understanding and accommodating road users.

not yet

Kailani Ripe Pavilion wrote: »

"Go f*ck yourself" usually works for me, that said thankfully I rarely get abuse.

At least in Dublin I find taxi and bus drivers to be the most understanding and accommodating road users.

I find ''ask your sister'' seems to work for some reason.

Pinch Flat

Taxi driver lecturing a cyclist on the rules. At least he has a sense of humour.

magicbastarder

not yet wrote: »

I find ''ask your sister'' seems to work for some reason.

how about 'd'ya wanna take a photo so you can send it to the guards?'
i once heard this being used, it shut the driver up.

not yet

magicbastarder wrote: »

how about 'd'ya wanna take a photo so you can send it to the guards?'
i once heard this being used, it shut the driver up.

Ha Ha..

kuro_man

"get a job you like" works for me

MugMugs

I can't see how meeting aggression with aggression is a good thing personally. Each to their own I suppose.

endacl

MugMugs wrote: »

I can't see how meeting aggression with aggression is a good thing personally. Each to their own I suppose.

Agreed. If the traffic is heavy, and there is a bus lane, much better to meet aggression with a 10kph tootle up the bus lane ahead of the taxi. Only if the tool is the only vehicle being held up, of course. Accelerating to the speed limit if it looks like he'd have an opportunity to overtake...

RobertFoster

MugMugs wrote: »

I can't see how meeting aggression with aggression is a good thing personally. Each to their own I suppose.

How about meeting aggression with passive aggression and offering them a hug?

MugMugs

RobertFoster wrote: »

How about meeting aggression with passive aggression and offering them a hug?

Or offer to bake them a nice cake.

Generally when you meet tulips like that fella with a big smile and a salute you've instantly extinguished their fire. Meeting with further hostility just feeds the flames

Starting a swearing contest and flaring tempers can lead to people being injured

Pinch Flat

MugMugs wrote: »

I can't see how meeting aggression with aggression is a good thing personally. Each to their own I suppose.

It's for these situations the "Nescafé bean shake" was invented.


http://www.urbandictionary.com/define.php?term=Nescafe%20bean%20shaker

gctest50

Yarisbob wrote: »

Hi All
Well a few weeks on the bike and first unpleasant incident with a taxi driver. Traffic lights were going amber so I rolled up nice and gentle - kept clipped in and held on to the barrier leading up to the pedestrian crossing.

Car driver draws up beside me, puts down his window and such a tirade of abuse I got for holding on to the barrier. You cyclists blah blah blah

Have I done anything wrong or illegal ?

I didnt do anything out of the ordinary back the road either so Im confused as to what the guys problem was. I listened and made no comment or action and just let him off.

Is this a new low in the "Them and Us" story ?

Listen to every word then go : " no ..... speak .... Americano "

then before it starts again - point at the taxi n go " HAILO " ,

pull out your phone and make gestures at it

stecleary

Pinch Flat wrote: »

Taxi driver lecturing a cyclist on the rules. At least he has a sense of humour.

I'd bet he was in a bus lane too without a fare.

bazermc

How do you know he was giving out to you for holding onto the street furniture, did he specifically reference what you were doing?

He could have had an issue with something you did earlier on and was only catching up with you then?

arybvtcw0eolkf

MugMugs wrote: »

I can't see how meeting aggression with aggression is a good thing personally. Each to their own I suppose.

I like to call it 'peace through superior intimidation' :cool:

BrianHenryIE

I said "I'm sorry" recently to a taxi driver. He wasn't expecting that. He put both his hands up and sighed in resignation that there'd be no agro.

Qualitymark

I had a taxi driver gun the engine, lean on his horn and scream at me "Illegal *&^%$ turn, you stupid *&^%$" as I signalled and drew to the right at Burlington Road.
As he disappeared with a wail of rage like a deflating balloon I was dismounting the bike at the central traffic island and wheeling it across to the Two Trees hotel.
It would have been very satisfying if he'd been going within the legal speed limit and could have seen it.

galwaycyclist

MugMugs wrote: »

I can't see how meeting aggression with aggression is a good thing personally. Each to their own I suppose.

Hmm if it was "random aggression" you might have a point. But in many of these cases it is not "random" aggression but someone picking on people who they think are weak, picking on "victims" who are seen as unable to respond. So we are talking schoolyard bullying rather than random aggression.

It is valid response to bullies to simply refuse to be bullied. A refusal to be bullied is not neccesarily the same thing as aggression in response to aggression.

endacl

galwaycyclist wrote: »

It is valid response to bullies to simply refuse to be bullied. A refusal to be bullied is not neccesarily the same thing as aggression in response to aggression.

Stokolan

Yarisbob wrote: »

Have I done anything wrong or illegal ?

HE was just letting you know that you should be learning how to track stand and not holding onto rails

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nRR4paQnUsQ