Aggressive behaviour among cyclists

tomasrojo

shootermacg wrote: »

The people who push to the front at every light, even though you've passed them ages ago.

Shoaling isn't just an Irish thing.

Moflojo

This thread is entertaining and no doubt cathartic for many. Carry on!

Hunterbiker

Its a bit like a Daily Mail story at times. The outrage is real...

NiallBoo

07Lapierre wrote: »

Here's an example where it is possible single lane that is wide enough for two lanes. for years it was marked as a single lane, but because it was used as a two lane road, they just gave in and painted two arrows on the road..

Ah, there's enough room coming up to the junction there for two car lanes and the cycle lane...just.

You do tend to get problems though purely because some have terrible road positioning.

07Lapierre

NiallBoo wrote: »

Ah, there's enough room coming up to the junction there for two car lanes and the cycle lane...just.

You do tend to get problems though purely because some have terrible road positioning.

Exactly! That's the point I'm making! Slow cyclists squeeze past faster cyclists at traffic lights because they can, because there is room to do so.

Chuchote

Wishbone Ash wrote: »

In my experience most of the 'nut jobs' are on MTB's/hybrids/Dublin bikes and seem to feel that they have to prove themselves in the vicinity of a Lycra clad road cyclist.

Do you mind?

endagibson wrote: »

Everytime a journalist writes one of "those" articles about cycling, we should all ask them when they are going to take responsibility for the death of Princess Diana.

Best post ever

CramCycle

07Lapierre wrote: »

Y I kept going and never looked back! So now I NEVER touch a vehicle that passes too close... You never know how people will react!

The other night a car overtook me so close on a corner that my pedal scratched its door. I don't think the driver even realised what was going on. I should have stopped at the next lights and quitely informed the driver what had happened, they may not have even known.

Over the years, I have had a few incidents, some are because I got such a fright I couldn't hold back the anger, some just made no sense others when I was younger were undoubtedly my fault.

I had one guy get out of his van because I stopped at a red light and he took it that I was doing it to annoy him. He later pulled in up the road to wait for me. He was an idiot and I just took a wide arc and laughed at him.

One moped driver came out of a side road and I hauled the brakes and roared (in fear). He pulled over to give me a lecture about how how "we were all the same" he started trying to intimidate me, so I shrugged, called him a name and cycled on.

Another pair of lads pulled across me and as i swerved, skidded and roared "f*ck" in fear, they laughed at me and gave me the finger. I lost it. I just had enough, I followed them up the road, sat in front of their car and waited for them to get out, one wound down his window and started telling me to f*ck off and continued laughing. I roared at the sh1t and he went to get out. I drove me knee into the door and slammed it on him. So full of adrenaline I felt like I could take on the world if they turned on me. The driver roared at me not to dent his car or I would regret it, he went to get out of his car and I roared if he went near me I wouldn't be the one with the regrets. The passenger told me they had a sh1t day and I should f*ck off before something happened. I regrettably wanted nothing more at the time than to pin them to the ground and beat them till their faces caved in because their tough day of work was somehow more important than my life. I slowly realised they were bigger than me but my adrenaline and deranged look seemed to have shook them, so I got their details of the car and went away. The car behind me asked was I OK and I nearly broke down in tears, so close was I to being killed and these two assholes just thought it was hilarious. They would have got a slap on the hand, the indo would have wrote an article about how cycling is dangerous, and how it was a terrible accident, poor young lads hadn't a hope as they returned home from a hard days work.

There are a few incidents that were my fault, hands up, no running away. Really stupid things, but I always stopped, i always apologised, most times that was enough. Some were rightly angry, I just held up my hands, said it was not intentional, if there was anything I could do, never went further than that.

I am not proud of my behaviour on occasion, typically when it is the fault of others but I am generally happy with my own actions when it is my fault. I don't like me when I am angry though, I am not strong or dominant and the previous situation would not have ended well for me had it went on. In the majority of occasions, where it was not my fault, and I held my cool. I smiled , knocked on the passenger window, said "not giving out but just to let you know, you nearly done a, b or c" it nearly always works out. Sometimes it doesn't, sometimes people cannot accept that it is their fault but for the majority is a good return.

This said, i always abide by the golden rule if you meet one true asshat a week(give or take), then they are an asshat, if you meet a few asshats every day, then maybe they are not the asshats, maybe you are the asshat.

tomasrojo

CramCycle wrote: »

This said, i always abide by the golden rule if you meet one true asshat a week(give or take), then they are an asshat, if you meet a few asshats every day, then maybe they are not the asshats, maybe you are the asshat.

Very true. Also, if one feels enraged by the behaviour of another, consider whether the person is temporarily overwrought, in which case they probably won't do this again, or in the case that they act like this all the time, remember that eventually they'll meet someone just like them, and that person can deal with them, and save you a day in court.

Chuchote

tomasrojo wrote: »

Very true. Also, if one feels enraged by the behaviour of another, consider whether the person is temporarily overwrought, in which case they probably won't do this again, or in the case that they act like this all the time, remember that eventually they'll meet someone just like them, and that person can deal with them, and save you a day in court.

Yup. I got a phone call of apology and explanation a year after a weird aggression; the woman told me she'd been suffering from some kind of hormonal imbalance that landed her in hospital later that day.