Road Rage - Do you?

[Jayneflakes]

Yesterday the wife and I were out on our bikes together to get some shopping, she tends to lead because she has a sense of direction ( she naturally points North if allowed to float in a swimming pool! :D ) and I follow because I get lost trying to find my 'arris from my elbow!

Anyway, on the dual carriage way towards Morrison's in Weston there is a four lane round about that has traffic lights on it and two of the lanes are for going straight on. The left hand lane was full of cars and trucks and we were in the right hand lane. Carol was about ten meters in front of me when she passed an old lady driving a small boxy shaped car stopped in the queue. As I approached the car and was about to pass, she pulled put and attempted to change lanes with no indication or even a check of her mirrors. I managed to brake and swerve, missing the front wing of her car by enough that I nearly soiled my self.

The lights were red and she had moved forwards by no more than ten meters at the very most. I drew up next to her and shouted the question

What the F**k do you think you were doing? Why did you not look before you pulled out on me?

My heart was racing, I was trembling slightly from the adrenalin and had my sun visor down so must have looked quite a sight. She had her windows up and the radio on so if she heard anything at all I would be surprised. When she looked up at me, she waved me away with an irritated shake of her hand and mouthed that she could not be expected to see every one. #-o

Never before have I had a road rage incident, never before have I confronted someone when they nearly had me or even when they did knock me. In the accident I had in Bristol last year, I did not even raise my voice when the driver said that she had not even bothered to look in her mirrors because she was running late in picking up her kids from school.

So come on you lot, do you shout at drivers who frighten you? I have heard and have even seen some bikers who get off their bikes and shout through the windows of stopped cars. I have heard of one person who gobbed into an open topped sports car. I have even heard of people who will escalate into a fight.

What do you do when something like this happens to you? Are you a calm quiet type or are you the get off and fight type?

[cb1000rsteve]

Usually a thump the window and a good old shout usually makes me feel better. Worst I had was smashing a mirror off then (as it was still attached ) threw it at the little twit but, his mate had thrown a coke at me so was deliberate!! This was on my commute and since this the youth has given me plenty of room when over taking me.

[GlosGambit]

I'm a pretty chill kinda guy, I don't see the need to kick off about something that's happened in the past...

That said, if someone is an idiot and wants a fight, I'll be the guy in head to to armour, wearing a very protective helmet, with the hard-knuckled gloves... bring it on!

I learnt a phrase from a customer at work about how he defuses road rage situations... he says: "Before we get into an argument, please let me tell you two things about myself. One, I have a personality disorder. Two, I have a penchant for violence. Shall we continue?" I couldn't stop laughing - apparently the guy got back in his car on the double!

[PyroUK]

Depends, I have had people pull out on me a number of times. If they are polite, acknowledge their error and apologise then no worries.

If it was like your situation then I don't know how far I would have gone. Being a woman she certainly would have been better off than a bloke. Maybe a quick smack on the window.

I have in the past been very very tempted to grab keys when windows were open and then accidentally launch them as far as possible in the most awkward to locate again direction.

So in summary, it depends on the drivers reaction.

[GlosGambit]

I have in the past been very very tempted to grab keys when windows were open and then accidentally launch them as far as possible in the most awkward to locate again direction.


My colleague at work says this is the best method for getting revenge - it certainly teaches them not to do it again!

[PyroUK]

I can imagine. Only bugger is a lot of cars nowadays seem to have the keys on the left of the wheel!

[rockchunk]

trouble with road rage is you havent got the time to do your homework,,, you really have no idea who you are confronting or what they are capable of ,,example kenneth noye !!!!!!

[JM2]

Hoo yes. But it doesn't make it right. It does however make me feel a whole lot better and able to carry on more calmly.

The odd driver knows they've done wrong by me, but generally I (try) and count to ten first and by then I'm often gone and they don't count anymore.

The dafties I'd try and educate - the nutters, agressors, madmen with axes or multitude of mates (showing off) are best left to their own devices.

[Spank86]

I don't care about the consequences enough to get angry, plus the adrenaline shot is quite invigorating so instead of rage it usually flips the "be a ****" switch in my head and if given an opportunity I proceed to have fun with the offending party, if lacking the opportunity I just ratchet up the speed of my riding.

I don't recommend this approach to anyone else mind you.

[Fallout]

Don't suffer from road rage. Everyone makes mistakes. However, someone like that who doesnt show any remorse or ounce of responsibility could do with a lesson. What that lesson is, and whether I'd choose to deal it out, I don't know. Somethinghas to be done about people who don't give a **** and have no chance of learning from the mistake though. Ideally, excution and elimination of all members of the family with 25% or more of their genes.

[davepreston]

I have been known to assist drivers from there cars via the window to show them the area behind where the incident took place
one of the best was when a bmw driver was swerving at me on a rideout and at the red light the rest of the org pulled up around his car and I had a couple of words

[Luckypants]

I do tend to shout at people to look.... :ncool:

[Specialone]

I have to confess I had (much better now) a real anger management problem when I used to commute 50 miles every day by car, I even contemplated getting help over it as it was escalating and I was worried I'd get myself in bad bother, luckily I stopped commuting and I had a word with myself so kinda sorted it myself.
That said, when I get the red mist sometimes, I can get too wound up still, if an individual is involved and they push my buttons at the wrong time then yes I'm sure I'd rivert back to my old self.
I'm not a confrontational guy, I actively avoid it, in fact I'd prefer to keep it like the rest of my days, I have to be pretty angry to get like that these days, i also hate feeling that wound up, much prefer to be calmer, better for your blood pressure.

As fallout said, everyone makes mistakes, me included but just a hand up or any acknowledgement of their error is enough to pacify most of us, it's what I do when I make a bad call.
It's the arrogant ones that really winds me up...

[keith_d]

It was "National To55pot Day" out on the A40 today. Lots of ditherers doing 65 mph in lane 3, and boy racers pulling two lane undertakes weaving between lanes 1 and 2.

All topped off by someone who clearly wanted to see if his fiesta would fit in my boot, despite the fact he could easily see the van in front of me wasn't going anywhere. When I got an opportunity I let him past. Then demonstrated just how close I could get my Mondeo for about 200 yards before moving back into lane 2. I guess that makes me a road rage candidate.

[Mrs DJ Fridge]

Last time I had a problem out on the bike I was indicating to pull back into the left hand lane when a 'gentleman' in a black Range Rover undertook me, I had gone to pull over to the left as soon as it was safe, he was just being an unmentionable person. To tell the truth I was so scared that he had nearly taken me out that all I could do for the next quite a few miles was turn the air inside my lid so blue I am amazing it didn't permanently change colour. When someone ran into my car whilst I was driving down the road many years ago I sat and counted to 10 before getting out of the car, she was so apologetic I could not be angry at her. So I guess that it would show that on balance I am not a very road rage driver.

[widepants]

All the time.I know it wrong but only 2 days ago on that same round about I had the same problem.I actually found myself threatening to pull him out of the car to smash his face in.....Getting worse with age and I know its not good

[NTECUK]

Any boxy ford is likely a Fusion driven by a mum whom is easy distracted from the baby (the front seat folds so that they can see them better) or an OAP.
So they fit in the Saxo, white van category, Wide berth jobs.
Longer you've been driving. The easier it get to avoid the situations.

[The Guru]

... Wide birth jobs.

You a midwife? :smt102



Or do you mean wide berth?

[NTECUK]

Lol dam you auto correct.

[socommk23]

Ive seen red on one occasion. I was on my way to work in slow moving traffic. An inpatient white van man was pushing his way out from a road on the left. On seeing me he decided I should give him right of way when I was infront of him. My left foot rubbed across his front bumper as he pushed out into me. I just saved my bike from falling over, imediatly putting it on its stand in the middle of the road. I turned around ranting and swearing hitting the van hard enough to dent the door. I remember seeing his face...a huge muscle bound man was crappin himself....and sped off as fast as he could. (I was in bike gear and quite loud).
By the time I got to work I still dont know what I said. It was just blind rage. And its not a good thing. Im glad I couldnt get in the van....it could have been a different story.

Now im much more mellow. Generally a quick middle finger will keep it quick and formal.

[Geodude]

Sorry to hear about your scare Jayne, hope your leathers clean up okay ;) Not sure what id have done in your place as my moods can be quite extreme if given the right prod, so im sort of a mix of fluffy kitten and nitroglycerin so it can get messy :p

I have followed a guy home (who tried to drive over me grr) and sat next to him on his drive for 10 minutes while he pretended not to see me, this was pre mobile phone so as i say he just sat there waiting. I eventually calmed down said i hope you've learned somthing and rode away. Bit silly of me really and im glad he stayed in the car.

I would love to be more like the chilled types on here and mostly i am but every now and then grrr, i knew those gamma ray experiments were a bad idea ;)

[ChrisCurvyS]

As others have said, we all make mistakes and I don't get angry when people make honest mistakes and hold their hands up to it - don't hold any ill-feeling towards the van driver who took me and the bike out last month, because he came over and repeatedly said sorry while I was on the deck and didn't try to wriggle out of accepting responsiblity.

However, when people show blatant disregard for other road users - like the lorry driver I saw a few months back, holding up traffic doing an incredibly leisurely one-handed three-point turn while laughing away on his phone, it's so hard to turn the other cheek. I threw a coin at his head through his open window which landed with brilliant accuracy and the look on his face was priceless.

Have to reiterate though to choose your battles wisely and always be mindful that you're easy prey on a bike, unless you can filter or accelerate your way out of trouble.

[ZER0]

The problem with road rage and confronting someone is you have no idea who they are or what they're capable of.

You hear stories in the news of someone being stabbed multiple times on a bus because he told someone to stop throwing chips at his girlfriend, or the case a few weeks ago of the autistic chap who died after being punched in the face for moaning at someone for riding a bike on the pavement. They weren't aggressive, or being unreasonable in what they were saying. Just so happened the other party was a crazy person.

I agree that if someone apologises for their error it does reduce the anger and annoyance for you. We've all made a driving mistake I'm sure.
The ones that don't apologise or even acknowledge an incident are obviously scummy, retarded low-life's that don't warrant any more of you time. I'd rather not get stabbed or run down because I confronted an oblivious moron that pulled out on me.

[pookie]

usually vent my anger at the time with lots of gesticulation and shouting ( should've gone to specsavers etc...)..gives an opportunity to get it out of my system and let it go ..

Once the hulk moment subsides its back to carry on as normal :)

[DJFridge]

I usually just have a ranty shout in their general direction. I've only been on the receiving end once, while driving at night and nearly took out a cyclist as I came onto a roundabout. In my defence, my SMIDSY moment was largely caused by the fact the cyclist was dressed entirely in black with a dim headlamp mounted, not on the handlebars but near the bottom of the front fork where it was damn near invisible even if you were looking stright at it (I'm sure it looked cool though:rolleyes:)

Anyway, he came chasing after me so I put enough distance between us to be able to pull over safely and got out and waited for him to catch up. The fact that the first words he heard from me were "Are you alright?" took the aggression straight out of the situation. I just apologised for not seeing him, pointed out very politely and gently that I'd have stood more chance if he'd been at least properly lit, checked again that he was ok and we went our separate ways. TBH, I was more shaken up than he was. He'd just had a scare, I'd nearly killed someone.

[ethariel]

I commute through SE london to Westminster Mon to Fri so yes i suffer road rage and it's getting more and more directed at bloody cyclists (but thats another thread all on it's own) but then again I', 6'4" and definatley big lol

[Blueperson]

Hidden bottle full of DOT3, 12v windscreen washer pump, pipe sticking out the back of the bike, Bob is your uncle.

[PyroUK]

Very almost had a road rage moment last night. Thankfully I kept my cool as the guy was very apologetic.

Waiting for the vid to upload to tubeyou and I'll post a link. Managed a little endo in the middle, cost me a new pair of trouser though :-/

[PyroUK]

Think this works now:

http://youtu.be/P6aFSAqrWs4

[Stenno]

I'm quite chilled out these days personally, tending to take every near miss as a chance to reevaluate my riding i.e. if someone pulls out in a line of traffic, was I going too fast, too close etc

However I do remember a time when driving my old car, when a lady just started coming across my lane. I beeped and she moved back over, I thought nothing more of it, yet as I drove past her she was flipping the bird at me!? I was furious and gave her a mouth full at which point she started making finger in the hole signs at me despite having her young teenage son in the car. Classy.

[TamSV]

Think this works now:

http://youtu.be/P6aFSAqrWs4

Ah the old Signal, Manoeuvre, Mirror technique. :D

I'm surprised you were annoyed about that TBH - it's pretty run of the mill surely? I don't get the whole road rage thing at that sort of level.

[Jayneflakes]

If you want road rage, try riding big bikes around Thailand, I thought I had it bad in England, but this place is mental! Minivan drivers here pick up tourists and drop them off in various places which they charge for, the more trips they can do the more money they can earn. The downside to this is that they drive like complete loons, they tailgate horrendously, they go through red lights and the speed they go at would leave British drivers agape.

The other hazard here is the scooters, the riders wear no protective gear, flip flops and will often have a mobile pressed to their ear. While doing this they will pull out of junctions with out looking, ride the wrong way down one way streets, ride the wrong up the wrong side of the road, go through red lights, stop suddenly for no reason in the middle of the road, swerve violently across several lanes so that they can park.

Yesterday Carol and I were both nearly killed between two minivans and a 4x4. The first Van came up behind me at great speed and sat so close to my back wheel, I felt like I could converse with the passengers in the van! As he drew up at close to one and a half feet from my wheel he started to get impatient. I was already doing 85KM/H in a 50 zone and in the outside over taking lane passing by slow moving commercial vans.

However another minivan cut through the chaos and drew up next to Carol and I. With the one behind me almost chewing my rear tyre and another next to me, I had no where to go but forwards and sat in front of Carol and I was a large white 4x4.

As the rear minivan started to get aggressive, the van next to us changed lanes. The driver was on the phone and did not even look sideways as he came close to crushing us against the armco. Luckily the 4x4 indicated and changed lanes nearly crashing into another minivani, I managed to get away from the sideways moving minivan with only half a foot to spare and move into the space left by the 4x4, where upon we gave it beans and shot up to 150KM/H just to get us out of danger. The rear Minivan chased after us and I swear that if he had pulled over, I could have punched my way through the glass to him.

We sat on the side of the road for a while trying to relax and prepare for the last four miles. When we did head off we discovered that they have put speed ramps onto the major approach road with a high speed limit across them! :pale:

Yet strangely, I have not seen a single act of road rage since being here, they must be doing something right! mind you if they try to kill me again, Imay not be able to maintain my cool. :evil:

[Littlepeahead]

Yep the roads in Thailand are absolutely mental but no road rage in evidence that I've seen. I love riding in the cities and playing traffic light GP on the count down against the scooters on the ER6.

I had 3 super cars cut me up as they raced each other along Piccadilly on Saturday night. My colleague did find it amusing that after they pulled up I chased them down, rolled down the window and wouldn't move my car until I'd told them in some detail just how tiny their penises must be if they felt the need to drive in such a way while holding thumb and forefinger 3mm apart.

I was going to smear Cadbury caramel into their leather interior but Chris wouldn't let me as he said it was a waste of good chocolate.

[PyroUK]

Ah the old Signal, Manoeuvre, Mirror technique. :D

I'm surprised you were annoyed about that TBH - it's pretty run of the mill surely? I don't get the whole road rage thing at that sort of level.


Thankfully not that run of the mill, but either way it don't make it right! Haha

[Mrs DJ Fridge]

I did get close to road rage yesterday, I was driving the lorry on a roundabout as I went past the exit before mine I started to indicate left at which point this stupid woman put her foot down and pulled out in front of me then sat in the left hand lane so that I could not pull over. Please note it was a large roundabout with big islands on each exit so there is time (in a lorry) to indicate as you go past the off and they can see your indicators before pulling out in front of you. I had livestock on board so no sudden moves remember, when I blew my horn at her the stupid cow blocked my lane and mouthed obscenities at me, end result roundabout brought to a halt whilst we all wait for her to extract herself from the position she had put herself into. Not scary like Jayne's experience but very annoying because she was just being rude because I was driving a lorry.

[CharleyFarley]

Laugh rather than rage.......
3 HGVs/45ft containers, all tipped Livingstone n 'running South' M8/M74........all mates on CB radios.....
M8 heavy traffic, getting towards M74 split, spotted a **** in a 911 weaving all over the place/undertaking/all over all 4 lanes.........
All 3 of us talking about 'this F@&*# idiot'.......he somehow ended up next to 2nd wagon at the M74 split.
"Closed" in on him so he had no where to go.......indicating right as he wanted M8N (west)........took him down M74 South slip...........
Kept him 'pinned in' all way to Bellshill exit.........
Much horn-blowing/gesticulating/laughing..........


"Gas it w###a".........

[Jayneflakes]

The road rage is now gone because I am in the rain forest at Khao Sok resting having been at Phuket Bike Week and the traffic here is so much more relaxed. Pick up trucks full of workers from the rubber plantations who wave and cheer as they go past us seems to be the norm now. We shall see how Takua Pa is on Thursday when I have to go to hospital to have some stitches taken out. Not sure that I will be taking the bike, I am liable to be a bit punch happy after that and could get into some real trouble when I get cut up on the road and get angry! :-(

[RJohnny]

Most of my rage comes from using bus lanes during restricted hours (so only buses, bikes, motorbikes, taxi allows) only to have various vehicles trying to make love with the rear or right side of me, or just cutting in front of me with no sense of awareness or indication.

Can't say I've had any dangerous incidents or near misses, but if something drastic were to happen then I'd likely kick off and have very loud, but polite, words with hints of sarcasm.

On a lighter note do you think everyone could learn from Ethiopia...? http://twistedsifter.files.wordpress.com/2014/04/meskel-square-addis-ababa-ethiopia-no-traffic-lights-timelapse-video-aerial.jpg

[Red Herring]

It's just not worth getting worked up about. Statistically half the drivers out there are below average, and trust me the average ain't that good to start with! Rise above it, you'll feel a whole lot better for it.

[BanannaMan]

It's just not worth getting worked up about. Statistically half the drivers out there are below average, and trust me the average ain't that good to start with! Rise above it, you'll feel a whole lot better for it.






+1

No, just no.
Retaliating is just escalating the situation.
I either slow down or speed up depending and distance myself from the idiot.
And yes the road is full of them.
As RH says, just not worth getting worked up over.

[STRAMASHER]

Hello Bananaman,

I remember being over your side of the pond years ago and some fud cut us up while my missus was driving on the highway. I went tonto for a second only to remember your fondness for firearms.

Sat on my hands the rest of the trip!:)

[Nutsinatin]

I had a good one yesterday morning, I was leaving the A329M on a two lane slip road in the right hand lane when a BMW came belting down the left hand lane of the slip road (I was doing 70 + VAT and they flew past me) hit their brakes then pulled right into the side of me forcing me (as I was now passing as they had slowed considerably) back onto the motorway across the hashed area and the hard shoulder (still doing at least 60) with traffic in the lane, sounding his horn and gesticulating wildly whilst banging on the window with me pressed up against the side of it. He then floored it off after undertaking and cutting in and out of traffic to get away.

I pulled onto the hard shoulder to try and compose myself after that, also hoping that someone else who may have seen his registration would stop, but no one did. Bike came off pretty well with only a few small scratches, so all I can hope is that there is a nice big knee/bar end sized dent in his door, it's the least he deserves!

[PyroUK]

Jeez! You're lucky your nuts really aren't in a tin now! Glad you are ok and no major damage to the bike!

[Red Herring]

Always at a disadvantage when they are bigger than you. This chap had the same problem....

https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?v=10152481626285348

[Bibio]

I had a good one yesterday morning, I was leaving the A329M on a two lane slip road in the right hand lane when a BMW came belting down the left hand lane of the slip road (I was doing 70 + VAT and they flew past me) hit their brakes then pulled right into the side of me forcing me (as I was now passing as they had slowed considerably) back onto the motorway across the hashed area and the hard shoulder (still doing at least 60) with traffic in the lane, sounding his horn and gesticulating wildly whilst banging on the window with me pressed up against the side of it. He then floored it off after undertaking and cutting in and out of traffic to get away.

I pulled onto the hard shoulder to try and compose myself after that, also hoping that someone else who may have seen his registration would stop, but no one did. Bike came off pretty well with only a few small scratches, so all I can hope is that there is a nice big knee/bar end sized dent in his door, it's the least he deserves!

i have to ask why?

[Nutsinatin]

Jeez! You're lucky your nuts really aren't in a tin now! Glad you are ok and no major damage to the bike!

I like that, that really made me laugh!

Always at a disadvantage when they are bigger than you. This chap had the same problem....

https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?v=10152481626285348

Lets hope he doesn't get his hands on one of those or I'll really be in trouble next time!

i have to ask why?
I presume you mean why he felt the need to do this ? Because he's an idiot. We had fog with visibility at 50m best and I was going irresponsibly fast let alone what he was doing. My best guess is that he took the wrong exit, the slip road feeds straight onto the M4 so he'd have to go onto the next junction to turn around, and clearly he was in a hurry for something! He was bigger and probably didn't even look when he pulled into the side of me or maybe presumed I'd give way to him because Mr. Important was in a big rush. I doubt he even thought of the consequences of what would happen if he knocked me off at that speed in those conditions and that I would just get out of his way. The A329M had been closed due to an accident for a while with queues a few miles long, so I'm sure that wound him up too, and made him late for whatever he was doing.

All I can hope is there is that there is a nice dent in the side of his car and when he sees it he realises how dangerous what he did was and maybe doesn't do it again, but he's a bully so I think thats hoping for too much.

[Jayneflakes]

What could have been a road rage incident today was just a quiet moment of reflection.

Carol and I have just borrowed a friends scooter to ride to the 7Eleven in Samui, after less than a minute on the road a very large 4x4 pulled out of a side road with no consideration that traffic was coming from both sides. This made all of the traffic screech to a halt and sadly the rather battered and over whelmed scooter brakes proved to be not that great and although we avoided the 4x4 we did not avoid hitting the road.

The injury I already have has been inflamed and I have a nice bruise on my arris! The 4x4 driver just drove away with out even bothering to check if we were OK and the rest of the traffic from both sides of the road just drove around us until we could get the scooter back on its wheels.

Did I have any road rage? Not a bit, I just got back up and checked Carol and smiled, glad that we were not hurt. Back home I think that Carol would have got up and punched several bells out of the driver for making us crash. :smt062

[Geodude]

Eek what you like you two, you're not Evel K'jaynel ;) glad you girls are ok though. Oh and ta laydees the postmans been :)

[Red ones]

Had one today.

I'm going round a roundabout and a guy in a van pulls out in front of me gesticulating as though we believes I **********. We both exit the roundabout in the same direction only to find we stop next to each other at a set of lights, so he winds his window down and shouts sweary words at me.

Now remember he joined the roundabout after I was on it, so we had not met on the road before and there is no history.

I decided a little further down the road to pull up between a filling station and a bus stop, thinking just let him disappear and ruin someone else's day. Oh no, not him! He stops with me and gets out shouting at me (with the queue at the bus stop watching).

I waited until he was out of the car stropping towards me, then rode off leaving him on the stropping in front of the bus queue.


WTF?

[chris8886]

I waited until he was out of the car stropping towards me, then rode off leaving him on the stropping in front of the bus queue.

:smt068 :smt036


haha, very good, well done sir!