Bit of help...

solomafioso

...hopefully this is the right place.

Had an incident this morning. I was stopped before a Yellow Junction as traffic was backed up.

Some guy overtook me (basically jumping the line), so I (foolishly) flashed him and gesticulated that what he did was wrong.

He stopped got out of his car and walked back to mine, tried to open my door (thank fcek I locked them) and then punched my window full force!

I'm now fearful that he's on some vendetta so should I report this? I know I shouldn't have called him out, but thought it was very excessive what he did.

Weird thing is though, when I checked his reg (using many of the free online sites) the car colour is wrong!

Caliden

solomafioso wrote: »

...hopefully this is the right place.

Had an incident this morning. I was stopped before a Yellow Junction as traffic was backed up.

Some guy overtook me (basically jumping the line), so I (foolishly) flashed him and gesticulated that what he did was wrong.

He stopped got out of his car and walked back to mine, tried to open my door (thank fcek I locked them) and then punched my window full force!

I'm now fearful that he's on some vendetta so should I report this? I know I shouldn't have called him out, but thought it was very excessive what he did.

Weird thing is though, when I checked his reg (using many of the free online sites) the car colour is wrong!

Deffo report it!
Garda Traffic Watch - lo-call number 1890 205 805

We're not savages and going around punching people's windows is madness.

ba_barabus

solomafioso wrote: »

...hopefully this is the right place.

Had an incident this morning. I was stopped before a Yellow Junction as traffic was backed up.

Some guy overtook me (basically jumping the line), so I (foolishly) flashed him and gesticulated that what he did was wrong.

He stopped got out of his car and walked back to mine, tried to open my door (thank fcek I locked them) and then punched my window full force!

I'm now fearful that he's on some vendetta so should I report this? I know I shouldn't have called him out, but thought it was very excessive what he did.

Weird thing is though, when I checked his reg (using many of the free online sites) the car colour is wrong!

Yes I'd report him, it doesn't matter that you flashed him.

As for the colour being wrong that could just be a clerical error when the car was being registered.

pippip

Definitely report it. The fact the colour is wrong will give the guards even more reason to follow it up to see what the story is.

You never know, possibly more serious offences could be uncovered with the vehicle.

wotzgoingon

What's going on today between a video in the youtube thread and this. Crazy guy got out of his car and punched your window. I remember I worked with a guy a few years ago and his brother used to drive around with baseball bat behind drivers seat in case of incidents like this. He told me he wouldn't be afraid to use it.

djimi

Absolutely report it. You got lucky that you had the door locked; what might have happened had he been able to open the door? Neanderthal needs to be taught a lesson...

CiniO

BTW - it must be only Irish or UK thing to use flash to express dissatisfaction or just rage towards other road users.
Never seen anyone doing it on the Continent.

Lots of people seem to flash, if they don't like actions of other drivers.
Never seen it before I moved to Ireland.

djimi

CiniO wrote: »

BTW - it must be only Irish or UK thing to use flash to express dissatisfaction or just rage towards other road users.
Never seen anyone doing it on the Continent.

Lots of people seem to flash, if they don't like actions of other drivers.
Never seen it before I moved to Ireland.

How do they signal dissatisfaction on the continent? And dont try and tell me that an entire continent of people do not show any emotion when driving...

biko

solomafioso wrote: »

I (foolishly) flashed him and gesticulated that what he did was wrong.

I wonder how you did this
Anyway, he was wrong to punch your car, and who knows what he may have done if your door wasn't locked.
Do report him.

CiniO

djimi wrote: »

How do they signal dissatisfaction on the continent? And dont try and tell me that an entire continent of people do not show any emotion when driving...

Horn.
Or gestures.
Or possibly other more severe forms of road rage.

It's just my observation.
F.e. if you flashed someone who just overtook you in erratic manner in Poland, I think he wouldn't have a clue what you mean by that.

djimi

CiniO wrote: »

Horn.
Or gestures.
Or possibly other more severe forms of road rage.

It's just my observation.
F.e. if you flashed someone who just overtook you in erratic manner in Poland, I think he wouldn't have a clue what you mean by that.

Ah gotcha. Yeah it is a rather pointless method of conveying anger alright!

biko

Some people are just like that.
If they do something wrong and get pulled up on it by someone else they don't react with an apology. Instead they get aggressive.
He could just have waived an apology but chose to escalate to fists.

CiniO

CiniO wrote: »

Horn.

It's just my observation.
F.e. if you flashed someone who just overtook you in erratic manner in Poland, I think he wouldn't have a clue what you mean by that.

See it every 30 seconds on the autobahn

ba_barabus

djimi wrote: »

How do they signal dissatisfaction on the continent? And dont try and tell me that an entire continent of people do not show any emotion when driving...

I can confirm that in Spain they don't flash the lights they chase after the offending car, swerve all around it, tailgate it, make erratic hand gestures, get the passenger to hang out the passenger window while attempting to hit the other car before agreeing to disagree and parting ways.

Corkbah

OP ... where did this happen and roughly what time .... and if you wouldn't mind PMing the licence plate please.

(I'm not planning on going after the guy - but if I happen to travel the same route I want to know the licence plate of an aggressive driver so I can avoid them)

Anan1

Corkbah wrote: »

OP ... where did this happen and roughly what time .... and if you wouldn't mind PMing the licence plate please.

(I'm not planning on going after the guy - but if I happen to travel the same route I want to know the licence plate of an aggressive driver so I can avoid them)

Ah come on now...

@OP - you should have reported it immediately. Do it now.

ba_barabus

Corkbah wrote: »

OP ... where did this happen and roughly what time .... and if you wouldn't mind PMing the licence plate please.)

Do you want to know if it was you he is talking about :pac:

djimi

Corkbah wrote: »

OP ... where did this happen and roughly what time .... and if you wouldn't mind PMing the licence plate please.

(I'm not planning on going after the guy - but if I happen to travel the same route I want to know the licence plate of an aggressive driver so I can avoid them)

What are you going to do; stick the reg on a post-it note on your dashboard and diligently check every car in the area so as to avoid this person?

Please dont, btw; that would likely end up causing a bigger mess :pac:

BMJD

urbanledge wrote: »

See it every 30 seconds on the autobahn

That's probably just you

solomafioso

Hey everyone, just want to thank you all for the replies.

The only thing stopping me reporting it is (most definitely) catastrophisation (what if he knows where I live...what if he's waiting for me, etc) and just the fact that he didn't seem like the gentleman sort (that's me putting it politely that going by looks...and prejudices...that he was from a certain economical background). So I don't want trouble after-the-fact.

Of course I'm not going to say where and when this happened!

And I'll agree that my impatience on calling out a dangerous maneuver could have been handled better. I've always warned other drivers with my hazards / flashing (like oncoming obstacles), so I may have not realised that it in itself is aggressive.

Corkbah

djimi wrote: »

What are you going to do; stick the reg on a post-it note on your dashboard and diligently check every car in the area so as to avoid this person?

Please dont, btw; that would likely end up causing a bigger mess :pac:

I just want to avoid the person if I ever drive the same route, I had my car in for a service today and only got it back about an hour ago, so defo wasnt me .

ba_barabus

solomafioso wrote: »

The only thing stopping me reporting it is (most definitely) catastrophisation.

The chances of a person in a rage remember what your reg number is and having a way to find out all of the other information is very very small.

If they do try something the Gardaí will have their information on record and would call around and have a word on your behalf.

Stheno

ba_barabus wrote: »

I can confirm that in Spain they don't flash the lights they chase after the offending car, swerve all around it, tailgate it, make erratic hand gestures, get the passenger to hang out the passenger window while attempting to hit the other car before agreeing to disagree and parting ways.

THe rather mental Maltese act in a similiar manner, although they repeatedly also honk the horn and hurl abuse at each other.

CiniO

djimi wrote: »

Ah gotcha. Yeah it is a rather pointless method of conveying anger alright!

In general flashing lights in Poland (but I suppose most of the Continent is similar) is used for the following:

1. to let someone know you give them way on a junction - f.e. to join from side road.
2. to warn someone oncoming about police check or speed trap - but this is getting less popular.
3. to warn someone oncoming that there is something wrong with his vehicle: most likely forgot to turn on lights, or one light not working, or forgot to dip the headlight.
4. to ask someone to move off from overtaking lane.
5. to inform someone you are planning to overtake him on single carriageway (but that's not that popular).

Except from guys who use point 4 sometimes too much and just literally sit on your a$$ and flash you to move right, which IMHO is a road rage, no one uses flash to say - Oh's I'm really dissatisfied with your driving, like lots of people do here in Ireland.

CiniO

urbanledge wrote: »

See it every 30 seconds on the autobahn

See what? Flashing?

In Germany flashing is to let other driver know you are coming faster, and asking him to move right. That has nothing to do with road rage.

Big Nasty

solomafioso wrote: »

flashed him and gesticulated that what he did was wrong.

When you say gesticulated do you mean you flipped him the bird?

solomafioso

MCMLXXV wrote: »

When you say gesticulated do you mean you flipped him the bird?

No. Nothing like that, I became Italian for a few minutes (sorry, another stereotype I know).

ba_barabus

CiniO wrote: »

See what? Flashing?

In Germany flashing is to let other driver know you are coming faster, and asking him to move right. That has nothing to do with road rage.

Sadly for a lot of people in Ireland this means "I'm a kunt and I need you to stay in the overtaking lane to teach me a lesson"

ba_barabus

solomafioso wrote: »

No. Nothing like that, I became Italian for a few minutes (sorry, another stereotype I know).

No Pants

Definitely report the incident to the Guards. What if next time he has a plumber's wrench or something else more effective against glass than his fist?

JohnBoy26

No Pants wrote: »

Definitely report the incident to the Guards. What if next time he has a plumber's wrench or something else more effective against glass than his fist?

Next Time! Lets hope that there will be no next time for the op's sake. Obviously I can't speak for the op but I don't think this is a person they will engage with again so I doubt that there will be a next time.

No Pants

JohnBoy26 wrote: »

Next Time! Lets hope that there will be no next time for the op's sake. Obviously I can't speak for the op but I don't think this is a person they will engage with again so I doubt that there will be a next time.

I wasn't so much thinking about the OP as yes, it's unlikely for him to meet this person again. I'm more thinking of others, especially those who may not have their doors locked.

Sparko

Did he do any damage to your car?

discombobulate

OP without reporting it your question is fairly pointless. You came here to ask if you should report it were told you should and now you're not. Makes the thread a bit pointless...

Of course you should report it. If he had opened your door and hit you would you also not report it with the same logic?