Taxi Man road rage

Sharker

Hi,

Looking for a bit of advice. I was involved in a bit of road rage today with a taxi man while cycling to work. He essentially drove his car at me trying to intimidate me and then sped past me when the road opened up... his grievance was that I broke a red light.

Basically I was stopped at the red lights and having travelled the road frequently I know the sequence of the lights.. I waited for the opposite lights to go red, when they changed I knew I had the green so I moved off... I admit I was two or three seconds ahead of the main traffic.... this taxi man seen this and was coming out of a slip road which had an amber filter & my moving off early prevented him from pulling out... He then stopped and waited until I was in front of him and he started shouting out his window and driving his car direclty at me as I passed.. profanitys were exchanged and he sped passed me when the road opened up.

I took his details and am considering reporting him for dangerous driving etc... would anybody have any advice... is it worth pursuing or should I just leave it. It could of

smacl

You started this by breaking a red light. If you're not going to obey the rules of the road, I'd expect a certain amount of flak from other road users. While the taxi man was also way out of order to have a go at you, I doubt you'll get much sympathy from the guards.

07Lapierre

You admit you broke a red light, yet you want to report the taxi driver??

Sorry, but i'm with the taxi driver on this one.

CramCycle

Hard to say, assault is assault, and that's what he has done. For your own sake though, you should try not to push of before your green comes in for two reasons, the main one is that a red to crossing traffic does not always mean they have stopped, using that famous Dublin driving etiquette of "shure it only just went red, I have another few seconds", the second is if an accident did happen, you can believe all you want about the other person being to blame but the courts and Gardai may see it another way if you have technically run a red.

It really is at your discretion, if you feel a grieved enough, report it, but be prepared if you don't have proof it will well come down to a your word against his unless its on camera. If you get the right Garda, they might drop by and inform them of the complaint and advise them that if it happened to be true (but not saying that it is, they cannot obviously say that) that they would be well served in altering their behaviour while using the road and operating a licensed motor vehicle.

Leroy42

Sorry, is the world gone mad? Him breaking the red light is of no consequence to this. The taxi driver has no right, none, to behave in that manner. If he feels that the cyclist has broken the light then he has every right to go to the gaurds and report him. He does not have the right to make intimidating actions towards him.

The filter light allows the traffic to move out if safe to do so. How any obstruction to that safety got there is of no relevance.

basically, the taxi man got annoyed that he had to slow down, so decided he would take his frustrations out.

Even the Garda are not allowed to be aggressive like that, why would anybody else

OP, I wouldn't bother reporting it, you run the risk of having a garda with the same attitude as above, basically saying that two wrong make a right. You didn't get hurt and no damage was caused so simply mark it off and maybe next time wait the few extra seconds and avoid any possible problems in the future

CramCycle

Leroy42 wrote: »

OP, I wouldn't bother reporting it, you run the risk of having a garda with the same attitude as above, basically saying that two wrong make a right. You didn't get hurt and no damage was caused so simply mark it off and maybe next time wait the few extra seconds and avoid any possible problems in the future

I hope you don't think I was insinuating that the taxi driver was in the right, I was just saying as a side note that your better off not running red lights for your own safety. The taxi driver is 100% in the wrong although you may meet those who think this behaviour is acceptable, I certainly do not.

07Lapierre

Leroy42 wrote: »

Sorry, is the world gone mad? Him breaking the red light is of no consequence to this. The taxi driver has no right, none, to behave in that manner. If he feels that the cyclist has broken the light then he has every right to go to the gaurds and report him. He does not have the right to make intimidating actions towards him.

The filter light allows the traffic to move out if safe to do so. How any obstruction to that safety got there is of no relevance.

basically, the taxi man got annoyed that he had to slow down, so decided he would take his frustrations out.

Even the Garda are not allowed to be aggressive like that, why would anybody else

OP, I wouldn't bother reporting it, you run the risk of having a garda with the same attitude as above, basically saying that two wrong make a right. You didn't get hurt and no damage was caused so simply mark it off and maybe next time wait the few extra seconds and avoid any possible problems in the future

Ok just to clarify my point...The taxi driver was a numpty and using a 1/2 tonne vehicle in an aggressive manner is unacceptable, BUT the OP wanting to report him after admitting he broke a red light?

Leroy42

CramCycle wrote: »

I hope you don't think I was insinuating that the taxi driver was in the right, I was just saying as a side note that your better off not running red lights for your own safety. The taxi driver is 100% in the wrong although you may meet those who think this behaviour is acceptable, I certainly do not.

No, its was in reponse to 07Lapierre not you. Forgot to include the quote.

mathie

"Two wrongs don't make a right"

You're both in the wrong.
Its the gradation of the wrong that's up for debate.

Rew

Taxi man is not a Garda and therefore should in no way be attempting to enforce the law in this situation thats the crux of the issue. This is often forgotten by all road users. If everyone reported bad road users the world would be a better place for drivers and cyclists.

death1234567

Rew wrote: »

If everyone reported bad road users the world would be a better place for drivers and cyclists.

I see this a lot in threads about reporting drivers, what actually happens when you report a car with the reg to the gardaí? Genuine question.
I'd hazard a guess that sweet £$^& all actually happens , even in this case where the driver is in a public vehicle.

NBar

I would use the Driver Check App for taxis as it gives a picture and name of the plate owner and all you need is the car reg or plate number, you can then send a complaint directly to the taxi regulator also, used it a few times and when caught up with an irate taxi I have shouted out his name and you should see the face drop

nak

death1234567 wrote: »

I see this a lot in threads about reporting drivers, what actually happens when you report a car with the reg to the gardaí? Genuine question.
I'd hazard a guess that sweet £$^& all actually happens , even in this case where the driver is in a public vehicle.

Not sure if much happens, had a run in with a taxi driver who was on the phone and veered into cycle path coming up to lights. I put my hand on passenger window to get his attention ( he wedged me in between his car and a barrier), so he rolled down window and told me he would smash my head in if I touched his car again. It was an older man, he went mental and when the lights changed I tried to move off and he tried to ram me with the car. Another taxi driver intervened and he drove off. I have never had a man threaten me with violence before, went to guards, but they weren't interested as I hadn't been injured.

TonyStark

Sharker wrote: »

Hi,

Looking for a bit of advice. I was involved in a bit of road rage today with a taxi man while cycling to work. He essentially drove his car at me trying to intimidate me and then sped past me when the road opened up... his grievance was that I broke a red light.

Basically I was stopped at the red lights and having travelled the road frequently I know the sequence of the lights.. I waited for the opposite lights to go red, when they changed I knew I had the green so I moved off... I admit I was two or three seconds ahead of the main traffic.... this taxi man seen this and was coming out of a slip road which had an amber filter & my moving off early prevented him from pulling out... He then stopped and waited until I was in front of him and he started shouting out his window and driving his car direclty at me as I passed.. profanitys were exchanged and he sped passed me when the road opened up.

I took his details and am considering reporting him for dangerous driving etc... would anybody have any advice... is it worth pursuing or should I just leave it. It could of

Forget about it and move on. Life is too short.

Alfonzito

Maybe you shouldn't ride through red lights.

I know this does not apply to all cyclists, but a significant number seem forget basic rules put in place for the safety of all, including pedestrians, becoming Lycra-clad Ninjas competing for road space, but somehow absolving themselves of any responsibility because the nasty taxi driver said Boo!

anncoates

These threads are why people get angry about the attitudes of some cyclists. They're stuffed to the brim with people trying to get other road users sacked or prosecuted for road infringements yet exhibiting completely blind defence of their own behaviour.

I don't think some of you realize how mad you sound to neutral observers.

PrettyBoy

You broke a red light, disobeying the rules of the road and showing no respect for other road users and now you want to report a motorist for dangerous driving?

Idiot.

All the negativity towards the OP. This is the cycling forum isn't it?

anncoates

ronoc wrote: »

All the negativity towards the OP. This is the cycling forum isn't it?

Is it in the forum charter that people aren't allowed to criticize anything a cyclist does?

Alanstrainor

No one should have to take that intimidation and abuse from anyone. You can't do that, just because you suddenly happen to get stuck at a yield point when entering a road. No matter what happened before.

Helmet cams are good in these situations. I've never had much hassle, maybe once or twice in 5/6 years where a driver lost the plot and tried to use their car to intimidate.

Beasty

anncoates wrote: »

Is it in the forum charter that people aren't allowed to criticize anything a cyclist does?

This is not the place to discuss what is and what is not in the forum charter. If you have a problem with a post report it and leave the modding to the mods

anncoates

anncoates wrote: »

These threads are why people get angry about the attitudes of some cyclists. They're stuffed to the brim with people trying to get other road users sacked or prosecuted for road infringements yet exhibiting completely blind defence of their own behaviour.

I don't think some of you realize how mad you sound to neutral observers.

I would suggest doing a few miles in a cyclist's shoes through our fair city to get a feel for the poor planning decisions that have created this hostile environment.

It might give you an understanding of the difference between the two incidents in the OP.

Fian

I am really surprised at the bulk of the replies in this thread.

The fact that he broke a red light does not in the slightest justify a taxi driver deliberately driving at him to terach him a lesson. I have seen other threads where people talk about bus drivers seeking to "educate" cyclists to use teh cycle lane rather than a bus lane. The tone of reaction in those threads has been very different. Ok so in this instance he jumped the lights and in the other instance it isperfectly legal to cycle in the bus lane. THAT DOESN'T MATTER. :eek::eek::eek:

If OP breaks a light it is open to the Gardai and the Courts to prosecute and fine him. It is not ok for a taxi driver to drive directly at him and to "punishment pass" him. A Taxi is a lethal weapon in this context, the taxi driver doesn't have any entitlement to "threaten" him with it in some sort of vigalante effort at road traffic law enforcement!!

The relevant offence here is probably not just dangerous driving, it sounds like it could also encompass reckless endangerment, which is a much more serious offence. Serious enough to carry seven years on indictment. It is prosecuted for people deliberatly driving at another person. Section 13 of the Non-fatal Offences against the person act:

13.—(1) A person shall be guilty of an offence who intentionally or recklessly engages in conduct which creates a substantial risk of death or serious harm to another.

(2) A person guilty of an offence under this section shall be liable—

(a) on summary conviction to a fine not exceeding £1,500 or to imprisonment for a term not exceeding 12 months or to both, or

(b) on conviction on indictment, to a fine or to imprisonment for a term not exceeding 7 years or to both.

A Taxi driver, who is supposed to be a professional driver, has absolutely no business taking his frustrations out on a cyclist like this. Because it won't be possible to prove that his driving was deliberate rather than clumsy he would probably only be prosecuted with dangerous driving/careless driving at most, assuming there is no video evidence and assuming the driver does not accept the OPs version of events. There is a real chance it would be a case of "your word against his" and no prosecution would be brought.

None of that makes what the Taxi driver did ok.

NeedMoreGears

TBH - there's no place on the roads for those who drive a 1000kg vehicle directly at another road user.

Having said that, OP - you broke the rights so your position is weakened in terms of any complaint - I wouldn't bother.

Buchaill_Mor

This is getting interesting. Who would have know a boards.ie question could polairse a group? Anyway, I do see both sides of this argument.

IMO, the taxi driver has legally assaulted you by using his car as a means of threatening your safety, and should be at the very least reported.

On the other side, for me personally, I have no time for RLJ's. I feel that they not only endanger themselves and others, but do give the "hate cyclists" brigade fuel for their flames of hatred, which in turn can lead to other cyclists bearing the brunt. I am not saying always, but it is not unknown.

The BBC had a very good article on their website (bbc.com/news/magazine-22614569) about the divide between cyclists and motorists, and the thing that came up as a reason was that to drivers, cyclists are serial flouters of the law, which leads to the them and us divide. RLJ's I feel do not help the cause at all.

dubstarr

If the op hadnt have broke the red light,the taxi man wouldnt have bothered you.You delayed him.Hes not right indimidating you but you have no right to pick and choose which bits of the law suit you.If the green man had been up you could have knocked somebody down.Deal with your own crap driving before you start on anyone else.

GreeBo

Why does the red light influence anything?
Two wrongs but two unrelated wrongs.
Let the taxi driver complain about the red light of he wants, Op complains about road rage of he wants.

anncoates

ronoc wrote: »

I would suggest doing a few miles in a cyclist's shoes through our fair city to get a feel for the poor planning decisions that have created this hostile environment.

It might give you an understanding of the difference between the two incidents in the OP.

Until a few years ago I regularly cycled

Peterx

GreeBo wrote: »

Why does the red light influence anything?
Two wrongs but two unrelated wrongs.
Let the taxi driver complain about the red light of he wants, Op complains about road rage of he wants.

The taximan could have completed his amber gambler manoeuvre if the cyclist had obeyed his red light. The two wrongs are intrinsically linked.

Using a 1000kg metal box to make your point is a habit that could lead to someone's death.

Breaking a red light whilst cycling could lead to someone else's metal box causing your death.

Not quite unrelated.

bigar

Report him. The fewer taxi drivers on the road, the safer and less congested traffic is.

Tenzor07

A Taximan rolling down his window to shout at someone.. Never heard the likes of it in my life, surely you are completely making this all up OP???

GreeBo

Peterx wrote: »

The taximan could have completed his amber gambler manoeuvre if the cyclist had obeyed his red light. The two wrongs are intrinsically linked.

Using a 1000kg metal box to make your point is a habit that could lead to someone's death.

Breaking a red light whilst cycling could lead to someone else's metal box causing your death.

Not quite unrelated.

They are not linked though, the cyclist doesn't deserve road rage irrespective of anything else they did previously.

Sure breaking a red light could lead to your death, it should never lead to road rage, no one is entitled to road rage me at any time.

Beasty

bigar wrote: »

Report him. The fewer taxi drivers on the road, the safer and less congested traffic is.

Cut out the generalisations - Exactly the sort of attitude that fuels the "us and them" approach favoured by so many

Dermot Illogical

If you report it OP, expect that either you both will be prosecuted or neither will.

smacl

nak wrote: »

Not sure if much happens, had a run in with a taxi driver who was on the phone and veered into cycle path coming up to lights. I put my hand on passenger window to get his attention ( he wedged me in between his car and a barrier), so he rolled down window and told me he would smash my head in if I touched his car again. It was an older man, he went mental and when the lights changed I tried to move off and he tried to ram me with the car. Another taxi driver intervened and he drove off. I have never had a man threaten me with violence before, went to guards, but they weren't interested as I hadn't been injured.

That's a pretty awful response by the guard in question, but I think there's element of pot luck in terms of who is on the desk when you report. Only had two bad incidents involving cars in the last couple of years; one involving a yob whacking be with a coat hanger on the way past, the other with someone chucking a bottle at me from a car. Reported both and got a sympathetic response on both occasions, albeit there wasn't much they could do. Worth reporting as these people are often serial offenders, and may already be known to the police.

CramCycle

dubstarr wrote: »

If the op hadnt have broke the red light,the taxi man wouldnt have bothered you.You delayed him.Hes not right indimidating you but you have no right to pick and choose which bits of the law suit you.If the green man had been up you could have knocked somebody down.Deal with your own crap driving before you start on anyone else.

Ah, so abusing and threatening someone is OK, once that person has done something wrong that you know of before hand. My neighbours kid sometimes kicks the ball over the fence, he then hops over and collects it.

Now they are not equivalent but I should be allowed go out to the garden and backhand the child because even though they are in no way comparable, the child has broken a rule, ergo I can break a rule. Someone forgot to mention that to me as I was growing up and learning to function in society.

NB: I don't care about the above event, it's harmless and no damage is done. I would prefer the kid knocked on the door in case he ever fell climbing over the fence. I despise RLJers, would I try and threaten them, of course not. I'll have a snide remark ready but it's not appropriate to act like Judge Dredd no matter how irritated by someones stupidity I am.

doolox

I always assume they will and am surpised when they don't. I once came across two cyclists on opposite corners of a busy junction, one jumped a red light and was hit on the side by the other who wasn't expecting it to happen.
Red means stop but green is go with caution, you have to be prepared for others mistakes. Eg I had a guy brake hard in front of me on a turn right on green light junction because some comedian was about to lurch out in front of him.

SOME bikes are menaces on the road and too many of our roads are too narrow for bikes and cars and they slow everything down too much. There needs to be a concerted effort to build proper lanes for bikes as far away from cars as possible.
I was lucky not to hit him in the rear.

dubstarr

CramCycle wrote: »

Ah, so abusing and threatening someone is OK, once that person has done something wrong that you know of before hand. My neighbours kid sometimes kicks the ball over the fence, he then hops over and collects it.

Now they are not equivalent but I should be allowed go out to the garden and backhand the child because even though they are in no way comparable, the child has broken a rule, ergo I can break a rule. Someone forgot to mention that to me as I was growing up and learning to function in society.

NB: I don't care about the above event, it's harmless and no damage is done. I would prefer the kid knocked on the door in case he ever fell climbing over the fence. I despise RLJers, would I try and threaten them, of course not. I'll have a snide remark ready but it's not appropriate to act like Judge Dredd no matter how irritated by someones stupidity I am.

I didnt say abusing someone was ok.Cyclists as well as everyone else running a red light are the bane of my life.But if the op didnt run the red light the taxi man wouldnt have been there,as he would have been able to get out of the slip road before the cyclist.

cdaly_

doolox wrote: »

too many of our roads are too narrow for bikes and cars and they slow everything down too much.

I totally agree. There are far too many cars slowing me down as I cycle home from work...

CramCycle

dubstarr wrote: »

I didnt say abusing someone was ok.Cyclists as well as everyone else running a red light are the bane of my life.But if the op didnt run the red light the taxi man wouldnt have been there,as he would have been able to get out of the slip road before the cyclist.

That's as logical a statement as the speed saves lives advert. If I had been speeding I would not have been there at the time the child walked out on the road.

Taxi was coming up to a Flashing Amber, he clearly seen the cyclist, the red light bit has nothing to do with it other that the taxi driver felt this gave him Carte Blanche to abuse the OP.

The taxi driver and the cyclists should both know that obeying lights is important, assuming that others will do this is stupid.

fat bloke

"....so y'see yer honour, it was really the girl's fault for being so provocatively dressed in the first place".:rolleyes:

Report the taxi driver for aggressively threatening you with his car.

dogsears

dubstarr wrote: »

I didnt say abusing someone was ok.Cyclists as well as everyone else running a red light are the bane of my life.But if the op didnt run the red light the taxi man wouldnt have been there,as he would have been able to get out of the slip road before the cyclist.

Think you're mixing up consequences with choices. The taxi got held up because the cyclist ran the light. But the taxi driver chose to react the way he did. He didn't have to make that choice and he, not the cyclist, should be held responsible for it.

Type 17

If you're doing any RLJ'ing, follow the brake/break rule (see below) - you didn't and, although the taxi driver's reaction was over the top and worthy of reporting, it won't be worth reporting as your earlier RLJ was the cause of his reaction - move on this time, and use the brake/break rule - I do, and never have any hassle, as no one gets inconvenienced.

Brake/Brake Rule: If you can nip through the lights without causing anyone else to Brake (or consider it), or cause any pedestrian to Break their stride (or consider it) then go ahead, otherwise WAIT.

Kaisr Sose

Type 17 wrote: »

If you're doing any RLJ'ing, follow the brake/break rule (see below) - you didn't and, although the taxi driver's reaction was over the top and worthy of reporting, it won't be worth reporting as your earlier RLJ was the cause of his reaction - move on this time, and use the brake/break rule - I do, and never have any hassle, as no one gets inconvenienced.

Brake/Brake Rule: If you can nip through the lights without causing anyone else to Brake (or consider it), or cause any pedestrian to Break their stride (or consider it) then go ahead, otherwise WAIT.

I was wondering what RLJ' ing was. Then I got ir. A TLA for Red Light Jumping. Is that a common phrase for this? Never heard it before.

The Road Traffic Act allows for your brake/break rule. There are no provisions in it for passing one when lit. I was prosecuted myself for going through one on my bike. In doing so, I endangered nobody, did nor pass across a lane or traffic that had green. I was going straight on and in a cycle lane. It did not matter. The light was red, I passed it. And thats not allowed.

As to the OP. Two wrongs don't cancel. The taxi drivers role is not to enforce the rules of the road. He would have no defence in arguing he was provoked because of what the cyclist done (or any other road user).

arybvtcw0eolkf

NBar wrote: »

I would use the Driver Check App for taxis as it gives a picture and name of the plate owner and all you need is the car reg or plate number, you can then send a complaint directly to the taxi regulator also, used it a few times and when caught up with an irate taxi I have shouted out his name and you should see the face drop

For your complaint to proceed the taxi driver has the right to cross examine you, or have you cross examined.. If this didn't happen your complaint went no where.

Plus there is no taxi regulators office, its the National Transport Authority now.

The taxi driver in the OP was a dick, the OP didn't do anything most of us haven't done on occasion.. That said some cyclists are also dicks.. 'Feck em all, no matter who'd piss on my chips the last thing I'd be doing to putting my rant on boards.ie ~ facebook and twitter are better for this sort of stuff

dubstarr

Type 17 wrote: »

If you're doing any RLJ'ing, follow the brake/break rule (see below) - you didn't and, although the taxi driver's reaction was over the top and worthy of reporting, it won't be worth reporting as your earlier RLJ was the cause of his reaction - move on this time, and use the brake/break rule - I do, and never have any hassle, as no one gets inconvenienced.

Brake/Brake Rule: If you can nip through the lights without causing anyone else to Brake (or consider it), or cause any pedestrian to Break their stride (or consider it) then go ahead, otherwise WAIT.

You put it better than i could.This was my point.

Puggy

I don't understand what all the fuss is about.

The rules of the road apply to all road users, being a cyclist does not give you the right to decide what rules apply to you. Yet you seem to assume that you can do this. The taxi driver should report that behavior, but instead decided to use the taxi to enforce the rules. Again, he should not have done this.

As lots of others have said, 2 wrongs don't make a right. And its often the case that the first wrong led to the second.

So don't break red lights and taxi drivers might have more respect for you and other cyclists.

Type 17

Kaisr Sose wrote: »

I was wondering what RLJ' ing was. Then I got ir. A TLA for Red Light Jumping. Is that a common phrase for this? Never heard it before.

The Road Traffic Act allows for your brake/break rule. There are no provisions in it for passing one when lit. I was prosecuted myself for going through one on my bike. In doing so, I endangered nobody, did nor pass across a lane or traffic that had green. I was going straight on and in a cycle lane. It did not matter. The light was red, I passed it. And thats not allowed.

I've only seen RLJ used on here, but it does come up quite often.

Yes, for the record, the Brake/Break rule is only an informal rule of thumb, used to decide whether an RLJ is ok(-ish), or whether you should wait. Under the Road Traffic Act, you should always wait - the unwritten part of the Brake/Break rule is that you should always look for cops as well as those who might have to brake/break

PS: I also despise those RLJ'ers who sail through, seeing it as their right, and not caring whether they are inconveniencing others & putting them(selves) in danger.

Wishbone Ash

death1234567 wrote: »

I see this a lot in threads about reporting drivers, what actually happens when you report a car with the reg to the gardaí? Genuine question.
I'd hazard a guess that sweet £$^& all actually happens , even in this case where the driver is in a public vehicle.

I had reason to go to the Gardai on about four occasions where my safety was seriously compromised by other road users - a truck driver, a bus driver, a company director in his 4x4 in company livery, and a taxi driver. On each occasion I found the Gardai to be interested and followed it up. Maybe it depends on one's demeanour when reporting.

The truck driver and bus driver's company spoke to their drivers and then telephoned me to get more detail and apologised. The company director who threatened me and got out of his vehicle go after me was a different man entirely when the Gardai approached him (not wise to threaten someone yards from a Garda station).

I never heard any more from the taxi driver but he was 'spoken to' by the Gardai - they contacted me later to say so.

These are isolated incidents in a lot of cycling. I wouldn't bother reporting 'ordinary' incidents.

check_six

There are some junctions which seem to drive people bonkers. One such junction is Merrion Square going on to Holles St.. The cars going towards Holles St. quite regularly get stuck in the middle of the junction.

The cars coming out of town see the people miscalculating and getting stuck in no mans land, yet they will regularly wait for their green light, lurch forward, jam on their brakes, and then blast their horn at the trapped cars. They act as if the eejits in the middle have just materialised from thin air, or they just couldn't see the junction while they were waiting for their green.

The fellows who got stuck have done something wrong, but what is the point of the vroom-screech-beeeep! crew? Everyone else can see that the guys in the junction have messed up (and are probably feeling silly already). Why the need for the pantomime of "You nearly made me crash!" when they can see the way isn't clear?

I feel the taxi man in this tale would readily take part in this kind of charade. That he tried it with a bike is pretty despicable.

doozerie

It seems that some people are happy to categorise this as some kind of "stupid cyclist" versus motorist incident which can be dismissed on the basis that it would never have arisen in a different context. That's very optimistic. Someone that reacts with extreme aggression and threatened violence to the antics of a cyclist is unlikely to demonstrate any better restraint if it's another motorist or a pedestrian that they perceive as having slighted them in some way.

The guy in the car is a danger to others, whether he is in a car or not, he needs to be reminded that behaviour like that isn't acceptable within the normal rules of society, and reporting him to the gardai might achieve that. He chose to act aggressively, let him face up to the consequences of his choices much like any of us should have to. This would be a service not just to cyclists but all members of society that this guy might casually unleash himself upon if he continues to believe such antics are reasonable.

As for the cyclist breaking a red light, that's irresponsible too, the OP should face up to their social responsibility too and stick to the same set of road rules that the rest of us do and expect others to. Behaving unpredictably on the roads increase risk unnecessarily and that applies whether you are on foot, on a bike, driving a car, etc.

Oh, and the Garda Traffic Watch service (lo-call: 1890 205 805) is a good place to report incidents like this. As far as I know, reports are logged and tend to be acted upon. Certainly in my experience, most of the calls I've made to that number have yielded at least a call back and at best a very satisfactory response (for me this amounts to a phone call or visit by a garda to the aggressor to remind them that they are accountable for their actions, something that will hopefully influence their behaviour for the better in future without having to incur the hassle and expense of a court case).