Dummy opening post
Is it just anti-social drivers that we're supposed to ignore now?
If your neighbour lets his dog crap on your lawn every night, will you keep your head down and avoid engagement? If your other neighbour dumps his fag butts onto your grass, will you keep your head down and avoid engagement?
one of the most effective ways i've found when dealing with motorists in this context, usually more so ones who haven't already gotten their backs up, is to just say 'please don't do that again, you scared the **** out of me', or words to that effect.
you're not being aggressive by saying it, but you're making it clear where you think the fault lies without giving them an explicit statement about where they erred, so there's less to defend themselves with.
and on the occasions where they defend themselves or get annoyed, i just repeat 'please don't do that again' a couple of times and cycle off.
100pc I would prefer people to engage less with drivers.
Edit: other than to give thanks for considerate driving etc
Would you prefer to play the lottery of the quality of driving we regularly see on this thread, from drivers who presumably I haven't yet had the chance to enrage?
Are these drivers going be enraged with every other driver and every other pedestrian, given that I'm as just as likely to have words when in the car (like the taxi driver who was watching social media videos on his dash mounted phone) or when on foot (like the driver who gave me the finger this morning when I signalled that he was blocking the pedestrian crossing section of the junction, that an older lady and myself were about to use)?
There's a lot of assumptions in that post, based on what empirical evidence I'm not sure. I just hope that I don't have any interactions with drivers who've been the recent subject of any of your lessons, because I don't fancy playing the lottery of whether they educate or simply enrage.
They're already thinking "dickhead cyclist for everyone they see on a bike" so there is little to lose.
dunno - ever been beaten around the head with a cleat?
yeah - and thats why I say we park it there - I take your point. There is a greater than zero chance they will reflect on their behaviour. I agree with this part, but I think more likely to behave worse in the future...
It's something Id love to be able to work out how to conduct a study on tbh as the question has came up before a good few times on these forums.
I don't claim to have a monopoly of wisdom on these things. For me, it's not about 'winning' on the day. It doesn't really matter how it plays on the day.
What matters is whether he will think twice about doing it the next time.
If you do nothing, you can be certain that he's not going to think twice.
If you do something, there is some hope that he'll think twice.
I agree with a lot of your posts AJR - but (as we have found before!) we have to agree to disagree here.. because we always fundamentally disagree on these matters.
(Although reading between the lines I probably don't train dogs the same way as you do either.. :D)
You (any of us) are not responsible for policing. Two wrongs don't make a right. Arguing with people achieves little (often just makes things worse by enforcing us vs them stereotypes).
I mean - look at Seths example - who won there? No one. Seth got a sore foot for his troubles and the "driver" just doubled down on his attitude (and I would say very unlikely to change behaviour in a positive way. I would even assume that he will absolutely make sure to not respect the next cyclist he comes across).
Yeh it's a tough one. I'd be inclined to follow him too to complain
When he flashed his hazards was he apologising?
It's also a weird one because if it was a frail woman or someone you are physically attracted to (sounds stupid I know) would you still have confronted them in the same way?
I think the best course of action is to move on and do nothing, which is the safest. That guy ain't gonna change. However, I don't blame you.
i'd be conscious that if it does get physical, wearing cycling shoes is not going to help you.
The immediate response is the absolute BEST time to teach them a lesson. it's the same with puppy training, or kid's behaviour, or an employee taking the p1ss. Call it out when you see it.
Negative reaction from a driver does not mean that you had no impact. There's a good chance they will think twice the next time, regardless of what macho BS they come out with when confronted.
I find it best to get in front of them when they are stopped or slow moving. Just cost them a minute or two, as they costed you similar. Let them see that being inconsiderate doesn't pay off.
"Following someone to where they were parking would fall into that category for me, because if I was followed by someone I didn't know, I'd be preparing myself for it to become physical."
This all day every day.
What he did was careless and ignorant; you'll be a busy road user if you spend your time trying to correct all of those that you will encounter.
Before you follow anyone in again it might be worth keeping in mind that there is a very small percentage of people who would have reacted very badly to you approaching them twice, shouting at them with a flashing light near eye height.
Swearing, shouting and following someone into a car park would be behaviours I'd avoid unless I was looking for an escalation; you never know who that other person is or what they are capable of.
100% agree with that. And as I have got older I have definitely seen growth in this direction from myself, but still very much a work in progress. It's sometimes very much a "fight" reaction having been threatened, so there can be a fair bit of instinct to battle agains.
Thing is: right after someone has been caught doing something stupid (mistake or deliberately) is the absolute worst time to teach them a lesson.
It's only ever likely to escalate.
Sometimes I've had luck (calmly) pointing stuff out after, but it's rare.
Better just to be the better road user. Anticipate more, allow for others. The attitude of feeling like "a walkover" is not going to serve you well in the long run.
Officially, just report it, but since you followed him, it will be a case of him arguing you intimidated/threatened him. Unofficially, if he acted like that to many people, I imagine the Gardai would quite rightly be investigating a more serious crime of criminal damage and aggravated assault. You were more restrained than most I imagine. One of these days he will find someone less restrained.
most
I would also be inclined to follow the driver and have it out with them, particularly in the heat of the moment and if they had scared the bejaysus out of me. I'm not sure what it achieves, maybe just feel like a walkover if ignored when someone does something that threatens your safety, very little to be achieved unless the driver is apologetic.
In a parallel universe I would love to take out some retribtion where the perpetrator is a d1ck, and go gangbusters on their car or something - maybe spray it with paint, or smash off a mirror, or break a few windows. But obviously not in reality. Because that would be bad.
I hate to say it - but everything after 18 seconds just didn't need to happen.
You aren't going to convince an ignorant gobshite that they are an ignorant gobshite.
.....
(however - there are times I would have absolutely followed them and I wouldn't have been as polite about it either.. - but doesn't mean it's a good idea..)
Like you I would have followed up with the driver, though I find once they are in their metal box they think they can do no wrong and hence no reasoning with them. How is your foot btw?
yeah I know, but that unfortunately means people cycling in them need to get used to drivers getting used to them..
but of course as always - use the road by expecting the unexpected anyway..
That's the onus being on drivers to adjust to enhanced cycle lanes etc that were never there before
It is scary at the start but drivers have to start getting used to them and using/checking them properly
I know its a whole separate thread - but these separated lanes make me nervous for this reason. The separation seems to cause some people not to "see" the separated cycle traffic when checking if its safe to cross.
found on twitter
Straight to Google reviews. 🤣
with youtube, paste the link and hit enter - if you paste the link and hit 'post comment' it won't try to embed the link, but hitting enter after should be enough.
Paste the link using this icon
It’s also great fun when there is a company name on the van, and you can ask them if they are good ambassadors for the company.
Threats delivered from inside a van are the best. He was about 5'3" in height with a belly as wide, surrounded by empty coffee cups and sandwich packages. I could only laugh at how pathetic he was threatening to "punch the head off me" for waving my hand at him after he had very nearly cleaned me off the bike. An angry little man.
Schrodinger's van driver - no time to wait for a safe place to pass - all the time in the world to stop to argue and threaten.
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