More tolerant of other road users's f**kwittery when riding?

[anonymous-user]

[redacted]

[Yoda400]

Same as you I think. In a car you can be stuck behind slow cars and cyclists riding 10 abreast for miles, on a bike it's a much shorter amount of time and the feeling of freedom when you leave them behind clears your mind and back onto dealing with riding.
Feels like you're on top of things on a bike (power to get clear of idiots, slimmer to avoid oncoming cars that are cornering not entirely on their side, and a whole lot more fun to drive than anything else). There's less to cause frustration and annoyance on a bike. It's generally a happier experience.

[ShaunTheSheep]

You don't have to stick around and put up with fkwittery, makes all the difference for me anyway

Noticed I ride worse than I drive. Bit of a tool to be honest. I need to work on that

[cat with a hat]

Yep it has to be the knowledge that you can very swiftly give them a wide birth and leave them for dead.

I find it much more fustrating driving.

[Hooli]

cat with a hat said:

Yep it has to be the knowledge that you can very swiftly give them a wide birth and leave them for dead.

I find it much more fustrating driving.

Same for me.

[chibbard]

Reminds me of yesterday when an idiot in an Audi TT was getting frustrated at me doing 30 in a 30 and decided to overtake at approx. 50. A short while after entering the national speed limit, I soon caught up to him :-)

[daimatt]

I've wondered the same, never had an answer but put it down to my vulnerability. I thought that if I swear and get animated then nothing is going to happen, cage mentality I guess. On the bike, getting animated and annoyed and it's a fight I'm always going to lose so I just carry on.

Did almost get hit by a nutter overtaking on a blind crest a couple of weeks ago, never braked so hard in my life and came too close to being hit. Was too shocked to do anything but pull over and relax, but it still ruined the ride for the next 15 mins as I couldn't get it out of my head how close I'd come to a head on with a 4X4.

[southgate]

daimatt said:

I've wondered the same, never had an answer but put it down to my vulnerability. I thought that if I swear and get animated then nothing is going to happen, cage mentality I guess. On the bike, getting animated and annoyed and it's a fight I'm always going to lose so I just carry on.

Did almost get hit by a nutter overtaking on a blind crest a couple of weeks ago, never braked so hard in my life and came too close to being hit. Was too shocked to do anything but pull over and relax, but it still ruined the ride for the next 15 mins as I couldn't get it out of my head how close I'd come to a head on with a 4X4.

^^ Yes, I think it's mainly down to that feeling of protection and isolation from the outside world that makes people go nuts when driving cars.

On the bike you're constantly reminded of how vulnerable you are, and generally just happy to have avoided being hit! You can then just blast past them and forget about it.

[EagleMoto4-2]

southgate said:

daimatt said:

I've wondered the same, never had an answer but put it down to my vulnerability. I thought that if I swear and get animated then nothing is going to happen, cage mentality I guess. On the bike, getting animated and annoyed and it's a fight I'm always going to lose so I just carry on.

Did almost get hit by a nutter overtaking on a blind crest a couple of weeks ago, never braked so hard in my life and came too close to being hit. Was too shocked to do anything but pull over and relax, but it still ruined the ride for the next 15 mins as I couldn't get it out of my head how close I'd come to a head on with a 4X4.

^^ Yes, I think it's mainly down to that feeling of protection and isolation from the outside world that makes people go nuts when driving cars.

On the bike you're constantly reminded of how vulnerable you are, and generally just happy to have avoided being hit! You can then just blast past them and forget about it.

Yep, self preservation and the knowledge that if you did get into an altercation during or after a near miss, the cager will always have the advantage/win being in a metal box. As also said above, because you have to be more aware on a bike you come to expect sloppy driving from other road users.
Still, it sometimes doesn't stop me from shaking my head or gesturing if someone pulls out in front of me without looking.

[Mad Jock]

I'd like to say that with age comes wisdom, but Ron Pickering has proved that to be wrong. However, the OP is broadly correct, and I find myself worrying less about other drivers' poor standards these days. I might add that I am much more chilled in the car also, but then I am rarely in a hurry to get anywhere.

The bike certainly gives you the means to leave any fkwittery behind you, with the added bonus that instead of fuming, you can find yourself laughing at the silly tt who is now stuck in rush hour traffic, or pinned between a fleet of caravan club members unable to get out. I'm not sure if that means I am more tolerant, or if it means that I could care less about them. I hasn't made me any less pissed off at poor driving, as I find that inexcusable anyway, with the acknowledgement that pots are the same colour as kettles.

[PTF]

Mad Jock said:

I'd like to say that with age comes wisdom, but Ron Pickering has proved that to be wrong.

Who?

[gwm]

Agree.

I think for me it's more you pity a car driver when they do something stupid, as they are slower or will get stuck in traffic. I get annoyed way more in the car, especially as it's a slow barge!

[Biker's Nemesis]

I never get annoyed with other road users. People make mistakes or are just plain and simple thick.

I carry on with my life and let them do the same.

[Mad Jock]

PTF said:

Mad Jock said:

I'd like to say that with age comes wisdom, but Ron Pickering has proved that to be wrong.

Who?

I guess I left myself wide open to that one.

If I changed it to Esceptico would it help?

[Yoda400]

chibbard said:

Reminds me of yesterday when an idiot in an Audi TT was getting frustrated at me doing 30 in a 30 and decided to overtake at approx. 50. A short while after entering the national speed limit, I soon caught up to him :-)

It's an Audi, what do you expect? Exactly the same happened to us on Saturday evening, Audi 4x4 rather than TT though. Along with many other pointless buttons and gadgets that litter the entire dashboards of these self-satisfied and over-engineered vehicles, there is surely a "drive like a tool" button that is unable to be switched off.

Just to clear up any confusion, I'm not a great fan of Audis.

[Mad Jock]

Yoda400 said:

It's an Audi, what do you expect? Exactly the same happened to us on Saturday evening, Audi 4x4 rather than TT though. Along with many other pointless buttons and gadgets that litter the entire dashboards of these self-satisfied and over-engineered vehicles, there is surely a "drive like a tool" button that is unable to be switched off.

Just to clear up any confusion, I'm not a great fan of Audis.

Rumour has it that Audi stole the technology from BMW (car division, of course).

[black-k1]

I think tolerance of other road users muppetry has come more with age rather than vehicle type. Other than an occasional shake of the head I don’t react to the stupid moves of other road users.

That includes the dhead on the Hornet (at least that’s what I think it was) last night who decided filtering up between lanes 2 and 3 on the A12 passed Startford was going to be too slow for him due to the moped ahead so swung across to filter between lanes 1 and 2 without looking. The problem was, that’s where I was!!! He realised there was a problem at the very last moment, probably because of my horn sounding, but we still brushed shoulders and elbows.

[bennyb24]

black-k1 said:

That includes the dhead on the Hornet (at least that’s what I think it was) last night who decided filtering up between lanes 2 and 3 on the A12 passed Startford was going to be too slow for him due to the moped ahead so swung across to filter between lanes 1 and 2 without looking. The problem was, that’s where I was!!! He realised there was a problem at the very last moment, probably because of my horn sounding, but we still brushed shoulders and elbows.

yep - that really annoys me - nobody ever seems to check when they switch from 3/2 to 2/1 they just pull in blindly...... just another thing to watch our for I suppose, but the Quality of filtering in our part of the world does seem to have deteriorated of late.

[sjtscott]

bennyb24 said:

black-k1 said:

That includes the dhead on the Hornet (at least that’s what I think it was) last night who decided filtering up between lanes 2 and 3 on the A12 passed Startford was going to be too slow for him due to the moped ahead so swung across to filter between lanes 1 and 2 without looking. The problem was, that’s where I was!!! He realised there was a problem at the very last moment, probably because of my horn sounding, but we still brushed shoulders and elbows.

yep - that really annoys me - nobody ever seems to check when they switch from 3/2 to 2/1 they just pull in blindly...... just another thing to watch our for I suppose, but the Quality of filtering in our part of the world does seem to have deteriorated of late.

Suffering from major L-plated filtering incompetence on my commute of late. I guess everyone has to start somewhere but there are swarms of scooters and small bikes with inept learner riders on them. I'm guessing more are turning to 2 wheels to get around.

One particularly poor learner guy I got stuck behind today was so timid he was putting himself in more danger riding like this and causing me hassle as he was a mobile roadblock.. he came to a stop right on the white line with solid traffic queued on our side of the road just as a truck was overtaking a cyclist coming towards him, inches in it and count 2 he almost then got taken out by a LWB merc van who then decided he was going to 'filter' round this l-plated guy and then continue like a bike on the wrong side of the road past all the traffic upto blackfriars bridge southside lights, never any cops around for 4wheeled idiots like this.
I was def more annoyed with the van drivers antics but just looked at him and shook my head waiting at the next lights.

On the bike you can generally git rid and away from all other idiots on the road even in town easily, I hate driving basically in London and South/South East of England its just no fun and idiots just add to the frustration.

Edited by sjtscott on Tuesday 6th October 11:53

[crofty1984]

For me it's a combination of factors:

I'm on the bike as opposed to in the car and therefore in a better mood already, even if it is just the commute.
I'm looking out for hazards more, so things come as less of a surprise.
If you get wound up and frustrated in a car you might have a prang. Do that on a bike and it might end in a more hurty way.
Plus, I'm on a bike. I'll get past and go about my day. Don't have to sit behind them seething.