road rage reassurance
Discussion
Nasty moment this morning in the Tuscan. Porsche 911 driver in the left hand of three lanes on a roundabout near Canary Wharf intended to turn right but didn't indicate that he did. When, 90 degrees further round the roundabout at the next lights, I am now in the left lane in front of him, he is honking and flashing and clearly not happy. I bomb into the Wharf as usual and, all the way along the short dual carriageway up to the Wharf entrance, he is pushing hard to try and undertake - hampered by little things like parked trucks...
So I drive into the public car park, and the Porsche driver follows me in. I park and he pulls up next to me and jumps out of his car and starts having a go. "You cut me up you fkg wkr, I'm gonna lamp you" etc. etc. ad nauseam in his Irish accent. "Calm down" I said, but he didn't. "You made a wkr sign" he said. Odd that - I hadn't done. "Apologise" he said, so I pretended to do so because (whether there was a threat to my person or not) I didn't want to come back to a smashed up car later. I did also suggest that it had been reasonable to assume he had been planning to go straight on from the left hand lane. At some point he even said "you should get a decent car you wkr". I have to say that, despite being quite a big guy, I felt very much under threat and he kept raising his fist and saying "I'll lamp you."
I guess that's the point when I should have said "OK, let's settle this with a race." Why do I only think of these things after the fact?
So, in pretending to apologise in order to defuse the situation, did I do the right thing? He then drove off out of the car park (he paid just to come and have a go!), presumably to his company's nearby car park.
Can't help thinking that honour would have been served by a scrap but that wouldn't have looked too good when I got into the office a moment later.
Or would the race have been best?
I have taken the guy's number down and reported his actions to his company's security (he had an ID badge round his neck!)... and moved my car. Lucky that, because I'd left the lights on.
Grrrr.
Shouldn't be allowed on the road with that rage. Nor in the office.
So I drive into the public car park, and the Porsche driver follows me in. I park and he pulls up next to me and jumps out of his car and starts having a go. "You cut me up you fkg wkr, I'm gonna lamp you" etc. etc. ad nauseam in his Irish accent. "Calm down" I said, but he didn't. "You made a wkr sign" he said. Odd that - I hadn't done. "Apologise" he said, so I pretended to do so because (whether there was a threat to my person or not) I didn't want to come back to a smashed up car later. I did also suggest that it had been reasonable to assume he had been planning to go straight on from the left hand lane. At some point he even said "you should get a decent car you wkr". I have to say that, despite being quite a big guy, I felt very much under threat and he kept raising his fist and saying "I'll lamp you."
I guess that's the point when I should have said "OK, let's settle this with a race." Why do I only think of these things after the fact?
So, in pretending to apologise in order to defuse the situation, did I do the right thing? He then drove off out of the car park (he paid just to come and have a go!), presumably to his company's nearby car park.
Can't help thinking that honour would have been served by a scrap but that wouldn't have looked too good when I got into the office a moment later.
Or would the race have been best?
I have taken the guy's number down and reported his actions to his company's security (he had an ID badge round his neck!)... and moved my car. Lucky that, because I'd left the lights on.
Grrrr.
Shouldn't be allowed on the road with that rage. Nor in the office.
Its my observation that people who get road rage are those whose only experience of driving a car is being in the same queue of traffic as all the other sheep, morning and evening, for their entire lives.
I thank my lucky stars sometimes that I have such irregular working hours, it means I very rarely get caught in rush-hour traffic.
I thank my lucky stars sometimes that I have such irregular working hours, it means I very rarely get caught in rush-hour traffic.
Forget about him - obviously a t*t who probably hasn't had sex for a while.
I cannot believe people can actually get so worked up about things like that - driving in London, you must surely expect every car around you to cut you up/do something unexpected. You just have to be prepared for it.
You did the right thing diffusing the situation, there's just no point in making things worse. You never know who these people are, if they're carrying a knife etc... its just not worth it.
Having said that, if you were 100% confident you could deliver an unexpected knockout Bruce-Lee style one-inch punch when he was perhaps looking the other way/distracted, then that would've been much better. Leave him slumped over his Porsche and go and park somewhere else!
Ha, that little thought is going to keep me smiling for the rest of the day!
Cheers, James
I cannot believe people can actually get so worked up about things like that - driving in London, you must surely expect every car around you to cut you up/do something unexpected. You just have to be prepared for it.
You did the right thing diffusing the situation, there's just no point in making things worse. You never know who these people are, if they're carrying a knife etc... its just not worth it.
Having said that, if you were 100% confident you could deliver an unexpected knockout Bruce-Lee style one-inch punch when he was perhaps looking the other way/distracted, then that would've been much better. Leave him slumped over his Porsche and go and park somewhere else!
Ha, that little thought is going to keep me smiling for the rest of the day!
Cheers, James
He sounds like an utter cock. FWIW, I think you did the right thing by just diffusing the situation.
When jobs are on the line etc, no one really wins a fight (and the fact that neither of you had probably had a scrap since you were 11 would mean you'd just embarrass yourselves in some sort of lame, homoerotic style Greek wrestle).
A race would have been a f
ing stupid idea, that not only puts your lives at risk, but also your fellow Wharfers - not good.
Okay, you're pissed off now, but at least you kept your licence, livlihood and looks... You can relax safe in the knowledge that if he's stressed like that all the time, he'll have a nice big coronary to look forward to.
And it's nearly the weekend
When jobs are on the line etc, no one really wins a fight (and the fact that neither of you had probably had a scrap since you were 11 would mean you'd just embarrass yourselves in some sort of lame, homoerotic style Greek wrestle).
A race would have been a f
ing stupid idea, that not only puts your lives at risk, but also your fellow Wharfers - not good. Okay, you're pissed off now, but at least you kept your licence, livlihood and looks... You can relax safe in the knowledge that if he's stressed like that all the time, he'll have a nice big coronary to look forward to.
And it's nearly the weekend
Sounds like he was trying to be a smart arse, you out-drove him and made him look silly.
I would never have apologised, and probably would have reacted badly to his threatening manner and car insults!
You probably did the sensible thing and if you know where he works, plan your revenge.
If it were me , might have got nasty.....
I would never have apologised, and probably would have reacted badly to his threatening manner and car insults!
You probably did the sensible thing and if you know where he works, plan your revenge.
If it were me , might have got nasty.....
Thanks for the reassurance guys. This all makes me more likely to start cycling in again from now on, which is clearly a good thing... that and parking in another car park.
Must admit I would quite like his boss to find out about his violent streak, and then have done with it.
I've found something else out that annoys me more though. A colleague just asked me about the incident. I asked him how he knew about it and he said "Charlie was down there and saw it all". In other words, a colleague was sitting in his car a few yards away, doing up his tie, and (a) didn't come over to say "hello", which would have calmed things down - he says "I wasn't going to get involved - he was far too big", and yet Charlie is bigger than I am! (b) he didn't talk to me about it afterwards; but (c) he did tell other colleagues here about it! Unbelievable...
Must admit I would quite like his boss to find out about his violent streak, and then have done with it.
I've found something else out that annoys me more though. A colleague just asked me about the incident. I asked him how he knew about it and he said "Charlie was down there and saw it all". In other words, a colleague was sitting in his car a few yards away, doing up his tie, and (a) didn't come over to say "hello", which would have calmed things down - he says "I wasn't going to get involved - he was far too big", and yet Charlie is bigger than I am! (b) he didn't talk to me about it afterwards; but (c) he did tell other colleagues here about it! Unbelievable...
BIIOAB said:
Sounds like he was trying to be a smart arse, you out-drove him and made him look silly.
I would never have apologised, and probably would have reacted badly to his threatening manner and car insults!
I must admit I would have expected to have done the same as you and probably would have done so a while ago. Surprised myself.
It probably helps that I have never wanted a Porsche and have beaten several on the track so the insults don't wash.
>> Edited by cheeky on Friday 4th November 11:03
Nuggs said:
A race would have been a f
It would have been for a different time, different place. But I also wouldn't have expected it to happen. How often would you ever accept a race from someone who is confidently offering it? Me, never.
As for the wrestling, at half my current age, I was once a schools karate (free fighting) semi-finalist, but only three years later I was already useless when someone attacked my brother in a chippie! It's not worth the bother.
I would have delivered a swift size 9 to his boolarks, but I take your point about diffusing the situation if you felt threatened (we are all different after all). From my experience most road ragers are just big mouth bullies and should be treated as such, unless they really are that big (anyone see Underground Britain on BBC2 last night?
)
)
In my opinion you did the right thing, be safe in the knowledge that this guy has this kind of altercation on nearly every journey he has.
At some time, he's going to meet the wrong person.
If he try's it round here (in sunny Smethwick, Birmingham), he's likely to come up against a seven stone, five foot nothing, who'll be more than willing to supply him with lead poisoning to the head & chest
At some time, he's going to meet the wrong person.
If he try's it round here (in sunny Smethwick, Birmingham), he's likely to come up against a seven stone, five foot nothing, who'll be more than willing to supply him with lead poisoning to the head & chest
I know the junction - I use it every morning. The amount of people who go straight on / turn right from the left lane is astounding, as is the quantity of knob jockeys on that stretch of road.
I'm guessing your car is light blue and has a 'ring sticker on it? I use the same car park....
I'm guessing your car is light blue and has a 'ring sticker on it? I use the same car park....
trackdemon said:
I know the junction - I use it every morning. The amount of people who go straight on / turn right from the left lane is astounding, as is the quantity of knob jockeys on that stretch of road.
I'm guessing your car is light blue and has a 'ring sticker on it? I use the same car park....
Denim blue. No 'Ring sticker but it used to have stickers from four or five tracks in the rear windscreen until said windscreen (literally) exploded out of the back very noisily on the M74 a year or two ago!
Which is yours/where do you work?
RUSSELLM said:
In my opinion you did the right thing, be safe in the knowledge that this guy has this kind of altercation on nearly every journey he has.
At some time, he's going to meet the wrong person.
If he try's it round here (in sunny Smethwick, Birmingham), he's likely to come up against a seven stone, five foot nothing, who'll be more than willing to supply him with lead poisoning to the head & chest
Again, thanks for the reassurance. I suppose I probably ought to have my brother's baseball bat permanently "being taken to a match" in the back just in case such things happen again. Not to be used, of course - just to deter.
You'd have to have "matrix" style speed to start batting bullets back at your assailant....
You did the right thing, forget the bat, if your that way inclined buy a gun, but if you draw it, make sure you fire it.
A life in prison won't make you feel any better afterwards though...
Again, for me, you did the right thing
You did the right thing, forget the bat, if your that way inclined buy a gun, but if you draw it, make sure you fire it.
A life in prison won't make you feel any better afterwards though...
Again, for me, you did the right thing
cheeky said:
I know the junction - I use it every morning. The amount of people who go straight on / turn right from the left lane is astounding, as is the quantity of knob jockeys on that stretch of road.
I'm guessing your car is light blue and has a 'ring sticker on it? I use the same car park....
Denim blue. No 'Ring sticker but it used to have stickers from four or five tracks in the rear windscreen until said windscreen (literally) exploded out of the back very noisily on the M74 a year or two ago!
Which is yours/where do you work?
Memory not what it was - actually haven't seen your car for a while. I'm @ MorganStanley, normally bring the MCS & park on level 3
RUSSELLM said:
You did the right thing, forget the bat, if your that way inclined buy a gun, but if you draw it, make sure you fire it.
Not sure how that fits with the "deterrent" idea.
I own three guns already as it happens.
But I shoot internationally. No way am I losing the right to that just to teach someone some manners.
trackdemon said:
I know the junction - I use it every morning. The amount of people who go straight on / turn right from the left lane is astounding, as is the quantity of knob jockeys on that stretch of road.
I'm guessing your car is light blue and has a 'ring sticker on it? I use the same car park....
Denim blue. No 'Ring sticker but it used to have stickers from four or five tracks in the rear windscreen until said windscreen (literally) exploded out of the back very noisily on the M74 a year or two ago!
Which is yours/where do you work?
Memory not what it was - actually haven't seen your car for a while. I'm @ MorganStanley, normally bring the MCS & park on level 3
You must get in late to need level 3!
Car goes on L1, bike (Daytona) on 2.
Is yours greyish? Seen one of them coming up from 3 a few times.
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