Drivers that mess up then shout abuse

[Arnold Cunningham]

I had the inverse of this. I messed up and badly cut up a driver a couple of years back. Turns out her dad was in the car too. At the next lights he marches up and demands I apologise to her. Mindful of incidents described in this thread, I decided to be a man about it - so out I popped, wandered over to her window where I apologised for cutting her up. No sarcasm, I just said, "I'm really sorry, I completely misjudged that, I hope you're OK"

Next thing I know, her utter of a dad has his hands round my neck and is trying to strangle me. Fortunately I have a fairly long fuse, so I just disengaged myself and didn't escalate it further.

Based on that experience, next time I cock up, I think I'll just engage full ahole mode.

[donkmeister]

Being a driving god this rarely happens to me, but on those occasions I have messed up I raise a hand in apology. 90% of the angriest gorillas are placated by this, as many normal reasonable people are in fact road ragers just one coffee beans gesture from committing murder.

If that doesn't work I blow them a big kiss in a really exuberant way. They HATE that.

Childish irreverance seems to work too - a stupid bint nearly ran me over on a zebra crossing (was slowing down when I stepped out, but then accelerated hard towards me and screeched to a stop as I leapt out of the way). I started shouting at her but then she stuck her tongue out at me in a really funny way and I couldn't help but smile, call her a daft tt and walk off. I'm not justifying her actions, I would have preferred an apology but her actions were a second-best.

I avoid engaging with anyone who has wronged me on the road because... well, the thing the OP pointed out. It's like those footballers who do a big foul in front of 10,000 people and then get angry everyone in the stadium when they get carded. Stupid.

[CoolHands]

I quite enjoy winding people up (it's a weakness), & the other morning some Mr Important tt in a Porsche cayenne pulling a trailer suddenly jinked right, out a line of traffic into an empty (except for me) lane and tried to push back in at the pinch point. I'm on a scooter and gave him a look as he clearly didn't look at all when he jinked right and could have took out someone like me or a cyclist or whoever out. I suspect he was probably still drunk driving from the night before, he was that sort. Red faced.

Cue him immediately yelling at me to "fk off, go on fk right off"! Etc in full-on Mr angry mode. I enjoyed yelling at him that he should look where he was going; pointing at his mirrors and suggesting he should try looking them; why didn't he learn to drive etc all the while him yelling obscenities at me. Haha

[ToothbrushMan]

the very same bottom feeders who seem to be in some major hurry to get somewhere always have time to stop/get out/gesture/bang on their steering wheel at other drivers who have beeped the horn at them for their selfish driving........are you in a hurry or arent you?

and does anybody here shop anywhere other than Tesco?

[ToothbrushMan]

Arnold Cunningham said:

I had the inverse of this. I messed up and badly cut up a driver a couple of years back. Turns out her dad was in the car too. At the next lights he marches up and demands I apologise to her. Mindful of incidents described in this thread, I decided to be a man about it - so out I popped, wandered over to her window where I apologised for cutting her up. No sarcasm, I just said, "I'm really sorry, I completely misjudged that, I hope you're OK"

Next thing I know, her utter of a dad has his hands round my neck and is trying to strangle me. Fortunately I have a fairly long fuse, so I just disengaged myself and didn't escalate it further.

Based on that experience, next time I cock up, I think I'll just engage full ahole mode.

bloody hell....you really cant win then judging by this.......im struggling to believe it. her dad asked you make the apology, you do just that and then tries to strangle you! What the actual F**k!

[venquessa]

Had this kinda of unnecessary road rage once.

Dual carriageway. A slip road leaves left and then the two lanes merge to single carriageway for straight on. I was in the right lane, headed straight on. I slow for the 40, match speed with the car to my left who is taking the slip road and as he pulls off I recheck my blind spot (pointless as I just seen a car exit), but just before I move over as the lanes merge a car accelerates up beside me on my left and then sits there. BRRRRRR, I hear the white line washboarding of the merge chevrons as I'm slowly forced wider and wider.

I hit the horn, about a 1 second blast, and brake to drop behind him. As I get behind him he starts braking and braking down to 10mph, hands waving around in the car blaring the horn back at me. He then holds me and about 10 other cars now behind me up as he has a small rage fit in the car continually slowing until eventually he stops, making hand signals that amount to, "Come on then, lets sort it out like men and have a punch up."

I over took him and proceeded on my way.

Undertaking is not illegal unless it's done unsafely. Undertaking someone at a merge, blocking them deliberately and forcing them onto the chevrons is just plain dumb and highly illegal. Then having a wee road rage fit about it. Seriously? Wish I have had a dash cam at the time.

I assumed not only was he a dick, but he had had a really bad day too.

[culpz]

V8RX7 said:

Myself and everyone I've ever come across raise a single hand in the air.

I've never had anyone mistake it for anything other than sorry.

Funnily enough i did this on the way home form work last night. I was at a set of traffic lights, didn't realise it turned green and some guy behind me beeped so hand up and away we went.

Sometimes it doesn't matter if you do apologise or not though. Unfortunately, there are a few out there that just can't let it go and are just clearly too angry to function. Those are the worst kind.

[culpz]

It always amazes me that when something like this happens, the other person is insistent on giving you a verbal driving lesson, there and then, either while still driving at any speed or at a standstill. Either way, basically not paying attention to the road just to get their point across.

Is it really the time and a place for it? I've had idiots pull along side me, while doing a fair bit of speed, coming up to a roundabout/junction and start winding their windows down and demanding some kind of debate there and then. Just a bit careless and dangerous, isn't it?

[Vocal Minority]

spanky3 said:

I despair at people. On the rare occasions I slip up - pull out on someone, forget to indicate or whatever, I put my hand up and make an attempt to acknowledge my mistake.. It's only good manners after all.

More and more though I see people that have cocked up and been beeped turning round effing and jeffing and pounding their horn in return. Tonight I had a woman turning right across me in into an already queuing car park leaving her blocking the road. When I threw my hands up in despair her husband shouted abuse at me, shouting 'where's she supposed to go' etc. Which was kind of my point. tt.

Because in modern society - nothing is more important than what YOU are trying to do, so you can block roads, hold others up - doesn't matter - just don't compromise YOU.

Also admitting liability is weakness - all these wkers getting in your way.

My favourite was when I was on my road bike (keeping as left as I sensibly could FWIW) , had a couple of cars pass me, which is fine. This was followed by a BMW coming quickly-ish from a little way back - who got half way over the white line then slammed on the brakes and blasted his horn because.....he nearly hit a central road crossing pedestrian refuge....on perfectly straight and flat road.

The options in the scenario were either me throwing myself bodily onto the pavement and out of the way or him waiting, literally, 2 more seconds and there'd have been bags of room. But there we go - obviously my fault.

(In all honestly I think its just the reaction of injured pride in the face of having done something really dumb - give them 3 minutes and they'd probably put their hands up and apologise)

[Vocal Minority]

culpz said:

Funnily enough i did this on the way home form work last night. I was at a set of traffic lights, didn't realise it turned green and some guy behind me beeped so hand up and away we went.

Sometimes it doesn't matter if you do apologise or not though. Unfortunately, there are a few out there that just can't let it go and are just clearly too angry to function. Those are the worst kind.

And they live in N,P & E

[xjay1337]

We all make mistakes.
but I don't understand why people instinctively get arsey for a simple toot or a hand gesture!!

The best one was when a POLICE WOMAN (alone) pulled out infront of me causing me to have to take evasive action. I then passed her, dominated the eye contact, and shook my head. Simple and forgotten about in my eyes.

She then FOLLOWED ME for 2 miles and then pulled me over, to accuse me of dangerous driving. Which I absolutely wasn't. As there was a member of the fifty behind me...so would have been stupid

[xjay1337]

Patrick Bateman said:

It says a lot about a person. Everyone fks up now and again but there are those whose instinctive reaction, no matter if it's their fault, is to have a go at the other person.

One for the council thread. Usually Insignia or Ford drivers.

[talksthetorque]

xjay1337 said:

We all make mistakes.
but I don't understand why people instinctively get arsey for a simple toot or a hand gesture!!

The best one was when a POLICE WOMAN (alone) pulled out infront of me causing me to have to take evasive action. I then passed her, dominated the eye contact, and shook my head. Simple and forgotten about in my eyes.

She then FOLLOWED ME for 2 miles and then pulled me over, to accuse me of dangerous driving. Which I absolutely wasn't. As there was a member of the fifty behind me...so would have been stupid

You antagonised someone who just made a mistake.
Who is also a police officer.
Did you expect her to stop you and apologise?

[Vocal Minority]

xjay1337 said:

. I then passed her, dominated the eye contact, and shook my head. Simple and forgotten about in my eyes.

I'm just guessing here, but you may rue that choice of wording.....

[Atomic12C]

Had this thread in mind this morning when a numpt-arse chose the wrong lane to jump traffic on a roundabout and couldn't get his exit.
Instead he tried to cut his way through other lanes (which there was simply no space) and hold up all traffic on the inner lane. At the same time blowing his horn and giving hand signals.

This didn't go down too well as a rather large bloke got out of his car behind and asked the numpt-arse to step outside for a 'chat'.
I'm guessing by the way he chose to speed away and do another lap of the roundabout was his way of saying "no thanks, I'm only hard when I'm in my car".

[J4CKO]

Brigand said:

Is it not just symptomatic of people's attitudes these days though? It seems few people can accept responsibility for their actions these days, everything is always someone else's fault, and if they make a mistake on the road it was "Because of X, and you should have known that, it wasn't my fault and how dare you make me aware of my mistake!"

Yeah, I know a girl who turned her car over on an A road, she said that the Police said it wasnt her fault as the rain was very bad, that sounds like bks to me, its ok to say you fked up, I suspect it was too much speed on a streaming wet road in a knackered old 206 fitted with MOT borderline ditchfinders.

I try to learn when I get something wrong, and endeavor not to repeat the same mistake, first bit of that is admitting it to yourself that yes, you are a muppet.

[bungz]

There is a double mini round about near me, in between two schools about a mile apart. Its a absolute disaster.

It is genuinely staggering on how many people pull out in front of you then give you a dirty look as you have to stop mid roundabout and if you dare look put out you will no doubt get a barrage of insults and hand signs.

I really would like to know what rules they adhere to?! Give way to the left ? Mind boggles.

[Jonno02]

talksthetorque said:

You antagonised someone who just made a mistake.
Who is also a police officer.
Did you expect her to stop you and apologise?

I bet he didn't expect to be stopped for her mistake and her to abuse her position of power?

[talksthetorque]

Nanook said:

talksthetorque said:

You antagonised someone who just made a mistake.
Who is also a police officer.
Did you expect her to stop you and apologise?

Isn't the entire thread about people who made mistakes and how they should really apologise?

Yes ( unless it gets you strangled of course )

Nanook said:

Why does the fact that she's a police officer make it any different?

It doesn't make human nature any different.

The thread is also littered with anecdotes about people who don't apologise after making a mistake - or go even further than that and lash out in some way to try and get retribution for an incorrectly perceived wrong.

A police officer also has the powers to stop you.

Knowing the above it seems an odd choice to antagonise a police officer who has just made Xjay take evasive action.

Maybe he was dominating eye contact out of the back window and not looking where he was going?

[boyse7en]

Vocal Minority said:

xjay1337 said:

. I then passed her, dominated the eye contact, and shook my head. Simple and forgotten about in my eyes.

I'm just guessing here, but you may rue that choice of wording.....

dominated the stares