Have you ever been a victim of road rage while driving?

[Bumblebee7]

lyonspride said:

I had an incident where I sounded the horn at some moron who nearly caused an accident by stopping at the end of a slip lane and then further down the road tried to use his new Freelander as a weapon (tried to undertake and run me off the road at a merge point), I ended up getting out of the car, he just sat there as if nothing happened, his fish wife was gobbing off at me, I said a few choice words about how he's such a hard man in his metal cage, I got back in my car and then 4 hours later I get the Police at my door, he'd basically claimed I had a weapon (a large knife) and that I smelt like I was on drugs/alcohol. After a few hours (and searching my car) the Police were happy that nothing had occurred the way he'd said, but that's hours of my life taken away by some poncy self-entitled twunt who couldn't f**king drive and thought it ok to use a 2 tonne vehicle as a weapon..... He should have been done for wasting Police time.

Not condoning the actions of the driver in the Freelander but I do think it was a mistake getting out of your vehicle. Best course of action would be to let him get past you and leave it at that. From his perspective he has had a vehicular dispute but you're the one instigating the 'road rage' by getting out of your vehicle. He could have run you over and claimed he was scared for his safety etc and spin it exactly as he had done. Very difficult for you to prove otherwise as the Police would always take into account you had left your vehicle to confront the other driver, whether justified or not.

[Triumph Man]

Bumblebee7 said:

lyonspride said:

I had an incident where I sounded the horn at some moron who nearly caused an accident by stopping at the end of a slip lane and then further down the road tried to use his new Freelander as a weapon (tried to undertake and run me off the road at a merge point), I ended up getting out of the car, he just sat there as if nothing happened, his fish wife was gobbing off at me, I said a few choice words about how he's such a hard man in his metal cage, I got back in my car and then 4 hours later I get the Police at my door, he'd basically claimed I had a weapon (a large knife) and that I smelt like I was on drugs/alcohol. After a few hours (and searching my car) the Police were happy that nothing had occurred the way he'd said, but that's hours of my life taken away by some poncy self-entitled twunt who couldn't f**king drive and thought it ok to use a 2 tonne vehicle as a weapon..... He should have been done for wasting Police time.

Not condoning the actions of the driver in the Freelander but I do think it was a mistake getting out of your vehicle. Best course of action would be to let him get past you and leave it at that. From his perspective he has had a vehicular dispute but you're the one instigating the 'road rage' by getting out of your vehicle. He could have run you over and claimed he was scared for his safety etc and spin it exactly as he had done. Very difficult for you to prove otherwise as the Police would always take into account you had left your vehicle to confront the other driver, whether justified or not.

Yeah unfortunately people like that would never think "oh yeah I was a bit of a tt there and probably deserved him getting out of his car and having a go at me, I hope he doesn't report me for driving like a tool"

[EazyDuz]

Triumph Man said:

Yeah unfortunately people like that would never think "oh yeah I was a bit of a tt there and probably deserved him getting out of his car and having a go at me, I hope he doesn't report me for driving like a tool"

All the more reason to get a dashcam. If he stopped on a sliproad thats dangerous driving, send in to police as well as footage of him being a maniac and sit back knowing he will get done for it.

[Psycho Warren]

The most common road rage I see these days is "overtake" rage.

There seems to be some unwritten "social class" with some drivers and they really take it personally getting overtaken by cars they clearly consider "lesser" than theirs.

When I drive a small st car, get it all the time, you overtake on the motorway and they suddenly speed up, often tailgate and give you a bit of rage before screaming past at speed. Ironically if on the same road for a while I may catch them up again and repeat the whole saga as they have slowed down again.

Hardly ever get the same issue in a big saloon or sports car.

[captain_cynic]

Psycho Warren said:

The most common road rage I see these days is "overtake" rage.

There seems to be some unwritten "social class" with some drivers and they really take it personally getting overtaken by cars they clearly consider "lesser" than theirs.

When I drive a small st car, get it all the time, you overtake on the motorway and they suddenly speed up, often tailgate and give you a bit of rage before screaming past at speed. Ironically if on the same road for a while I may catch them up again and repeat the whole saga as they have slowed down again.

Hardly ever get the same issue in a big saloon or sports car.

Yep, the "I cant handle being overtaken" brigade, usually in a crappy hatchback or rep spec diesel.

Once they pass you they settle back to 50-60 MPH. When you pass them again doing 70(ish) they'll speed past you again at 90 and then back to 50 to 60. I don't care if you pass me... Just keep going faster than me or I'll pass you again. Playing leapfrog simply annoys me.

[anonymous-user]

Psycho Warren said:

The most common road rage I see these days is "overtake" rage.

There seems to be some unwritten "social class" with some drivers and they really take it personally getting overtaken by cars they clearly consider "lesser" than theirs.

When I drive a small st car, get it all the time, you overtake on the motorway and they suddenly speed up, often tailgate and give you a bit of rage before screaming past at speed. Ironically if on the same road for a while I may catch them up again and repeat the whole saga as they have slowed down again.

Hardly ever get the same issue in a big saloon or sports car.

Even when you have a reasonably powerful car and are overtaking I've found some crazies decide to put their foot down anyway, I'm not sure what goes through their minds. Personally I've no issue getting overtaken no matter what you're driving, but perhaps theirs is a desire to goad you into going faster and getting a ticket, thus evening the score. Madness.

[Timmy40]

Schmed said:

Even when you have a reasonably powerful car and are overtaking I've found some crazies decide to put their foot down anyway, I'm not sure what goes through their minds. Personally I've no issue getting overtaken no matter what you're driving, but perhaps theirs is a desire to goad you into going faster and getting a ticket, thus evening the score. Madness.

Yep. Tis really, really odd. If someone wants to pass me as they are passing I always slow down a tad pull a little to the left to help them past on the straight. Quite why some morons decide to try an instigate an accident by speeding up to try and stop a car over taking them on a straight is beyond me. I actually think the ongoing emphasis that speed is the be all and end all of road safety might be a factor in this.

[FiF]

captain_cynic said:

Psycho Warren said:

The most common road rage I see these days is "overtake" rage.

There seems to be some unwritten "social class" with some drivers and they really take it personally getting overtaken by cars they clearly consider "lesser" than theirs.

When I drive a small st car, get it all the time, you overtake on the motorway and they suddenly speed up, often tailgate and give you a bit of rage before screaming past at speed. Ironically if on the same road for a while I may catch them up again and repeat the whole saga as they have slowed down again.

Hardly ever get the same issue in a big saloon or sports car.

Yep, the "I cant handle being overtaken" brigade, usually in a crappy hatchback or rep spec diesel.

Once they pass you they settle back to 50-60 MPH. When you pass them again doing 70(ish) they'll speed past you again at 90 and then back to 50 to 60. I don't care if you pass me... Just keep going faster than me or I'll pass you again. Playing leapfrog simply annoys me.

Who else remembers that documentary from years back? Forget the name but there was some prat rattling on about company car hierarchy. Essentially he knew the distinguishing characteristics of each model level, so in a Monty Pythonesque "I know my place" sketch applied to the roads, someone in a Cavalier GLS would be assisted in an overtake past his GL, but someone in an L, or even worse a base spec, well hell would freeze over before he'd let them past. We share the roads with these.

That's why I don't react, just suck it up and try to make each journey as the grey man, inconspicuous, not memorable, you and I may be reasonable folks, but that person over there, maniac.

[travel is dangerous]

FiF said:

Who else remembers that documentary from years back? Forget the name but there was some prat rattling on about company car hierarchy. Essentially he knew the distinguishing characteristics of each model level, so in a Monty Pythonesque "I know my place" sketch applied to the roads, someone in a Cavalier GLS would be assisted in an overtake past his GL, but someone in an L, or even worse a base spec, well hell would freeze over before he'd let them past. We share the roads with these.

That's why I don't react, just suck it up and try to make each journey as the grey man, inconspicuous, not memorable, you and I may be reasonable folks, but that person over there, maniac.

From A to B: tales of modern motoring. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CQsMFQZa8os

It's brilliant.

[Dagnir]

Yup! On a weekly basis...

Mostly when I pull people up on their bad driving.

[Burwood]

Danxr46 said:

Burwood said:

jamei303 said:

Rule number one of successful road raging is never get out of your vehicle.

I know first hand this is the best advice.

What happened in your situation mate?

Once you're out of the car you're being confrontational and it's a very small next step before punches are thrown. I've been involved in THREE in 15 years that were relatively serious. I did flip the bird at a white van who tried to take the nose off me in a TVR (low to the ground) bloody frightening. He didn't like being flipped. At the lights 3 blokes jumped out and surrounded me, tried to open the door (good TVR hidden switch lol). They would have kicked the car if i hadn't pointed out they were driving a sign written corporate van! They left smartly.

Another time a young guy tried to run me off the road. He closed a 200M gap in a 30 zone in no time. He was hauling ass. Constantly driving inches from my bumper, flipping me off etc. At the lights I got out. He wound the window down and I asked him WTF he was playing at. He told me to foxtrot Oscar so i hit him once. He tried to get out of the car and i hit him again. Not proud of any of it but the guy was a menace.

In NZ on holiday i overtook a Falcon V8 doing 20mph and the facially tattoo'd polynesian gent took offence. He got out of the car after blocking the road. All 20 stone plus of him, frothing at the mouth. To say he was upset was an understatement I thought holy st. I actually thought he was doing to kill me. He shouted and screamed a lot at my barely open window and that was it although he took a few attempts to get back in his car, having forgotten to tell meto fk off one last time. I think what saved a serious assault were the dozens of other rode users looking on in shock.

Edited by Burwood on Wednesday 25th April 16:30

[robemcdonald]

Burwood said:

Danxr46 said:

Burwood said:

jamei303 said:

Rule number one of successful road raging is never get out of your vehicle.

I know first hand this is the best advice.

What happened in your situation mate?

Once you're out of the car you're being confrontational and it's a very small next step before punches are thrown. I've been involved in THREE in 15 years that were relatively serious. I did flip the bird at a white van who tried to take the nose off me in a TVR (low to the ground) bloody frightening. He didn't like being flipped. At the lights 3 blokes jumped out and surrounded me, tried to open the door (good TVR hidden switch lol). They would have kicked the car if i hadn't pointed out they were driving a sign written corporate van! They left smartly.

Another time a young guy tried to run me off the road. He closed a 200M gap in a 30 zone in no time. He was hauling ass. Constantly driving inches from my bumper, flipping me off etc. At the lights I got out. He wound the window down and I asked him WTF he was playing at. He told me to foxtrot Oscar so i hit him once. He tried to get out of the car and i hit him again. Not proud of any of it but the guy was a menace.

In NZ on holiday i overtook a Falcon V8 doing 20mph and the facially tattoo'd polynesian gent took offence. He got out of the car after blocking the road. All 20 stone plus of him, frothing at the mouth. To say he was upset was an understatement I thought holy st. I actually thought he was doing to kill me. He shouted and screamed a lot at my barely open window and that was it although he took a few attempts to get back in his car, having forgotten to tell to fk off one last time.

You punched someone twice and they’re the menace? Right.

[nonsequitur]

Reading all these OT posts. I'm glad that I stopped OT years ago.( I always leave a suitable gap for others to OT me)

I only OT: VERY slow moving stuff, Cycles and tortoises. And of course DC and MW

[Burwood]

self defence- he's lucky he only got 2. And i'm lucky I didn't really hurt him or get reported.

[fido]

Burwood said:

In NZ on holiday i overtook a Falcon V8 doing 20mph and the facially tattoo'd polynesian gent took offence. He got out of the car after blocking the road. All 20 stone plus of him, frothing at the mouth. To say he was upset was an understatement I thought holy st. I actually thought he was doing to kill me. He shouted and screamed a lot at my barely open window and that was it although he took a few attempts to get back in his car, having forgotten to tell meto fk off one last time. I think what saved a serious assault were the dozens of other rode users looking on in shock.

Thanks for the tip. I will remember not to overtake a Māori in a V8 or do it in a friendly way - like a thumb up or friendly wave.

[Burwood]

a thumbs up can look like a single digit. A friendly wave can look like 'see ya bro' or the coffee beans. I would give all Falcons and HSVs a wide birth over there.

[robemcdonald]

Burwood said:

self defence- he's lucky he only got 2. And i'm lucky I didn't really hurt him or get reported.

You got out of your car. Walked over to him (still in his car) punched him twice and that was self defence?

If this isn’t a wind up you’ve got issues.

[andy_s]

It takes more self control and mental discipline to stay calm and out of trouble than to engage in provocation because your brain is full of chemicals. The real 'hard' man is the one who can stay objective and get himself home safe without going via a hospital or prison cell.

[TooMany2cvs]

Burwood said:

self defence- he's lucky he only got 2.

Sorry - you got out of your car at the traffic lights, walked to his car, threw the only two punches of the entire encounter through the open window in his closed door... and it was self-defence? How's that work?

Burwood said:

And i'm lucky I didn't really hurt him or get reported.

<nods>

[Burwood]

calm down Rob. It was 20 years ago. Although I forgot about the drunk (very drunk) who almost ran me over (I was on foot). I did say a few words to him and he got out of his car and did take a swing but being so pissed he couldn't stand straight. He tore my shirt though. Would anyone, himself excepted, have an issue with me hitting him? You probably would but 90%+ would not.