In hindsight, I reacted badly.
Discussion
This morning as I was traveling up the A1, in lane 3, a gentleman in a blue megane joined. His slip road merges into lane 2, and he merged in (with indicating as well, although the flash intervals were quicker than normal suggesting one indicator was not functioning...probably the front one since the rear and side were) and slotted in behind a car. He then carried on (indicator now cancelled) to drift into lane 3...where I was. Queue lots of hornage since his rear offside quarter was about to make a physical interaction with my nearside front quarter in ways that only Marvin Gaye could sing about. He didn't react very quickly and I was having to brake now and move over the rumble-strip towards the central reservation barriers. He did cotton on to the situation and did move bad into lane 2, but I was very pissed off buy this point (he didn't signal, he didn't check his mirror very well nor did he physically turn his head and check over his shoulder, because he would have seen me).
And this is where I reacted wrong.
As I went alongside him, I gesticulated. Then I accelerated and pulled in front of him, and gesticulated. I was upset, it was the heat of the moment. He apologized quite profusely (as he well should). Then I accelerated away and carried on to work. But in hindsight, I prolonged a dangerous situation. He moved, I beeped, he moved back, no harm really done.
He was a t
t. And so was I.
I think, in this situation, I would have been safer on my bike...it occupies less room, so I would have been able to give more room and the chance of a vehicular interaction in space would be much, much less.
How was your drive / ride / flight into work this morning PH
And this is where I reacted wrong.
As I went alongside him, I gesticulated. Then I accelerated and pulled in front of him, and gesticulated. I was upset, it was the heat of the moment. He apologized quite profusely (as he well should). Then I accelerated away and carried on to work. But in hindsight, I prolonged a dangerous situation. He moved, I beeped, he moved back, no harm really done.
He was a t
t. And so was I. I think, in this situation, I would have been safer on my bike...it occupies less room, so I would have been able to give more room and the chance of a vehicular interaction in space would be much, much less.
How was your drive / ride / flight into work this morning PH
Well done for seeing that your reaction was wrong- and kudos for admitting it. But yes, in my opinion your reaction was more dangerous than his initial mistake... you'd probably agree?
Always worth remembering in these situations that you have absolutely have no idea who is driving that car and what their mental state is. I learned this the hard way ten years ago when a van wouldn't let me merge to turn left on a dual carriage way leading to a roundabout and so I gave him the finger. He overtook me on the next dual carriage way, stopped and got out waving a wood cutting hatchet. I floored it around him and didn't lift until he was long gone.
The result of this explosion from such a petty incident could have been:
1) Me being chopped up with a hatchet
2) Pile up due to a van stopping on a 70mph dual carriageway
3) Scared young me driving flat out home and hitting someone.
Something I always remember when I'm tempted to react to idiotic driving. Not worth it. In my opinion it's harder to ignore it too, and therefore requires a stronger mind and better self control. All positives.
Always worth remembering in these situations that you have absolutely have no idea who is driving that car and what their mental state is. I learned this the hard way ten years ago when a van wouldn't let me merge to turn left on a dual carriage way leading to a roundabout and so I gave him the finger. He overtook me on the next dual carriage way, stopped and got out waving a wood cutting hatchet. I floored it around him and didn't lift until he was long gone.
The result of this explosion from such a petty incident could have been:
1) Me being chopped up with a hatchet
2) Pile up due to a van stopping on a 70mph dual carriageway
3) Scared young me driving flat out home and hitting someone.
Something I always remember when I'm tempted to react to idiotic driving. Not worth it. In my opinion it's harder to ignore it too, and therefore requires a stronger mind and better self control. All positives.
Edited by Freddy88FM on Tuesday 7th October 09:07
Edited by Freddy88FM on Tuesday 7th October 09:14
Agree freddie.
On my motorcycle I gave up being all militant years and years ago. I'm not as experieinced in a car (18 months driving experieince vs 8 years motorcycling) so maybe it scared me more than I thought.
Advice duely noted though. I'm not a very built chap and there's no chance of me defnding myself against even a wet paper bag
I do feel like a tool.
On my motorcycle I gave up being all militant years and years ago. I'm not as experieinced in a car (18 months driving experieince vs 8 years motorcycling) so maybe it scared me more than I thought.
Advice duely noted though. I'm not a very built chap and there's no chance of me defnding myself against even a wet paper bag
I do feel like a tool.
Hudson said:
Terrible. I was merging onto the A1 when some tt starting giving me loads of abuse 
hey fella you have an indicator bulb out t starting giving me loads of abuse Nice one mate. Here's a game for you... I play it. Keep a tally of how many incidences of bad driving and/or roadrage you can avoid reacting to. So if someone cuts you up or beeps you or anything make note, don't flash, beep, shout, wave, or anything.
Bonus points if you can get above 50 in six months. This is definitely possible where I live at the moment (South London having come from the countryside) as obeying most junction related traffic laws involve a beep from someone!
On a related note, was stopped at a red yesterday (first in queue going straight on). The left hand lane turned left and was green. Woman behind me started beeping like crazy- wasn't sure why and took my own advice and ignored. She backed up a bit, swang in to the left lane and undertook me through a red light!! I couldn't believe it. She misinterpreted the left green as a green for us and caused chaos by driving through the junction on a red. Immediate karma when she realised what she'd done and that she was now stuck in rather an embarrassing position!!
Bonus points if you can get above 50 in six months. This is definitely possible where I live at the moment (South London having come from the countryside) as obeying most junction related traffic laws involve a beep from someone!
On a related note, was stopped at a red yesterday (first in queue going straight on). The left hand lane turned left and was green. Woman behind me started beeping like crazy- wasn't sure why and took my own advice and ignored. She backed up a bit, swang in to the left lane and undertook me through a red light!! I couldn't believe it. She misinterpreted the left green as a green for us and caused chaos by driving through the junction on a red. Immediate karma when she realised what she'd done and that she was now stuck in rather an embarrassing position!!
Had a chap in a Volvo drift over to my lane as I went to pass this morning causing sharp anchors.
He noticed and waved sorry, and for once I didnt give him a friendly wave back.
I often think half the time I react badly to honest mistakes rather than actual stupidity. Its that thing in me which doesnt like people making a fool of that makes me get angry at others. As always I try to be zen, just fail a lot!
He noticed and waved sorry, and for once I didnt give him a friendly wave back.
I often think half the time I react badly to honest mistakes rather than actual stupidity. Its that thing in me which doesnt like people making a fool of that makes me get angry at others. As always I try to be zen, just fail a lot!
Bennet said:
If your drive in to work was anything like mine, it was raining dull with lots of spray. If by any chance you forgot to put your headlights on, this would have made you barely visible, so perhaps it was that.
It was quite visible this morning, I'm usually very good about making myself very visible (that'll be all that biking then)He just didnt bother to look. Maybe he couldnt see anything in his mirrors so thought it was clear. I know very few people make a check over their shoulder before pulling out
We all do it occasionally.
I drove badly towards a prat in a mini last night on the M5, two lanes coned off, (no workers in fking sight of course), no speed limit reduction, no other traffic in front, he decides to impose a voluntary 50 MPH speed limit on me and those behind me, so I sat up his arse.
Not overly clever !
I drove badly towards a prat in a mini last night on the M5, two lanes coned off, (no workers in f
king sight of course), no speed limit reduction, no other traffic in front, he decides to impose a voluntary 50 MPH speed limit on me and those behind me, so I sat up his arse.Not overly clever !
I've just come back from a few days in Rome. The driving standards here in the UK are fookin' marvellous - even the st ones.
The Italians simply invent lanes whereever they can and evey inch of tarmac is occupied by a car - including tram lines. If you arrive at a set of lights and there are 3 lanes, its not uncommon for a car/bus/lorry to straddle two lanes - just for the fun of it. Yellow boxes are none existent.
I also noticed that the activity of driving is typically the second, sometimes the third, most important thing you can do whilst driving. Nearly every driver browsers the web whilst driving - taxi's even miss people trying to wave them down as they are whizzing past tapping away on their phone.
It's a real eye opener as to how much better standards are over here. A wonderful, fabulous place, but crazy drivers.
t ones. The Italians simply invent lanes whereever they can and evey inch of tarmac is occupied by a car - including tram lines. If you arrive at a set of lights and there are 3 lanes, its not uncommon for a car/bus/lorry to straddle two lanes - just for the fun of it. Yellow boxes are none existent.
I also noticed that the activity of driving is typically the second, sometimes the third, most important thing you can do whilst driving. Nearly every driver browsers the web whilst driving - taxi's even miss people trying to wave them down as they are whizzing past tapping away on their phone.
It's a real eye opener as to how much better standards are over here. A wonderful, fabulous place, but crazy drivers.
Wonderful journey into the centre of Birmingham today.
Cool crispy air to wake me up, the River Rea flowing nicely over the little waterfalls, the trees in the park turning multi coloured, a nice hazy mist over the playing fields at Pebble Mill, the Heron who lives in the lake obliged me by descending into the water from a great height and no idiots blocking the cycle lane at the top end of Hurst Street.
The working week got much better when I started pedalling to work.
Cool crispy air to wake me up, the River Rea flowing nicely over the little waterfalls, the trees in the park turning multi coloured, a nice hazy mist over the playing fields at Pebble Mill, the Heron who lives in the lake obliged me by descending into the water from a great height and no idiots blocking the cycle lane at the top end of Hurst Street.
The working week got much better when I started pedalling to work.
Another observation... could you have avoided the initial danger too?
He moved into the lane on your left into a position where you are in his blind spot. You could see him doing this.
If the same thing happens to me I do two things simultaneously:
1) Remove myself from that position, either forwards or backwards
2) Get on the horn and hold it there for a couple of seconds
It's a warning of your presence, use it
He moved into the lane on your left into a position where you are in his blind spot. You could see him doing this.
If the same thing happens to me I do two things simultaneously:
1) Remove myself from that position, either forwards or backwards
2) Get on the horn and hold it there for a couple of seconds
It's a warning of your presence, use it
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