Funny what goes through your mind...

Commuting, Day rides, Audax, Incidents, etc.
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kwackers
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Funny what goes through your mind...

Post by kwackers »

Or is it?

Usual attempt at taking me out with a left hook, woman moves out into the right hand lane to overtake and then swings left to try to make the turn whilst not actually having cleared me.
Fortunately much braking by both of us and a collision is averted.

However as the car swings across and I'm admiring the indicator that apparently means I should have given way I remember also admiring the shiny side of her car and wondering how best to angle the bike to get the metal pedals to leave a decent scratch - ideally one that's an indent too.

It's funny but events like this don't cause me to panic so I usually find I've got time to consider the options...
Tangled Metal
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Re: Funny what goes through your mind...

Post by Tangled Metal »

I once wondered if those grappling things the police used in one of the speed film franchises to try and stop the "good" guys by frying their ECUs was really invented. I wonder if they could invent a handlebar mounted version. Fire it into the back and fry the electronics of the vehicle.

I do not know where my cycling road rage comes from but I am like you in that I just tend to accept that another bad driver has made a bad decision and move on to idle imaginations of retribution. I'm a very calm person anyway so don't get mad just think of ideas to get even. Never act on them but I find an idea how to safely break their car or van without actually doing it calms me.

Mind you nothing very serious ever happens to me on my bike only a few misdemeanors. Wonder how I would react to pain inflicted by the motorist rather than simple inconvenience (which in my mind gets returned).
bobbyg
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Re: Funny what goes through your mind...

Post by bobbyg »

There are bad drivers of all types of vehicle , bikes included.
All I ask for is someone to acknowledge they have done wrong, a raised hand, a mouthed sorry.

Its when they are clearly in the wrong and try and blame you that annoys me.

My best retaliation , and I have only ever done this once, was reach in the drivers window while he was mouthing off at me, grab the ignition keys, and chucked them into the undergrowth at the side. Obviously followed by a sharp acceleration away by me....
kwackers
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Re: Funny what goes through your mind...

Post by kwackers »

bobbyg wrote:Its when they are clearly in the wrong and try and blame you that annoys me.

She was clearly very irate and shouting something about "going around".
Who knows what that was meant to mean.
Bicycler
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Re: Funny what goes through your mind...

Post by Bicycler »

Problem is when people 'know' they are in the right. You shouldn't be cycling in the 'middle of the road', you shouldn't walk across the side road when you can see I'm coming, you shouldn't cycle on the road when there is a cycle path for you, I didn't cut you up... I overtook and you ran into me as I was turning. etc., etc.
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Si
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Re: Funny what goes through your mind...

Post by Si »

Or is it?


when I was first knocked off by a car and flying through the air I distinctly remember thinking: "wow that's a nice sun set"...which I wouldn't have seen if the car hadn't have spun me round in the air.
Psamathe
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Re: Funny what goes through your mind...

Post by Psamathe »

kwackers wrote:...
Usual attempt at taking me out with a left hook, woman moves out into the right hand lane to overtake and then swings left to try to make the turn whilst not actually having cleared me.
Fortunately much braking by both of us and a collision is averted.

However as the car swings across and I'm admiring the indicator that apparently means I should have given way ...

I remember a similar incident last summer. Country (but room for cars in both directions) road I was doing 20mph n a 30mph limit and she overtook and started indicating whilst alongside ... but her passenger window was open and boy was she shouting at me. And I just thought how such people say more about themselves that anything else. And she had to brake and then turn left behind me ('cos being downhill and even with mechanical disk brakes I doubt I could have stopped in time for her to turn left).

Ian
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chris_suffolk
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Re: Funny what goes through your mind...

Post by chris_suffolk »

Psamathe wrote:I remember a similar incident last summer. Country (but room for cars in both directions) road I was doing 20mph n a 30mph limit and she overtook and started indicating whilst alongside ... but her passenger window was open and boy was she shouting at me. And I just thought how such people say more about themselves that anything else. And she had to brake and then turn left behind me ('cos being downhill and even with mechanical disk brakes I doubt I could have stopped in time for her to turn left).

Ian


Links to another recent thread about how drivers just don't seem to appreciate that a bike can be doing the same speed (or there-abouts) that they are doing.

Had 2 or 3 overtakes in 30mph zone yesterday, when driver passes and brakes for no apparent reason, other than (I suspect) they had to significantly exceed the speed limit to get past, and hadn't judged it correctly in advance. Fun to sail past them at the next queue and let them see how futile it all was.
MikeF
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Re: Funny what goes through your mind...

Post by MikeF »

chris_suffolk wrote:
Had 2 or 3 overtakes in 30mph zone yesterday, when driver passes and brakes for no apparent reason, other than (I suspect) they had to significantly exceed the speed limit to get past, and hadn't judged it correctly in advance. Fun to sail past them at the next queue and let them see how futile it all was.

But it's not as they can practise doing it again. :evil: Even more fun for them in a 20mph zone as there are speed humps to brake for as well. :roll:
"It takes a genius to spot the obvious" - my old physics master.
I don't peddle bikes.
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Vantage
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Re: Funny what goes through your mind...

Post by Vantage »

Of the couple times I've been hit, in every occurrence I remember picking myself up from the ground, checking the damage to the bike and asking the driver if they were ok. Funnily enough, I've done this calmly each time. Even remarking to one driver who took me out on a roundabout, "Well it could've been worse I suppose" with a smile.
But the near misses, close passes, smidsys and so on leave me wishing I had a mini Gatling gun mounted to the bars to rip said drivers to shreds :)
Bill


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ambodach
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Re: Funny what goes through your mind...

Post by ambodach »

This morning I was out " exercising" the Motorhome and had just come into a 30 zone with a corner and a slight downhill. Coming towards me 3 bikes - 2 adults and 1 child in single file. A car behind the bikes decided to overtake them despite me coming towards them. Not enough room and some hard braking averted trouble. The woman car driver as she swerved in was clearly mouthing obscenities in my direction. She presumably thought I should have taken wings and removed myself from her path. It' s not only cyclists that get stick :evil:
tyreon
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Re: Funny what goes through your mind...

Post by tyreon »

in my car...I am often amazed when in a restricted mph zone,the car behind me wants to overtake...and on the inside! I am now 2' away from the kerb,beyond the kerb is the pavement and,coming up,are several concrete bollards and an iron lampost. I can see in the rear view mirror the guy behind me,now 2' from my rear,wanting to overtake on the inside!!!! It is really hard to describe,just amzin'. I put it down to him(and it usually is a him)watching JC on TG 'last night'. Strangely,I want em to have a go at the overtaking! Would better fireworks night!!
AlanD
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Re: Funny what goes through your mind...

Post by AlanD »

I think that it's the furious pace of life combined with the number of motorists who don't cycle so have really got no idea.
Yes my thoughts are along the lines of gloves and knee/elbow pads with metal studs on them :twisted:
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