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Out for ride with son (14) quick road transition from one woods to another...come down hill, road narrows to narrow bridge, not going fast son behind, already on narrow section. Car comes round corner pulls to middle no slowing, I am already in primary. Now it would be touch and go if wide MTB bars and the car would fit. As the car refuses to pull over or slow, it won't fit. We play chicken, only my son is behind somewhere so this is a game I will win, no question. Eventually (like in a split second) I stop still in primary and car screeches to halt, fat prick moans at me for being in middle of road, I tell him I have to be it's a single lane road. He goes to grab my bars and and calls me a ****. I lose my shit and try to pull him out the window [removed]. He eventually drives off, shouting that he's going to kick my head in etc, I shout try it etc.... he ****s off I apologise to car behind him, a Bentley don't you know, driver says don't worry it's understandable he should have stopped...
Son resolves to ride less with dad I am sure....I get far more defensive and aggressive when his safety is in question...
I need to grow up I am 51 FFS......
Thanks for letting me rant!
I'm the same, but 49. I'd lose my shit if someone is potentially putting one of my kids at risk. Generally doesn't help the situation and I might come a cropper one day, but I can't help it.
High blood pressure now as well so I need to chill the F out generally....
Hiya,
just get a helmet cam, don't overreact they are angry people and are venting their anger on you. If you react then you have the same anger. Now the helmet cam? Record the clips send them into the police. The police are getting tough on these crimes. This last year I have reported three drivers. The police don't tell you the outcome, but usually tell you that they have issued prosecution or points...
We need these drivers off the road, the more we report the less of them we will meet.
Remember if the driver gets these types of things on their record, the harder it is for them to get insurance etc...
JeZ
Had something similar the other day on the last 200m home after a ride with the wife. Prick accelerated toward me, pulling out to overtake a couple of cars that I'm already level with. I stop next to a small gap between them and usher him into it; he winds down the window and says next time he'll run me down. I just said to be sure he has a good excuse as I'll be reporting this threat and his reg to the police.
I wrote about an incident when someone opened a car door on junior (big bang junior unhurt) and blamed me for taking a kid on a bike on the road. I realised the full details weren't suitable for a public forum so deleted. I'll just say that his father's behaviour didn't put junior off at all and at 27 he's still a keen cyclist.
Second thread today with a cyclist beating himself up for the arseholish behaviour of a driver.
( Not 100% sure on that as the other thread was too confusing?
( Deleted the bit where I express regret that you didn't actually ** the *)
The police are getting tough on these crimes.
I have a camera I use all the time on road rides. It does help. But, the police regularly do completely **** all. In fact in an almost identical situation plod explained that the 1.5m rule didn't count in head on meeting situations and I should have stopped, they didn't answer how this made any cyclist safe. In summary maybe perience is that Thames Valley Police are about as much use as **** on a snake
Some drivers are just idiots with little respect for other drivers, let alone cyclists. Worst piece of driving I saw recently was a single track road with passing places where a van driver (for a local e-bike company...) forced a learner to reverse into a very tight passing place, when there was a much better one 10 metres behind him. I'd been overtaken (I was cycling) by the van 50m before so got to watch him refuse to back up slightly. Had a little chat with the learner and instructor as I passed and sympathised with them.
AA, were you on that Banjo ride where one of the group gave an absolute bollocking to a driver in a similar situation?
Some drivers are just idiots with little respect for other drivers, let alone cyclists.
The most important thing to remember is, some people are just idiots.
Whether driver, cyclist, horse rider, rambler, police officer, bus driver, security guard, teacher, politician, whatever. Most people are nice people. A minority are pricks, and its absolutely nothing to do with their chosen mode of transport, hobbies, occupation etc.
In the words of Elsa.... let it go.
AA, were you on that Banjo ride where one of the group gave an absolute bollocking to a driver in a similar situation?
It was probably me 😳
if you do try to drag them out of the car make sure the have taken their seatbelt off it make it a whole lot easier
lol
AA, were you on that Banjo ride where one of the group gave an absolute bollocking to a driver in a similar situation?
It was probably me 😳
Nah, initials were SE.
I need to grow up I am 51 FFS......
Thanks for letting me rant!
Don’t worry about it, some drivers fully deserve a punch if they act the ****, I had absolutely zero qualms laying into someone if they deserved it
The only thing that concerns me with driver confrontations is that you don’t know who you are dealing with and how they will react.
The only thing that concerns me with driver confrontations is that you don’t know who you are dealing with and how they will react
True. The sort of bellend who would drive so deliberately recklessly is exactly the sort of bellend who would carry a baseball bat, knife, wheel brace or whatever in the front footwell "just in case" waiting for this type of scenario. Possibly also under the influence of substances unknown. I know it's easy to say and I don't always follow this advice, but they are the ones having a shit life, festering in their own rage and inadequacy. If you retaliate you risk getting infected by that attitude at best or getting seriously assaulted at worst.
I had some guy recently (2025) that "believed" I'd ran a red light at a junction he was waiting at (I hadn't, I never do as I make a point not to) who then used that as justification for almost crushing me at a junction whilst holding his hand on his horn to make sure I moved. Irritated, I caught up with him at the next junction/lights and pulled alongside, tapped on his window and had the above "justification" explained to me and was additionally told that "next time he'd just flatten me and claim SMIDSY" I reached in, took his keys and dropped them down the nearest drain in full sight of the ruddy faced ****t as he tried to roll out of his car and follow me.
I wasn't proud of myself for this and have regretted my actions ever since, but in the moment, it was what happened. I've since made a point to just try and let go. As such I'm never surprised, but continually disappointed by what I see on the roads. It's become so bad in recent years that where previously, I had a choice of safe routes depending on the time of day, the only safe time now is pre 05:00 and after 19:00. I'm loathe to quote DT, but "sad".
if you do try to drag them out of the car make sure the have taken their seatbelt off it make it a whole lot easier
lol
He wouldn't have fitted out of the window anyway!!
Nah, initials were SE.
Don't think I was there then!!
I reached in, took his keys and dropped them down the nearest drain
I took some keys and threw them down the road, years ago when an idiot repeatedly cut me up on my motorbike...he wasn't a happy bunny to say the least!!
It is an irony that the narrative is that cyclists break the rules car drivers don’t. My top 3 driver moments of the year. For balance the last I’m in a car too.
Number 1
Approaching a T junction a car turns right out of the junction towards me. But the F F in the Ranger Rover had so little idea how to drive he exits the turn completely on my side of the road. I could see it all slowly happening so just braked to keep clear of danger. But i did many wet myself laughing because a toddler could have driven his 100k car better. He then tells me to F off, the irony
Number 2
Single track road in Cornwall where i am very wary. I come round a corner and I’m square onto a car. No signof any action on their part so i dive to the side. I look again and hey are staring at their phone which they are holding in there right hand. Luckily the window was open for my post water shed break down of his driving ability
number 3
Driving at say 55 on an A road post a few bends. I was aware of a car behind so I’d be keeping the pace reasonable to avoid frustrating the car behind. Suddenly i noticed the car behind was more level with my side window and there is car coming the other way, about 50m away. Both i and the car coming the other do did emergency stops. Thus saving the occupants of 2 cars from death.
But I’m grateful to the hundreds (thousands) of drivers this year who have given me space and consideration
I've done that with a telephone twice, just snatched it, lobbed it and ran/rode off in the other direction.
Safest in a city where they can't chase, both in Edinburgh, wouldn't do it where there's a chance of being pursued/mown down.
Ooh, I know this, sometimes it really is quite impossible to “…just stay calm”. They really do deserve to be called a ****, at the very least… but my best one in a while was on holiday, where the **** cut up my partner and tried to squeeze past me…. after the initial exchange of words I just laughed and wished them a lovely day. I mean, the passenger flew into a mental rage at that, so it was a definitely win for me, cos I was still laughing! Wush they could all be like that, but sometimes you just gotta… 😡 🤬
But I’m grateful to the hundreds (thousands) of drivers this year who have given me space and consideration
Seconded. A wave, a smile, a salute if they've made an effort, especially the ones who patiently wait behind for a safe place to pass.
It would be nice if drivers gave me as much consideration as when I'm on horse back. Yesterday about 12km of our 34km ride were on road. In that time 3 oncomming drivers stopped completely to let us past. We beckoned them forward because they don't need to stop, just slow down and give us a wide berth, but 2/3 just they sat there till we had gone past.
Seconded. A wave, a smile, a salute if they've made an effort, especially the ones who patiently wait behind for a safe place to pass.
Yep, always do that. And pleased to say they far outnumber those who get the bile rising.
Yes to the wave and smile. I’m not a push over in terms of read position. But I’m happy to pull to the side to let a car pass when it’s safe. Stop for a tractor with no space etc.
The police are getting tough on these crimes.
I have a camera I use all the time on road rides. It does help. But, the police regularly do completely **** all. In fact in an almost identical situation plod explained that the 1.5m rule didn't count in head on meeting situations and I should have stopped, they didn't answer how this made any cyclist safe. In summary maybe perience is that Thames Valley Police are about as much use as **** on a snake
North Somerset encourage reporting have a portal for it. I got a follow up from a police person and told to report others, as they want safer roads.
I think you should ask the police why they are not cracking down in your area? North Somerset is very cycle orientated with many cycle paths and commuters. I have a policeman friend he said not enough are reporting.
JeZ
"Seconded. A wave, a smile, a salute if they've made an effort, especially the ones who patiently wait behind for a safe place to pass."
Riding home last night and some plum overtakes me into oncoming traffic so I shook my head at them. The driver behind them sat back and then gave me loads of space as they overtook. I gave them a cheery wave to show I appreciated it.
Fair play AA .... I probably would have done the same.
But..... Next time....
I lose my shit and try to pull him out the window
Just try grabbing the keys from the ignition and launching them into the river/field/undergrowth.
Obviously make sure there are actual keys and not some silly start button first.
Euch what a horrible situation to be put in. Your response to a threat to your safety and your son's safety, and aggression toward you, is not unatural.
I end up a quivering adrenaline riddled lump wishing i could find a decent response when in reality there is no response that feels appropriate, legal, and swift. So we are left to stew.
Venting here is a good idea! Hope it helps!
(Inwardly i wish I had the nerve to do the keys trick but haven't managed it)
Think some people just need to chill out a bit. Seriously, could the situation have been averted if you'd ridden a few inches closer to the side of the road instead of adopting the "primary" position, maybe a quick shake of the head and carry on.
could the situation have been averted if you'd ridden a few inches closer to the side of the road instead
No, it was touch and go if we'd fit even if I'd been right the way over and as said my 14 year old son was behind on equally wide bars so the car was going to stop as I did. The car also made no attempt to move to his side.
Hiya,
Had one this weekend, black Range Rover on a blind corner overtaking then driving closer into into me, when a car approached from the other direction. Then stops 50metres up the road to get out of their car for a walk, as I cycle past I just tell him all on camera, has a go at me and starts threatening me, tell him that's on camera too and carry on as it adds to the points mean prizes 😉 Eventually just shuts up as he's digging himself a bigger hole by the minute 😉
You can't help stoopid I guess..
JeZ
Friend and I were passed by a pick-up SUV thing who closely passed and then regained our side of the road with the minimum to spare such that I could have grabbed his tailgate. A hundred yards on he turned left up what I knew to be a no through road to a memorial and park and I instinctively decided to follow him to “advise” him on his standard of driving (a threshold effort my breathless riding companion reported after). Sure enough he had pulled up and I gave the roof his car a sharp open handed slap and advised him that is what a collision with a cyclist sounded like. As the driver stepped out of the car I realised that while he was shorter than me he obviously spent a fair bit more time in the gym than I did. Luckily he wasn’t interested in anything more than a bit of push and shove (not easy in road shoes) to the accompaniment of his Karen moaning about touching the car. A few more words and i headed back towards the road. Taking stock at the end of the driveway and letting the adrenaline calm down, a lady who had been at the car park stopped, wound down her window and simply remarked “wasn’t he a w****r” and drove off, which made us feel a lot better about it. Finally, just two minutes later pick-up man passed us again, wide and considerately, and I can only hope we had spoiled his day out but perhaps helped moderate his driving. And I have become more circumspect about how I interact with other drivers.
a single track road with passing places where a van driver (for a local e-bike company...) forced a learner to reverse into a very tight passing place, when there was a much better one 10 metres behind him.
I’ve had one of those, I was near the bottom of a steep single track road, where I’d just come round a bend with more hill behind, and no passing places, apart from one about three metres behind the other driver. Who obstinately refused to reverse back, just sat staring straight ahead.
After a minute or two of me indicating he should reverse back, and getting nowhere, I got out of the car and walked down to the other car, and knocked on the window, and still got no response. I was getting a bit frustrated so I shouted through the window that there was no way I was reversing back up a half mile hill with every chance that I could get hit from behind by a van or a tractor, when he could just put his car in neutral and roll back. If he felt he couldn’t do that, then he should get out of the car and let me do it!
At which point he reversed back into the passing place just behind. What a clown show, and totally unnecessary, but sadly some people are so entitled they expect everyone else to give way to them, regardless of how dangerous it could be.
The only thing missing was his car not being red and yellow… 🤡
The Road is the Fosseway, near Castle Combe, and while most of that section is straight, parts are steep with blind bends, and needs treating with caution, especially on a bike!