Comments on: How To Deal With Road Rage

By: Conny

Conny — Fri, 14 Sep 2012 11:15:16 +0000

I was once told that I wasn’t a human being because I cycled around a woman walking her dog (slowly of course because for purely selfish reasons I have no interest whatsoever in hitting anything while cycling) on a bike path in a park where there was a foot path right next to it separated by a 2m strip of grass.
According to her ‘logic’ human beings stop for dogs whenever they see them. It ended up with her telling me to go back to my own country.
Her boyfriend next to her was very quiet. Some people are just mentally deranged and being on a bike seems to trigger them somehow.

By: David Smith

David Smith — Sun, 22 May 2011 18:35:51 +0000

Cyclists often only have themselves to blame for their injuries by not wearing cool bike helmets. Not long ago, I witnessed an incident involving a cyclist and a motorist. The cyclist was cycling the wrong way along a one way street and the motorist was was approaching a junction that intersected this one way street. Rightly? or wrongly the motorist did not look right as she pulled out (why should she? After all you woulbn't expect to see a moving vehicle emerging the wrong way, would you? Of course the two inevitably met in what was quite a nasty incident. The cyclist effectivly broadsided the front of the car and proceeded to bounce across the bonnet and onto the road. His bike was, in the process run over and was rather badly damaged. what then followed amazed me. The driver sat in her car and just shouted a load of abuse at the slightly injured cyclist as he was picking himself up. She the just DROVE OFF, yes she didn't even get out of the car to check if the poor man was ok? Now it doesn't matter who was in the wrong here, just that surely anyone who has knocked over be it a cyclist or a pedestrian with their metal box must at least enquire as to the wellbeing of their victim. The cyclist had a nasty cut to his head and suffice to say, wasn't wearing any any head protection.

By: Omar

Omar — Sun, 15 May 2011 14:18:56 +0000

Thanks for helping with my homework

By: Emily :)

Emily :) — Sun, 17 Apr 2011 21:11:32 +0000

one time me and my friend were on a bike ,we were on a route we’d never been on before and we had to keep on looking at the map and we were at small country junction (there were bearly any cars) we leaned our bikes on a wall and were looking at the map (standing in the side of the road) when this huge 4*4 came REALLY fast round he corner and nearly knocked my friend down ,then he opened his window and started sayig things like why were we stoped and why were we standing in the middle of the road,and then he said a few choice words and whizzed away and we just carried on but after tht we are really careful about were we stop to look at the map
Emily

By: Rob

Rob — Mon, 24 Jan 2011 13:22:25 +0000

I have learnt over the years that the best thing to do is keep quiet, unless its really serious. Since becoming a parent, I’m conscious of danger on a bike

On a bike we have no protection what so ever. I also try and avoid the dangerous parts of town if at all possible. Does anybody else have difficulty with roundabouts or is just me?

By: Frank

Frank — Mon, 10 Jan 2011 18:56:33 +0000

Unfortunately there are going to be some people who come across some real nutters who will get even more agressive by ignoring them or cycling off. On those occasions it may pay to admit to being wrong although you were right, say they are right (not in a patronising way!) and apologise and say you won’t do it again.

This may also risk backfiring with a real psycho who is hell bent on damaging you, but some of these characters really need to be told that they are right and you are wrong…and indeed you may be wrong and can’t admit or see it yourself.

By: Philip

Philip — Sun, 09 Jan 2011 21:21:05 +0000

Lewis, you were under the speed limit, but you were going too fast! For me the right speed is the speed in which you can stop when the unexpected happens!

If I am going past park cars no way would I want to be doing 25mph on a bike. That said if you were not on a hill thats a great pace!

By: Lewis

Lewis — Sun, 09 Jan 2011 18:36:34 +0000

I have problems every now and then with really inconsiderate drivers who cut you up, pull out on you, beep at you, etc. A few months ago a woman driving a people carrier came from behind me and tried to turn left into a street that I was across the entrance to. As if I wasn’t even there. I braked in time and she continued (as if she would have stopped if she’d hit me) on her way. Recently I decided that there must be a percentage of people who drive like t***s on purpose in the hopes that they might antagonise somebody.

The worst, I must say, was when I was cycling home from work at half 11 at night. Out of nowhere a woman wearing all black, waddles out into the road from between two parked cars. I shout, brake and swerve to avoid her, but end up clipping her anyway before coming off my bike (thank God I was wearing a helmet!). My first act was to ask if she was okay (worried about her, despite being in pain) to which she (still standing in the middle of the road and absolutely fine) replied with “What were you going so fast for!?”. She insisted that she had done nothing wrong and the accident was my fault for cycling too fast (25 mph on a 30mph road). I was not impressed.

I always get so frustrated and angry when things like this happen, but I think now I will take aboard the teachings of Tejvan and the Buddah and let them stew in their own poison. Good post

By: watercycler

watercycler — Tue, 12 Oct 2010 20:44:37 +0000

Well, down here in South Africa, road rage is a bit more serious. Some people have guns and serious mental problems relating to their time in the oppressive old South Africa.
Really mean.
The best thing to do really is to disable their vehicle and get away as fast as possible! lol.

By: James Rai

James Rai — Fri, 01 Oct 2010 11:06:17 +0000

Great article btw!

I’ve been practising this for years and just ignoring stupid people and threats.

I’ve also waved if I had made mistakes and waved thanks to anyone letting me out.

Just ignore the people who act stupid and enjoy your ride/drive/walk/wheelchair etc