Should I have?

"elyob" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

So, disappointed, but feel I rose to the challenge. Next time I may lump
him one.

Quoted message said:

and then allowing hime to justify his prejudices against
cyclists???.......

Nice one! - not

elyob said:

Got my first major "on the bike path" shout from a car when doing a charity
bike ride on Sunday. At the lights I rolled back and the bloke was still
having a go .. I pointed out that I was on a "road" bike. There was a
mention of "road tax". I lied and said I paid that on my car, I haven't
needed a car for five years.

We had a little barney, I called him a fat c**t, he replied the same ... I
have to hand it to him .. I'm not small, so that's a given. Fair play.

A motorcyclist suggested that I lumped him one, I was out of arms reach by
then ... shame ... I was [censored] with myself the rest of the day. There were
loads of things I could've done to [censored] him off, including ABH ... But I
didn't. I was annoyed with myself, but I've never hit someone in anger and
don't ever want to. It would've taught him a life lesson, but done no
favours to other cyclists.

So, disappointed, but feel I rose to the challenge. Next time I may lump him
one.

There's always some muppet, isn't there? Best not to bother trying to
wind him up, just tell him he's wrong, or that cycle paths are for
people like him, not experienced cyclists.

I get this every now and then southbound on Vauxhall Bridge, because I
don't use the dangerously narrow cycle path there. I've no wish to
have my elbow brushed by passing coaches and other wide vehicles!

elyob said the following on 17/07/2007 03:13:

Quoted message said:

Got my first major "on the bike path" shout from a car when doing a charity
bike ride on Sunday. At the lights I rolled back and the bloke was still
having a go ..

What winds me up about this type of behaviour is two things:-

1 - what the hell gives these social misfits the right to attempt to
enforce their own wrong views of the law?

2 - the cowardly nature of these people - I bet he wouldn't have said
anything if he'd been a pedestrian or realized that you might actually
catch him up or thought he couldn't get away quickly.

I'll leave all the other finer points about "road tax" etc to others :-)

--
Paul Boyd
http://www.paul-boyd.co.uk/

Paul Boyd usenet.dont.work@plusnet said:

elyob said the following on 17/07/2007 03:13:
1 - what the hell gives these social misfits the right to attempt to
enforce their own wrong views of the law?

By being a citizen youre meant to help to uphold the laws of the
country (hence the existence of citizens arrests etc). But they rarely
actually know what they are talking about which makes it dangerous.

Quoted message said:

2 - the cowardly nature of these people - I bet he wouldn't have said
anything if he'd been a pedestrian or realized that you might actually
catch him up or thought he couldn't get away quickly.

Exactly, the number of times I've had people yell "Use teh cycle path"
from a car window while flying past at 40, its wearing thin. What was
more funny on the first occasion was that there wasnt a cycle path
around, and he had mistaken the footpath for a cycle path. I caught
him at the lights and pointed this out to him, to which he felt the
need to explain that he was protecting me from myself. Imbecile.

I've never yet had the road tax argument from anyone other than people
in the pub, and I've made sure I'm armed with facts and figures they
cant refute (generally because they dont actually know any, not
because mine are flawless) so I usually win that one 🙂

in message <[email hidden]>, elyob

(') said:

Got my first major "on the bike path" shout from a car when doing a
charity bike ride on Sunday. At the lights I rolled back and the bloke
was still having a go ..

I've had these. Take a note of his number plate (and let him see you doing
this, if you want to); don't respond to him; drop in at your local police
station and ask them, politely, to go and talk to him. You'd be surprised
how often they will.

Getting into an argument does not improve matters - either for you or for
other cyclists he may encounter later.

--
[email hidden] (Simon Brooke) http://www.jasmine.org.uk/~simon/
;; Generally Not Used
;; Except by Middle Aged Computer Scientists

CoyoteBoy said the following on 17/07/2007 10:20:

Quoted message said:

By being a citizen you're meant to help to uphold the laws of the
country (hence the existence of citizens arrests etc). But they rarely
actually know what they are talking about which makes it dangerous.

Upholding the law is one thing. Upholding your own view of what you
think the law should be is another. BTW, does a "citizen's arrest"
still have a legal status these days? How would you stop yourself being
charged with assault? (Bit like spotting someone on your stolen bike -
you can restrain the bike, but not the person.)

Quoted message said:

Exactly, the number of times I've had people yell "Use teh cycle path"
from a car window while flying past at 40, its wearing thin. What was
more funny on the first occasion was that there wasnt a cycle path
around, and he had mistaken the footpath for a cycle path.

.... a situation that isn't helped when so many footpaths are suddenly
rendered safe to cycle on by a few splashes of white paint and a blue
sign :-)

--
Paul Boyd
http://www.paul-boyd.co.uk/

"Simon Brooke" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

in message <[email hidden]>, elyob

(') said:

Got my first major "on the bike path" shout from a car when doing a
charity bike ride on Sunday. At the lights I rolled back and the bloke
was still having a go ..

I've had these. Take a note of his number plate (and let him see you doing
this, if you want to); don't respond to him; drop in at your local police
station and ask them, politely, to go and talk to him. You'd be surprised
how often they will.

Getting into an argument does not improve matters - either for you or for
other cyclists he may encounter later.

Thanks all, some wise advice there ... I think I will take the ignore and
re-education via the boys in blue route in the future.

Just out of interest, how do you know they really did visit the driver and
didn't just fob you off?

Simon Brooke said:

Getting into an argument does not improve matters - either for you or for
other cyclists he may encounter later.

Getting wound up doesn't do you any good. The afterburn lasts for
hours or even days. We learn to deal with other hazards of cycling
such as punctures, weather and poor surfaces. They're an irritation
but we don't let them ruin our lives. We know there are idiots driving
around and the best way to deal with them is to treat them as just
another hazard. If you've decided in advance how you will respond to
this kind of harrassment, then when it happens you simply put your
plan into action and move on. Because you are simply following a game
plan there is much less emotional baggage to hump around afterward.

My current strategy is not to respond at all unless I catch up to the
car and the moton is still excited and becomes impossible to ignore. I
then have two plans depending on how I feel.

Plan A is to look blank and say, "Je ne parle pas anglais." If by
chance the moton speaks French I plan to switch languages. I've got
Russian, Norwegian, Latin and (very poor) German in reserve but I
haven't had to use them yet.

Plan B is to look innocent and say, "Oh sorry, I didn't realise. Thank
you very much," and carry on riding normally. Repeat as necessary. The
moton then thinks you are an idiot and gives up.

--
Dave...

Quoted message said:

Plan B is to look innocent and say, "Oh sorry, I didn't realise. Thank
you very much," and carry on riding normally. Repeat as necessary. The
moton then thinks you are an idiot and gives up.

If I can manage to stop myself telling him to f off I would probably
suggest he goes to discuss it with the police traffic dept after
buying and reading a current highway code, and leave it at that.

You have to remember that half of drivers have less than average
intelligence. For all you know you might have a more productive
conversation with a monkey than with this aggressive ignoramus.And I
say that with all due respect.

an old traffic pc once said to me ''the amazing thing is not what they
get up to but that the average person is allowed to have control of a
lethal machine at all.''

TerryJ

in message <[email hidden]>, elyob

(') said:

"Simon Brooke" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

in message <[email hidden]>, elyob

(') said:

Got my first major "on the bike path" shout from a car when doing a
charity bike ride on Sunday. At the lights I rolled back and the bloke
was still having a go ..

I've had these. Take a note of his number plate (and let him see you
doing this, if you want to); don't respond to him; drop in at your local
police station and ask them, politely, to go and talk to him. You'd be
surprised how often they will.

Getting into an argument does not improve matters - either for you or
for other cyclists he may encounter later.

Thanks all, some wise advice there ... I think I will take the ignore and
re-education via the boys in blue route in the future.

Just out of interest, how do you know they really did visit the driver
and didn't just fob you off?

Hereabouts we've managed to recruit a fair few of the traffic police into
the cycling club - so you just have a chat with the ociffer while he's
waiting to start in the time-trial...

--
[email hidden] (Simon Brooke) http://www.jasmine.org.uk/~simon/

;; Conservatives are not necessarily stupid,
;; but most stupid people are conservatives -- J S Mill

in message <[email hidden]>, Paul Boyd

('usenet.dont.work@plusnet') said:

CoyoteBoy said the following on 17/07/2007 10:20:

Quoted message said:

By being a citizen you're meant to help to uphold the laws of the
country (hence the existence of citizens arrests etc). But they rarely
actually know what they are talking about which makes it dangerous.

Upholding the law is one thing. Upholding your own view of what you
think the law should be is another. BTW, does a "citizen's arrest"
still have a legal status these days?

In theory. Provided you get it absolutely right, and know the law.

Quoted message said:

How would you stop yourself being
charged with assault? (Bit like spotting someone on your stolen bike -
you can restrain the bike, but not the person.)

You need to recite the exact form of words (which I used to know, but no
longer do). You then have to get the person apprehended to either the
police or a magistrate as quickly - and as little damaged - as possible.
Force that is later deemed to have been excessive is still an offence,
though.

I think in practice you'd be well advised not to try.

--
[email hidden] (Simon Brooke) http://www.jasmine.org.uk/~simon/

The Conservative Party is now dead. The corpse may still be
twitching, but resurrection is not an option - unless Satan
chucks them out of Hell as too objectionable even for him.

dkahn400 <[email hidden]> wrote in
news:[email hidden]:

Quoted message said:

On Jul 17, 10:54 am, Simon Brooke <[email hidden]> wrote:

Quoted message said:

Plan A is to look blank and say, "Je ne parle pas anglais." If by
chance the moton speaks French I plan to switch languages. I've got
Russian, Norwegian, Latin and (very poor) German in reserve but I
haven't had to use them yet.

Plan B is to look innocent and say, "Oh sorry, I didn't realise. Thank
you very much," and carry on riding normally. Repeat as necessary. The
moton then thinks you are an idiot and gives up.

My plan C is very bad (TM) and probably frowned on (but I've had cause
to use it in multiple situations where I feel seriously threatened)
"Jesus loves you" repeat as required until they leave *knowing* that you
are a total nutcase.
(Apologies to other Christians here who may feel that this is some sort
of blasphemy, but it works anyway you want it to work.)

CoyoteBoy said:

Exactly, the number of times I've had people yell "Use teh cycle path"
from a car window while flying past at 40, its wearing thin.

I was once told to "Get on the pavement!" by a pedestrian in the village
of North Ballachulish. I resisted the temptation to do so and knock her
into the road! Actually I was too confused even to reply...

Bob

Bob Johnstone said:

CoyoteBoy said:

Exactly, the number of times I've had people yell "Use teh cycle path"
from a car window while flying past at 40, its wearing thin.

I was once told to "Get on the pavement!" by a pedestrian in the village
of North Ballachulish. I resisted the temptation to do so and knock her
into the road! Actually I was too confused even to reply...

Bob

Wow! Now that is a new one on me!

Mike the unimaginative said:

My plan C is very bad (TM) and probably frowned on (but I've had cause
to use it in multiple situations where I feel seriously threatened)
"Jesus loves you"

I once saw a Christmas card that had that on the front... inside it
continued "... everyone else thinks you're a c*nt". Hmm, now THAT'S
blasphemy!

T

Getting into a slanging match or violence won't improve his opinion of
cyclists.

The best way to tackle any "wind-up" like this is to maintain a "zen-
like" calm and remember the saying: "never argue with an idiot, he
will only drag you down to his level and beat you with experience".

If you have to say anything in response to the "road-tax" thing, just
mention that bikes pay the same "vehicle tax" as any low emission
vehicle - nothing!

[email hidden] wrote:
<snip>
remember the saying: "never argue with an idiot, he

Quoted message said:

will only drag you down to his level and beat you with experience".

Nice one!

In article <[email hidden]>, elyob
[email hidden] says...

Quoted message said:

A motorcyclist suggested that I lumped him one, I was out of arms reach by
then ... shame ... I was [censored] with myself the rest of the day. There were
loads of things I could've done to [censored] him off, including ABH ... But I
didn't. I was annoyed with myself, but I've never hit someone in anger and
don't ever want to. It would've taught him a life lesson, but done no
favours to other cyclists.

So, disappointed, but feel I rose to the challenge. Next time I may lump him
one.

I tend to reserve aggression for idiots who have actually endangered me
rather than just shown themselves to be idiots. If it does come to
fisticuffs make sure that he takes the first swing and that you haven't
invited him to do it (invited as in said something like "go on then"
rather than simply wound him up) - then you can press charges for
assault/ABH. Make sure you have a clear memory of what he looks like -
if the police take action there will probably be an ID parade.

Simon Brooke said the following on 17/07/2007 16:55:

Quoted message said:

I think in practice you'd be well advised not to try.

That's pretty much what I'd decided :-)

--
Paul Boyd
http://www.paul-boyd.co.uk/