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Road Rage


Mattie660

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Just wondering what your survival techniques are for the dreaded Road Rage incident - this may have different cultural aspects between countries, so I will have a go:

When driving a car, my golden rule in a road rage incident is NEVER GET OUT OF THE CAR ! ( this saved my mother once when she just locked the doors and refused to get out at someone shouting abuse).

On a bike, my golden rule is NOT A WORD UNLESS THEY TOUCH ME. Close shaves will remain close shaves, but no shouting abuse - just zip it.

In the US, when there may be guns involved, probably even better to keep quiet, and so maybe it is not such an issue. But in Europe and the UK road rage can spiral out of control.

Just wondering if anyone has useful examples and advice.

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Don't be overly militant and self righteous, which I see from motorcyclist all the time. See this link from Yahoo today. Car driver's actions are criminal, but the motorcyclist is a jackass. Based on the description, the car driver's "infraction" was texting at a stop light.

https://www.yahoo.com/autos/s/driver-runs-motorcyclist-yells-stop-205458513.html

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Those are good rules, Mattie, but I have to admit I will gesture to drivers after they do something particularly boneheaded. Sometimes I just shake my head and whether they see it or not I don't really care. No flipping the bird or wagging a finger. The most I'll do is raise my left hand in the air, palm up, in the universal, "What the hell?" gesture. But even that is pretty rare for me.

I very rarely say anything or yell. It's too confrontational, plus if we're both moving I don't want to have to take my attention away from the road to make eye contact to speak or yell. It gets muffled anyway, even with the visor up on my full-face helmet.

Thankfully, I don't think I've gotten anyone mad enough at me on the road to instigate a road rage incident. (I really try not to ride like an arse most of the time anyway, so I hope it would be unusual for someone to be mad at me.) While I rarely "carry" on the bike, even when I do you pretty much have to be stopped and maybe even off the bike to use a firearm to defend yourself.

On bikes, especially fast maneuverable ones like VFRs, we're both at an advantage and disadvantage. The bikes are quick and can get through tight spaces, but bikes and riders are obviously very vulnerable to larger, more solid vehicles like cars and trucks.

Bottom line, even a close call isn't worth losing your life or limbs, whether they attack you with their vehicle or a weapon like a gun or baseball bat. (Or outside North America maybe a cricket bat. :wink:) Better safe than sorry.

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I generally don't have high expectations for most people on the road, so when they do something stupid I'm not surprised.

Me acting like a jack a@@ because someone else acting like a jack a@@ isn't going to help things very much.

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I do not engage in road rage.

It is pointless, unless I am under the erroneous impression that my job is to change the world one driver at a time.

But if I was, I'd start with myself.

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Bottom line, even a close call isn't worth losing your life or limbs, whether they attack you with their vehicle or a weapon like a gun or baseball bat. (Or outside North America maybe a cricket bat. :wink:) Better safe than sorry.

Good advice! I once followed a kid in a small car that had tried to keep me from going faster than he could, by blocking me, speeding up/slowing down.... he finally pulled into an apartment complex and I got off my bike, took my helmet off and very calmly let him know that he could kill a motorcycle rider with his actions 7 when I saw the child car seat in his car I asked him if his wife/kid was in the car and I was in a Semi doing what he did to me how he would like it.....He apologized very sincerely.... Since that time I have Turned in my World Police/Teacher Badge and just ignore & get far far

ahead of the idiots.. :wheel:

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As mk2davis put it, is where I stand, I'm always saying something to every person that f-cks up, but that's in my head, not out off my mouth. It helps me to try and find a developing issue to avoid.

I think that a lot of ppl get bullied, if you will, when they are not driving, and use their 4000+lb. vehicle to get pay back for what they had to endure when not driving. Then there are mc riders that try this, "Hello" they aren't in 4000 lb. vehicles....... :blink:

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I'd say the percentage of people carrying in the US in their vehicle is a lot less than the average UK citizen carrying a knife...(my perception is not necessarily reality)...so I wouldn't pick a fight in the UK and get stabbed...much less chance getting shot in the US than getting stabbed in the UK. That said the biggest weapon has 4 wheels or 18 wheels and I don't want to mess with any of that...

I will give a "what gives?" shoulder shrug if we're stopped or it is a safe place for me to get out of the way...but for the most part I try not to engage. Best defense is to pull over and call the 911 or non-emergency line after getting their plates...if I have video evidence I can always send it in after the fact...

Just a couple days ago I pulled along-side a SUV that tried to drive into me...which was unfortunate, because Arlington County has been replacing street signals and they forgot to replace two of the three signs that show that he wasn't allowed to come into my lane on a left hand turn (he was supposed to split off on a third street). I flipped up my helmet (Exo 900) and let him know that he probably missed the sign and he might accidentally hit someone...and that I had done that in the car in the past and it is easy to make that mistake...he was apologetic and thanked me for the info. No yelling...just helping each other out.

Matt

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This discussion reminds me of a cartoon in the New Yorker some time ago.

Two older women are sitting in a nice living room having tea.

One of them says, "Well, at least he died doing what he loved, giving truckers the finger on the New Jersey turnpike."

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I'll also give the "what the hell??" left arm raise, or shake my head. All the while, smack talking to them from inside my helmet where only I can hear it.

Exactly!!

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I'll also give the "what the hell??" left arm raise, or shake my head. All the while, smack talking to them from inside my helmet where only I can hear it.

I use this often when I get cut off or merged over on by a car, but only when I am obeying traffic laws. If I am riding like Rossi or doing some shenanigans, then I don't have much room to complain about others.

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I do not engage in road rage.

It is pointless, unless I am under the erroneous impression that my job is to change the world one driver at a time.

But if I was, I'd start with myself.

I've started trying to change the world one driver at a time. Occasionally I'll meet a driver who waits until I'm past before turning when they could easily have scooted in front of me. They get a nod and/or a wave. Why not increase the world's supply of goodwill when we can?

Glenn

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I do not engage in road rage.

It is pointless, unless I am under the erroneous impression that my job is to change the world one driver at a time.

But if I was, I'd start with myself.

I've started trying to change the world one driver at a time. Occasionally I'll meet a driver who waits until I'm past before turning when they could easily have scooted in front of me. They get a nod and/or a wave. Why not increase the world's supply of goodwill when we can?

Glenn

I am all for positive reinforcement and do the same, but this isn't what we are talking about here - Road Rage.

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Recently in San Diego.

http://www.foxnews.com/us/2015/06/01/san-diego-road-rage-crash-kills-navy-man/

Don't push it! I also thank drivers who behave.

This one was the really hideous incident. They don't have to have a gun - their vehicle is a very potent weapon for someone determined to do harm as this woman seemed to be. My $.02 is just stay away as far as possible, and other than that just do as Switchblade suggests - show 'em the tail light.

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Once about fifteen years ago I was Driving w my ex in a gutless diesel Peugot 206 on a 2 Lane highway, 2 Lanes per direction th2t is, w medium strip Separating directions... in the left Lane overtaking a Long String of Several semi Trailers... Spain... slight uphill rise so stayed left so as not to lose Momentum as only had Two more to overtake... when I notice this black Audi sedan come Racing up behind so fast I reckon he's doing around 200 Clicks... me, 120, Legal Limit (gutless car)... and he Proceeds to do what had started to Become Something of a Trend and is now Illegal yet Poorly policed and still very Common: Accelerate right up to my rear bumper like he wasn't going to Brake Whilst Flashing high beams wildly, then riding virtually on my bumper starts weaving From side to side and flashing and honking Like the Road Belonged to him... I was fifteen years younger and Flipped him the bird... and Decided not to Move over in the Next gap between trucks... Stuff you Mate!! Well he proceeded to overtake me on the right, also Illegal, in the gap between the trucks and as Soon as he gets in Front of me, Brakes real hard... his Audi accelerates and Brakes way Better than my shifty Peugot... virtually Coming to a Standstill... I start to Brake hard and then see in my rearview Mirror a big rig bearing Down on me as it is overtaking a rig in the right Lane... and then the Audi accelerates off like a Rocket and I don't Know how I pulled it off but automatically, Unconsciously, I swerved to the right between the Two semi-Trailers and Onto the outside curb to a screaching halt... the trucks barge by, Airhorns blaring... the wife screaming blue murder... and I Look up and forward, Adrenalin Roaring through my Bloodstream and there it is... stopped Some 30 Metres ahead on the curb... the black Audi with the dark Tinted Windows... my first Thought was to get out and go rip him to shreds With my bare hands but then the Image of a firearm of Some sort, not Common in Spain but, Someone mad Enough to do what he just did... I pulled out Onto the now empty highway figuring it's Better to leave it be... the black Audi pulls out in unison... I accelerate, he accelerates... I slow Down, he slows Down... ex-wife is now hysterical and Blaming it all on me... my mind is Racing and I'm Blaming it all on the gutless 206... suddenly the Audi Takes an exit and it's all over...

I no Longer Flip the bird and when on the bike, my eyes are everywhere and I make sure to avoid all Possible Conflicts and if Someone gets Gnarly I get as far away as Possible as Soon as Possible and never mix it up w bigHeads and Wanna be heroes.

Maybe a shake of the Head is the most I will do.

before that Incident I was Prone to pulling up Next to them at the lights and giving them a Piece of my mind but things have Changed and there are too many Psychos out there these days.

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probably my only pet peeve is drivers/riders clogging up the left lane....I live in Reno, and commute to Carson City everyday for work. Sometimes in my truck and sometime on my VFR. Last year, I was commuting on my bike and came up a line of cars in the left lane stacked up behind an FJ Cruiser, easily a half dozen or so cars. one by one they all passed the SUV in the right lane, and as the line grew smaller, and the SUV not moving to the right lane, the gestures of the line got more obvious. By the time I drove by in the right lane, the driver was laughing at all the folks passing on the right, I let my anger get the best of me a flipped the driver off....so, I kept on....about 4 or 5 miles later I see the SUV right on my rear end, tailing me for whatever reason (license plate number), I have a vanity license plate so it wouldn't be to hard to track me down. They exited at the first Carson City exit and I continued on to mine. I'm in the military and I was in uniform, so I told my boss what had happened, just in case I got reported...about 2 weeks later the Provost Marshall (military cop) came over to my office and asked me if I had had an incident a couple weeks ago....I gave a description of the SUV, driver ETC, then told my side of the story, the Marshall left tit there and just told me to be careful.....then about 3 weeks after that I got called in to the Generals Office........not a conversation you want to have.....there is no way I could have explained my position away, just a lot of "Yes Sir" . Right of wrong I didn't handle it right, and the cage driver didn't have to explain to the boss what a tool she was. Discretion is the better part of valor.........

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My general rule is " someone can't cut you off, if you let them in". We're all human beings dealing with our own life.

I should point out that I didn't always have that philosophy....

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Show them your tail lights for about half a second. Works better with a bike than a car.

Either way, best to stay as far away as possible from the lunatics on the road. :wink:

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I'm retired now, but had the same type issue when I was driving for a top delivery company, with the name all over the truck..... I didn't get any call ins, but heard of a lot of peeps I worked with that did....... If they know how to get to your boss, best we not draw their attention....... They lie as well.

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Yep. When we are (were for me) in uniform -- can be a moving target for civilians with a grudge. Had to say "yes Colonel, no Colonel" a couple times myself...unfortunately it comes with the uniform right?

All the best,

Matt

.then about 3 weeks after that I got called in to the Generals Office........not a conversation you want to have.....there is no way I could have explained my position away, just a lot of "Yes Sir" . Right of wrong I didn't handle it right, and the cage driver didn't have to explain to the boss what a tool she was. Discretion is the better part of valor.........

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Many years ago on a gutless Seca II I came up to a t intersection. Lady fails to stop until she is blocking half my lane. I saw what was happening and had slowed enough to have stopped if needed. But she had stopped in that position so I slowly went by her hood and flipped her off. 2 miles down the road it expands into a four lane road. She catches up to me swerves into my lane to get my attention and flips me off. Okay what do I do now. She is in a shitbox car with kids in it. I decide she wins and let her move on. Evidently appeased she drives off and forgets about me. I decide then and there that cars win against motorcycles every time and not to go to war anymore.

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