Road positioning, cyclist ahead

[ericonabike]

Fair enough - no-one that I know uses primary to 'make a point' then. As for thanking people - yes, when someone has been courteous or considerate, by waiting until after a blind bend before coming past me for example. And anyone who lets me move across when I'm looking to turn right gets a thumbs up in response. Hopefully, such affirmative action serves to reinforce that sort of behaviour. Some cyclists take it a mite too far perhaps - I was riding with one who thanked every motorist at every side street for not pulling out in front of us,,,

For once I think Clarkson summed things up rather nicely, for far too many motorists and even some cyclists, when he produced his T-shirt he'd had made to wear whilst out on his own bike. It read 'Thank you, motorists, for letting me use your roads'.

Many a true word...

[sussex2]

http://www.huffingtonpost.co.uk/2014/01 ... _hp_ref=uk

Have a look at that!
I cannot see any reason for the aggression on either part and do not believe any reasonable person could either. They both behaved in a totally and utterly stupid manner; there is no other way to put it.
What need was there to be so aggressive?

[Ancient]

http://www.huffingtonpost.co.uk/2014/01/27/road-rage-video-shows-driver-punching-bike-rider_n_4673340.html?utm_hp_ref=uk

Have a look at that!
I cannot see any reason for the aggression on either part and do not believe any reasonable person could either. They both behaved in a totally and utterly stupid manner; there is no other way to put it.
What need was there to be so aggressive?

Fear.
It is quite frightening when somone runs over your foot, (or otherwise shows complete disregard for your safety). We also have no idea what either of them had experienced in the run-up to the incident.
No excuses either way, but physical violence was out of all proportion to the situation.

[sussex2]

http://www.huffingtonpost.co.uk/2014/01/27/road-rage-video-shows-driver-punching-bike-rider_n_4673340.html?utm_hp_ref=uk

Have a look at that!
I cannot see any reason for the aggression on either part and do not believe any reasonable person could either. They both behaved in a totally and utterly stupid manner; there is no other way to put it.
What need was there to be so aggressive?

Fear.
It is quite frightening when somone runs over your foot, (or otherwise shows complete disregard for your safety). We also have no idea what either of them had experienced in the run-up to the incident.
No excuses either way, but physical violence was out of all proportion to the situation.

I can only take the clip as shown and both of them behaved worse than spoiled three year olds.

[ericonabike]

The ASZ was filling up with cyclists. The driver felt that this was unacceptable [happens A LOT] and drove onto it, potentially putting them in danger when the lights change. This was pointed out to him [in a reasonable manner, I thought]. He then drove off over the cyclist's foot! Adrenalin kicked in and blind anger took over.

Give us a break Sussex2 - I try very hard, both in car and on bike, to remain serene and in control at all times. But it is infinitely easier to do that in a car, when others' actions are far more likely to inconvenience or annoy you, rather than kill you.

Incidentally, and for a little light relief, this post by a cycling blogger gives the subject a novel twist: http://aseasyasridingabike.wordpress.com/2014/01/24/if-driving-in-britain-was-like-cycling-in-britain/

[sussex2]

The ASZ was filling up with cyclists. The driver felt that this was unacceptable [happens A LOT] and drove onto it, potentially putting them in danger when the lights change. This was pointed out to him [in a reasonable manner, I thought]. He then drove off over the cyclist's foot! Adrenalin kicked in and blind anger took over.

Give us a break Sussex2 - I try very hard, both in car and on bike, to remain serene and in control at all times. But it is infinitely easier to do that in a car, when others' actions are far more likely to inconvenience or annoy you, rather than kill you.

Incidentally, and for a little light relief, this post by a cycling blogger gives the subject a novel twist: http://aseasyasridingabike.wordpress.com/2014/01/24/if-driving-in-britain-was-like-cycling-in-britain/

Many of us ride bikes

[GJD]

This was pointed out to him [in a reasonable manner, I thought]

I don't regard it as reasonable. I just don't think that's the responsible way to respond. What good was ever going to come from it?

To my mind the major failing was not that it escalated as far as fisticuffs, but that they engaged with each other in a willy waving contest in the first place. No time for that sort of behaviour and no sympathy for either of them.

[Custom24]

I just don't think that's the responsible way to respond.

At the point where the Audi has just moved up into the ASL, what would have been reasonable?

[sussex2]

I just don't think that's the responsible way to respond.

At the point where the Audi has just moved up into the ASL, what would have been reasonable?

Move out of the way and let him get on with it? Spoken with hindsight of course and as has been mentioned we may not have seen the entire incident.
Either way they both behaved ridiculously.

[GJD]

I just don't think that's the responsible way to respond.

At the point where the Audi has just moved up into the ASL, what would have been reasonable?

Deal with the hazard without personalising it. Know that you're the better person if that helps. Basically the same response as any time you realise you're sharing the road with an arse at the moment - keep calm and carry on.

[sussex2]

I just don't think that's the responsible way to respond.

At the point where the Audi has just moved up into the ASL, what would have been reasonable?

Deal with the hazard without personalising it. Know that you're the better person if that helps. Basically the same response as any time you realise you're sharing the road with an arse at the moment - keep calm and carry on.

Snap!

[sussex2]

Never attempt to educate other road users except by example.

[jont]

Never attempt to educate other road users except by example.

Easy to say, but harder to do when fight/flight kicks in and you're feeling very threatened by a big piece of metal that has nearly run you over.

[GJD]

Never attempt to educate other road users except by example.

Easy to say, but harder to do when fight/flight kicks in and you're feeling very threatened by a big piece of metal that has nearly run you over.

Perhaps so, but that doesn't make it any less the right thing to do. And not applicable in this case - the car was coming past the collected cyclists, not through them. There was no threat to the cyclist's safety and it would have been simplicity itself to deal with the hazard without risking his safety. His response did not come from fear, it came from anger and an attitude problem. An arse met another arse and the inevitable happened. The driver started it. The cyclist continued it, and in doing so threw away every last shred of his chance for the moral high ground. Both as bad as each other.

[Custom24]

Both as bad as each other.

I agree with you that this is one of those times where the best thing to do is nothing, as borne out by the subsequent events in the video.

However, I don't agree with you that they were both as bad as each other, and I hope that the police don't take that view either. That driver needs not to be on the road for a while and to reflect on his attitude.

As for the cyclist, he will probably think twice about remonstrating with a car that way in the future, so I'd say he's already learned his lesson.