dealing with aggression

Discussion on Advanced and Defensive Driving.

Postby japitts » Sun Jun 21, 2015 9:22 pm


akirk wrote:simply don't engage...

the most amusing I had was on a country lane near here - no room for two abreast - muddy grass either side, I was in my low-slung XJS, facing me was a stereotypical cotswold lady in her shiny range rover - would she put any wheels on the grass? no - I had my two left wheels on the muddy grass, but still couldn't get past - she tried to get me to reverse, so I simply put the handbrake on, picked up a book and enjoyed some wodehousian wit :) she eventually gave in and put some mud on her shiny paintwork!


I had a similar case fairly recently around 6pm in a residential street with cars parked up on the opposite side to me and a usable gap every third or fourth car. I'm at http://tinyurl.com/oej4vu4 just turned into Birch Road from Cranleigh Court Road, and met a boy-racer coming the other way who - unfortunately - was as stubborn at not giving way as I was at not being forced to reverse (my street is a similar setup, and I get fedup with others who don't give way when they should, and on this occasion was feeling particularly obstructive, if I'm honest).

Anyhow, after a minute or so I backed up by a car length or so, to be opposite a gap - so as he could pull into that space and "solve the problem". Not enough for him, he literally went nose-to-nose (probably inches apart) and with a few more vehicles turning in behind me, the easiest option to break the stalemate was for me to back virtually all the way to the junction so he could "push through". I heard a shout of "that wasn't so hard was it" out of his open window, but by this point I was utterly fuming so just wanted to put distance between us. No eye contact made, no verbal retaliation and "get out of there". Fortunately my destination was only a couple of hundred yards away, but I was absolutely fuming for a good 20minutes after.

On the one-hand, the best thing is of course to defuse situations like this - but I do not like letting bullies prosper or "get their own way" if putting up a little resistance is "safe"....
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Postby waremark » Mon Jun 22, 2015 1:59 am


TripleS wrote:Was there, by any chance, an HPC event on Wednesday 13 May in NW Scotland?

I only ask because Mrs TripleS and I were tootling peacefully down the A894 heading south from Scourie that morning in our motorhome, when we were met by a number of cars being driven north in a, shall we say, 'spirited' fashion. There were two Ferraris, plus BMWs, Porsches, and a dark coloured Mercedes, the latter well onto our side of the road as he whizzed round a RH bend. Naturally I evaded him with no difficulty, 8) but it wasn't the best example of Merc. driving I've seen.

My first thought was that it was an HPC gang, but I could be quite wrong. Maybe it was a completely different set of hooligans. :lol:

Best wishes all,
Dave.

Your idea of HPC is very wrong if you think an HPC trip to an area would look anything like that. Or suit the description'set of hooligans'.
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Postby TripleS » Mon Jun 22, 2015 2:12 pm


waremark wrote:
TripleS wrote:Was there, by any chance, an HPC event on Wednesday 13 May in NW Scotland?

I only ask because Mrs TripleS and I were tootling peacefully down the A894 heading south from Scourie that morning in our motorhome, when we were met by a number of cars being driven north in a, shall we say, 'spirited' fashion. There were two Ferraris, plus BMWs, Porsches, and a dark coloured Mercedes, the latter well onto our side of the road as he whizzed round a RH bend. Naturally I evaded him with no difficulty, 8) but it wasn't the best example of Merc. driving I've seen.

My first thought was that it was an HPC gang, but I could be quite wrong. Maybe it was a completely different set of hooligans. :lol:

Best wishes all,
Dave.

Your idea of HPC is very wrong if you think an HPC trip to an area would look anything like that. Or suit the description 'set of hooligans'.


Oh dear, I think you've taken my comments to be rather more serious than I intended, Mark; but I guess my posts do sometimes have that effect. In truth I like to see a bit of spirited driving, so don't take too much notice of the 'hooligan' jibe.

Having said that, there was a reported instance a few years ago where a certain amount of trouble was alleged to have occurred during an HPC event in Scotland: IIRC it was said that there had been an incident that involved car damage, and somebody getting nicked for a driving offence.

It gives me no joy to hear of such mishaps, but I don't think any individual or group should be professing to be whiter than white at all times.
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Postby EdgarF » Mon Jun 22, 2015 5:37 pm


I remember an incident some time ago, when I was a young man - all right then, it was many years ago! I was on holiday in France when one aggressive road user decided to follow me to a car park, I presume to teach me a lesson. I might add that I am over 6 feet tall, and at the time had not on before completed the Royal Marine commando training. When I stepped out of my car, he decided to disappear fairly quickly.

Years later and nowhere near as fit and strong as I once was, but I hope a more accomplished driver, I take a subtly different approach. If someone is rude to me (and thankfully that rarely happens now), I pretend that I have just seen my best friend (them) and give them a very enthusiastic and cheery wave. It doesn't work 100% of the time, but when it does, the look of shock on their faces when they think that they have just made a rude gesture to a friend or work colleague is a joy to behold!
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