Road Rage

[photomike666]

I had one tailgating me on the western ring road last month (not a place to speed), so I overtook a car at 120kph (the arsehole followed suit) pulled in front of it and slowed down to 100k and he only went and did the same still at a very unsafe distance. When we reached the off ramp for the M1 I sped up to about 170kph (nice sweeping right), slowed to 100k and filed into traffic with no sign of the tailgater.

Sometimes makes me want to see just how blood resistant the kevlar knuckle protectors on my gloves are

[MadFab]

all you people drink way too much coffee !
it has never happened to me , i have never suffered from road rage or been a victim of it !

maybe i am just lucky.

fab

[bonester]

I had an old woman try and push me into oncoming traffic last week- came right up my arse, then overtook on the inside (4 lane road and I was turning right at the next lights) and when I was level with her driver door tried to push me into the other side of the road. I was with a student at the time (was waiting for them to catch up) and gave her the 'you're a lunatic symbol' and raised fist at the next lights, then she did the same to me- had I been an inexperienced motorcyclist I may have came off.....she REALLY tried to kill me when all she had to do was overtake in a safe manner if I was going too slow for her. I wonder how many more motorcyclists she has treated to the same dangerous actions?
I haven't decided my course of actions should I meet her again- I have her numberplate and fully intend to have a frank discussion with her about her actions when I find her....I live in a small town. Won't take long....
Might have been coz I was riding my 250 Spada at the time- you get no respect on a two fiddy- maybe if I was on the 1200 I might have got a different response?

[ttc]

bonester, she have nice mirrors?

[Cath]

I was an insane road rager when driving. I remember picking up a club lock in my defence in one incident (shades of Jerry Springer). Moving from a V8 to a diesel slowed things down a little, but I just became a different sort of road prick.

Throwing my leg over a bike caused an instant attitude change. I occasionally find my anger rising, but rarely, and I manage it immediately now. Riding while angry... it just doesn't make sense. Yeah, you'll get away with it often, but it doesn't do wonders for your judgement and one day you'll cause yourself some grief.

My new approach (yeah, it's not *fair* or *right*, but it works for my stress levels - not saying it's for everyone): If a car merges into my lane, 99.9% of the time, *I* was positioned incorrectly. Realistically, a car won't see me, so I have to look out for myself and place myself in the lane in relation to other cars appropriately. Taking mirrors out, or abusing people will just get them angry, anti-bikes and busy justifying their actions in their heads - and then you'll complain about cager's attitudes, forgetting you've been part of the cause not part of the solution. And a proportion of them will be unstable enough to use their car to take revenge on you. Much better to ride defensively, don't indulge in anger (how old are we?) and remember that a quick twist of the wrist will not only get you quickly out of trouble, but make your smile increase as the joy of acceleration gets to you.

[bonester]

bonester, she have nice mirrors?

Yup she did.....early ninetees Subaru Liberty......things would have been much different if I wasn't working at the time....
Her attitude was what worried me most- she was quite pleased with herself that she put MY life in danger....my fuse was nearly blown, and I have a hell of a long fuse.....
Got a problem with someone who tries to kill me, then enjoys it.

[Neka79]

i dont have too many incidents..did have 1 a few yrs back in a small town which i posted on here, but i ussually try to avoid it by being clear of all vehicles, and trying to predict their movements....
i have a few times tho pulled up beside a car who's cut me off & and tapped the side mirror and said things like "u might try looking in here b4 u merge" and such, and shaking my head..i like to make eye contact,to show them im a real person on the bike...

[Felix]

Bonester, I'd actually report that to the cops...but it helps that Miss Felix is known to some very senior Plods through her work with Crime Prevention...

Tonight was the worst drive I have had in a long time. One car just couldn't bear the thought of having anyone get in front of him. He'd slow down going up hills, but as soon as I got level with him, or as soon as he realised I was going to go past him - zoom! he found the accelerator. I couldn't give a stuff if I followed him the whole night, but why couldn't he just keep a consistent damn speed?

Then at the bottom of the range, a guy in a magna overtakes a truck in the begining of the 100 zone, doing 95 with me and the tosser from above coming behind in the right hand lane. I flash him to move over and he does. I get level and he too suddenly finds the throttle, accelerates up to around 120 and nearly rear ends a car on the first bend. What do these idiots think they have to prove?

The scary thing is, you can just about hear these jokers thinking...

Never, ever will I leave brisbane that early, I will wait for the traffic to clear.

[photomike666]

I understand that bikes are less visable than cages, even with my bright LEDs and high vis jacket, and they pull into my space sometimes. That I can handle, as I have enough acceleration and brakes to get out of the way. What bugs me is tailgaters.

If you're tailgated in a cage and you brake and they hit you there'll be damage and maybe you'll have a couple weeks of whiplash - on a bike you're dead. It drives me nuts.

[aardvark]

If you want to see how road users should use the road, drive in Germany. Their road etiquette is amazing. If they are in the fast lane and someone faster comes up behind them, they move over well before the faster car gets there.

I did not hear one horn being blasted, see any one cut anyone off or come across any road rage whilst I was there.

[Frank]

Sydney is a dangerous place to be on the road in anything!

Last month- in my car I honked a guy for doing 20 in a 70 zone. He promptly followed me for 15 minutes, screaming abuse, trying to overtake (driving on the median strip) and throwing spark plugs at my car (hit the driver's window.) When he ran out of plugs, he drove alongside and tried to sideswipe me

On my bike, I take a deep breath, and fang it to (relative) safety. There are some people who should be locked up behind those wheels

Richard I must have met the same guy, he followed me for nearly 10 km yelling abuse and promising to to cut my throat the whole time, I just smiled and waved, it just seemed to make him more agressive.

The worst was my first week on a bike just after I got my licence, got cut off and run off the road in the space of an afternoon, it was almost enough to make me sell the bike ! I mean I know you become invisible when you jump on a bike but this was just stupid.

[the kid]

Driving home on the west gate freeway last night some tosser in a rav4 is doing the lane change thing without enough room . Drops in front of me after a 2 lane change so close that the guy he has cut across touches his brakes , good move on a freeway at 110 with a fair bit of traffic around .I flashed the lights at him so he lets go the wheel and claps his hands at me . Another couple of kays further along he goes for another gap that isnt there and couldnt fit so abandons that move . A real ar sole . Funniest thing tho about 10min later he comes past on beach road . All his push and shove got him home no faster , just made everyone elses drive home from work a bit more stressfull .

[Jonno]

I posted one instance here a few months ago, I was entering the M1 at the Gold Coast one arvo when this car just crossed a few lanes and cut into the on ramp merge lane, I fortunatly braked and avoided it. Anyway I am going to give this wanker what for, pull up beside him just as his girlfriend lifts her head from his lap and wipes her mouth
I was instantly transformed from rage into a big grin and rode off shaking my head (the one in the helmet thankyou)
Funny now but I really though he was going to clean me up.

[HemiDuty]

I had a funny one occur on friday. I was diving in the ridiculous peak hour traffic on Kessels RD, with my bike on the trailer behind me, and I see the truck infront of me lock the trailer brakes for a second and then speed up. So I think stuff this, I don't have great brakes with this trailer on, and changed lanes into the right hand lane. I was starting to go past the truck when he starts cutting into my lane and speeding up whilst yelling abuse at this guy in a porsche, who obviously must have cut him off before. He is just going off full tilt at this tool in the porsche (who is ignoring him), but unfortunately oblivious to me. I remember wishing the porsche fool would just wave sorry or something so this truck wouldn't squash me, but he didn't care at all. Just too damn rich to lower himself to interact with a lowly truck driver I guess...

[Neka79]

yea i wish ppl were more polite and cuteous on the road, would make life so much less stressful...
i ALWAYS try to b polite in the car,dont tailgate,dont cut ppl off, let ppl merge,thank them if they let me in etc...makes me feel a lil nicer abt myself...