Unprovoked road rage car vs bike - Ngunnawal
- Ross
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Unprovoked road rage car vs bike - Ngunnawal
Postby Ross » Mon May 10, 2010 6:28 pm
I was then abused by a motorist (male probably under 30yo) driving a green VN or VP Commodore sedan. He started going on about how I was unlicenced and unregoed and to GTFO the road or next time he would run me over and hoped he'd scared me by screeching his tyres. He also reckons I was slowing traffic down during peak hour (Ngunnawal is just a suburb, not like it's the city centre - I think 3 other cars went past during our 'discussion'). It seemed to me he was slowing the traffic down while he was stopped at the roundabout abusing me.
I must admit I let fly a few four letter words back at him but then things were escalating and it looked like violence might be about to start so seeing as how I'm a worse fighter than I am a bike mechanic I decided to keep quiet. This seemed to satisfy Mr Green Commodore because he drove off in the opposite direction down Bargang Cres, still yelling abuse and threats at me.
It was about 5.30pm, just going on dark but not completely dark. I had a PB SF light flashing on the rear and my AYUPs flashing on the front and wearing white, maroon and red jersey and knicks so I don't see how he could not see me.
I don't see that I provoked this attack in the first place, sure I reacted back, but he started it for no apparent reason. This is the first encouter like this I've had. I've had a few people drive a bit too close and the odd d!ckhead throw stuff at me but nothing like this. Makes me want to go out and buy a gun.
http://maps.google.com.au/maps?f=q&sour ... 08776&z=16
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Re: Unprovoked road rage car vs bike - Ngunnawal
Postby m@ » Mon May 10, 2010 6:48 pm
Sounds like you handled it well.
Two possibilities spring to mind... maybe he didn't see you until the last minute, panicked and skidded then shot his mouth off while the adrenaline was flowing - or maybe the skid was intentional and he was just a tool. Either way I reckon you did the best thing by letting him have the last word - you can't win arguing with an aggro idiot.
Did you get his plate? Always hard to do in the heat of the moment!
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Re: Unprovoked road rage car vs bike - Ngunnawal
Postby mrgolf » Mon May 10, 2010 8:54 pm
As for future strategies, I would try to remain calm enough to get his plate. My strategy is to keep my phone handy and set to video so if a knob like that tries that kind of crap, I can film him, making sure I get his rego. It would make the guy mad as hell, but short of assaulting you and destroying a phone in public, he would be in deep doo doo.
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Re: Unprovoked road rage car vs bike - Ngunnawal
Postby vinvin » Mon May 10, 2010 8:55 pm
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Re: Unprovoked road rage car vs bike - Ngunnawal
Postby casual_cyclist » Tue May 11, 2010 12:44 am
Glad it didn't end badly. I doubt you did anything to provoke the attack. I see people do stupid things on the road all the time (not saying you did anything stupid or wrong) but the normal reaction of drivers is to just tolerate it. I see lots of stupid behaviour but rarely any reaction. I might get the occasional beep from motorists but I have never seen a motorist yelling at a cyclist like that. I would say it is quite unusual which would put the motorist "at fault" so to speak, rather than you or anything you may have or may not have done.Ross wrote:I don't see that I provoked this attack in the first place, sure I reacted back, but he started it for no apparent reason. This is the first encounter like this I've had. I've had a few people drive a bit too close and the odd d!ckhead throw stuff at me but nothing like this.
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Re: Unprovoked road rage car vs bike - Ngunnawal
Postby twizzle » Tue May 11, 2010 7:02 am
...real cyclists don't have squeaky chains...
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Re: Unprovoked road rage car vs bike - Ngunnawal
Postby Ross » Tue May 11, 2010 7:30 pm
Not that I think the cops would do anything if I did. A couple of years ago a small bunch of about 6 or so riders I know got mowed down by a car on Cotter Rd (at the Tuggeranong Parkway overpass) and the driver kept going. I was riding in a different bunch and came across the carnage less than a minute after it happened. Broken bikes and people strewn all over the road. A witness in another car got the rego details and gave them to the cops who seemingly reluctantly went to interview the offender and he claimed he "didn't see them" yet all the riders had lights and were in the bike lane and the cops just left at that and didn't charge the guy.
Another story I heard today about another cyclist having been run down and the cops were called and they just told him basically to HTFU and hop on his bike and go home. He explained that his bike was trashed and unrideable because a CAR HAD JUST RUN IT OVER (not to mention his cuts and bruises) but the cop just shrugged his shoulders and said he (the cyclist) shouldn't of been there!
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Re: Unprovoked road rage car vs bike - Ngunnawal
Postby twizzle » Tue May 11, 2010 7:40 pm
...real cyclists don't have squeaky chains...
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Re: Unprovoked road rage car vs bike - Ngunnawal
Postby Steve D » Thu May 27, 2010 7:54 pm
Is this typical of bike/car relationships in Aus? .... I'm thinking of moving there from UK and considering Hervey Bay or Canberra area. I've summised from areas elsewhere on this site that Hervey Bay isn't a great place for road riding but thought (through internet reading only) that Canberra was well geared up (excuse the pun) for it? Would welcome opinions. Cheers.twizzle wrote:But, did you get his rego?
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Re: Unprovoked road rage car vs bike - Ngunnawal
Postby mrgolf » Thu May 27, 2010 9:50 pm
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Re: Unprovoked road rage car vs bike - Ngunnawal
Postby twizzle » Thu May 27, 2010 9:56 pm
...real cyclists don't have squeaky chains...
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Re: Unprovoked road rage car vs bike - Ngunnawal
Postby Steve D » Thu May 27, 2010 10:07 pm
Cheers. Seems comparable to where I live then.mrgolf wrote:Mate, I have just passed 5000kms around Canberra for the year to date. I have had maybe 10 altercations with cars over that distance/time. I actually think Canberra is pretty safe on the road. You always have a proportion of the community who are complete tosspots, but thats life anywhere.
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Re: Unprovoked road rage car vs bike - Ngunnawal
Postby mrgolf » Thu May 27, 2010 10:24 pm
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Re: Unprovoked road rage car vs bike - Ngunnawal
Postby Steve D » Thu May 27, 2010 11:40 pm
Sounds spot on!mrgolf wrote:In terms of actual riding, drivers aside, Canberra is awesome. We have just about everything from big climbs to scenic routes to long flats.
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Re: Unprovoked road rage car vs bike - Ngunnawal
Postby ifixbikes » Fri May 28, 2010 6:42 am
I have done just over 6500 so far this year and had only one near incident. I ride 90 bike paths and 10% minor roads.
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