Getting startled whilst commuting
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Getting startled whilst commuting
Postby gretaboy » Thu Feb 23, 2012 1:01 pm
I have had people yell out, engines drop a gear and horns blasted with what I can only assume is the sole purpose of trying to startle me or make me crash. The worst of it is that they usually get me too, as I am simply concentrating on how my body is feeling, what the traffic in front and to the side of me is doing..not expecting some idiot from behind.
The amazing thing, well maybe not, is that 99% of the idiots doing this have a red or green P plate showing. I rarely get someone without a P plate doing it.
As of yet, I have not been able to catch up to one of them, and even if I did I am not sure if I would say too much as the youth of today seem to be willing to punch on without much thought, especially if there are a couple of them present.
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Re: Getting startled whilst commuting
Postby MikeyD360 » Thu Feb 23, 2012 2:08 pm
Usually if someone is yelling abuse or beeping the horn all I will hear is;
Wind wind wind wind "STUP-" wind wind wind wind
It's definitely something to be wary of as the last thing you want to do is be surprised into losing control and falling into traffic.
If it's happening often enough I would recommend investing in a camera and videoing your rides so you can report dangerous idiots to the police.
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Re: Getting startled whilst commuting
Postby gretaboy » Thu Feb 23, 2012 2:22 pm
I think it is good insurance for any potential future accidents. Cameras would be pointed slightly inwards towards the road too in order to ensure the licence plat was picked up.
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Re: Getting startled whilst commuting
Postby CommuRider » Thu Feb 23, 2012 2:55 pm
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Re: Getting startled whilst commuting
Postby Xplora » Thu Feb 23, 2012 5:35 pm
If you're a pacificist, or general nice guy, just get a camera and report them to the cops. Over and over again. Do NOT advertise the camera. These people are imbeciles, so they might take it as an invitation to escalate.gretaboy wrote:I have this happen to me nearly once a week and mainly in the afternoons.
If you are getting buzzed every week, you have to take action. Definitely pay more attention to the road, because I don't really get that much crap and I am REALLY hogging up some space. I'm psycho aggressive though, so it is clear from my riding that they shouldn't mess with me. I will successfully chase cars as well if they start something LOL
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Re: Getting startled whilst commuting
Postby waramatt » Thu Feb 23, 2012 6:51 pm
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Re: Getting startled whilst commuting
Postby Mulger bill » Thu Feb 23, 2012 8:19 pm
It seems this pic was taken a fraction of a second before the snapper was clipped, sound familiar?
Some may even say it demonstrates something of the subjects mental capacity and state, but I wouldn't...
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Re: Getting startled whilst commuting
Postby gretaboy » Fri Feb 24, 2012 8:33 am
Xplora, the roads I am on are on average 80-100 k's/hr...I ride on the shoulder which in most cases is wide but filthy with debris due to speed of the cars/trucks. In a few areas I am forced onto the edge of the left lane, but to date have not had issues at these points as the speed limit is 100. I certainly pay attention to the road as the slightest mistake at the speed the cars/trucks are going will cause my death.Xplora wrote:If you're a pacificist, or general nice guy, just get a camera and report them to the cops. Over and over again. Do NOT advertise the camera. These people are imbeciles, so they might take it as an invitation to escalate.gretaboy wrote:I have this happen to me nearly once a week and mainly in the afternoons.
If you are getting buzzed every week, you have to take action. Definitely pay more attention to the road, because I don't really get that much crap and I am REALLY hogging up some space. I'm psycho aggressive though, so it is clear from my riding that they shouldn't mess with me. I will successfully chase cars as well if they start something LOL
It seems like it is a sport to these young kids.
One example - I was chugging up a hill, at this point the road is sign posted as 90k, I am on the shoulder and not interfering with the traffic, yet a P plater in a crappy hyundi excel decides to drop a gear, causing his engine to scream loudly whilst his passenger hangs out the window screaming. The first I knew anything was when the engine screamed loudly next to me. The smiles on the idiots faces showed it was done on purpose. Coming from behind, having lots of traffic going by..I dont know what else I could have done to be "aware" of what their stupid intentions were.
As I have stated before...this issue seems to only come from P platers.
I will be getting cameras front and back for my safety and protection. I know it is only time before something bad occurs which is sad. I can try and control my actions but can't do anything re others out there.
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Re: Getting startled whilst commuting
Postby gavinr » Fri Feb 24, 2012 11:16 am
I was in a (not active) bus lane, which is the inner lane of three in this stretch of road. I keep an eye on the mirror in this section, most traffic doesn't get into the bus lane but you get the occasional person turning left so it's good to be aware. Checked, nothing behind me, look again about 5s or so later and I see a car zooming toward me in my lane. This guy wasn't there before, he's definitely pulled over to get in behind me. I start to move to the left, as I do the car pulls out slightly, drops into bottom gear and screams past me at about 100dB.
Yes, I could see his P plate clearly visible as he shot off down the road.
Quite scary really. I wasn't expecting it at all.
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Re: Getting startled whilst commuting
Postby teak81 » Sat Feb 25, 2012 1:01 pm
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Re: Getting startled whilst commuting
Postby KonaCommuter » Sat Feb 25, 2012 4:04 pm
I feel uncomfortable if I’m not riding with at least one camera recording.
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Re: Getting startled whilst commuting
Postby Crawf » Sat Feb 25, 2012 9:02 pm
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Re: Getting startled whilst commuting
Postby MikeyD360 » Sat Feb 25, 2012 10:30 pm
If only - the unfortunate part about non-cyclist morons like this is that regardless of what reaction they get they will drive off thinking they are a hero to the people and deserve the order of australia medal.Crawf wrote:by doing so they will feel like a d*ck and realise they just wasted their time and effort along with looking like a tool to surrounding road users.
How much would you love to ride with a paintball gun over your shoulder and just unload a few into the car when you get to the next red light
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Getting startled whilst commuting
Postby Max » Sun Feb 26, 2012 7:41 am
No, they won't. The people who do this sort of stuff don't feel any empathy towards the people they harass.Crawf wrote:.. they will feel like a d*ck
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Re: Getting startled whilst commuting
Postby waramatt » Sun Feb 26, 2012 11:52 am
+1 to what Max said. Apart from other factors, most P-platers are in their teens using brains that still have wiring issues......Max wrote:No, they won't. The people who do this sort of stuff don't feel any empathy towards the people they harass.Crawf wrote:.. they will feel like a d*ck
Max
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Re: Getting startled whilst commuting
Postby Comedian » Sun Feb 26, 2012 1:56 pm
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Re: Getting startled whilst commuting
Postby Mulger bill » Sun Feb 26, 2012 7:56 pm
Can't argue with thatComedian wrote:I find a mirror means I'm rarely surprised by people passing.
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Re: Getting startled whilst commuting
Postby blossy84 » Sun Feb 26, 2012 9:14 pm
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Re: Getting startled whilst commuting
Postby MikeyD360 » Sun Feb 26, 2012 11:09 pm
Bonus - use the adrenalin to beat your PB for that section of rideblossy84 wrote:It happened to me last night. I was riding on the path next to the road going in opposite direction to the traffic next to me and some people scream at me out the window of their car as they drove past. Just to scare me I suppose and it worked. I jumped.
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Re: Getting startled whilst commuting
Postby Aenveigh » Mon Feb 27, 2012 9:45 pm
anyway, they got stuck at the next set of lights after trying to bypass on the left of the other cars already queued, I rolled up in the gutter and asked the passenger if he knew me.
He was ever so polite... I know I probably shouldn't have confronted them but they were clearly astonished and guilty that I had and showed them up for the young kids being stupid they were. Hopefully they'll refrain from such behaviour in the future... fingers crossed...
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Re: Getting startled whilst commuting
Postby Big_Red » Tue Feb 28, 2012 2:37 am
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Re: Getting startled whilst commuting
Postby gretaboy » Tue Feb 28, 2012 9:01 am
other non P plate drivers may honk or cut you off, but I have found in my own personal experiences they dont go out of their way to try and startle you
I guess respect for others has gone out the window or is it simply that this "group" are simply brain dead and have the "small things amuse small minds" disease
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Re: Getting startled whilst commuting
Postby AussieCJ7 » Tue Feb 28, 2012 4:17 pm
So while there is no excuse for either side abusing someone do take a moment to consider if your actions contributed to their frustration as the solution is mutual respect and I know I have seen both sides of it and rarely is both parties 100% innocent
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Re: Getting startled whilst commuting
Postby trailgumby » Tue Feb 28, 2012 8:56 pm
Reason is, once you are a little more experienced you will understand that your comments don;t have a real basis in fact. The exception to the prohibition on passing on the left that is explicitly granted to bicycle riders in the road rules is clearly intended by the law makers to encourage lane splitting and moving to the head of traffic by cyclists.
One reason drivers get frustrated is that the sheer volume of single-occupant cars that chokes the road so much they are unable to pass fluidly. If there were more bikes and less cars, the traffic would be less and flow would be better.
The second reason of course is jealousy - they hate seeing someone get an advantage - it diminishes their "big".
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Re: Getting startled whilst commuting
Postby AussieCJ7 » Wed Feb 29, 2012 8:46 am
Anyway regardless of the law lane splitting does have an impact on the flow of traffic and this causes a level of frustration regardless of if it is justified or not
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