Road Rage - not my fault... I think!

Wongsky

Lum wrote: »

You're new here so won't know this, but Strider used to regularly post his dashcam videos on this forum and they used to stir up quite some debate with some people preferring to criticise Strider's driving rather than the subject of the video.

Some of those people would then bring up the videos whenever Strider posted in any thread and it seems he eventually got sick of this and stopped posting them here.

Here's an example: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-VQFEDE2Ru0

True enough, I know nothing about the form of members, here.

My point about encountering those that seemingly are affronted at the sheer audacity of being overtaken, remains, though - I have encountered them both personally, and observed it happening to other people.

As to the dash camera thing, I get that some don't like them, and I get that some people feel that those that use them, have their own flaws. All the same, though, whether there are people predisposed to them, or not, I see nothing wrong in the use of them, as a generalism - and ignoring the personalities involved, I don't get why some are so polarised against them.

I've been a member of a cycling forum for some time, and there's similar divisions about cyclists wearing helmet cams, too.

Here's the thing - before all the automation we get on the road, these days, there were more trafpol around - sometimes in unmarked. So there was a certain degree of omnipresence - or at least the threat of it. As that's very much reduced, these days, outside of falling foul of speed, sorry, safety cameras, I suspect over time, many motorists have felt more emboldened, and less observed.

Perhaps more accountability, would benefit us all.

Lum

Wongsky wrote: »

True enough, I know nothing about the form of members, here.

My point about encountering those that seemingly are affronted at the sheer audacity of being overtaken, remains, though - I have encountered them both personally, and observed it happening to other people.

I actually agree with you, was just trying to provide some background in an unbiased manner.

I know exactly what you mean though, some seem to form their own idea of what the speed limit is (e.g. NSL = 40) and then feel compelled to enforce it on everybody.

Some just seem to find that being overtaken by a woman in an L reg Nissan is like I've personally assaulted their manhood or something, and the only way they can possibly regain those lost inches is to get past me again by whatever means possible, even though beforehand they were happy to cruise at a speed slower than I wished to do.

The most common one I used to encounter when I lived in the south east was on the single carriageway A41 north of Aylesbury. You'd get a bloke in a fairly tasty car driving 6 inches off the rear bumper of a lorry that was doing 40, unable to see if it was safe to overtake, so I'd just sail past both of them. I was driving a Subaru Legacy at the time, seen as a farmers car even though mine was the twin turbo nutter version, so this would sometimes result in them overtaking the lorry in a dangerous manner and then forcing their way in front.

They did, at least, tend to do 60+ after that, so I didn't actually overtake them afterwards.. at least not until the next lorry.


I don't seem to encounter anything like this since I've moved to Wales. The slow drivers are generally happy to be overtaken and the fast drivers are generally ok with me wanting to do the speed limit, and will overtake me in a fairly sensible manner and disappear into the distance without incident.

cyclonebri1

LincolnshireYokel wrote: »

But i wasnt.

i made a post pointing out the benefits of putting dashcam front and back You then posted




So for a start, i had expanded the discussion, pointing out the advantages of dashcams, and reasons why they are useful, especially in accidents and scams.

You then make the above post, which contains the accusation im a bad driver, lets just repeat that



So, you attempt to belittle my contribution (by using the word 'ranting', which is designed to belittle by implying my post has no informational worth), and then you attempt to smear me and imply, on no evidence whatsoever, im a bad driver.

Suggest you apologise for your unpleasant attitude. Its people like you drive new posters away.

It's not my fault you are angry, you need to consider that carefully

I've used the word "sorry" twice so far in my replies to you, accept that as an apology, or be the arrogant fool you seem to be.

The belittlement you describe was after an assassination attempt on me with your very exited rantings that has absolutely nothing factual about my post, read again.

I'm going to repeat again, you are a prime target, or perpetrator of road rage, key word, attitude, you used it I didn't.

I don't have road rage issues, you do, ask yourself why.

Won't reply to you again but if you want the final word then go ahead.
But you have to remember you called me either stupid or obtuse and also moronic, that's attitude for you.

Gavin83

I think it's a bit unreasonable to assume some people attract trouble and others don't. While some people's driving style might anger other drivers it's perfectly reasonable to suggest road rage incidents could happen to anyone. After all some people have serious anger issues.

I've never been involved in any road rage problems or crashes but I wouldn't rule out a dashcam. They're clearly extremely useful in the right situations. I'd compare it to having a home alarm.

cyclonebri1

Gavin83 wrote: »

I think it's a bit unreasonable to assume some people attract trouble and others don't. While some people's driving style might anger other drivers it's perfectly reasonable to suggest road rage incidents could happen to anyone. After all some people have serious anger issues.

I've never been involved in any road rage problems or crashes but I wouldn't rule out a dashcam. They're clearly extremely useful in the right situations. I'd compare it to having a home alarm.

:T:T:T
Go to the top of the class, that is the issue.:T:T:T

And your other point about you not having road rage issues is exactly what I said in the beginning, and almost every other poster has said. Your not excluded from it, but if you drives sensibly then it's less likely.

Lum

Road rage issues can indeed happen to anybody. All that is being suggested here by some posters is that if it is happening to you at a rate significantly higher than average, maybe you could look at your own driving.

These incidents are still inexcusable and I hope that everyone who tailgates or otherwise bullies or takes out their aggression is eventually caught and punished, but I still view trying not to annoy other road users as being the same kind of precaution as when I decide not to walk alone in certain areas of Newport late at night. I shouldn't have to do that, but I do anyway as it's safer.

I can see why people object to statements like this, it's getting dangerously close to victim-blaming. But I'm trying to put this forward as something you can do to protect yourself in the future rather than criticising things you've done in the past.

If, of course, you don't care about the aggressive actions of others and feel perfectly safe to ignore them while sat in your little metal box with lockable doors, then feel free to carry on as before.

Just hope that you don't eventually wind up someone enough that they put your windows through and/or try to ram you off the road, because when that happens it is utterly terrifying. It happened to my GF when she got home one day and interrupted a gang of criminals trying to steal my car.

Lum

cyclonebri1 wrote: »

Lum, I apologise if I had you for a chap chapess.

But I think we are in sinc, ps, you need to change your username or be more femine in your replies.

There, I made my avatar purple instead of red, how is that?
Purple hair is awesome anyway.

Lirin

I could give a few incidents over the years of poor driving- but the funniest had to be when I pulled into the left hand lane at a set of lights. There were three lanes, middle and right going forward. As soon as I stopped at the lights, the woman in the middle lane- in a beemer, this was when they did 'own the road' started beeping and shouting at me. Wound my window down- apparantly, even though she was sitting in the wrong lane, made no attempt to let everyone know she was in the wrong lane, and had the usual missing indicators, I was supposed to know I was in 'her' lane, and was in her way! I just wound my window back up and left her to it.


The problem with aggravating drivers- if their driving is unpredictable, so may be their mood. I don't want someone acting dangerously towards me- I'd rather think they're an idiot and move away from them.

Over the years, it's possible to spot when someone may be a problem- the way they have been driving, etc. It's learning to spot a potential hazard too. I'm teaching DSD to drive, and she can't quite grasp that other people may drive like rubbish. It isn't watching the road and the car in front of you, it's watching another five cars in front of that, and behind, and beside or coming out of junctions- you can't get complacent.

Yes, when I was younger, I did occasionally react to an aggressive driver- now I just prefer to move away and minimise any risk.

There are defined groups which are more likely to act in certain ways- not everyone reacts like that, but you need a general basis to work from.

Lirin

Sorry, by the way, I'm usually a lurker on this section!

cyclonebri1

Lum wrote: »

There, I made my avatar purple instead of red, how is that?
Purple hair is awesome anyway.

Avatar??, didn't know this forum showed them? or at best I can't see them?