How often do you experience aggressive drivers?

[onlyJaz]

I was going to put this in the "New Bikers" section because that's what I am but I figured it could just raise a general discussion - mods, please move if incorrect section!

I'm fairly new to riding, I probably have 15 hours of experience (including CBT) which is nothing really, but I am perfectly fine with road awareness being a driver since 17yrs old.


If you don't want to read everything below - A car was dangerously tailgaiting me through a road and roundabout because I was "riding in front" of her..

Yesterday, I went for a ride to my gym for the first time around 8pm, usually I ride for the sake of experience around 10pm. I am not confident enough to do any tight filtering but when it's safe, for now I do filter to the front of the traffic lights (if possible).

So yeah yesterday I went to the front of a small queue and as I got near the front, the light turned green so I calmly and swiftly went through and continued on my way. This is the light https://bit.ly/2ez7tSR - 30 seconds later I realised this 2013 VW Golf (who was first in the traffic queue back there) was so close behind me yet there was a car in front of me and the road has not split in to 2 lanes yet. Safe to say I felt uncomfortable but I didn't want to go into the gutter and risk this woman doing a dangerous overtake (Thoughts on this? Considering the road layout with cars parked).

Got to the roundabout now and there was an Audi at the front of the queue, the Golf behind it, I pulled up in front but on the side of the Audi who started creeping forward so I figured he was in no mood to give me way so I let him through and low and behold, in a 3-lane roundabout now the Golf is now dangerously close to me, all I could see were her bright lights in my mirrors, I didn't want to make any sudden changes because she was unpredictable but I indicated and shifted over and she finally did the overtake she was itching to do. She must have been so proud that she finally got around this slow plonker with L-plates right? Wrong, in comes more traffic and she's at a standstill again. So me, using my riding privileges, filter and catch up to her (she only got 3 cars ahead )

I stop next to her and she tries moving forward which I found hilarious as she could only move 1 metre, so I flip my visor and ask her to put her window down, she was in her 20s and I tell her that she didn't need to drive that close to me, and ask what her problem is.... Her explanation... "You are riding in front of me".... Maybe she thought I should behave like a cyclist or maybe she just didn't have a good reason for driving like a prat only to get stuck in traffic again.

It didn't escalate thankfully and she just said "okay" and I thought no point dragging it, and I stalled nicely as I tried to pull away which I'm sure she found funny but oh well, I filtered through the rest of that traffic and went on my way, while she was sitting there.

Now I'm happy to take criticism, I'm still a newbie and trying to increase my confidence. More often than not, I know we won't always get a chance to speak to these aggressive drivers and it's better that way, I wasn't harmed and that's the main thing. But this was my first time doing a journey for a purpose and I experience that - So how often do you guys experience it and any tips on dealing with it?

[bigdom86]

it happens, I had a car "accidentally" touch his bumper against my left leg as we were leaving the traffic lights. gave him a quick glance, he looked quite nervous and once we got to the next set of reds he sat a good 5-10m behind me

[tom_e]

Rarely.

I could probably count on 1 hand the amount of times I've come across one in the 2 years I've been riding.

[Beehive Bedlam]

Get rid of the Loser plates and get a bike what can obliterate their shit box.

Edit - I would have dragged her out with the hair at the lights and given her a good deep fucking over the bonet that she deserves.

[Wonko The Sane]

I had someone let his car roll into my bike slightly (despite it being up hill) a few mins after I'd filtered to the front of him (he was texting as I carefully passed and slotted into a large gap he'd left in front of him.

he shrugged his shoulders and both hands up in a 'what/oops, sorry' gesture

could feel the car against the bike but everything happy and stable

scraped a bit of melted bumper off my exhaust after it had cooled
____________________
Looking to pass your CBT / Bike tests in Bury Lancashire? try www.focusridertraining.co.uk Would recommend.
They're also on Facebook https://www.facebook.com/pages/Focus-Rider-Training/196832923734251

[carpe_diem]

Aggressive? Not too often, although sometimes twats will steam in front of me to then drive at the speed limit and gain precisely nothing from doing so. Carelessly? Often. They're always pulling out without indicating, stopping suddenly or veering into my line without looking. Some twat yesterday pulled out without indicating, drove at about 6mph, chucked a load of fucking tab ends out of the window (which naturally I then had to ride through as the wind blew them all over me) and then roared off in his little BMW.

[Beehive Bedlam]

[stinkwheel]

Yes, I've seen it several times.

Usually someone in a "prestige" car doing it to someone on L-plates. Presumably because they got the deeds to the road included in the price.

I've twice intervened when my wife was on L-plates and had someone agressively tailgating her. Once someone in a range-rover, the other in a high-end audi.

On both occasions I inserted my much larger, louder self and bike into the tiny gap they were leaving and slowed down to increase said gap.

If they try it on me, I often give the bars a gentle wobble from side to side, this makes the back end of the bike shimmy alarmingly and looks like you're going to fall off (and damage their car). A simple wave back with an open palm can also do the trick.

If you feel they are dangerously close, the highway code recommends slowing down or stopping.
____________________
“Rule one: Always stick around for one more drink. That's when things happen. That's when you find out everything you want to know.”
I did the 2010 Round Britain Rally on my 350 Bullet. 89 landmarks, 3 months, 9,500 miles.

[Amber Phoenix]

Yeah it happens. On my daily London commute, I usually come across a couple each day. Be it those deliberately moving over to prevent you filtering, those getting arsey because you've cut in front of them whilst they're sat at a red light, to those who just think a biggish bike is fair game for a drag race.

However, riding home last night was particularly bad. A13 (gridlocked as usual) had no end of people positioning themselves to block you filtering. Many moving over to block as I approached. Had to slow right down, take it super cautiously.

At first I thought it maybe just the darkening nights and see of lights in peoples mirrors. But I got thinking later after I saw all the stupid Halloween antics of idiots on bikes causing havoc in London and Leeds all over the press and tabloids. Is all this crappy press causing retaliation and crappy reactions towards all bikers?
____________________
Beginner Biker Adventures Blog
Yamaha FZ6 S2 2007

[SophR so good]

Out of interest, what was the speed limit of the road, how fast did you get off from the lights, how fast were you going?

A golf is the kind of car that is driven by someone who will be going 10mph+ above the speed limit everywhere all the time, it can be frustrating to be ready to go and then have someone cut in front of you and go slower (similar to if someone pulls out from a side road). Not saying what she did was right, but there are certain kinds of cars that I'd maybe not filter in front of if you're going to go at or below the speed limit. Golfs, Civics, all Audis, modded Focus...
____________________
You win again, gravity! - Zap Brannigan, BCF BBQ 2016

[stinkwheel]

Nah. This is statistically the worst period for dangerous and inattentive driving. Early November, just after the clocks change.

People are out at work an hour later (and so are driving when their body clock expects them to be eating), they're driving home in either the dark or with a low sun. All driving skills such as observation, use of headlights and ability to judge speed and distance seem to go out of the window.
____________________
“Rule one: Always stick around for one more drink. That's when things happen. That's when you find out everything you want to know.”
I did the 2010 Round Britain Rally on my 350 Bullet. 89 landmarks, 3 months, 9,500 miles.

[ToGGoT]

I haven't had it on the bike - wonder if there is something about a scruffy as hell K100 that makes people think "I'd rather not" - but i've had it in the work car before (Shitty little Toyota)

Came off a roundabout with a white van in the filter lane to my left - had 300yds to merge left and turn off, but the van driver just decided he wasn't going to let me, and was playing a game of speed up - slow down to prevent me coming in - was grinning and giving me hand signals after i gave up and did the loop again. Just decided he was a tard.


I know my brother had an experience on his commute in Plymouth a couple of years back though - riding a big R100GS with panniers, filtered through the traffic and stopped just infront of a LWB transit - guy must have taken offence at something because when they pulled away he switched to the left lane, came up beside him and then tried to move back into the space bro was taking up - car infront and behind, and concrete barrier to his right. Bro hit the horn a couple of times but the van kept moving over so he booted the side of the van as hard as he could with his crosser boot, the van swerved back and bro hit the throttle and split the lanes to leave the guy behind.

There are some psychos out there.

T
____________________
2005 BMW R1150R

[bozla]

I come across 1 every 6 weeks or so. It always occurs after filtering. The car drivers in question are wrong but you won't be able to put them right. They are also dangerous so don't antagonize them, just move on and get on with your life.

[dodsi]

Filtering is a funny one really, some people take massive exception to it - unnecessarily I hasten to add.

Unless you stand to gain a reasonable time/ground doing it, its generally not worth doing for a number of reasons. Like in fairly free flowing traffic, if you are say in a 30mph zone and people are basically doing 30mph between roundabouts/junctions and then there is only a small and short (time) queue between each one its safer to just go with the flow of traffic than start to piss people off who may react badly. I'm not saying they are just in reacting like twats to you trying to make progress - usually people react like twats because they are twats. You did right not to try and police said driver on the basis you only stand to loose out on either a bit of time engaging with an idiot or potentially more severe outcomes like them deciding to knock you off your bike.

I encounter bellend drivers a lot on the roads a lot, but having previously got very angry at them and spent my time driving fuming at this/that/the other I now just sit back, give space and do whatever I can to avoid them whether its find a space to overtake quickly if its a granny driving at 16mph in a 30/40 zone or dropping back a massive distance if somebody is driving erratically on the motorway.

I witnessed this for instance: -

https://www.thesun.co.uk/news/2052898/hair-raising-moment-idiot-bmw-driver-weaves-in-and-out-of-traffic-at-high-speed-on-the-m1/

Wife was driving and she saw them in the mirror miles back, and dropped to the left lane, slowed down and seperated us with miles of room back from this driver and other people they were 'passing'.

[owl]

[MarkJ]

It happens to me every now and then, but no more than it does in the car. Doesn't happen from me filtering though, as if i'm doing that I'm off like a shot (might be difficult on a 125). As mentioned above, if you're on L plates that won't be helping.

It generally doesn't bother me when people tailgate, so long as the road is in decent condition and I'm not trying to avoid hazards or deal with a poor road surface. On the occasion I'd like them to back off, I'll turn a full 180 degrees to look behind and stare right at them. Works a treat.
https://s-media-cache-ak0.pinimg.com/564x/9c/4e/d7/9c4ed7a845dbe3577a28008be3425ac7.jpg

Don't do that if you can't ride in a straight line while looking backwards obviously. If you bin it doing this it's your fault

Don't bother trying to argue with them, you can't educate pork.

[el_oso]

When I used to work, I got beeped at almost daily. Usually for being on the wrong side of the road. Usually when I filter I position myself in the middle of the road on the right (when there's nothing coming the other way). I feel safer there as I can usually see further ahead and gives me more time to react to pedestrians stepping out between the traffic. The trouble is the cagers going to opposite direction. They can obviously see me travelling straight towards them and will often get beeped or flashed even when there's about 100 metres between us.

When I've got cars right up my chuff I'll usually just indicate, pull in and let them past. Most of the time I'll end up passing them for good when they get stuck in traffic 200 meters down the road.
____________________
Duke 390
Previous: '05 XR125L | '96 XJ600S Diversion |'05 Suzuki GSXR1000 | '05 Honda CBR125-R | '97 YZF 600R Thundercat | '11 Honda CBR250
Car: Jeep Wrangler 4.0L

[Rogerborg]

[MarJay]

I don't think I've ever had an issue like this...? Most of the time on a big bike you're gone before anyone has a chance to even be angry.
____________________
British beauty: Triumph Street Triple R; Loony stroker: KR1S; Track fun: GSXR750 L1; Commuter Missile: GSX-S1000F
Remember kids, bikes aren't like lego. You can't easily take a part from one bike and then fit it to another.

[onlyJaz]

[onlyJaz]

[onlyJaz]

[goto10]

[tom_e]

[DJP]

I don't come across many aggressive drivers, but then I don't usually hang around long enough to pee anyone off - by the time they notice I'm there, I've gone!

But filtering to the front and then getting in everyone's way isn't exactly going to endear you to anybody.
____________________
Suzuki Bandit 1250
https://deejayp999.atwebpages.com/index.html
That's http not https