Aggressive Driver/ Road Rage

[Fontanaman]

Hey Tom, I have 3 letters for ya,

CHL

CHL?

Concealed Handgun Licence.

 

[azitlies]

Tom, would have done the same thing you did. So many dang asshats out there, but the worst ones seem to be in these expensive cars / suvs and they can't deal with what they interpret as being "shown up" ?

The difference between a porcupine and a BMW is that with the latter the pricks are on the inside.

hahahhahaha I'm gonna remember that one

 

[wheatonFJR]

Tom,

Getting away from the jerk is rule #1. How it started is a lesson for another time...like now I guess...which is why you started the thread. it sounds like you have it all reasoned out. You can't control other's actions...so once the guy is tailgating and acting crazy, time for discussion is done and you need to get away or to a safe place, even if you have to break some traffic ordinances to do that. Better to be safe with a ticket, than dead and a ticket free record. Rule #1 - get away to ride another day.

And for those that "carry", rule #1 is to avoid confrontation by any means as well. Last resort is last resort.

I think you have done the right thing as well.

I sometimes express my displeasure with the Timmy sign before I leave...so I am probably not a good one to ask for insight...as most would say that is a bad thing to do.

 

[madmike2]

As with Walt's post, I've had someone chase me on the highway, up an off-ramp, etc. (Pre-FJR). My choice, since the driver was not going to stop the chase (even after I'd lane-shared to the front at 2 stop signals) was to pull into the first public parking lot I could. My thought was to have any confrontation with plenty of witnesses.

The driver pulled up, rolled down his window and proceeded to verbally assail me....with his grandson in the passenger seat. I still had my helmet on and pointed at my ears telling him, "I am wearing ear plugs and can't understand a word your saying!"

He looked at the gathering crowd and had an epiphany moment, rolled up his window and drove away.

As you said, sometimes a driver will simply "snap". Getting away is the best type of avoidance unless you have bluetooth and can report the ongoing incident or find a policeman.

Walt: Calling the police when the passenger admitted the driver was drunk....priceless!

 

[allrider]

As you said, sometimes a driver will simply "snap". Getting away is the best type of avoidance unless you have bluetooth and can report the ongoing incident or find a policeman.

Walt: Calling the police when the passenger admitted the driver was drunk....priceless!

Back in the 90's I got chased after a legal pass and was able to pull into a busy gas station and put the bike between 2 cars at the pumps for cover. Got off the bike quickly yelling "this f%$#@ guys trying to kill me with his car" and got everybody's attention. I was able to get to the car as the knucklehead was getting out. He was 1/2 way out so I slammed him with his own door 5-6 times, hard enough to take all the air out of him. Somebody stopped me from behind(or i may not have). It was then I noticed there were 3-4 guys standing around me when I turned around. They got between us and kept us apart which was a good thing, i was on a full adrenaline wash.

Someone was already calling 911, and the station cameras caught it all. He was taken by the cops, holding his ribs, and his car was towed. I had my share of splainin to do, but witnesses were priceless, and I rode away.

I'm fairly convinced this could have been my last roundup if this guy had his way, and that he would do it again if he had the chance, to anyone on a bike. That scared the begeezus out of me then and still does from time to time. I never want to experience anything like that again.

Now I find myself deescalating situations that I probably wouldn't have in the past. One tactic is if I can't get away from tailgaters I pull over and wave em around. A couple times those tailgaters have been talking on phones or texting. The last place i want them is behind me.

Mike,

I took creative license with this line.

 

Do not argue with an idiot driver. He will drag you down after he hits you with his cage and beat you with his bumper.

You never know what other people are thinking or if they even are, but you know what the vehicle is capable of doing if they snap.

 

[Fontanaman]

As you said, sometimes a driver will simply "snap". Getting away is the best type of avoidance unless you have bluetooth and can report the ongoing incident or find a policeman.

Walt: Calling the police when the passenger admitted the driver was drunk....priceless!

Now I find myself deescalating situations that I probably wouldn't have in the past. One tactic is if I can't get away from tailgaters I pull over and wave em around. A couple times those tailgaters have been talking on phones or texting. The last place i want them is behind me.

Walt's comment is priceless.

And I can't agree more with deescalating and avoiding situations, it puts YOU in control and can save your life.

 

[joebiodiesel]

Over the years I have done a few different things.

Lose them, like you did. This is always my first line of defense.

Called the Fuzz. Did this once. I approached a guy in a 1 ton van camping in the left lane. When I passed him on the right he went bananas. He pursued me like a madman. I called the cops when I noticed he had his 4 year old daughter with him, unbuckled, standing on the seat, at 90+ MPH while he was spitting at me out the window. I earned a driving award or two, but I still think I made the right move.

2 Months ago I angered another driver passing them on the right. I lost them after he gave me the high beam treatment. About 40 miles later he caught me (I failed to notice). I did notice him after he bumped me in a construction zone. I was now crabbier than he was. I stopped my car and got out. It was a single lane, so he had no escape. He stayed in his car. I think that was best for both of us. He got off at the next exit, and I let him go.

 

[blrfjr]

whats the difference between a beemer and a cactus? with the cactus the prick is on the outside.

I stay away from SUV's especially the expensive high end SUVs. My experience is those drivers are extremely competitive people who perceive driving is a must win game. And when they see a motorcycle they are more than willing to use there size to encroach in my space.

Yup, my experience too. Also the highly expensive beemer cars fit in here. Yesterday riding home from an MSF class, really expensive beemer car behind me tailgating big time, there's 2 cars in front of me, 1 in the left lane 1 in the right, rolling road block.

I'm thinkin... what the f*** is the matter with you beemer bone head? No body's goin F*in nowhere until one of these idiots figures out where the gas pedal is... So I turn around in my seat and just stare at the guy. Have to turn back to be sure I'm still going straight... then do it again.

It was only after I put up my left hand like "what?" did he slow down.

Tom, would have done the same thing you did. So many dang asshats out there, but the worst ones seem to be in these expensive cars / suvs and they can't deal with what they interpret as being "shown up" ?

 

[TomInPA]

"The difference between a porcupine and a BMW is that with the latter the pricks are on the inside."

Imminently quotable. Thank you JB! :lol:

Use it in your speech this summer.

 

[Bearly Flying]

" I sometimes express my displeasure with the Timmy sign before I leave...so I am probably not a good one to ask for insight...as most would say that is a bad thing to do."

Ya but eh.... Wheatie who could stay mad at you for very long???? Your probably the nicest guy on the forum, next to Madmike......

 

[wheatonFJR]

" I sometimes express my displeasure with the Timmy sign before I leave...so I am probably not a good one to ask for insight...as most would say that is a bad thing to do."

Ya but eh.... Wheatie who could stay mad at you for very long???? Your probably the nicest guy on the forum, next to Madmike......

Thanks for the thought...but, um...the nice stuff is a facade.

I show my real colors when someone lane blocks in the left lane...or a slow going parade pulls out in front of me just before the good twisty bits start.

 

[mcatrophy]

...Approaching a red light, I filtered to the front. The signal is at an intersection in a right curve with a short line of sight where it is not real good to be at the back. As I reached the front the signal changed to green, and I easily passed the first vehicle, a guy in a black Lexus SUV.

...

You ask the serious question "What would you have done?"
My answer is I would have tried not to get in that position in the first place.

I've created my own set of rules, the first being to try not to antagonise anyone.

In the original situation, coming up behind traffic waiting at lights, I make a judgement as to whether I can reach the front before the lights go to green. If I'm not certain, I hang back. If I'm sure I can, I will move up towards the front.

Then it's a matter of judgement as to whether to go right to the front. If I think one of the drivers might be upset (other posters have given good pointers to look for), I will position the bike between and behind the two lead cars. When the traffic moves off, I choose to stay behind or move forward according to the lead cars' behaviours.

If I feel I can move right to the front, I move as far forward as I can to ensure both drivers can see me, wait until red and amber have been on for a second, then go, positively but not violently.

In the UK we have a disadvantage when it comes to the lights changing to green, as a precursor they show red and amber for a couple of seconds before the green.

(This comes from a time when cars couldn't easily be held ready to move off, think "clutch down ... select first gear [graunch] ... start to take up the drive ... handbrake off ... ah, we've got a green!".)

The amber-gamblers will take off on when they first see the amber, so it is impossible to legally move off in front of them. If I think a leading car driver might do this, I will not compete.

What I've said is pretty idealistic, but luckily here in the UK we don't get the real crazies you seem to have in the 'States, but there are sufficient that it isn't worth antagonising anyone.

And, just to make life a little more complicated, at many of our traffic lights are sections in front of where we motorised vehicles have to stop for cyclists to get in front of the queue. This means that your best-laid plans to move off in front can be stymied by pedal-pushers, having wormed their way up front they may move off at a sedate pace when the lights go green. I have to say this is a rarity, most cyclists seem to ignore traffic light colours, simply using them to stop cars while, against the red, they continue to weave across the other flow. Yes, it's scary.

Finally, if I did find an aggressive driver, I would do exactly as you did, everything in my power to avoid direct confrontation. It's only seriously happened to me once. I was able to gradually get ahead in the traffic, in my mirror I could see him make some dangerous passes as he tried to catch up, until I lost him altogether.

 

[DCH]

My daughter lives in London, the wife and I just got back from a Christmas visit. I have been to London a half a dozen times and the thing that amazes me is the number of motorcycles first of all. I have never seen so many motorcycles out in the rain and the cold. You guys are hard core. It really doesn't matter what the weather is, the motorcycles are out and about. I think with the price of gas there, it is more of a transportation issue. Here motorcycles are more of a form of recreation. We take our bikes out for a ride on a nice day, more often on a weekend, when the weather is nice and warm and dry. In London it is more of a means of transportation.

The drivers in London are more courteous, and patient, than in the US. There isn't the aggressive light to light, I'm going to beat you there, mentality that there is at times here. Motorcyclists in London are in general more courteous and not displaying aggressive riding behavior as we sometimes see here.

I wish motorcyclists in the US could see how it all works in Europe, with the lane sharing and filtering in heavy traffic situations. We, as motorcyclists, should be able to filter and lane share like the rest of the civilized world, here in the US, just not sure we will see that in my life time.

 

[SQUEAL]

After reading all these replies I had to throw in my .02. Many years ago in the Mid-West I knew and older "biker". He was all eatin up with bad Karma apparantly. He had a penchant for collecting farm dogs and at least once every two weeks someone would deliberately try to put him in the ditch. He was so jumpy and paranoid he ALWAYS carried a pocketful of 1" nuts and bolts. More than once he chucked them over his shoulder as he barely escaped. He also took to carrying (illegally as there was no cc in Ill.) a .38 S&W airweight. There was this farm dog on his route home that took an intense dislike to him and launched himself EVERY DAY at this guy. He stopped at least three times and asked the farmer to tie up his dog to no avail. Then one day he slowed appreciably at the farm and non-chalantly put a wadcutter in the dogs head as the dog went for his leg. No other problems arose from that incident!! LOL. I am really glad I have never had to pack spark plugs or nuts in my pockets.