I quote our good friend Niels - from the Warthogs email list: Okay, I don?t have much time to give a detailed response to all who disapproved of what I said. I suppose, if I had read the article at say ten o?clock and not six a.m., then my reaction would have been more like Kinnie?s, Seb?s and Paul?s. <?:namespace prefix = o ns = "urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:office" /> Road Rage is a very serious issue in <?:namespace prefix = st1 ns = "urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:smarttags" />South AfricaoN> and if you get threatened or assaulted by someone, you are probably not the first person to irritate the assaulter. You are probably the proverbial straw. Okay, cyclists do not obey the rules of the road enough. This old toppie did NOT politely hoot and chances are he probably made some hand gestures. For the cyclists to react like this, quite probably they felt in some way endangered. Yes, there reaction was NOT right. But this old toppie did require some sort of wake up call. So, what are we to do? What about the group of cyclists that were mowed down outside Milnerton a few years ago? Do we ignore these things. I don?t think so. Years ago, our very own Robbie Hunter and a group of mates were charged with assault for beating up a motorist at a traffic light. I forget the details but I think there was an accusation of bicycles being shoved through driver?s windows. I don?t think my attitude to this is right. It completely goes against my policy of smile at your neighbour. We are all just too angry. I remember sending a very sarcastic Email to Adele tait of Ride about an article written by Richard B(r?)eswick and their night riding. She then forwarded to Richard who forwarded it to all his chinas that he rode with that night. The threats of violence that I got by return post were huge. Baseball bats the works. It was almost hilarious. One just wouldn?t go away. His name was Brett. (Actually, his name is still Brett). The punchline of the story is that Brett and I did eventually meet in Mossel Bay this year and we sat down and had a beer together and had a good laugh about it all. Too aggressive. That is what we are. Maybe we can blame apartheid, maybe we can blame National service and maybe we can blame our parents. Or we can just blame ourselves and just learn to chill. I know that I have come a long way since my hijacking. I love life and I love my neighbours. Except for Roger, but that is because he is a miserable festering carbuncle. But one day again I am sure I will greet him, but until that day, he can just drop dead. But I digress. We all want to one-up everybody else all the time. Of course, now that I know say, Sebastian, I realise he is a nice guy and it doesn?t matter if he beats me at the Karoo to coast. But let him hoot aggressively at me and I am going to want to smack his head in. That is just the way I feel. This ******** grand dad in Joburg is SO close to his work and yet he has inane and unnecessary urge to hoot at a group of FORTY cyclists and then he stops outside his work probably no more than a kilometre from where he hooted at them? Stupidity should be outlawed and this toppie was stupid. So, suggestions, what should we do in future? Obviously giving the bloke a bit of a smack and a spray of pepper spray is not the answer because in the end WE lose. Maybe we should be like Mr Hitchcock and learn to memorise number plates and report to police. Time and time again. Then our message will get through to these jerk offs. Maybe. Probably not. I am at a loss here. One step at a time. Spread the love no matter how long it takes. We are a wounded country for so many different reasons and we just aren?t getting over ourselves. The solution lies in each of our own hearts. Michael Hutchense said ?We all have wings but some of us don?t know why.? But if you tie me up and give me truth serum and ask if I feel any remorse for the toppie?s ordeal, I have to say no.
