Ses fietsryers dam oupa by n? hy vir hull

[Cois]

A bloke once pushed me of the road while training.  I chased the bloke down and caught up to him at a red traffic light.

 

I knocked on his window and told him in a kind voice that the way he passed me wasn't the correct way, and then asked himif he has something against cyclists of other road users.  The bloke was left without words and after his asking for forgiveness and all the "looking sorry faces" I asked him to think of the other road users next time.  No curse words of punches or anything.  I was feeling better, without confrontation.

[nellie]

 Cois, good way to handle the situation!

[BikeMax]

 

Bikemax' date=' we will have to agree to disagree.  I see your point if you believe that aggressive (I would refer to call it assertive, but call it what you will) behaviour somehow negatively influences driver behaviour towards cyclists.  I don't buy it and have seen no evidence to convince me that standing up for my rights and getting pissed when these are infringed has any negative impact on cyclists and cycling.  I have tried the be nice and move out the way method.  All that happened was that motorists put my life at more risk.  I certainly wouldn't call it inflammatory unless the barrage that followed at the next traffic lights included expletives - which it sometimes does but again it depends on the context.

 

Basically my point is the only way to get respect on the road is to take back the road.  Don't go out of your way to piss motorists off but be bloody sure they know you are there and that you believe you have a right to be there.

[/quote']

 

I share your sentiment and agree that we must stand up for our rights as road users - I don't however see the "middle finger salute" or similar abusive and rude gestures as the way to achieve this outcome.

 

I have never ever seen this gesture or similar, result in anything other than an inflamed and irrational response from even the most even tempered motorist.

 

If we hope to increase our rights then we have a duty to act responsibly and state our case in a reasonable manner - like any protest in fact, where aggression or violence very rarely achieve the desired outcome.

 

I see too many riders hurling abuse etc at motorists without much provocation and I am ashamed that this is the best we can muster.

 

[Gumpole]

Linnega, the average SA motorist is a fat insecure a$$hole, he suffers from delusions of grandeur afforded by the car that he drives around in that he struggles to pay off. He has a microscopic penis with erectile problems. He smells and drinks to much. His friends dont respect him. etc etc. he carries around a gun to defend himself against the world.

 

He is often drunk. He is psychologically battered by crime, poverty, uncertainty and a lack of respect from people around him.

 

AND HE SUFFERS FROM SOMETHING CALLED ROAD RAGE.

 

Flipping him the middle finger is like calling his ugly bitch wife an ugly bitch or defiling his sister. This guy doesn't understand the difference between inflammatory and assertive.

 

I dont know if this guy makes up 1% or 50% of motorists but the problem is that statistically if you do enough commuting/ cycling and you assertive correcting of motorists the odds that one days this pr*ck is going to put a bullet/ doublecab bullbar into you start to look pretty bad.

[Dr. Seuss]

 

 

Linnega' date=' the average SA motorist is a fat insecure a$$hole, he suffers from delusions of grandeur afforded by the car that he drives around in that he struggles to pay off. He has a microscopic penis with erectile problems. He smells and drinks to much. His friends dont respect him. etc etc. he carries around a gun to defend himself against the world.

 

[/quote']

 

sounds like the guys from Brits!

 

 

 

[Gumpole]

and sandton!!

[Thyolo]

Cool post Gummy

 

Psychotic and paranoid .... but cool.

 

[Haga]

Hi There,

Im new to the forum, and understand how emotional these things can get, whilst i think it's admirable that you could remian calm and address the situation in a clear & concise manner, with a decent resolution. Had it been someone else the outcome may have been different.

I have been bumped of my bike twice, the first time a woman, whom did'nt even stop. And the second time a man who stopped, and after his shock had subsided started hurling abuse because i was riding my bicycle in traffic (coming home @ 7h00 from trianing ride), needless to say i had way to much adrenaline at that stage to actually give a s... about the well being of cycling.

The next question is, would it make your wife & kids feel better knowing he had a sorry looking face and was apologetic if you were dead.

 

I read this article in the Citizen newspaper, i really believe that someone should correct them on all the details pertaining to the case.

[Bateleur1]

A bloke once pushed me of the road while training.  I chased the bloke down and caught up to him at a red traffic light.

 

I knocked on his window and told him in a kind voice that the way he passed me wasn't the correct way' date=' and then asked himif he has something against cyclists of other road users.  The bloke was left without words and after his asking for forgiveness and all the "looking sorry faces" I asked him to think of the other road users next time.  No curse words of punches or anything.  I was feeling better, without confrontation.

[/quote']

 

That is my default approach to motorists as well and I have to say that in 95% of the time all ends well.  But I am pretty convinced if you were to do exactly the same to this paticular Oupa, he would have bliksemed the living daylights out of you.  That risk is always there.

[Guest Big H]

This posting is going nowhere. It is a classic case of good against evil. The THUGS and Vigilantes on the one side condones the lawless action of the M&R six and just wants to join in donnering and premeditately, savagely attack motorists. What worries me is they think lawless beatings are justified.

 

On the other hand we find the GOOD level thinking citizens who are also outraged by the actions of motorists but who abide to common law principles and abhor premeditated attacks on citizen by lawless groups of vigilantes.

 

It is a case of the twain shall never meet. This 22 page posting has NOT served its purpose and shows how skewed. bitter and twisted our so called "democratic" society has become!!!!!!

[pastapouch]

Its not going nowhere, it shows whos looney and whos not on this site.

[linnega]

Gumpole and Bikemax, I get what you are saying and can share your views to an extent.  And I don't go around trying to piss anyone off.  My default approach is indeed the same as Cois' as I have mentioned.  Rational discussion in most cases wins over and to be honest some "groot krokodil" finger waving is more common than the middle finger salute.  Sometimes I can't let it go and have to stand up for myself - usually an emotional response to a life threatening situation.  The middle finger salute seldom in a direct confrontation in my case as it is always a last resort, and most a$$holes simply speed away. But I do realise that the risk is there that someone may turn around and chase me down.  I still doubt that it has any negative impact on cycling as a whole.

[Thug]

 

This posting is going nowhere. It is a classic case of good against evil. The THUGS ............

 

 

Oom, I've said countless number of times, I wasn't in the vicinity

 

[porky]

I think the post has served a purpose in that it has highlighted the fact that there are cyclists out there who believe in the rule of law and that violent and aggressive behaviour is plain wrong.

 

Who was right and who was wrong, who threw the first punch or who ducked or who provoked who is immaterial, violence and aggression is not an acceptable method of achieving an end.

 

I must say though I am saddened to see so many members of the hub, seem to feel that its okay to show the middle finger, that its okay to behave in a violent and aggressivew manner, that its okay to beat up on people and so on - this is not a case of "them and us" we all share the same road with one differance - the roads are mainlky used for motor vechiles not cyclists and runners, so its up to us to extend the hand of friendship and behave in a courteous and responsible manner.

[Gumpole]

Yup, as a final point. Last week in Morningside a black jeep cherokee turned in front of a black dude on bis dikwiel. The cyclist swerved onto the pavement and crashed. Not serious got off and dusted himself off. The driver ignored this and just carried on driving. maybe he didn't care, maybe he didn't see him.

There was one of those bike racks on the back of his car though!!! So it isn't just 'us' and 'them'!!

[scotty]

This posting is going nowhere. It is a classic case of good against evil. The THUGS ............

 

Oom' date=' I've said countless number of times, I wasn't in the vicinity
[/quote']

 

You have it rough