http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/ CityCyclingEdinburgh Forum » Topic: What to do when a driver shouts at you en Mon, 18 May 2026 02:59:57 +0000 http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/topic.php?id=2390#post-25752 Thu, 03 Mar 2011 18:51:42 +0000 recombodna 25752@http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/ <p><a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=epJ2GZ0UWvw" rel="nofollow">http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=epJ2GZ0UWvw</a> </p> http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/topic.php?id=2390#post-25749 Thu, 03 Mar 2011 18:42:10 +0000 mgj 25749@http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/ <p>Re girth; that word has a particular meaning for most men ;-) Clue; not related to waistline </p> http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/topic.php?id=2390#post-25728 Thu, 03 Mar 2011 16:03:57 +0000 TwoWheels 25728@http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/ <p>I've been known to blow a kiss to offensive drivers. Doesn't do much to de-escalate things, usually. </p> http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/topic.php?id=2390#post-25714 Thu, 03 Mar 2011 14:54:19 +0000 chdot 25714@http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/ <p>"might help their blood pressure - and girth - to swap places for a while and get on a bike"</p> <p>Some people don't like to be reminded of the truth... </p> http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/topic.php?id=2390#post-25711 Thu, 03 Mar 2011 14:51:21 +0000 Nelly 25711@http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/ <p>I have a mate who has been known to suggest to (primarily) taxi drivers that it might help their blood pressure - and girth - to swap places for a while and get on a bike.</p> <p>I understand that this tactic does not have a 100% success rate at defusing the situation........ </p> http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/topic.php?id=2390#post-25607 Wed, 02 Mar 2011 17:16:27 +0000 wingpig 25607@http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/ <p>Any sort of "I'm here!" carries an implicit "...and I seen what you done innit?" and subsequent guilting-and-hopefully-future-repetition-prevention (except in the minds of people who either did what they did deliberately or see nothing wrong in what they did).</p> <p>I stuck my head round my monitor yesterday in response to a chance overhearing of a "what really winds me up is when cyclists ride right in the middle of the road" from a colleague I hitherto considered reasonable. He was gently apprised of the dangers of sunken drains, opening doors, pinch-points and the absence of room to manoeuvre around potholes and will hopefully now get less wound up. </p> http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/topic.php?id=2390#post-25578 Wed, 02 Mar 2011 14:54:37 +0000 alanr 25578@http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/ <p>I think it's a good idea not to wind them up too much, when I'm in a low recumbent trike, and they could just deliberately swerve the steering wheel and crush me, then say "sorry, I didn't see him", especially with obnoxious drivers, rather than just careless ones. I have sometimes banged on the car bodywork - that gets a reaction. But if someone passes you poorly, you could just give a big wave to say "I'm here! Please be a bit nicer!". What do we all think? </p> http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/topic.php?id=2390#post-25576 Wed, 02 Mar 2011 14:49:13 +0000 ruggtomcat 25576@http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/ <p>classic, fake, but classic. </p> http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/topic.php?id=2390#post-25574 Wed, 02 Mar 2011 14:46:39 +0000 maninaskirt 25574@http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/ <p>Here is another solution - (nothing to do with bikes though) - it is a video so not sure if it will work and might open up a separate page - if it does work, enjoy!</p> <p><a href="http://s518.photobucket.com/albums/u350/rossangus/?action=view&amp;current=GrannyAirBag.mp4"><img src="http://i518.photobucket.com/albums/u350/rossangus/th_GrannyAirBag.jpg"></a> </p> http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/topic.php?id=2390#post-25514 Wed, 02 Mar 2011 10:26:56 +0000 kaputnik 25514@http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/ <p>Well I tried the reverse shout this morning at a likely-looking-lad in a BMW 5 series on Gorgie Road who pulled wide around a car waiting to turn right (off Gorgie) into the cycle lane and almost took me out. No looking beyond a glance into a rearview perhaps and certainly no indicator signal on his part. He looked genuinely confused when I gave him my best Brian Blessed and sort of smirked and shrugged at me as I went past and left him sitting at the next traffic obstruction.</p> <p>But it helped to vent my frsutration, as I knew that he knew that he acknowledged some fault on his part. I knew that he knew that he shouldn't have been there. I knew that he knew that everyone on Gorgie Road turned and looked and he knew that it was him and not I that looked a stupid, as he was left sitting in traffic with everyone staring and I zoomed off down the road.</p> <p>So by the time I got to Broomhouse Road and found the buslane full of queing cars (and the car lane, curiously enough) completely empty, I was much more calm and amused myself by muttering gypsy curses at each driver as I sauntered past. </p> http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/topic.php?id=2390#post-25408 Tue, 01 Mar 2011 11:53:46 +0000 PS 25408@http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/ <p>I don't think I've actually had a confrontational shout from a driver (except the occasional comedian seeking approbation from his chums by shouting something undecipherable out the passenger window).</p> <p>However, when I've been cut up, passed too close or that sort of thing, I tend to go for the ironic thumbs up or wave. Last time I did it, I was a little concerned that the driver might think it was a sign of approval, but I'd like to hope it has more of the effect of making them realise that that was a fellow human being they drove a little too close too. </p> <p>More dangerous incidents can go one of two ways. Either a volley of Anglo-Saxon or a long stare and shake of the head. I find the latter is better for my blood pressure and dignity, but sometimes the former just happens instinctively (usually when I'm in a bad mood). </p> http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/topic.php?id=2390#post-25404 Tue, 01 Mar 2011 11:33:35 +0000 kaputnik 25404@http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/ <p>It's hard not to start shouting and waving furiously when they obliviously almost SMIDSY you, as the problem is they've not seen you! You wan't to draw their attention to their awful attempt at driving and express your displeasure - so roaring and bellowing at them like Brian Blessed is a natural reaction.</p> <p>In my experience the non-confrontational approach works, but only when it is the driver who has shouted or honked the horn at the cyclist. </p> http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/topic.php?id=2390#post-25399 Tue, 01 Mar 2011 11:15:59 +0000 wingpig 25399@http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/ <p>I depends what they've done or what they think I've done. If someone whizzes past with millimetres to spare I tend to do one-handed big-fish-little-fish expansive arm-gestures at them to imply they should have left more room. If someone accelerates needlessly rashly or something similarly testosteronic I offer the universal gesture for having a teeny winky (as used in the Australian anti-speeding campaign), though in the winter gloves can restrict the ability of the little finger to be visibly flexed. Simply bending down and peering at them in their mirror hopefully indicates to some that I can see them even if they were pretending that they couldn't see me. Thumbs-ups and sarcastic grins into the mirrors tend to keep me calmest though the odd shout also helps warn other road users about the vehicle in question. </p> http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/topic.php?id=2390#post-25390 Tue, 01 Mar 2011 10:56:43 +0000 tarmac jockey 25390@http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/ <p>I used to respond in kind but now just give them a glaikit stare! When i used to respond in kind I found I used to get all agitated and sometimes angry. Glaiket does it for me. Pity we can't get a fully funded research programme to survey the 'drivers' to see what works best for them? </p> http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/topic.php?id=2390#post-25388 Tue, 01 Mar 2011 10:49:07 +0000 DaveC 25388@http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/ <p>Yes sometimes being overly polite and smiling, and thanking them really gets on their nerves. </p> http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/topic.php?id=2390#post-25387 Tue, 01 Mar 2011 10:45:59 +0000 chdot 25387@http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/ <p>"she'd give them a look of recognition, smile and wave. Completely threw them!"</p> <p>Classic! </p> http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/topic.php?id=2390#post-25386 Tue, 01 Mar 2011 10:43:45 +0000 kaputnik 25386@http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/ <p><a href="http://www.notquitewrong.com/rosscottinc/2011/02/28/the-system-472-road-sage/">As seen on twitter</a>.</p> <p>I think I'm going to give them the slow handclap in the future. Any others to add to this?</p> <p>Reminds me of what my gran used to do when drivers got impatient at old people crossing the road - she'd give them a look of recognition, smile and wave. Completely threw them! </p>