Saturday, 3 December 2011

Road Rage while out on a Brompton

Monday morning was a rather interesting start to the week. I was out on my Brompton before 07:00 a.m. as I had to be at work very early.

I cycled my usual journey and then went down a one way street. I would stress at this point that I was going the correct way and they it was one way to any traffic coming the opposite direction to me. It was then that a quite large white van drove at speed towards me.

The road in question is very narrow and a car let alone a van would just about make it. This particular van was driving the wrong way up a one way street and doing so at speed. I got off my Brompton and moved as far over as I could. As the white van passed me its wing mirror hit me on the top of my shoulder. I shouted out 'oi' and nothing more.

At hearing this (as his windows were down) I was greeted with a barrage of expletives from the driver. There was a passenger with him who looked as if the ground could have gobbled him up and took no part in the verbal tyrade. I stood in stunned amazement. I asked the passenger what his colleagues problem was as he was driving down a one way street the wrong way, he was the one who hit me with his wing mirror after I had attempted to get out of the way? His passenger at least said, "sorry mate.'

While all this was going on I couldn't pass the white van and go on my merry way and the white van driver was in no hurry to do anything than turn the air blue. At this point we were joined by another car, this time going the right way and behind me. I am sure you can imagine what took place.

The car driver sounded his horn and began to get visibly agitated. The van driver let fly even more foul language via his window and sounded his horn. I started to wheel my bike past the car, back where I had come from. At this the car driver drove forward and touched bumpers with the white van. I could hear more verbal exchanges as I thought of an alternative route and glanced to see the car driver out of his car and going towards the white van drivers window. I didn't stay to see whatever else took place.

When I was on the open road again I thought about what could have possibly made this idiot for want of a better word so angry and to act in such a stupid way? This has been the first time that I have ever experienced road rage while out on my Brompton but I am still at a loss to come up with a reason for it? Perhaps I shouldn't have said 'oi'?' What I do know is that this particular driver really shouldn't hold a licence to drive.

1 comment:

  1. Sounds scary. Glad you managed to make an eventual exit from the situation. Most of the road rage I receive is generally from other cyclists for sometimes jumping lights!

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