I've never seen anything like that. Not even close. It's kind of surprising. Usually these incidents involve a car. I know that I have at times - when cars invade my space (gunning it past me by inches to make it to a red light) - confronted someone driving a car. I quit though. It doesn't do any good, and eventually I was going to confront the wrong person. Plus it just left me angry for hours.
In response, "Michael" commented:
If it made you angry for hours your appraoch is flawed: you attack the car driver for YOUR sanity, not theirs, nor to correct their behavior.
You wouldnt be angry if you had a knife to slash a tire while they sit at the inevitable light you will likely catch them at: or bend one of their windshield wipers back; or the old standby: carry a large rock and throw it hard enough to leave a dent.
I guarantee youll feel better.
BE SURE, if you do this, to look around for cops FIRST...
What do you think of Michael's approach to anger management?
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7 comments:
rocks...pffttt...cleat on door.
Revenge is really stupid. The trouble is, until you take revenge, and discover how worthless it is, it remains a temptation. I've found that the people who fantasize about it most are those who've kept their anger bottled up. Those that are able to walk away have been there, done that, and now they know better. So, I guess taking revenge has value: it teaches you how stupid revenge is.
Not sure this will work since blogger is doing weird things for me today.
I think as good as that sounds all of those approaches will only enrage the driver putting lives of cyclists (especially yours if he/she ever sees you again) in danger. It's similar to the way I felt about the Critical Mass ride in that it'd sure feel damn good at the time but really does more damage then anything else you could possibly do.
Plus your mention of the "wrong person" brings to mind what that "wrong person" might do in this situation...
(I do secretly want to start carrying around eggs wherever I go and throw them at people when they do things like honk in the city, cut people (cars or bikes) off or are general pricks or whatever. That'd be good.)
I usually just blow it off. I doubt if the driver interprets your pounding as "correction" - he probably just thinks you're a maniac.
That said, a motorist in a Mini Cooper this morning started drifting right into me in the bike lane. I smacked his passenger-side window to let him know I was there, and he scooted left again. No anger or rage on my part -- just a thump to get his attention.
When a person chooses to go out into the car-world without the protection of a car, certain risks need to be expected and regarded as inevitable. Most of the time these situations aren't intentional or personal, and it is generally foolish to act as if they are. I had a situation awhile back that was like many other previous situations I've had. A driver cut me off and gave me a mildly rude gesture when I expressed my annoyance. I unleashed a torrent of high-decibel obscenity that would have embarrassed a pirate afflicted with Tourette's Syndrome. I had done this many times previously, and it felt good. This time, however, I was riding with my wife. And my daughter was being pulled behind me in the Burley. I immediately felt like a complete tool and regretted acting that way in front of my kid, not to mention anyone else who was in earshot. I have since adopted a somewhat more passive relationship with oblivious and/or rude drivers. I expect and accept that they will do dumb things. Rather than let those dumb things provoke a dumb response from me, I focus my energy instead on seeing the dumb things coming and avoiding them. I find this meshes well with the slow philosophy - if I'm not in a hurry, I have less reason to be annoyed that someone cuts me off or otherwise inconveniences me.
In short, I don't use Michael's strategy myself (anymore). But if it works for him, great.
as gut satisfying as pay back is, it accomplishes nothing and I think diminishes the person giving the pay back. This type of garbage has been going on for thousands of years in the mid east. See where it has got them?
I have switched to ruthless and unforgiving use of "the stinkeye." I've gotten good at it and it is now strong enough to make grown men weep, women faint and children run in fear. But that's as far as I go now.
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