Road Rage

[Geko]

Too many aggressive people on the road these days. 10 years ago, I would have been one of them.

On the way to work this evening I get started on by a London Cabbie. I was slowing down for the lights and he came flying up 2 cars behind me and overtook the guy behind me, stupidly I put my foot down instinctively, trying to be a prick myself, I could have kept him out, but had a moment of clarity, grew up and backed off. I gave the horn a good press and flashed my lights. He took this badly and pulled over at the side of the road, asking me to stop too. For a fight, possibly?

Anyway... I thought it would be more fun to stop alongside and take a picture. And now I thought it might be good to post it on here, although if it breaks any rules, I apologise.





After which I waved and drove onwards. If he was in so much of a hurry, why stop? At the next roundabout he went flying past again. Finally he stops at the redlight in front of me where I took a picture of his number plate and taxi licence number. This seemed to irk him immensely and he got out of his car. I managed to get him in the shot too. It was a nice picture. With that, I gave him a little beep on the horn, and drove off. He had to jump back in his car as he was holding up a London Bus.

We are all trying to get somewhere. The 30 seconds saved by driving aggresively and discourteously is not worth it. We both wasted more time messing about (him with aggression and me with my camera phone) than by overtaking...! If I was a complete prick I could probably have reported him, is his living worth that 5 minutes of madness? I realise I wasn't innocent, but I feel he was the main instigator, and hope he wouldn't have behaved that way towards a woman or an older gentleman.

Just wanted to post my picture really, I won't post the one with his number plate...

[Geko]

I can't edit the post at work, on ie7 (great IT department) so can't get rid of the imageshack URL I accidently left in.

[Goldberg]

London is terrible. See my other post..
I drive, cycle, run, walk etc... And none of it is safe!

We have a roundabout near home called the 'Roundabout of Death'.
I am not sure if any one has ever died there, but it's a free for all! Pick a lane, any lane, then put your foot down and close your eyes seems to be key..

I was recently back in Boro. People let you out, blinked hazards to say thanks etc... I had forgotten that driving etiquette does still exist.

[beansontoast]

There was a programme in BBC1 last night about cyclists vs. motorists. It was very sensationalised and hasn't been popular on cyclists websites (I read up afterwards) but it had plenty of footage of people being dicks. One in particular was actually a cyclist who looked like he wanted to go around picking confrontations with drivers. That was my take on it anyway. There was plenty of helmet cam footage, mostly from YouTube.

[DejaVu]

Taxi drivers simply should know better. Admittedly, in London, they don't and I can fully understand why.
But lets be honest, if your not a little aggressive up there, you get nowhere.

It's exhausting driving around London and I tend to only do it if I really, really have to. I would never consider it 10 hours a day!

[Armoured Hawk]

Up in scotland it looks like the women are becoming more aggressive behind the wheel. They go nuts in their big 4x4 up our way and will happily sit on your bumper till you move. Personally i blame HRT pills or they could be sticking the deep fried mars bars they crave somewhere they aren't supposed to. Me i'd rather get to where i'm going in one piece but the state of some of the driving on the uk's roads leaves you wondering how they ever passed their tests.

[pratman]

it almost seems like the more time u spend driving the worse you are, as you are so confident in your own ability you kinda dont take consideration for other people, which is why i think cabbies are the worst ones because they spend so much of their lives on the roads and they think they own the roads and will try and bully people off the roads, i ind cabbies in cov are just as bad as they just pull out at any junction without looking, they will NEVER give way to cars on the road, and NEVER EVER say thanks when you give way to them. and i think they lack of gratitude sometimes irks most of us on the roads and we get wound up by them.

[Geko]

He was a black cab driver too. I expected better. He wasn't a mini cab driver.

[beansontoast]

One in particular was actually a cyclist who looked like he wanted to go around picking confrontations with drivers. That was my take on it anyway.

Looks like I wasn't the only one:
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/arti...=feeds-newsxml

(Apologies for it being from the daily heil).

[Zippeyrude]

Id report the prick, he has a number and license for which he has to be responsible...

[Goldberg]

Black cabs are generally ok and 'British'
A lot of these private hire cabs are predominantly foreigners and only have the taxi license to avoid the congestion charge.

They never want to take you too far nor know where they are going most of the time.

But it's not just Taxis. Everyone travels around London like its the last day on earth! What was that rock star game from a few years back? It is like that everyday!

[GTI]

I would allow it Geko, as you said you were acting like a bit of a tool yourself. I have quite a bit of sympathy for London cabbies, stuck in stationary traffic day-in, day-out, with long hours and aggressive and rude drivers to contend with. I tend to avoid getting into tussles with them, just give way and let them get on their merry way. Its a sign of deference that may be misguided, but I think they have an important job to do and are an essential service in the city I grew up in.

[BigBird]

If I had passengers in my car I would just let it go.

If i was on my own in the car, depending on my mood at the time, I would either have let it go or waited till he got out of his car and came over to mine and then see what happens. If he hit me I would then throw a few punches myself or decide that I would rather have a couple of grand in court. If he is standing next to my car then he is the aggressor in the eyes of the law. These days I'm usually quite calm and calculating in a situation like this and would be constantly weighing up my options rather than losing my temper.

The most likely outcome would be that he comes over to the car has a bit of a rant then goes on his way. OK he's probably a tidy enough guy who's having a bad day. We all get them. If on the other hand he really was a twat and did get violent then he would deserve whatever action I decide to take.

If he really was a twat though I doubt he would still have his licence so you probably are doing the right thing in giving the guy a break. If on the other hand you find out in a couple of months that he has badly beaten a 74 year old man for tooting the horn at him you may feel guilty that you didn't report him before. (">

[Geko]

I just get the feeling he was from South East London. And we all know what those West Ham and Millwall boys are like....

[Geko]

I would allow it Geko, as you said you were acting like a bit of a tool yourself. I have quite a bit of sympathy for London cabbies, stuck in stationary traffic day-in, day-out, with long hours and aggressive and rude drivers to contend with. I tend to avoid getting into tussles with them, just give way and let them get on their merry way. Its a sign of deference that may be misguided, but I think they have an important job to do and are an essential service in the city I grew up in.

I agree with you. If I had just let him go, it wouldn't have happened. But... For someone whose living depends on his licences, his behaviour was ridiculous.

Unless he damaged my property, I never would have grassed him up. It's not something I consider an option usually. Unless it costs me money...

[blaggard]

If you feel strongly http://www.londonblacktaxis.net/complaints.htm
otherwise suck it up, driving on todays roads is horrible and London the worst.

[Roach-Rampino]

I just get the feeling he was from South East London. And we all know what those West Ham and Millwall boys are like....

West Ham is north of the river mate.

[Geko]

I'm not going to complain. I wasn't even annoyed by it. Found it all rather amusing.

[Geko]

West Ham is north of the river mate.

Good point. Millwall was once too. But... I like to lump in the same bucket. Millwall and Charlton doesn't have the same ring to it.

[Ashley]

Please don't compare Charlton to Millwall is like apples and oranges