Road Rage

[Her_C4]

I have been absolutely flabbergasted of late to hear of the number of motorcyclists that been subjected to various forms of road rage from cagers, and in chatting to a team member I heard last week of an incident that could have happened to anyone.

As he was riding his bike (with an ‘L’ plate clearly attached!) home after work, he was in the process of merging with traffic on the Old Hutt Road and says that as he checked the traffic flow prior to pulling out into it, he heard a blast of a horn from the car behind him. He checked behind him to see the driver gesticulating rudely and he shrugged and turned his attention back to check the traffic to his right again – when the car behind him DROVE INTO THE BACK OF HIS BIKE!!!!

Yep you read it right – the driver shunted the biker forward and then wheel spun into the traffic. As he went forward to go past the bike, he was so close that there was a breath of wind between the car tyre and the riders foot.

After getting into the rush hour traffic and changing lanes to get two cars in front of the bike he then had to just sit there and (I assume in utter frustration), wait until the traffic started moving again. .... and watch the bike lane spit past him!!

What is with that? Unfortunately, in the heat of the moment, the last thing that the rider thought of was to get the number plate…

Now I know that this has been discussed in other threads, but if that sort of thing happens to me I want to be clear about what my options are.

So, apart from those listed below what are the options?

• Make a gesture (isn’t this compulsory?) and then….
• Call *555 to report the incident immediately (with the licence plate and vehicle make to the police), or
• Commit the licence plate and vehicle make, model and colour to memory, and submit a community road watch report (www.police.govt.nz,). I understand that this doesn’t do anything much apart from culprit being sent a letter??

What else?

[McJim]

1/ Take a note of their licence plate.
2/ Get their name and address from the post office
3/ Fill in a change of ownership form for their vehicle
4/ Call the cops and say you're car has been stolen and was last seen cutting up a motorbike on the _______ road.

Job done.

Seriously though unless you have witnesses who will also testify then it's your word against theirs. In the case of an actual physical contact they could be charged with fleeing the scene of an accident. It can make you feel better to make a gesture but that can often inflame the situation - they are in a ton and a half of metal (aren't they brave) and you are vulnerable to them having a 'moment' where they lose control. I recently nearly got hit from behind by someone in a burgundy holden who shouted something as he drove past - I had my L plate on and shouted back "What?" at which point he slams on the brakes, turns the car around and starts chasing me around Auckland - I wouldn't have minded so much but I'd only been riding for 2 days!

Just seems to be something in the kiwi psyche though - I met loads of New Zealanders when I worked in London and found them to be lovely, polite people (hence I decided to move here) but once behind a steering wheel many transform into homicidal maniacs...is there a reason for this?

[Sparky Bills]

Ride with no plate, have knee sliders, and scrape the shit out of the side of the car

Or have hard knuckled gloves, go up to the window and break the nose of the driver

both are fun, and will make you feel lots better.

[Lou Girardin]

Wait till he's stuck in traffic then kick the shit out of him and/or his car.

[hXc]

I had some darling little toe rag throwing dirt and rocks at me out the window today. Passed said car, tooted and fingered, to get high beam and a number plate looking up my arse. They then proceeded to follow me around 3 blocks before giving up. Bastard


http://www.kiwibiker.co.nz/forums/sh...ad.php?t=33241

[Grahameeboy]

Wait till he's stuck in traffic then kick the shit out of him and/or his car.

So what does that achieve Lou...............

[Hitcher]

What else?

Follow the prick home. That way you can get their address. It makes a few other good points as well...

[mstriumph]

loooong time ago in a galaxy faaaaar faaaaaar away - when i was young and foolhardy and carrying a dozen eggs home from the supermarket stuffed down the front of my [non-armoured] jacket i chased after a similar jerk and pelted his car windscreen and bodywork with eggs at every traffic light for a coupla miles ....... even managed to lob a couple thru his window when he wound it down to remonstrate with moi .....

yes - i KNOW that, technically, it was assault but it was sooooooooooo satisfying ......

........ and you COULD say he egged me on ......

[Grahameeboy]

Just seems to be something in the kiwi psyche though - I met loads of New Zealanders when I worked in London and found them to be lovely, polite people (hence I decided to move here) but once behind a steering wheel many transform into homicidal maniacs...is there a reason for this?

It is an odd one I agree........never worked it out.....never really bothered to work it out........guess we have to just deal with it as in the whole scheme of things things are not too bad.

[Grahameeboy]

loooong time ago in a galaxy faaaaar faaaaaar away - when i was young and foolhardy and carrying a dozen eggs home from the supermarket stuffed down the front of my [non-armoured] jacket i chased after a similar jerk and pelted his car windscreen and bodywork with eggs at every traffic light for a coupla miles ....... even managed to lob a couple thru his window when he wound it down to remonstrate with moi .....

yes - i KNOW that, technically, it was assault but it was sooooooooooo satisfying ......

........ and you COULD say he egged me on ......

So you were egged on then.................sorry!!

[mstriumph]

So what does that achieve Lou...............

............. stress/tension relief ......... have you any IDEA how DANGEROUS pent up anger is for you?? gotta stay healthy .......

[mstriumph]

So you were egged on then.................sorry!!

no problemo - the yolk was on him, anyway ........

[Ozzie]

Sort of thought about the retribution thing, a couple of times, even last Thursday a young bro tried to out staunch me in the middle of the lane, him on foot, me on the bike.

What a dick, did he think I'd come off second best?

So considered stretching my arm as i went past, then thought, when he eventually gets out of hospital, this little prick will see my bike on the side of the road some time (or someone elses) and kick it over as a payback. Endless spiral.

Same with cagers, sooner or later, they will spot you when you least expect it, then you are at risk all over again.

Get the plate, dial the magic number, tell the phuzz, and let them do nothing.

[Grahameeboy]

............. stress/tension relief ......... have you any IDEA how DANGEROUS pent up anger is for you?? gotta stay healthy .......

Mmmm no cause I am lucky and don't suffer from pent up anger......I just let the dicks get on with it...........your egg attack was funny but not for me............

[mstriumph]

Sort of thought about the retribution thing, a couple of times, even last Thursday a young bro tried to out staunch me in the middle of the lane, him on foot, me on the bike.

What a dick, did he think I'd come off second best?

So considered stretching my arm as i went past, then thought, when he eventually gets out of hospital, this little prick will see my bike on the side of the road some time (or someone elses) and kick it over as a payback. Endless spiral.

Same with cagers, sooner or later, they will spot you when you least expect it, then you are at risk all over again.

Get the plate, dial the magic number, tell the phuzz, and let them do nothing.

it don't work in the middle east, neither .. *sigh*