Are we really that provocative?

[lph]

That sucks, Trigress. Glad nobody was hurt, that certainly isn't always the case when drivers behave like that.

IMO there's only one thing to do with drivers like that - get the license plate no. and report them to the police. When they act that aggressively NO amount of arguing, pleading, cajoling or threatening will make them see differently, not at the moment at any rate. He'd made up his mind that you were in his way, and were deliberately provoking him, and he felt entitled to "get back" at you. There's an amazing amount of drivers who feel this way, and who are completely clueless as to the very real danger they put cyclists in. They just don't get it, that a cyclist can be killed by just being bumped "gently" by a car, or seriously hurt by hitting the pavement.

More normal drivers seem to respond to cyclists acting responsibly, moving to the side when they can, respecting red lights, waving a car past when possible, but drivers prepared to brake in front of a pack just couldn't care less. They just see red whenever they see anything that looks like a cyclist on "their" road. Funny thing is - you wouldn't see them doing the same thing to a slow-moving tractor... oh, that's right, that would make THEM the weak party.

[Trigress]

I agree with you lph, there really isn't much point talking to them. Do you have any experience with reporting drivers like that though? Do they care? What can they do?

Where do you normally ride with Ceres? You probably know, but the drivers in Enebakk are notoriously bad, so stay away if you can. I live at Bogerud, so in order to get to Follo and Østfold I either have to cope with Enebakk or to cross Nordstrand, and the hills to Nordstrand isn't always particularly tempting on my way home.

By the way, lph, what is "rulle" in English? I've thought that might be a word that might come in handy on this forum at some point, but my dictionary seriously sucks when it comes to cycle vocabulary! Fish types on the other hand..