Topic: How do you retalliate when someone in a car almost runs you over

[axehole54]

I was almost run over by a car lane changing on friday... after the driver gave me a dirty look and honked like i got in his way i proceeded to give him the hello finger and straight pipe blasted his open window... think I'm going to build a spark plug holder on my bars for the next "important" person that tries to kill me... I hear porcelain cracks windshields....

[SteveD CB500F]

I gave a white van a heft kick in the passenger door when he tried to squeeze me out of my lane last week.

In my 35 years of biking, I've never done anything like that before but I was furious as the guy had come up behind me in the wrong lane and then forced his way into my bike-sized gap.

[dave500]

you dont want a spark plug holder,an egg or tomato one would be better.

[axehole54]

you're right an egg or tomato would be a better choice but what I'd really like is a sit down talk lol

[redbullssg]

I used to have a problem with a fella that would get behind me on my way to work almost every morning.  He would ride so close, and even if I hammered it and got some distance, he would close the gap and be right on my arse again.  I would pull off, just to let the A hole by.  I told a friend about it at work, and he said that he used to keep his jacket pocket full of BB's, and when someone was tailgating him, he would reach in and grab a few, then toss them over his shoulder, where they couldn't see where it was coming from.  The BB's would hit all over the front of their car, windshield and freek em out, like he was kicking up stones and they would back off.  A nice none threatening way to deal with ash bungs....  But then theres always following them to work and kicking the #$%* out of them, LOL>....

[tortelvis]

As much as we hate them, car drivers have a huge weight advantage. You are NEVER going to win a battle with a car or truck! I have heard it all before; marbles, ball bearings, nuts, bolts, fruit, etc. Don't forget the innocent motorist behind the A hole! Is it worth it? Frustrating as Hell to be in that situation, but just slow down, keep slowing down, and they might get the idea that you are NOT going to be bullied. Don't forget: the A holes in this country are
ARMED  A holes! You really want to get in a shootouit over tailgating? 

[BeSeeingYou]

As much as we hate them, car drivers have a huge weight advantage. You are NEVER going to win a battle with a car or truck! I have heard it all before; marbles, ball bearings, nuts, bolts, fruit, etc. Don't forget the innocent motorist behind the A hole! Is it worth it? Frustrating as Hell to be in that situation, but just slow down, keep slowing down, and they might get the idea that you are NOT going to be bullied. Don't forget: the A holes in this country are
ARMED  A holes! You really want to get in a shootouit over tailgating? 

Good advice.  With road rage so common these days it seems kind of dumb to get into an altercation with someone driving 3500lbs of metal and plastic at 65 mph while you are on a motorcycle.  I lay on the horn to get their attention and at worst give them the finger but that would be as far as I would take it.  Not worth getting killed or maimed over.

[seaweb11]

I was behind the wife on a ride recently when a guy came out of a gas station on to a 50mph hwy and would have hit her if she had not braked and avoided.

I came booting up from behind on my 750, pulled along side him and hit the air horn and he didn't even turn his head
It seems pointless getting to wound up, no good comes from it:P

[dave500]

i was pulling up at a set of red lights in the little mitsubishi truck i drive the other day and noticed the car next to me ,a new mini,had the fuel cap dangling by its lanyard and the flap was shut.two women are talking in this car and were going about 10 miles an hour and slowing down side by side so i toot the horn to get her attention about four times before she noticed it and ive got my arm out the window pointing at it,real observant.

[Kframe]

If I get that mad, or that shaken, I pull over at the next convenience and chill out. 

Retalition=Escalation
On a bike, you really can't afford to escalate any confrontation with a car driver.

Pull over, enjoy a few dark thoughts and the fleeting desire to call in the artillery, wait until you're calm or they're long gone. 
Then get back on and enjoy the rest of your day.
 
-K

[mgbgt89]

I had a dip#$%* turn left right in front of me yesterday. I was hard in the brakes before he ever crossed into my lane, I knew he was going way too fast, and he wasn't planning on stopping for me. I complemented him on his brilliant driving with a few choice four letter words. He heard me through his open windows, slammed his piece of #$%* van into reverse and acted like he was going to back over me. I was still in gear and rolling, i ended up just driving off. Now i wish I would have got his plate  number and reported his dumb ass. I know it's pointless getting mad about this, I really wish we had some way to fight back against these moron drivers. I have crotch rocket friends who always carry a sparkplug insulator in their pocket. They have the advantage of escape when they throw it through a car window. I don't think i'll be doing any escaping on a 350F.

[sangyo soichiro]

I try to take the proactive approach.  What I mean is, I try to see into the future.  I try to predict what all can happen given the situation.  And I try to think of how to avoid it, or what I should do if it happens.  Then when it does happen, I'm nowhere near it (because I foresaw it), or I was able to get out of harm's way (because I had an escape plan) and instead of being mad, I'm pleased with myself because I was able to predict it and avoid it.

[mgbgt89]

Yeah, I guess i can look on it that way. I was in a full panic brake before this guy had ever turned the wheel. Had i hit his van, It would have been at about 10 mph, If i had got on the brakes a split second later, I know i would have been hit from the side and probably ended up under the van. The guy made the left turn at about 25, the van was leaned over pretty hard.

Anticipating what these brain dead cagers do, before they ever probably think about doing it themselves has saved my ass, and probably my life, on several occasions.

[Laminar]

If I get that mad, or that shaken, I pull over at the next convenience and chill out. 

Retalition=Escalation
On a bike, you really can't afford to escalate any confrontation with a car driver.

Pull over, enjoy a few dark thoughts and the fleeting desire to call in the artillery, wait until you're calm or they're long gone. 
Then get back on and enjoy the rest of your day.
 
-K

x1000

[sangyo soichiro]

Anticipating what these brain dead cagers do, before they ever probably think about doing it themselves has saved my ass, and probably my life, on several occasions.

Exactly!  And this is reason to be pleased with yourself, and not so much mad at the dead zombie driving the car, because zombie is zombie does.   

[Gordon]

What never ceases to amaze me is that 99.9% of the time that I use my horn to alert a car driver to my presence as they're coming over into my lane or starting to pull out in front of me, is that they get angry at me for daring to honk at them.

I guess it's all part of the culture of "it's always somebody else's fault". 

[sangyo soichiro]

What never ceases to amaze me is that 99.9% of the time that I use my horn to alert a car driver to my presence as they're coming over into my lane or starting to pull out in front of me, is that they get angry at me for daring to honk at them.

Based on those statistics then, you should expect the zombie to get angry 999 out of every 1000 times.  So tell yourself that it's coming, and when it does, you can keep riding, except with a smug smile on your face, because you predicted it would happen.   

[Gordon]

What never ceases to amaze me is that 99.9% of the time that I use my horn to alert a car driver to my presence as they're coming over into my lane or starting to pull out in front of me, is that they get angry at me for daring to honk at them.

Based on those statistics then, you should expect the zombie to get angry 999 out of every 1000 times.  So tell yourself that it's coming, and when it does, you can keep riding, except with a smug smile on your face, because you predicted it would happen.   

The only reason I'm still alive to ride another day after 17 years on motorcycles is that the majority of the time I'm able to tell what the drivers around me are about to do before they do it.

[mrblasty]

What never ceases to amaze me is that 99.9% of the time that I use my horn to alert a car driver to my presence as they're coming over into my lane or starting to pull out in front of me, is that they get angry at me for daring to honk at them.

Based on those statistics then, you should expect the zombie to get angry 999 out of every 1000 times.  So tell yourself that it's coming, and when it does, you can keep riding, except with a smug smile on your face, because you predicted it would happen.   

The only reason I'm still alive to ride another day after 17 years on motorcycles is that the majority of the time I'm able to tell what the drivers around me are about to do before they do it.

It's called presents on mind and situational awareness.  More of us moto riders employ it because we need to.  Car drivers aren't required to maintain it.  I blame automatic transmissions, radios, air conditioning and phones, kids are no help either.  Without those things in a car a driver can't do anything else but focus on driving.  

[Retro Rocket]

Unfortunately if you are not a mind reader you are a statistic waiting to happen.

What never ceases to amaze me is that 99.9% of the time that I use my horn to alert a car driver to my presence as they're coming over into my lane or starting to pull out in front of me, is that they get angry at me for daring to honk at them.

I guess it's all part of the culture of "it's always somebody else's fault". 

I had this exact same thing happen in Sydney years ago and i had my wife on the back, it stopped the guy from running into me but he then proceeded to abuse me for honking at him    I parked my bike back tyre to the curb and the idiot tried again to run in to me again and blew his horn at me because i was backing into the parking spot and he had to slow down to give me right of way. After parking the idiot sped past us and did a U turn and came flying back down the street {this was a side street with a small supermarket and a green grocer on either side} and tried to run me down, i still had my helmet and gloves on so i hit his mirror as hard as i could and because he had his window down abusing me at the same time, the mirror exploded in his face. I think he got the message after that because i never saw him again.    MORON.......

Mick

[Gordon]

It's called presents on mind and situational awareness.  More of us moto riders employ it because we need to.  Car drivers aren't required to maintain it.  I blame automatic transmissions, radios, air conditioning and phones, kids are no help either.  Without those things in a car a driver can't do anything else but focus on driving.  

I was just thinking about that yesterday.  The distractions car drivers busy themselves with when they should be paying attention to their driving.  I was thinking about it on the way to work, because every single time I ride/drive to work I end up behind at least one person at a red light who isn't paying any attention and just sits there when the light turns green.  It usually takes at least two or three honks of my very loud horn to wake them up to what's going on, and last week the person just sat there through the entire green arrow and didn't move an inch.  I stepped out of my car, knocked on her window, and "politely" requested that she move the next time the light turns green so that I can get to work on time.  She didn't even turn her head to look at me.  

[Retro Rocket]

And don't even start me on dash mounted GPS units.....

Mick

[rm56]

To answer the question in the title of this post, You don't unless you have a death wish. I'm 53 and been riding since I was a kid. In all my years only three times was a driver malicious towards
me. I had a woman push me into an island at a left turn lane, I honked she flipped me off and did not even look me in the eye. A guy passed me on highway 1 and cut right into us almost running us off the road. I don't know why they probably had a rotten day. Funny thing both people drove BMWs. The untimate road rage machine. The last time were some kids that shot me on the freeway with a sling shot. I'm riding along minding my own business and then something hit me in the side. I almost wiped out, I looked around and saw some teen age kids in a Corolla laughing their butts off at me. The best thing to do is get away from them, either slow down, change lanes or exit the highway. If you start throwing things at cars some nut case is going to kill you on a bike. Or shoot you. Its not worth it. And like another said what if you chuck something at a jerk and cause a pile up and you get someone killed? People who think the road belongs to them usually wind up dead quick. I could'nt help but notice, seems like alot of angry bike riders in the UK and Canada? Maybe its time for you to hang up yer helmets eh mates?

[lone*X]

Driving is just like pro sports.  The ref never sees the initial fowl, but will always see the retaliation punch.  If you retaliate on the road you are going to come out on the short end of the stick.  Drive defensively.  Know where every cage in your vicinity is and always keep an escape route.   I have a couple of simple rules when riding in traffic that have kept me safe a long time while riding in and around Houston.  I refuse to be in any ones blind spot.  I prefer to be out front in plain view.  I make sure I use my entire lane.  I try to anticipate every thing going on around me.   And I have a Stebel Air Horn.   They get back in their lane real quick when they think they are about to be squished by an 18 wheeler.

[BobbyR]

I agree that avoid the accident and chill out. That was not always the case when I was younger. I am now wiser.

Years ago I parked my bike and a a guy got out of his car and got right in my face yelling it was his space. He threatened to kick my ass. I said hold on lemme take off my helmet. I whacked him in the face with the helmet as I pulled it off. I broke his nose. It was ruled self defense by the judge that swore me into the County Police the next week.