Lost My Temper
 

A few months ago, I was driving home through a popular strip of town, newly renovated with a strip mall, pricey condos, pricey pizza shops. Kind of place that attracts lots of prepy college students, hipsters and middle class shoppers I spose. Parking is sometimes scarce if you don't want to walk more than a city block. It's always the quickest way home from downtown. It's got 4 lanes of traffic. 2 going east and 2 going west, with double solid yellow dividing the two directions of traffic (double solid yellow means you cannot cross it for any reason). It's got parking meters lined on both sides. So anyways, there's an older guy on a cruiser motorcycle, with his lady on the back just front of and on my left heading the same direction. There's also a car directly in front of both of us, in my lane. The car suddenly cuts from my lane, right in front of and passed the Guy on the cruiser (and passed the double yellow) to snag an open parking space, barely missing him. Was one of those "are you serious" moments. The guy on the bike stops abruptly next to the cager and tells him to GET OUUUT!!! GET YOUR #$$ OUT!!! I was almost as angry as him. Anyways this same thing happened to me twice on the same street, same trip home a few days ago. The first time he was far enough in front of me that it didn't pose a risk, o.k. no problem. Then it happened a few minutes later in the same spot as when happened to the guy above. I stopped, paused for a moment, thinking "I need to have a chat". Did a U turn and chased him down before he got away. I won't say what I said, but scared him real bad. He said "o.k., i'm sorry, I didn't see you, i'm sorry". Some things are forgivable and worth letting go. Bad driving has reached epic proportions for many reasons and anyone selfish enough to put someone's life at risk because they simply don't give a care, needs to have a talking to.

I agree with ya about the talking to, and have come close several times myself. However, knowing my temper I would mailing letters from prison...... One thing I try to keep in mind though is, it could be the last talking to I try to have. People are crazy out there, and I am dumb enough to get shot....... just sayin... be careful out there. But I for one feel you were in the right. Its a thing called respect that people in this world dont have anymore.

Well Said Cole. Well said. Much respect to anyone who knows themselves and the line not to cross. Crossing this line is why many people are incarcerated now. Lots of untold stories there. And I too have a temper. It takes more of a man to stay away from things and people that may provoke you than to handle every idiot that crosses your path. Let someone else go that route, plenty that would have no problem with that lol.

I dont know too many people that can match my temper, and I've had more confrontations while riding than a care to talk about(as we've all had, I'm sure). My M/O is the same as the cruiser guy's if I feel someone put my life in danger, or otherwise wronged me while riding. After awhile I found myself taking it a step further- I would watch(even hope, I think)for someone to wrong me so I can get the self satisfaction of jumping their ****. Not smart.

As I'm getting older, I've been trying real hard to curb that. thinking about it calmly, confronting/challenging someone on the street only has three outcomes, none good-

Number one(the typical outcome), you get into a yelling match that results in nothing but you looking like a fool in public. For me, the joy of riding that day is sucked away thereafter. I feel like a total tool for the rest of my ride, and I eventually just put the bike away for the day soon after.

Number two, the driver enthusiastically accepts your challenge. The yelling escalates, turns physical and you beat his ass. Congratulations. Depending on who threw the first punch, you may or may not be charged with assault. You are however almost guaranteed to catch a charge either way unless it was cut and dry self defense. Not likely though, since you were the aggressor as 10,000 bystanders with camera/video phones will attest to. Lawyer up.

Number three, same as the above except the double whammy of getting your ass beat. Ambulance/ER co-pay on top of going to jail, on top of getting your ass beat.

I guess there's actually four if you count the wildcard of someone who is CCW fearing for their safety.

These days, I'm trying REAL hard to think before reacting out of anger. I know its easier said then done, especially when someone flips me off for having the nerve to honk my horn while they merge into me, but the realistic alternative given the above is to sell the bike.

Well...

I had one last night that ended up in a punch up at an intersection..
i wasnt on the bike thankfully.
at the end of a passing lane some dick in a stationwagon decided that he really wanted to be in front of me so he gassed it and shot up beside me and pushed me off the road.

I followed him while my fiance was on the phone to *555 (traffic report phone number here in nz)
Any way. we follow this guy for about 10kms then he decides to stop sharply at an intersection and throw his car into reverse hitting the front of my car.

**** escalated pretty quick from here on.. This guy fires out of his car and starts stomping back toward me. i get out and this fat **** grabs me and throws me up against my car.

All hell breaks loose from this point on and its a full on punch up in the middle of the street.
This fight didn't stop until the police arrived.

so yeah... Try and run me off the road and i will deal to you...
And todays job is to explain to the managing director why my company car no has a dirty great dent in the drivers door.. :(

Glad you're o.k. And glad you were able to handle the Guy. Unfortunately some people need handling. They know exactly what they're doing and what reaction they're trying to get from a stranger. Sometimes you do everything you can and it's like "how the heck can I walk away from this". Fortunately the Guy gave you a reason to throw a good punch and at the very least, he has a nice lifetime reminder of his own stupidity. I've been in many school yard fights. Unfortunately, the adult price for breaking someones jaw is more than school detention and a weeks grounding, so it's good to always be in the clear before things go down...

Ahh, I miss the days of a good after school(sometimes during school:icon_teeth:)brawl where the worst consequence was a couple days off school.

So, madmike, what happened when the fuzz got there?

well when the cops got there i had the guy held face down on the road with his hands behind his back.
So pretty much just got asked to let him go and go talk to one of the cops while the other one talked to him..

So yeah. went back to the local police station and gave a statement then drove home...

Will see what happens when the cops decide to take a look at it i guess...