While I agree with you in principle, 74 does bring up a valid point: a point that I'm also aware of. You don't want to cause any collateral damage with innocent motorists.
(I'm not advocating this either) but if you are dead set on physical retaliation, get up beside their vehicle and kick the **** out of their door with your boot, ensuring you create a big dent, then speed off.

I've heard of riders knocking off mirrors but once again, that mirror could fly off, bounce and hit another motorist...you don't want that.

 

Brothers, a couple of years ago I was riding with my son, an a biker did the same thing to a women in a minivan, she slammed the brake and one guy in the middle lane (CBR Rider) crashed right into her. Trust me I strongly agree with the AHoles on the road and their lack of concern and respect for our safety, but look at the end result of a fellow rider.

 

Its weird when you have a camera and watch back these situations. I've had two drivers bump me, from ignorance rather than wanting harm. Problem I find is I go a bit squeaky when pissed off - not cool.

Thought I'd post the experience below as it also is a reminder to look around you when waiting in traffic! Seems to be thats where all the idiots are!

Close Calls and Filtering - YouTube

 

I asked someone else this in another thread, when they were talking about not being in neutral when stopped in traffic.

Let's say you are stopped in traffic. If going straight, you have cars on all four sides of you or if you are turning left, you have a median (that you can't ride over) on your left, and cars surrounding you otherwise.
If you see something about to happen (like the car behind the car that's behind you, is about to rear end the car behind you and send that car into you); just where exactly do you think you are going to go on your bike, if you happen to need to get out of the spot you are in?

 

If you are not positioning yourself with an escape route when you come to a stop, then of course you won't have anywhere to go!

Personally, I stop in the left side of my lane and kind of at an angle, not parallel with the lines. This way I can look in my left mirror and watch traffic behind me and my bike is already pointed to the left of the car in front of me. If I have to (and I have before) get out of the way I can squirt up beside the car in front of me and let him/her be my crumple zone.

Stopping on the bumper of the car in front of you in the middle of your lane is just asking for it. You might get away with it for a while, but that one time you need to move and can't...well, you might as well be sitting there in neutral.

 

After watching that close call vid, I had to post my own. Now, I'll admit that one situation was totally self inflicted....

 

There is always space between the car ahead and what is next to it. If you filter to the side of the vehicle in front of you, it then becomes a blocker for you.

I've done it myself. The car coming up may not have seen me, but he definitely saw the car rear end and slammed on the brakes.

 

Have you and VFRman ever actually had to do this in real life?
I see the premise of it but it's a lot like shooting straight. It's easy to hit a target in a controlled environment but when the adrenaline kicks in during a real life scenario, we can often make quick impulsive reactions.
I know these bikes can take off quick but there isn't much room between those cars and what if you attempt a quick-launch to dart out of the way of a rear-ender, yet don't have the room between cars you think you do and you can't brake/stop quick enough from your quick launch to avoid sideswiping one of those cars you tried to go in between. Or let's say you do a quick-launch, but your initial vector is pointing at a car and you dont' have time to brake before you veer into it. I've seen footage of the Isle of Man TT at the starting line where PROFESSIONAL racers have almost careened into the wall because they took off at a not-straight vector; and the starting area for them is a LOT wider than between lanes of traffic.
That said, I see your point if you aren't surrounded on ALL FOUR sides by vehicles or barriers (i.e. if you are first in line at a red light or in the right lane and the right turn lane is empty). But when you have nothing but lane-splitting options and very narrow escape routes, you have to be very, VERY watchful and careful.

 

Yes. A few times. The adrenaline kicks in after it is all over for me.

 

I try and position myself to the edge of a lane so I can at least move in a direction to get out of the car's way be it between a car and a pavement or two cars. As Kurushio said, they tend to see the brake lights of the car then before they see you but at least it slows them down. The problem comes when someone does something completely unexpected like reversing into you! .