Cycling Info: Dealing with Road Rage

At Cycling Info, Tejvan Pettinger is quietly putting together one of the best bicyling blogs on the web.  He offers no politics, no put-downs of people with lesser ability, and no snobby attitude toward people who don’t race.  Instead, we find helpful, informative articles about all aspects of cycling.  Check out his latest article on dealing with road rage.

To ignore road rage requires a cool temperament. We might feel that this is a weak option because we are somehow ‘acquiescing’ to their bad behaviour. However, there are good reasons to treat them with silence.

1. They are looking for conflict, when you respond with cold indifference, they feel foolish. There is no energy for them to feed off.
2. If they are angry, they will not listen to reason anyway.
3. There is the possibility that the initial road rage could exacerbate and they could get physically aggressive. Lycra shorts presents little protection against an SUV driven at 30mph. Our personal safety is always more important than trying to change the behaviour of people who don’t listen to reason anyway.
4. Arguing with them will make you feel frustrated.