Is it my face?

[pistolpete]

It is true that if you can bear to agree with the miserable tw@ts it diffuses them completely.

 

[Annagain]

I think the best one I had was when I asked a car to slow down as he tried to overtake me and a very nervous girl from the yard as we approached a blind bend at about 40. He stopped on the wrong side of the road, right on the bend to hurl abuse at me. I could see over the hedge and there was a car coming in the opposite direction so I suggested he move and waved my arms frantically (which really peed off ranty man, even when I explained I was just stopping him getting crashed into, as I clearly wasn't listening to him) in the hope it was seeing me over the hedge too. Luckily that driver did see and crept round the bend to find this car on the wrong side of the road and a guy screaming at me. He just stopped, completely blocking the road and got out of his car to check we were ok (and make a point I think as he could have done it through his window!) so ranty guy had no option but to wait until we moved on out of his way to get back onto the right side of the road. I took great pleasure in doing that as slowly as possible, checking my friend was ok and making sure she came onto my inside to protect her from the traffic - not my problem if that made us wider and more difficult for him to pass. The idiot did all this in his sign-written work van so his employers got a nice email later that day too. They told me they'd deal with it but I never found out how.

 

[AppyLover1996]

I usually avoid confrontation as it's not very good for my anxiety, but on one occasion when I had two middle aged people speed down the road and past me (I was frantically waving my arms asking them to slow as had a friend on a young horse with me!), I did make sure to yell loud enough "Highway code dictates you pass wide and slow you absolute twats!" as they had their windows open - and I think they heard some of it as they did slow down and when we passed them further along on the ride, they were well within the speed limit and being sensible.

Not proud of myself but emotions got the better of me in that situation......they were easily doing 50 in a 30 zone, were stupidly close to a local school with young children all coming out at finishing time and my friends horse had been involved in a RTA a year ago to the day......

 

[EarsofaHorse]

I said “Morning! Thank you” to some (middle-aged male) walkers who stood to the side of the path to let me past on a hack at the weekend, delaying their walk by all of ten seconds. They glared at me and turned to each other to continue their conversation (in English) without any kind of acknowledgement

Not sure what response you are expecting? They've been considerate, and you've thanked them. Are you expecting them to thank you for thanking them?

If I'm out running and people move themselves or their dogs out the way, I thank them. I sometimes get a "you're welcome", but certainly don't expect it.

I do get bitchy comments from some riders, but that's when they can't be bothered to say thank you when I've slowed right down, or come back to a walk, when approaching and going past, but then are rude to me when I cba to acknowledge their "good morning". And I'm inconvenienced for a lot longer than 10 seconds. I'm happy to do it, but I would say about 50% of riders around here acknowledge that!

 

[humblepie]

I find in general whether walking or riding that people tend to say hi or acknowlege one another a lot less than in years gone by. Probably more so walking than riding in fact.

Best one I had was riding my horse down a road I don't use very often but the other route was shut, fully hi vized both of us, horse stood quietly whilst a large lorry went by and the next car then stopped. Thought chap was going to say, lovely horse/super visible (which we get quite often) but no a complete rant about horses shouldn't be on the road, blah, blah. Horse just stood quietly and I thanked him and wished him a nice day. Did see the car a couple of times afterwards as if had seen it parked locally would have gone for a chat to point out that at least one of us was abiding by the Highway Code and being courteous. Not managed to find him yet.

More happily have written to thank various companies whose drivers have been really considerate and one company said they would use it as part of their ongoing training.

 

[Landcruiser]

I'm sorry it was your turn to deal with them today, there are days where they just crop up and start. If the person driving the machine can't see it's their problem and they need to adjust their driving. It's basically victim blaming to blame the one hi-vized up to the nines. If he couldn't see you then he wouldn't have seen walkers, cyclists or even other cars!

Indeed. If he couldn't see the OP, he also couldn't see pedestrians, cyclists, presumably even other vehicles in the same light, and should have been driving accordingly. I wonder if he'd have stopped to tell a male pedestrian he couldn't see him..

 

[Landcruiser]

I find in general whether walking or riding that people tend to say hi or acknowlege one another a lot less than in years gone by. Probably more so walking than riding in fact.

Best one I had was riding my horse down a road I don't use very often but the other route was shut, fully hi vized both of us, horse stood quietly whilst a large lorry went by and the next car then stopped. Thought chap was going to say, lovely horse/super visible (which we get quite often) but no a complete rant about horses shouldn't be on the road, blah, blah. Horse just stood quietly and I thanked him and wished him a nice day. Did see the car a couple of times afterwards as if had seen it parked locally would have gone for a chat to point out that at least one of us was abiding by the Highway Code and being courteous. Not managed to find him yet.

More happily have written to thank various companies whose drivers have been really considerate and one company said they would use it as part of their ongoing training.

I had similar when riding with a friend, years ago. Middle aged man (of course) took time out of his day to slow alongside us on a wide, empty country B road near to my then yard, and cruise along side saying we were causing an obstruction and should "find a quieter time to ride." It was about 4pm on a midsummer sunny afternoon. Friend and I tried to explain we were riding back to our yard as was our right, but ended up telling him to F*** off when he argued with us. .

 

[Burnttoast]

I had similar when riding with a friend, years ago. Middle aged man (of course) took time out of his day to slow alongside us on a wide, empty country B road near to my then yard, and cruise along side saying we were causing an obstruction and should "find a quieter time to ride." It was about 4pm on a midsummer sunny afternoon. Friend and I tried to explain we were riding back to our yard as was our right, but ended up telling him to F*** off when he argued with us. .

While presumably taking advantage of the emptiness/total unbusyness of the road to berate you? How bizarre are some people!?

 

[Tiddlypom]

I had a middle aged chap laugh at me with a view to humiliating me for wearing a bright (V bandz) hi viz tabard when I was walking the dog on the road.

He picked the wrong woman to try and patronise . He was in camouflage country type clothing merging perfectly into the gloomy winter background and I gave him as good as I got.

I laugh, but it was defo a male thing trying to put down a female .

 

[SEL]

Middle-aged man checking in here: at this time of life I think we reach this kind of metaphorical fork in the road.

One way is kind of an epiphany that leads to being a chilled out old bloke, who admits that he hasn't really got a great deal of skin in the game, takes life as it comes and tries to put about some good karma - as by god this world needs it.

The other way is to get increasingly wound up about stuff in the world you have no control over (and usually doesn't matter anyway), moan about everything (even if you've won the lottery of life and are a white man living in a developed nation) and generally not see the wood for the trees.

My dad is the first my OH is slowly becoming the second.... is it true muck heaps dissolve bodies? Asking for a friend.....

 

[Korg]

People, especially middle aged, really can be strange in combination with horses. I've met quite an amount after all years out with the horses.

In the summer, middle of the day, out hacking on my fairly young, but safe with traffic, Standardbred. I was about 12-13 at the time. Bright bay horse. A man saw us from his house and biked up to us, wearing no helmet nor shirt. Told me we weren't visible. He tried to get upset and argue, I decided I couldn't be bothered and trotted off.

Another time, actually a woman this time. Not a sane one. Tried to drive past me and my yearling quickly, showing no respect for my yearling who was in no way safe with traffic. Looked really annoyed that we were walking in the middle of the road so she couldn't pass us. This person is around horses a lot, otherwise I wouldn't have found it as strange.

Same person, or possibly her daughter, and same horse of mine. There was a car coming so I walked in slightly on their (they don't even own it, they rent it) road to their yard. Not much, just enough to have enough space for a car to safely pass. One of their horses was outside and was upset/excited at my pony, not more because of us slightly walking in on their road. Someone from the stable screamed at us to go away.

Middle aged men really can be terrible. However, I find completely disrespectful horse people way worse. They know better and actively choose to do the wrong thing.