Should you punch vehicles?

[Zed]

So yeah, the traffic chaos seemed to make some cagers go a bit nuts this morning...

On Old Kent Road i slow+stop for this orange->red, the female biker in front of me (correctly) slows but stops for the pedestrian crossing also going red 20 m further on: however this bus (that got caught in the New Cross jam, see Xmax250Paul's thread) goes thru both my red, and the red the female biker is stationary at, almost clipping her. She gives a polite hoot, and he blasts his horn back, roars off.

We both catch up to him further up (slow-ish rush hour), and as we are about to pass him on the cycle/bus lane, he deliberately swerves towards us from the next lane over I punch one of his panels (probably where the luggage goes), may of dented it , but he does the "fixed stare straight ahead and pretend nothing happened" look.
We shrug and tootle off.

Am i bad for punching?
Even when i got clipped by that BT van i was totally chilled, and i thought i was pretty hardened to cagers by now... i think there was some red-mist on my part, i've never had a bus attempt to scare me like that, but i felt more sorry/angry for the female biker who was probably more the target of his ire.

Anyway, its water off my back, just curious if anyone else is a bit punchy?

[poldark]

No idea if it is "right" but pretty sure I'd have done the same, like you I suspect I'd be more irate on behalf of the other biker.

Are we talking Red TFL Bus, if so report the bugger - assuming memorising the reg number is possible. Maybe I'm a GOG but I honestly believe the quality of driving on buses/coaches is much poorer than in the past.

[Zed]

No private hire bus.

I've been bicycling recently, and have been impressed with how polite TFL Red buses are to bicyclists.

[poldark]

I've been bicycling recently, and have been impressed with how polite TFL Red buses are to bicyclists.

Guess things are improving, wasn't there a recent highly reported death of a cyclist, perhaps there's been instructions to be more aware/considerate.

Good news.

[visfix]

I don't know if it's right, or legal implications, thereof, but I have done it in the past.

[sad vampire]

Don't punch vehicles. Just post a copy of the video you take on YouTube & send a copy to plod, DVLA, etc.

Only time I have hit a vehicle is when they are about to run over my foot/edge into me, & it's more of a frantic knock than a punch.

Have been known to punch a driver through their open window though when they're tried to kill me back down the road & they're now stuck at traffic lights...

[Mr Angry]

Used to knock mirrors off and dent side panels with me steel toe caps.

[stevew]

Used to knock mirrors off and dent side panels with me steel toe caps.

Mmm, so did I in another life !!
But I now (with the wisdom of age!) try to 'smile and wave'
Really 'cos it pisses them off more because they haven't managed to upset you.

[Mr Angry]

Used to knock mirrors off and dent side panels with me steel toe caps.

Mmm, so did I in another life !!
But I now (with the wisdom of age!) try to 'smile and wave'
Really 'cos it pisses them off more because they haven't managed to upset you.

Last time I dented a panel it was because a van was driving on the pavement outside our house in order to pass the bin wagon blocking the road. Would have loved to hear his explanation to his boss.

[Deleted User 796]

Haven't punched any on the bike, I've whacked a few as a pedestrian though! And blew up a wing mirror of a car blocking a cycle path in my cycling days; went past at 20ish and hit it with the bar end and boooom!!

I'm a lot more patient on the scoot as we all have our moments of wankerish driving and it's dangerous to get wound up.