At 5.45 pm on my way home along (westbound) Dandenong road a newish white Ford Falcon station wagon (Victorian registration ###-###) drove past me in the left lane. As the car went past, the young male passenger in the front swung his fist out the window at me and screamed something unintelligible. I am used to cars going past with little clearance, but the yell and swung fist almost made me swerve into the kerb at the edge of the road. There was little other traffic on the road at the time and it is unusual for vehicles to drive in the left lane at this point, shortly afterward they moved into the centre lane and stopped at the traffic lights at Huntingdale road.

At the lights I drew alongside the car and asked the passenger what his problem was. (There were three young guys in the car, and an older male driver, the two young guys in the back were all having a good laugh at the passenger’s discomfort). The passenger mumbled that he hadn’t swung his arm or yelled, then that he had but that it hadn’t been at me. I asked who it was at since there was nobody else around and he looked away and just kept shrugging. At this point the lights went green and the driver (who hadn’t said anything) drove off.

I rode to the Oakleigh Police Station where officer Deckert told me that “Unfortunately there’s a lot of dickheads out on the roads.” I responded that I knew that and that was why I would like to report them, after a few more comments from him along the lines of, “its your word against theirs,” and “some people just drive like that” he then took down the registration number, the words “White Falcon” and my name on a small scrap of paper and said he’ld give the driver a ring.

I have severe doubts that that scrap of paper stayed out of the bin once I’ld left the building, and I see no reason why no action was taken. If I walk up to someone in a public place and scream at them and swing my fist at their head I’ld end up on an assault charge, for some strange reason this behaviour is perfectly acceptable if I’m in a car.

Refs: Originally in my bike incidents page.