Why all the aggression?

I have been following Dallaglio's Cycle Slam as they ride their way round all the Six Nations stadiums. I noticed on one of the latest blog entries that they had cycled close to where I live, coming through a place I regularly ride through at Biggin Hill (glad they commented on that climb) and heading through Dulwich into the delights of South London. I wish I had known as I would have like to have cheered them on and maybe ride along for a bit.

Anyway, in the same blog, the author Andrew Coker writes about how he had a run-in with a car driver in London and, "Why are english drivers so aggressive, we have had it all day?". His story has an amusing side because I can imagine the car driver quietening down once he saw LD (who must look massive on a bike) and many others suddenly turning up. However it's not always so funny and I wonder if this is just my area, a southern thing or it is just the same everywhere.

Out on the ride yesterday in a quiet narrow lane there was an unexpected traffic jam. Cars were queuing to enter some event in a field and we waited patiently until a lady directing the traffic stopped the cars and said, "let this group of cyclists come through". The guy next to me said he couldn't believe his ears as this was so unusual and I would have to agree. Why? Why when I was riding home on my own yesterday did a car driver get so annoyed with me? I came up to some lights with a queue of traffic and I slowly cycled up the inside to get to the front. As I went past one car he blew his horn but I didn't know that was directed at me. As we pulled away from the lights the same car skimmed close by me and as he passed directed a few hand signals at me that I will leave to your imagination. What had wound him up so much? Maybe going up the inside of his stationary car was wrong. I just don't know.

The nastiest incident I had was riding to work in the dark just before Christmas. On a 2 lane road I could hear a car coming fast behind me so I looked back and a car that was in the outside lane came at speed into the inside lane straight for me with just inches to spare and then swerved back out into the outside lane. At the traffic lights not much further on I caught him and asked him (not so politely I have to confess) what he was doing. He told me the next time he would kill me. I don't know who that person was and what his problem was but it is totally baffling why someone would behave like that. I'm still here and I've repeatedly ridden my quite distinctive bike at the same time on the same road so I can only assume he had been watching too much Eastenders.

So what's it like in your part of the world?