Turning into an Arsehole in 10 Seconds #RoadRage #Apology #338

Yesterday morning while riding my bike into work at about 07:45 I got into a confrontation with a motorist. I was riding through Blackrock between the two lanes of traffic on my very wide Harley-Davidson. Occasionally there would be two cars close together, and I would have no option but to wait for the traffic to move on before I could make progress. Sometimes motorists move out of the way, but on a big bike I basically have to wait most of the time. This morning after a similar wait I moved through some traffic outside the Frascati Shopping Centre. I pride myself on the skill to move between traffic without touching the cars (or cages as we bikers prefer to call them). Suddenly I heard a roar behind me from a driver in a red Citroen Minivan:"HEY!". I ignored it. "HEY" again, and instead of riding away (as I should have done) I decided to confront the motorist whose car I had just passed by. Here's the (brief) conversation (with actual words):

Motorist: "HEY - MIND MY MIRROR!"

Me: (after reversing a few feet, and knowing that I had not touched his mirror): "Could you show me where I touched your mirror? (yes - I was pompous and wondering why he decided to lecture me about this after I had passed)

Motorist: "That's not what I said" (in fairness).

Me: "I have been riding through traffic for the past few minutes and not touched a single mirror".

Motorist: "Mind my mirror".

Me: "Fuck you and your precious mirror".

What made this driver confront me, and for me to turn into an arsehole and issue the F word to him in less than 10 seconds? Perhaps he was angry at being stuck in his cage while I nonchalantly passed him by? Perhaps I hated my riding skills being questioned?

I apologise to this unknown driver for using the F word - but not for anything else.