Owner

Nicely done.

Minesbroken

that's assuming that the morons in the truck can read...

nycphotography

Generally speaking, even a complete moron usually has one or two family members who will be all to happy to read it TO them, especially if they recognize the truck.

George

Very well done. I'm really glad you didn't get hit. I'd sure like to hear the follow of this and see if they get what's coming to them.

mustang1

A mature and informed response, better than anything I could have come up with. Good for you and good for the cycling community.

uga8589

I have had no less than 50 or so people stop me and comment on the article. We had a town fall festival last weekend, our Pecan Festival. I have only had one slightly negative comment. One non cycling friend stated that the orange truck would probably be looking for me now.

The rest have all been supportive with quite a few stating that they had never really thought about the dangers that a cyclist faces and that they would be more aware in the future. I also had the opportunity to speak to our US Congressman and our State Representative. Both were complimentary, our U.S. Congressman, Jack Kingston, rides his bike to his office (Arlington to DC) and was supportive. He also mentioned how far behind we are in providing safe routes for cyclists.

The new edition of our paper comes out today. The response have been almost 100% supportive. Maybe there is hope!

bakerjw

Good response. Luckily I've not had any run ins like this yet and I ride solo a lot of the time. I suspect after the first occurrence, I will be forced to take necessary steps to protect myself.

Phantoj

You're a moderator?

Paul Barnard

Good stuff OP!

roadiejorge 

Well done, this is how we should respond to these senseless attacks. Instead of responding in kind with threats of violence you took the time to put things in context which is obviously lost on those who aren't aware of the potential consequences.

SaiKaiTai

Wow, this sort of measured, intelligent response is not what I've come to expect from the hormonally laden boys who frequent this forum. Man, may you be a shining light of rationality for all to see.

Sorry about your "little" run in and glad to hear you're OK

adam

Great article and a great way to handle it.

Nachoman

What kind of jerk buys a soda bottle and then throws it at a cyclist?

flan48

Excellent, excellent, and even more excellent.
Best regards

JohnKScott

Well done!

Benjamin11

I had a the passenger of a mustang flick something small and white at me as they had to slow down for a car in front of them. Could have been a cigarette. I was absolutely enraged and, until I read this thread, have had plans to deform that mustang in some manner.


You're a very good influence.

SushiJoe

I used to get a lot more peeved than I do now. Nebraska is notorious 'neck country and they don't "take too kindly" to cyclists. I get buzzed, flipped off and called a fa*got more times by guys in picks-ups than any other vehicle. That's not the point I'd like to make, however. Ever since Nebraska instated a concealed weapons law [allowing people to carry guns in their cars and on their persons] I've gotten a lot less mouthy. Not surprisingly, our gun-related homicides and shootings have skyrocketed with this new legislation. I just keep my mouth shut now when I get harassed. It's not worth my life. Kudos to the OP, though! The pen is mightier than the sword [or bike pump].

Paul Barnard

The law took effect on 1 January 2007 if I am not mistaken. If you have the annual statistics for 2007 in comparison to the years prior, do you mind posting them for me? It WOULD be a surprise if crime increased in the wake of the passage of concealed carry laws. The opposite has held almost universally true.

nycphotography

Sounds like the law is working exactly as intended.

SushiJoe

Yes, 01/01/2007. Gun crime is up the past 2 years. Doesn't surprise me at all. Let me look around for the stats. We've had a record number [all-time high] of gun-related murders this year.

rmfnla

Well written; glad you are unharmed.

Good call mantioning that they could lose the right to own guns; that would mean much more to those neanderthals than the possiblity of injuring another human being.

The only thing I miss about the South is the barbeque.

SushiJoe

I'd like to settle it like men without weapons if they really have something to say. People aren't quite as froggy without their guns.

rmfnla

Very true. For exanple, violent crime dropped almost 40% in Florida the year after they enacted right-to-carry laws. That is an FBI statistic, BTW, and they are notoriously anti-gun.

rmfnla

Spoken like a true New Yorker ("Oh, please don't mug me!")

Carry laws are for self-defense (look it up), not to ensure that the rest of the world lives on their knees like the Bloomberg victims.

Paul Barnard

Let me help you out.

https://www.disastercenter.com/crime/necrimn.htm

Overall, crime is down appreciably. There were 18 more murders in 2007 than 2006, but if you look at the history of your murder rates in NE, you will see that there have been spikes both up and down in the same percentage range. When you are dealing with such a small sample, statistically that number is insignificant. Even if you don't accept the 18 person increase as statistically insignificant, you still would need to show how many of those people that were murdered were murdered by someone who was licensed to carry concealed for your assertion to be valid. Nationally there have been VERY few gun crimes committed by license holders. The type of people that go through the trouble to get the license aren't normally compulsive or criminally minded.