trekkie820

I was cruising home tonight at about 9:00, and i was riding behind a car, the car was about 20 feet in front, and the passenger pitched a cigarette butt out the window!! I saw a shower of embers all around my front wheel, and some climbed up my leg! BASTARD!! So i ride up to the car, they are a buch of dumbass college guys and they're laughing, so i make them roll down the window and i ***** them out about how that could have injured me, etc. It ended with them flexing nuts and acting all cool, so i kick in the side of the car and duck down an alley really fast and out of site. I normally would just shrug it off, but i hate it when people laugh at me like that. Anyone ever get a butt thrown at them?

timmhaan

that sucks. sorry to hear that. i've had a beer bottle thrown at me once. that was the worst so far. although the other day a couple of kids threw snaps at me!

cycletourist

No. But one time at a stoplight some kids nailed me with a water bazooka.

trekkie820

I think i am going to start carrying a pocket full of small rocks to throw.

supcom

Flicking a cigarette = Assault with a deadly weapon

trekkie820

Flicking a cigarette=rocks thrown at windows!

forum*rider

Did you kick their car with the riding shoes that have those little metal cleats on the toes?

slvoid

I am in no way advocating violence. But it seems that next time, they might catch up to you again if its your regular route for your commute...

Louis

I got hit in the back with a full can of beer once while riding. It drew blood and split the can open, showering me and nearby traffic with spraying beer. It happened all too fast for me to get a license tag number; best I could do was flip 'em the bird. Terrible waste of good beer.

LittleBigMan

Abe Lincoln referred to the, "better angels of our nature." This, and the cigarette butt flicked on purpose,
are examples of the, "darker angels of our nature" that some Radio DJ's would love to fan the flames of.

I'm glad to say that 99.9% of motorists I ride with are good people.

ruirui

i would have memorized their licence plate number and call 911 and say that this car is driving recklessly and also littering. then tell police where they are at now and have the police come bust them.

Patrick A

Kinda OT, but about 10 or 11 years ago Billy Joel was doing a concert in the city I lived in. I was at a redlight in my car and this limo pulls up and the back window is close to being equal with my window. I look over and there's like a party going on in there and there's Billy Joel! So I'm like "Hey! Billy Joel!" and he says "Hey kid! CATCH!" and he flicks a lit cigarette at me! So I tossed a half full paper cup of fast food soda at the limo and caught the antenna on the trunk lid. What a prick!

trekkie820

No, just regular shoes. I kicked so hard it tacoed thier door panel in. Like i said, i normally wouldn't do this, but the way they were laughing about it, i just lost control.

townandcountry

Next time you kick in someone's door I hope you don't get shot. You weren't hurt, were you? Let it go.

farrenator

Seeing that the car was 20 ft. ahead of you, do you really think they were trying to flick the cigarette AT you? Did they even know you were behind them? Since I wasn't there, I cannot tell, but if they weren't doing it on purpose I would say you overreacted.

OregonBound

Considering how many "Oh someone did something bad to me" posts are on these forums, I'd say that my fellow cyclists have just as short a fuse as most drivers. People, both in cars and on bikes, just need to get over it. Most "attacks" are nothing more than rudeness and lack of awareness. I doubt they even knew you were there, but you reacted like an animal. You're lucky they didn't just smear you on the road.

Paul

trekkie820

Well, they DID know i was back there, because i could see them look at me BEFORE they flicked the butt in my direction. The driver was the only one smoking, and somehow the butt came out of the passenger window!I was next to them at a stop sign too. Anything else?

OregonBound

Interesting additional information; why didn't you include that in your first post?

Even if assuming it is correct, I still am surprised that your tantrum didn't get you shot or run over. Road rage on the part of cyclist is just as stupid as when driver does it.

Paul

trekkie820

I just didn't think i would have to add it at that point, and i was still pretty pissed. I know road rage is a bad idea, and they did try to chase me, but I am more manuverable on my bike than their car. Like a said before NUMEROUS times, that is not usually how i handle things, and i did try to ask for an apology in a grown up way, but they just laughed at me. THAT is when i got pissed. It wasn't just me trying to be a hard ass or anything, i DID try to handle it in an adult fashion. Did you read all of the posts? Or did you just see the end part where i said i kicked the car?

OregonBound

You want sympathy and reinforcement and you're not going to get it from me. Personally, I think your behavior rivaled or exceeded the people in the car. Not much point in continuing with this pissing match, so I'm going to bow out and allow you to have the last word; enjoy.

Paul

dobber

Man, thats mature. The running away part just adds to it.

trekkie820

Do you people read posts before you reply? Did you miss the part where i tried to talk to them?

dobber

No. But then again, I'm also prone to taking action without thinking about the consequences. I also like to escalate acts of littering into incidents of property damage.

trekkie820

Im sorry, but this act of "littering" was an attack. I really DO NOT like being patronized.

Ohio Trekker

In reading the post the part where you got them to "roll down the window and ***** them out"? Was that the adult way of asking for an apology you mentioned in a later post?

I would have been pissed too, but I would not have dented the side of their car, espeically on the streets of Cleveland, if that's where it happened.

I think you will find people have in fact read the post, or enough of the post to form their opinion since it is the same one I have seen over and over and over around here. Some folks are offended as cyclists, being represented by such actions of another cyclist. Some might agree with the actions and cheer you on, but I have never seen everyone be of the same opinion in such an incident.

They suffered dollar damages as a result of your reation to their action, you suffered emotional damages as a result of their action. Do you think the court would side with you who inentionally kicked in their door, or do you think the court would side in favor of them, when they say, we didn't realize he was back there and it was an accident? Could you use as your defense that I accidentally kicked in their car after I ***** them out, and would it stand up in a court against however many witnesses they have on their side in the car? Did you teach them a lesson or did you sour them against cyclists? My guess is you did nothing more than release some frustration, and improve the bottom line for whoever has to repair their car.

Sometimes as they say, discretion is the better part of valor, sometimes shrugging it off is the way to go.