jloco

https://www.abc4.com/news/wasatch-front/a-road-rage-incident-in-american-fork-left-a-cyclist-shaken-its-part-of-a-bigger-issue-of-safety-on-utah-roads/

Yet another road rage incident that could have resulted in the cyclist getting seriously injured. When the driver gets out of the vehicle to confront the rider after intentionally running them off the road, I am thinking pepper spray is warranted.

If someone is getting out of their truck to confront me, I am viewing that as an act of aggression.

I am now going to now carry pepper spray for these situations.

calamarichris

"A hostile person lives in a hostile world.
A loving person lives in a loving world,
Everyone you meet is your mirror," -Ken Keyes

JW Fas

I'm surprised the police did anything, let alone issued a citation. My guess as to why the motorist wasn't charged with assault was because the incident was one guy's word against another, and without better evidence an assault charge wouldn't stick. This is the point where I play my broken record and stress the importance of riding with a helmet camera.

If you are going to carry pepper spray, go with the gel instead (if it's legal to buy in your location). The atomized spray can blow back depending on the wind direction.

ScottCommutes

Just riding away in a different direction seems way less fuss than potentially escalating to that level or beyond. The above poster is correct - even blowback from pepper spray is no fun sometimes.

Iride01 

I noticed they have a bill to require planning for bicycle safety when planning for transportation infrastructure. However the better thing IMO, might be educating the drivers that bicycles are allowed on roads and that they need to be respected as any other vehicle is. In some areas, even law enforcement needs such education.

zandoval 

Pepper Spray... Ha...

Around here thats a way to really piss someone off...

Just Saying...

Rick

Way less fuss really! The timing of this particular situation negate's your wishful thinking. Things like fight or flight and sensory deprivation can take over. The man never dismounted his bicycle. If possible you get off of your bicycle and stand upright with one hand on the seat and the other grasping the handlebar. I have watched YouTube videos and seen people who are mounted on the bicycle thrown to the ground at the delight of the aggressor. In the videos were the bicyclist dismounts the bicycle and stands upright not so much. I have seen two videos were the motorist slams on the brakes coming to a stop then gets out of the truck and rips the bicycle from the downed bicyclist and throws the bicycle into the bed of the truck and drives away. Chemical sprays are more effective on animals because they aren't aware of the danger. The only chemical spray I carry is the most effective and long distance one. Bear spray 14oz can with the sleeve that fits a water bottle cage.

I read the story and it was quite apparent to me that the motorist was angry before he encountered the bicyclist. The bicyclist escalated the situation with the Hawaiian peace sign. I won't escalate any situation unless they make it necessary.

I-Like-To-Bike

Just like responding with an upraised middle finger to a stranger who honked the vehicle horn.

Troul 

a gopro or similar would be a nice add-on with the pep gel...

If only cyclists received the legal support as other peds (walkers & runners) . We cyclists get the shortened chain level of respect. as if the 'system' wants us all gone.

indyfabz

I have always thought that a strongly worded flyer included with your registration renewal explaining PA’s 4’ passing law couldn’t hurt and might even help.

Several years ago, the sheriff of the wealthiest county in the state and home to a very large club didn’t know about the law, which has been on the books since 2012. His office then made up hundreds of lawn signs to be placed along popular cycling roads.

blacknbluebikes 

Can't wait to hear how the escallation strategy works out.

urbanknight

Reminds me of the dialogue in West Side Story: rocks, belts, pipes, cans, bricks, bats, clubs, chains, bottles, knives, guns.

Leisesturm

Don't quite know where Pepper Spray slots in with the rest of all that, but it seems to me that if quite a large chunk of the people that are armed on America's roads have already made **** their weapon of popular choice ... I don't know ... Pepper Spray ... eef ...

urbanknight

Yeah, my point was that carrying pepper spray is not the end all of escalation and someone who carries it should keep in mind that the driver might be packing something a bit stronger.

JW Fas

Carolina reaper spray?

MaxKatt

He never should have escalated it by flipping the driver off. He owns a piece of this.

Shoulda ignored the horn and kept focused on completing his lane take as quickly as possible and there’s likely no event or anything to report here.

At that moment cycling was serious business and he let himself get sucked into a stupid tough guy game.

veganbikes

If you get a horn or people yelling, just disarm them completely and say "thank you I love you" or "thank you have a great day" or something silly like that. What is does it takes away the anger and they are confused. They want your anger if you don't give it to them you win and they are the losers. If someone is getting out of their car or truck they are potentially armed and dangerous and pepper spray is probably not going to help necessarily.

To quote myself in the another thread:
If you are planning on using something like OC/Pepper spray make sure you know how to use it well as well as under stress. Beyond that it is pretty useless, as you could easily do more harm to yourself than any good towards the human you think you are stopping. However keep in mind in some of those situations where you think pepper spray might be the right use case could end up with a heavy escalation with someone who has actual firearms and that can be quite deadly. The best method is to deescalate or exfil from the area quickly.

Troul 

in the event someone honks at you, just lean back a little & rub your nips while saying you love them. Works not just during cycling. Just be sure it's directed at the offending driver.

SpedFast

Almost everyone I know carries today. I just assume that everyone out there is packing something and unless you're trained or prepared to deal with that, simply smile and try to keep moving (preferably away from the idiot)

Korina

Yeah my takeaway was, don't antagonize a pissed-off driver. Just keep doing what you're doing, and when you get around the snow and out of his way he'll stop honking and roar past you, and you both go about your day.

Calsun

Thanks to the poor role models with our politicians it is now considered OK to attack anyone for any reason by any means. Many immature (and often mentally unstable) men and women are now carrying handguns on a regular basis and this should be the greater worry.

With the ongoing transfer of wealth from the working class to the elites where 1% now have more than half the wealth, people are being worn down and not sure as to how to fight back. That frustration often feeds the anger that when complimented with a motor vehicle or a firearm results in the deaths of their fellow workers and never the elites that are the root cause of their troubles.

Rick

[QUOTEThanks to the poor role models with our politicians it is now considered OK to attack anyone for any reason by any means. Many immature (and often mentally unstable) men and women are now carrying handguns on a regular basis and this should be the greater worry.

With the ongoing transfer of wealth from the working class to the elites where 1% now have more than half the wealth, people are being worn down and not sure as to how to fight back. That frustration often feeds the anger that when complimented with a motor vehicle or a firearm results in the deaths of their fellow workers and never the elites that are the root cause of their troubles.][/QUOTE]

I was in the military in the 1970s and 80s and people already felt the same way and attacked each other, - the firearms. I usd the front wheel of my road bike or the whole bike to defend myself and breakup fights in the barracks.

awac

Cars (I watched a guy speeding along a pavement on a bike in the middle of a town past shop doors, going full pelt) Vehicles should be seen as dangerous as guns (not arguing for guns, here in the UK we don’t have the right to bear arms, jeez most of the people here I would not trust with a catapult let alone an assault rifle, I guess in the US everyone is more balanced…).

From a crap web page called How the car you drive impacts your image.

“Last, but certainly not least, there’s a correlation between a cool car and a cool attitude. If you have a car that you’re excited to drive every day, due to its unmistakable style and luxury, you will exude confidence and capability. Cars can influence your character and identity in a positive way, especially if you visit pre-owned luxury car dealers to find a vehicle that’s your perfect match”.

So the opposite must be true. I have seen a rise in old drivers speeding around, acting as stupidly as an 18yo new driver. I believe it is age compensation, the car makes them augmented and they feel able to compete with a younger person, they do not want to get old, but unfortunately the reflex times are slower.

I agree re the politicians, the rhetoric is shocking (often illegal) and people (at least in the UK in my experience) are getting more aggressive over smaller issues.

The distribution of wealth and resources is only going to get more polarised as the human population grows and global warming bites. More people=less resources=more aggression.

Marx predicted that capitalism would lead to “poverty in the midst of plenty,” a scenario that’s depressingly familiar today and that contemporary society is characterized by a sense of alienation among workers distanced from the output of their labor, and the fetishization of commodities. He also predicted that competition among capitalists would grow so fierce that, eventually, most capitalists would go bankrupt, leaving only a handful of monopolists controlling nearly all production.

Yes I am a socialist, (actually a “Melon”, green on the outside and red inside, lol) does it have all the answers and are people completely ready for it? No, but it is important to recognise neither does a capitalist system. BTW, Don’t confuse socialism with Russia it is not the same.


It does not bode well for a slow human powered device on a road full of angry, self interested with a bad attitude, slow reflexed, augmented in mini tanks drivers.

Iride01 

So now we have someone wanted to pepper spray cars because they are deadly? <grin>

t2p

agree - dumb move

there is one type of motorist worse than the truck driver in this incident: the motorist that does not see the cyclist - distracted or under the influence or whatever - and hits the cyclist

this is one good reason a cyclist should not flip off an impatient / aggressive driver - the driver may be a jerk but at least they saw you and did not run you over

( motorists that beeps at you can actually be a good thing )