55/Rad

Disclaimer - anybody who has ridden for more than a couple of months has been the victim of abuse from drivers - abuse that can take many forms. I long ago learned to let it go and just move on. After all, 185 pounds of body and bike has no chance against a 3000 pound vehicle.

Tonight was different however. And it had a satisfying ending.

I'm winding down after doing my usual loop and am about 3 blocks from my home, cruising on a main through road with a bike lane. Jerk in a jacked duelie pulls up next to me and starts shouting obscenities for no apparent reason. I say nothing but I do look at him while I keep moving forward. He pulls in front of me, slows to a crawl and then peels out in the sand and gravel left over from all the rain, pelting me.

Ouch.

He takes off and I start to think how cool it would be to file a report with the police - had I gotten the license plate. As I watch him go into the distance, I notice him turn into a strip mall, the kind where only the bars and restaurants are open on Sunday night. So I head up there to get his plate.

As I eye his big ol' truck from the distance, I see him getting out. He sees me coming and immediately decides we are going to go at it right then and there. He pulls off his jacket and starts to say things. I might add he kept his black cowboy hat on.

Meanwhile, I size him up and decide I want nothing to do with him. He's about 6'3" and 250, but he's mid 40's and way out of shape. Still, I'm no fighter....but I can talk. So, I start jabbering at him about sharing the road all the while keeping my distance on the bike.

As he continues to challenge me, he begins walking away from his truck, whereby I start to get much braver with my words, accusing him of all sorts of things but keeping it cool. But now a funny thing is happening - I START CIRCLING HIM FROM A DISTANCE.

After awhile, I move off the topic of drivers and cyclists..."hey partner, who's the cowboy now and who's the heffer?"

"C'mon big guy, come get me....so brave behind the wheel....let's see you run 20 yards..."

Then I hit him with what I perceived the be the real problem. Being a former alcohol abuser, I can spot it a mile away.

"Going to get a few more pops and get back behind the wheel again there partner? That JD behind the seat near empty? Going out later to run some more people off the road? Fine example you set there mister, should we videotape it for the kids?" Tame stuff but with a point.

Meanwhile, he's steaming while he continues to shout obscenities to get me off the bike.

By now, people are gathering and wondering why this half crazed twit on a bike is circling a cowboy in a parking lot.

The unexpected thing was - the more I jabbered, the more enraged he became and there wasn't a thing he could do. It got to where I felt I was toying with him - and it was fun - in a somewhat creepy and childish way. I felt like I was representing every rider that had ever been dissed by some ahole driver.

Final words words were - "dude, go refresh your drunk, I'm done with you."

I've had a lot of cruddy things happen to me in the last year and hence, a lot of pent up frustration has gone by the wayside. It was good to let a little out.

But I don't recommend this being the way.

55/Rad

55/Rad

As a followup...

I got so much satisfaction from this that reporting him seemed pointless. I'll sleep on it.

Edonis13

better hope he doesnt see you in the bike lane again while making the trip for more whiskey.

nicely played though.

Gusboh

Now you should do the dead dog in the passenger seat trick...

Double D

Point would be to help get him off the road before he kills someone.

dpr

I aggree with Double D. You've got to report this guy before he does some serious harm. People like that are time bombs.

Kudos for standing up to him but I hope that decision doesn't haunt you.

rollin

Rad I'm sure you feel better, I'm sure I would have. But you're right, that's not the way.

This loon will just take it out on the next cyclist that he sees. There is just no getting through to some people.

By the way I've had a couple of run ins too so I know how they happen.

Ride safe

(p.s. when I read your post where it said "... peels out in the sand and gravel..." my first thought was god I hope he wasn't riding the chrome Pinarelo, and they say empathy is dying )

neilG

I like to carry around a Schraeder valve core tool. Where you gonna find those suckers at 3 AM?

photonick

Today on the Amgen Break Away From Cancer ride I was riding in the right lane with an older rider in front of me and a couple behind me and i suddenly hear a car come up behind me and i see a jeep wrangler pass me on the right, yell at me to get the **** out of the road and then cuts me off!

I ride up next to him since we are both coming to a stop and I say hey man you don't pass a cyclist on the right thats dangerous. This tough guy 20 something year old maybe a bit older than me with the most angry look on his face proceeds to tell me to get off the road and then i tell him to go check his drivers ed manual and learn how to drive, he responds with you got something to say you wanna start something, i respond with look im just trying to tell you that were in the right here this is legal, he musters up all the power in that little frontal lobe and comes back with "yah well shut the **** up and put some pants on ******" and then peels out.

It put a rain cloud over my whole day, thank god the ride was about over because I honestly didn't even really enjoy the rest of the ride. What really bothered me was that when i went to get a coffee later some jerk in a mercedes SUV parked like an idiot and i had to cram my volkswagen hatchback in my space and drive up on the curb, as i was getting out he confronted me telling me to get my door off his car and i totally unloaded all the stress from the jerk in the Jeep on this guy in front of his kid, i felt really bad afterwards.

What goes around comes around =(

Double D

[QUOTE=photonick;6143723]What really bothered me was that when i went to get a coffee later some jerk in a mercedes SUV parked like an idiot and i had to cram my volkswagen hatchback in my space and drive up on the curb, as i was getting out he confronted me telling me to get my door off his car and i totally unloaded all the stress from the jerk in the Jeep on this guy in front of his kid, i felt really bad afterwards.QUOTE]

Dude, don't sweat it. I totally know where you're coming from, but the SUV guy had it coming.

If you don't treat people with respect they probably won't be very happy with you and it'll show. He should be ashamed of himself for being rude to someone who didn't deserve it, and doubly ashamed for doing it in front of his kid!

I'm glad you stuck up for yourself, with any luck he'll think twice before being a classless jerk to the next guy.

It's one thing to ask someone to be careful of your car or offer to move it if needed because you're worried about your paint/body, but if you can't muster up enough courtesy to say s/g besides "get your door off my car" you need to be taught a lesson.

If he didn't learn from you the next guy will probably key his car or slash his tires, the guy after that will whip his ass (by that I definitely mean his pet donkey) and if he hasn't learned how to speak to people by then he may piss off a real sociopath and the sky's the limit then.

roadwarrior

I would have reported him. Especially if he was going into a bar.

patentcad

Motorists hate us enough already, but we do appreciate your efforts to exacerbate the situation.

botto 

What's a cager?

Zinn-X

Someone who builds cages for a living.

patentcad

You need to get a motorcycle.

mollusk

A basketball player.

daytonian

It's always the dualies that get so mad. See alot of these on the country/farm roads. Must be the extra tires they are using to subliminally compensate for an inadequacy somewhere. I used to think long ago that all farmers/people in the country were nice and always friendly. Ride a bike and that goes out the window. Some of the meanest F&^ks out there.

daytonian

correct

botto 

i'll wait until i'm 50.

patentcad

You're a cyclist, you may not live that long.

botto 

correct.

patentcad

While I ride my bicycle year round, between late April and late October I ride my motorcycle almost daily as well. I give those cages 2+ hours each day to kill me on my road bike, and then another 30+ minutes on my motorcycle. They need all the help they can get.

botto 

?

monk

I know that there are those that think what you did will cause this guy to take his frustrations out on the next cyclist he encounters. However, I've always been of the opinion that jerks in cars/trucks are brave because just like telling someone off on the phone, they can yell at us and not have to face us - - there's that "anonymity" there. But when you caught up to this guy you ceased becoming some "jerk on a bike" and became a real person. This could make him think twice about acting like a jerk again, who knows. I bet most rednecks don't like being told off by a guy in lycra . . .

substructure

I think it's a new term that commuters here on this forum have made up for motorists. Like their vehicle is their cage, you know? A way to protect themselves from the outside world. A rat in a cage, if you will.