mtblurkr

SUV driver won't pass.......

nevermore1701

that is nuts

Shimagnolo

CO has a law against harassing cyclists.
Looks like an open and shut case against the imbecile.
Best thing to do would have been to stop, and call CO State Police Road Rage hotline: *CSP

OldManRiley

I had a convoy of pickup trucks with dirtbikes in the back come past me and intentionally downshift to each blow diesel smoke into my face a few days ago (while I was riding right of the right line, with no oncoming). I would have preferred this guy (or gal). Super rude, but in a pretty safe way. Can't see the logic in not just passing cyclists with open road for miles in both directions. Some people . . .

TrojanHorse

It's ironic that in a state loaded with cyclists and places to cycle that I've met some of the most misogynistic anti-cyclists in the whole country. Go figure.

So call the cops, provide them with the license & video and see what happens.

Mr. Beanz

What a DOPE!

Biker395 

"Never ascribe to malice that which can adequately be explained by incompetence." - Napoleon Bonaparte

I live by that. And my guess (perhaps in my childish Disneyland world) is that that motorist thought that they couldn't pass you because of the double yellow line. BS, of course. But it would explain what's otherwise unexplainable. I mean ... even if they hated cyclists, it's hard to imagine them following you for that long just to blow their horn at you. <shrug>

jon c. 

Certainly possible there's no malice. Two minutes seems interminable on the vid, but it's only half a mile or so. I've had cars refuse to pass me for that length of time on a number of occasions. In every case in my experience, the driver was female and either very old or very young. Just learning to drive or so old that their eyesight and reflexes aren't really up to the task anymore. Although it does annoy the heck out of me, it was apparent when they finally went by that they weren't trying to annoy me, they were just scared and less than fully competent.

TrojanHorse

That may have been true in your case, but in THIS case, the driver was leaning on his horn the whole way. That's certainly aggressive & intimidating when it's a 6,000 pound vehicle trying to frighten cyclists on 20 pound bikes.

I had a small pickup follow me yesterday for about a mile - it was a small windy road with little traffic. I kept riding all the way to the right (It was mostly downhill and I was going about 25-30 the whole way... speed limit was 30) and he wouldn't pass. Finally I slowed and pulled over at a turnout and he honked at me and said something. I turned and said "what?" and he waved and said keep going as he turned off the road. He was just being friendly. Honestly, it was probably in my best interest to have somebody behind me at that time of day - I was riding west into the sun and visibility was pretty iffy, so having a car there who recognized that I was in front of him was a boon. So it's not always bad but you just never know.

jon c. 

I didn't watch the vid with sound :-)

Yeah, if the horn's blaring there's little doubt as to the intent.

Genaro

That was me in the SUV - I was trying to get the guys attention after he dropped his water bottle

Genaro

I've had this happen sometimes where it seems as though drivers are too cautions and worried that they won't pass until they get to a point where its safe to do so. I sometimes signal to such drivers to pass, that way they know they have my attention and I have theirs - I appreciate that

calamarichris

Problem solved:

Genaro

Chris, I highly respect your intelligence and intellect, and all the good you bring to this forum, but do you honestly think throwing a set of earbuds at the SUV is going to stop them from honking ?

Ns1

That's not the point of the earbuds...unless you're being facetious...

mtrider05

The rider is Dirk Friel and he said he didn't call the cops.

cdp8

That is NOT correct. Dirk has been in contact with Colorado State Patrol. If you go to the original youtube page to watch the vid, you will find this comment from Dirk:


(Update as of Monday Sept 17th: The Colorado State Patrol is involved and we've found others who have had similar run-ins with this driver. If anyone else has information about this driver call Trooper Donahue 303-239-4501. Need to centralize information. Thanks) Here is what was supposed to be my relaxing Sunday morning ride with my teammate until things became a bit unsettling when an older male driver came up behind us in his Ford Explorer (license plate Colorado 893 EKG). This guy obviously doesn't like seeing bikes for some reason since he sat behind us for more than five minutes blaring his horn. What's even worse is we saw him approaching from behind and to be polite we ride single file to give him as much road as possible, as we did with every other car we encountered on this road east of Longmont, CO. This guy was so intent of bugging us that he backed up traffic behind him and cars had to pass him on a double yellow line. It seems he was the one obstructing traffic, not us. We ended up slowing up in order to force him to pass us and go on with his day. Insane. Hopefully this is the worste thing this guy does to cyclists.

TrojanHorse

Just spat water on my monitor. Thanks.

Shimagnolo

Agreed.
Heave one of these at him, and you'll get more respect.
https://www.moonaudio.com/titan_spkr.htm

calamarichris

Your respect is miswarranted and entirely maljustified. I hadn't thought of that--alas, they probably will not.
The elderly minivan driver probably had a few run-ins with some of the combative, hostile lane-takers in our midst and now have it in for all cyclists. Either that or all drivers have an innate, irrational hatred and desire to kill all cyclists.

rubic

Tell me that this vid was not staged. It wasn't? Well, son of a gun, the OP is one kind of tolerant person.

eja_ bottecchia

Funny stuff...funny stuff!

Nachoman

I admire the restraint of the cyclists. I could only hope that I'd be so calm under those same circumstances.

Clarabelle

Yeah, I don't know what I would have done under those circumstances. Normally I don't ride with earbuds.

mtrider05

Sorry, when this video first surfaced Sunday he said on Twitter (https://twitter.com/DirkFriel/status/247440555494223872) he didn't call the police. I guess since others came forward that has changed.