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How Do You Deal With Harassment?

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How Do You Deal With Harassment?

Old 08-18-19, 09:55 AM
  #151  
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Originally Posted by downhillmaster
Sorry but it is quite different than someone with AIDS spitting blood in your face.
Just wow...
Hey, this is A&S, even pointing out that overreaction, to include overwrought hyperbole and rhetoric about every perceived slight may be counter-productive, might be considered just another form of "harassment" by some of our more sensitive colleagues.
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Old 08-18-19, 01:40 PM
  #152  
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Originally Posted by 350htrr
YES, my 1st reaction is to wish a bad day to someone who could have caused a bad day to me (an instinctive thought)... BUT, my second reaction is to wish a good day ( a conscious thought to not dwell on the negative), a good trip, a good holiday or whatever fits the driver who went out of his/her way to not hit me, and guess what, the good way out weigh's the bad, thus I almost always have a great ride even tho some people seemed to have had it out for me...
Your thought has been put in these terms by a certain Buddha :
Holding on to anger is like grasping a hot coal with the intent of throwing it at the other; it's you who gets burned in the end.
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Old 08-18-19, 06:27 PM
  #153  
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Originally Posted by holytrousers
Your thought has been put in these terms by a certain Buddha :
Now, I am certainly not Buda... as I do NOT hold onto my anger... I say, my negative thought towards those persons responsible for my negative thoughts(to myself), BUT I also say positive thoughts to those that "follow the rules" and make my ride safer... (to myself)… It just works for me..

EDIT; At the end of most rides, I feel like it was a perfect ride... whether it was or not... YAY...

Last edited by 350htrr; 08-18-19 at 06:51 PM.
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Old 08-19-19, 11:08 AM
  #154  
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Originally Posted by downhillmaster
Sorry but it is quite different than someone with AIDS spitting blood in your face.
Just wow...
Yeah, I'd go with more like a smoker blowing smoke right into your face. The health issues of it are fairly trivial.

What's worse with the rolling coal is it usually involves moving the truck in closer to the cyclist and then loudly gunning the engine, which can be pretty scary. That's obviously the intent, so it is text-book harassment. Turbulence pretty much dissipates the smoke immediately, but the close pass/loud noise is just nasty and dangerous.
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Old 08-19-19, 12:47 PM
  #155  
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Originally Posted by livedarklions
Yeah, I'd go with more like a smoker blowing smoke right into your face. The health issues of it are fairly trivial.

What's worse with the rolling coal is it usually involves moving the truck in closer to the cyclist and then loudly gunning the engine, which can be pretty scary. That's obviously the intent, so it is text-book harassment. Turbulence pretty much dissipates the smoke immediately, but the close pass/loud noise is just nasty and dangerous.
Wear a bicycle smog mask. They're effective only if you don't have facial hair and completely seal the face but the truckers won't know that.
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Old 08-19-19, 07:23 PM
  #156  
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Originally Posted by livedarklions
Yeah, I'd go with more like a smoker blowing smoke right into your face. The health issues of it are fairly trivial.

What's worse with the rolling coal is it usually involves moving the truck in closer to the cyclist and then loudly gunning the engine, which can be pretty scary. That's obviously the intent, so it is text-book harassment. Turbulence pretty much dissipates the smoke immediately, but the close pass/loud noise is just nasty and dangerous.
That, actually IS the main aggressive part of the maneuver, the smoke is just the visible part of the F' U, you do not belong on the road mentality so you needs to stay off ,... MY ROAD, an actual mesage....
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Old 08-20-19, 06:12 AM
  #157  
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Originally Posted by Daniel4
Wear a bicycle smog mask. They're effective only if you don't have facial hair and completely seal the face but the truckers won't know that.
You missed the point --the fumes are the least of the threat. It's the close loud pass that is terrorizing.

Wear a mask in hot weather if you want, but no thanks.
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Old 08-20-19, 07:26 PM
  #158  
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I left work today down a 1/2 mile descent to a top light. Luckily there were 4 cars ahead of me, but I could hear a dump truck idling behind me. When the light turned green, I was able to stick to the cars ahead of me and sustain 30mph to the next light. Where I ended up hearing a dump truck idling behind me. The light changed and it was a sprint to the next red light which is common for this stretch of road. After this it turns into a 4 lane divided road where I pull into the far right lane that has a bike lane. The light turns green and I have a little trouble getting my left foot clipped in. This $%$$hole in the dump truck rides right up on my back wheel and ends up clearing my left elbow by about 2 feet.
Had a great commute this morning only to almost get taken out by a dump truck of all things.
Rest of the commute was okay so no harm, no foul. I'm still breathing. Although the rain let loose about a mile from home and I got a little wetter.
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Old 08-21-19, 12:40 AM
  #159  
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Harassment is somewhat subjective.

Far too many people get hung up on words, its the actions that matter.

Deliberate attempts to cause a crash should never be ignored.
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Old 08-21-19, 02:22 AM
  #160  
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Originally Posted by SHBR
Harassment is somewhat subjective.

Far too many people get hung up on words, its the actions that matter.

Deliberate attempts to cause a crash should never be ignored.

Because words matter...a lot!
Originally Posted by Emmablow
What Is Workplace Harassment Under the Law? ... So as to be viewed as separation, the badgering must be founded on some secured characteristic. Under government law, those characteristics incorporate race, shading, national beginning, sex, pregnancy, age, religion, inability, and hereditary data.
Bodily injury or harm. Not necessarily harassment, but potentially more harmful.
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Old 08-21-19, 02:25 AM
  #161  
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Originally Posted by bakerjw
I left work today down a 1/2 mile descent to a top light. Luckily there were 4 cars ahead of me, but I could hear a dump truck idling behind me. When the light turned green, I was able to stick to the cars ahead of me and sustain 30mph to the next light. Where I ended up hearing a dump truck idling behind me. The light changed and it was a sprint to the next red light which is common for this stretch of road. After this it turns into a 4 lane divided road where I pull into the far right lane that has a bike lane. The light turns green and I have a little trouble getting my left foot clipped in. This $%$$hole in the dump truck rides right up on my back wheel and ends up clearing my left elbow by about 2 feet.
Had a great commute this morning only to almost get taken out by a dump truck of all things.
Rest of the commute was okay so no harm, no foul. I'm still breathing. Although the rain let loose about a mile from home and I got a little wetter.
I got passed yesterday in the mountains by a big Cal Trans truck with a big snow plow on the front, that stuck out about 2 feet to the right. I'm going up a hill with the sun in my eyes. The guy in the truck is like, "LOL, I almost forgot about that plow sticking out" and swerves just slightly at the last second, giving me about 2 feet.

I'll take getting hit by a side mirror any day, over a snow plow.
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Old 08-21-19, 02:29 AM
  #162  
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Originally Posted by KraneXL
Because words matter...a lot!
Perhaps online they do, on the side of the road, its usually just noise.

Last edited by SHBR; 08-21-19 at 02:38 AM.
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Old 08-21-19, 07:26 AM
  #163  
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Originally Posted by SHBR
Perhaps online they do, on the side of the road, its usually just noise.
So how do you deal with it?
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Old 08-21-19, 09:15 AM
  #164  
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Originally Posted by SHBR
Harassment is somewhat subjective.

Far too many people get hung up on words, its the actions that matter.

Deliberate attempts to cause a crash should never be ignored.
Actions that fall short of deliberate attempts to cause a crash also matter. Blasting people with airhorns at short range, close-passing them, screaming at them at close range out of a passenger window and swerving so as to appear to be about to hit the cyclist cannot "objectively" be defended as serving any purpose but to intimidate and/or endanger the cyclist.

There's also what I would consider petty harassment--unnecessary honking when the cyclist is doing nothing wrong, yelling epithets, deliberately speeding up to cut off the cyclist at a driveway, etc. They may or may not qualify as legal harassment, but I certainly reserve the right to respond proportionally.
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Old 08-21-19, 10:01 AM
  #165  
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Originally Posted by SHBR
Perhaps online they do, on the side of the road, its usually just noise.
I'm pretty sure I'm going to take a threat at the side of the road more seriously than one I read online.
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Old 08-22-19, 07:05 PM
  #166  
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Originally Posted by livedarklions
I'm pretty sure I'm going to take a threat at the side of the road more seriously than one I read online.
Sticks and stones break bones, but words won't hurt me.

Threats, backed up by actual force are in another category than verbal face to face or online harassment.

Like I said before, harassment is subjective, and most of the time its just hot air.
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Old 08-22-19, 07:14 PM
  #167  
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Originally Posted by Daniel4
So how do you deal with it?
Best way is to say "I love you too" and blow kisses.
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Old 08-22-19, 07:39 PM
  #168  
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And if you happen to look like Richard Simmons, all the more impact.

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Old 08-23-19, 07:50 AM
  #169  
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Originally Posted by SHBR
Best way is to say "I love you too" and blow kisses.
Good. No point in escalating the situation. I, like a lot of others have suggested, just ignore it.
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Old 08-23-19, 08:22 AM
  #170  
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Originally Posted by Daniel4
Good. No point in escalating the situation. I, like a lot of others have suggested, just ignore it.
I love you too.
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Old 08-23-19, 05:32 PM
  #171  
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Ignoring these events works some of the time, but with others, it just encourages more bad behavior. Harassment is against the law, and when it come packaged in an automobile used to further the threat, it becomes a felony.

You may be inclined to ignore it the first time, but never the second. Call the authorities and let them handle it. Keeping the roads safe (for everyone) is their duty, and their responsibility.

Last edited by KraneXL; 08-23-19 at 08:31 PM. Reason: spelling
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Old 08-23-19, 07:49 PM
  #172  
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Originally Posted by KraneXL
Ignoring these events works some of the time, but with others, it just encourages more bad behavior. Harassment is against the law, and when it come packaged in an automobile used to further the threat, it becomes a felony.

You may be inclined to ignore it the first time, but never the second. Call the authorities and let them handle it. Keeping the roads save (for everyone) is their duty, and their responsibility.
Yes it's against the law and so is speeding, running amber lights when there is time and a safe distance to stop, rolling through stop signs and parking where signs indicate not to park there. However, in many other threads, bad driving has become the acceptable norm, others advise to cycle indoors instead in order to avoid the bullying and harassment. One can become a public avenger or have the energy and stamina to become a self-appointed advocate or join and advocacy group, but others don't have that kind of energy. So it's easier for people like me to get on with my day, enjoy the cycling as it's supposed to be and not let to one out of the hundreds of other drivers upset me or suck me into a confrontation.
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Old 08-23-19, 08:44 PM
  #173  
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Originally Posted by Daniel4
Yes it's against the law and so is speeding, running amber lights when there is time and a safe distance to stop, rolling through stop signs and parking where signs indicate not to park there. However, in many other threads, bad driving has become the acceptable norm, others advise to cycle indoors instead in order to avoid the bullying and harassment. One can become a public avenger or have the energy and stamina to become a self-appointed advocate or join and advocacy group, but others don't have that kind of energy. So it's easier for people like me to get on with my day, enjoy the cycling as it's supposed to be and not let to one out of the hundreds of other drivers upset me or suck me into a confrontation.
Then at least don't discourage those that would be the vanguards.

Remember the old quote, "the only thing necessary for the triumph of evil is for good men to do nothing." Just ignoring the problem because you think its small and insignificant shouldn't be an excuse. Small problems don't stay that way for long. They turn into big problems over time.

The more someone does something wrong and gets away with it, the bolder they will become. Its all just human nature. And hoping it will somehow fix itself is not an option. If you see something -- and know its wrong -- you have to say something. Otherwise, you can't blame anyone but yourself.

As to not having the time, consider a leaky roof: sooner or later you're going to have to deal with it. You can fix a small leak today, or wait and have to repair your entire roof later. Just keep that in mind.
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Old 08-31-19, 12:07 AM
  #174  
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I sit up, take both hands off the bars and clap slowly and deliberately.
If it is a work vehicle, I will call the business and report a WH&S issue involving one of their field units.
Businesses are much more scared of having our WH&S inspectors visit their businesses than they are of the police.
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Old 08-31-19, 06:52 AM
  #175  
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Originally Posted by sumgy
I sit up, take both hands off the bars and clap slowly and deliberately.
If it is a work vehicle, I will call the business and report a WH&S issue involving one of their field units.
Businesses are much more scared of having our WH&S inspectors visit their businesses than they are of the police.
I had to look this up:

WH&S

AcronymDefinition

WH&SWorkplace Health & Safety
link
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