kyselad

I finally have a good story about an interaction with an automobile. We live in New Haven, and my wife and I were riding home from a party last weekend. Connecticut roads can be a bit tight, and for a while an SUV was behind us without enough room to pass. It starts honking at us (typical), which we ignored (also typical). When it finally got a chance to pass, some guy in the back leaned out to scream incoherently at us (again, typical).

The SUV got stuck at a red light shortly thereafter, so I pulled alongside to discuss the little screaming incident. The guy who did the yelling got out of the car like he was ready to go at it, which, in my experience, they rarely are -- they just expect a cyclist will back off. His girlfriend (certainly the motivation for such an impressive display of manliness) pulled him back into the car, at which point I got the plate number and rode off.

On getting home, my wife tells me the jackass *spat* on her as he was getting back into the car! She didn't tell me beforehand, since she thought I might do something rash (she's probably right). Thankful that I had the plate number, we called the police. We typically don't bother reporting such incidents, but the spitting seemed over the top. New Haven doesn't do much in the way of traffic enforcement, so we weren't expecting much, but we figured it would be good to keep the police aware of these issues.

Half an hour later, a squad car pulled up. The cop seemed genuinely annoyed that a car would be so impatient, and explained that spitting counted as assault (we had no idea). Still, he didn't sound too hopeful about finding these guys. He took our statement, and we figured that was it. But a few minutes later, he called to say he was still outside and wanted us to write up an official statement. When we got out there, he had one of the occupants on the phone and was threatening to arrest everyone if they didn't turn over our spitting friend. An hour later he had the spitter and the driver hauled in.

After years of sucking up various abuse, I just thought I'd share this lousy initial experience and the fantastic follow up by the New Haven PD. We're not thrilled that someone got arrested over all this, but of course they earned it and it's great to get a little justice at the end of the day. I realize he'll probably get off with a little fine, but I hope he'll learn to stop harassing random cyclists and maybe tell his friends where it landed him.

twahl

Spitting is an assault. Spit can carry disease. Personally I think it's an ass-whooping offense. Sorry to hear that your wife suffered through it, glad to hear that you got a good response from the PD.

Dusk

You did it right. Glad they got the guy. Sorry for your wife. I'm glad she waited to tell you. I too would have got off on the guy if my mate had told me she was was just spit on.

Sometimes I'm really sorry my full sized frame pump is just plastic.

Keep up the good work. Let the law deal with it.

Cheers,

Granny

The guy won't go to jail - the magistrate will release on recognizance for something like that. He will have the arrest on his record, though.

C_Heath

+1 I am a bonified redneck cyclist with redneck values when it comes to that if he spit on my wife, I would have gone to his ass and head until he was completely unconscious.

yea, I have issues, still an ass whippin would be in order..

Great job, you did the right thing!

DataJunkie

Big man...spitting on a woman and all
It's probably a good idea she didn't tell you when it happened. I know I'd go off if someone tried to do that to my wife.

Panic

Nice to see New Haven's finest do a solid job. Last year I had a kid in a van throw a Pepsi can at me. I mentioned to a local cop and he told me something like that happens get a plate number and call 911."The last thing we want is someone getting hurt because of an idiot".

jjmolyet

What a punk, to spit on a woman is low! Sounds like a real scumbag! Glad you and the fuzz took care of business!

dekalbSTEEL

be sure to follow up with the state's attorney office. If he pleads not guilty and requests a trial, you and your wife will have to show up in court to testify, otherwise they will walk.

Trev Doyle

I hope you feel really good about that, like Karma just made a brief appearannce. I hope that guy gets a cyclist judge.

botto 

funny. if spitting is a crime in CT then i'll be sure to write down all of the offenders who spit sideways, so it hits me, during the sleeping giant rides

LilSprocket

WOO-HOO! Good for you! *high-five*

baj32161

Great story...and kudos to you for your actions...also HUGE props to the New Haven PD. You just may be a better man than most (myself included), and woe unto the person who would ever spit on my girlfriend or wife. That kind of behaviour is simply uncalled for.

Cheers,

Brian

Boogs

Props to your town, and thumbs down to that p*ssy for messing with your gal. Going at a guy through his gal is the lowest of the low, and ANYTHING you could have done would have been justified, but I'm proud of you for taking the high road. Hope I do the same if/when.

ManBearPig

That's awesome. As cyclists and human beings we have to choose our battles. So you exercised good discretion here I think -- we all suck up a little horn honking and other beligerence, but when push comes to shove its good to take action. I doubt the guy will love cyclists any better, but I bet he will think twice about overt displays of aggression in the future.

rknj

If someone spit on my girl it would turn into an expensive night when I beat him over the head with my bike. Your wife did the right thing!

kyselad

Yeah, I'd like to thing I exercised prudent restraint here, but fact is, I don't think I could have if I'd known he spat on my wife. She just had the good judgement not to tell me until we got home. Otherwise, that moron would have run his face into my u-lock a few times. I'm very glad it turned out the way it did -- it gave us the high ground all around and made calling the PD a no-brainer. Hopefully this will teach me the value of restraint in the future. Riding around here tends to make me more aggressive than I probably ought to be.

Nachoman

Evil spitting criminals drive cars.

kraftwerk 

This is a great read, we all can relate. Who hasn't been almost run off the road by a honking 2000+ lb rolling fortress? I have been hit with rocks + lit cigarettes at least twice, the spitting (!) is over the top. That guy will probably always be angry but maybe he learned something, lets hope so.
Thanks for doing the right thing. I remeber those roads up around North Brandford to be quite tight.
You might also look into getting the local municipality to post a "Share the Road" sign HUGE you know the thing: big yellow diamond shape with a BIKE image. Thaose things work wonders at getting people to at least stop honking.

cyclezealot

Happened to me once. Adjacent a high school in California. Wish I had known these facts. I easily could have gotten their license plate number.
IT's unfortunate, but cyclists in America, you get conditioned to harrassment and just accept it.

Bob S.

A big well done to the new haven Police. My compliments to your wife on her wisdom. Now, the right person was charged. Please keep us posted on the outcome as the case moves forward. Bob

redden

with a crimial conviction you might be able to add another level of misery to the SOB's life by contacting L.H.Parker

MKahrl

I had a driver come alongside me on the right and I heard the distinct sound of a hockerishi being snorted into the firing chamber. I looked at the guy as he spit; the hocker headed straight for me, we were all in the same inertial plane at the time, but as soon as it made it out the window and hit the 15 mph air stream it quickly turned right and smeared itself all over his rear side window. You don't need to take a physics class to see that in advance.

NomadVW 

I guess I'm thinking here is where the whole thing could have been avoided. Just playing devil's advocate.

catatonic

You definately did the right thing. I know the "feel good at the moment, but wrong" thing sometimes seems more appropriate though.


Yeah, good thing she didn't tell you there....I know if someone did that to a GF of mine, they would have to use the jaws of life to remove my hand from his throat.