Just curious. A recent post about being hit with a bottle thrown from a car got me thinking. Has anyone had a confrontation with a motorist and, by chance, later that day, week or month met up with that same motorist? At the mall, school, church, or on the road, etc.
If so, I’ll would guess the exchange was pretty interesting.
Mike
I once met up again with a driver only a minute or two after the initial confrontation. Here is what happened:
I’m crossing a major intersection in the crosswalk, riding (not walking) the bike. I have the green light and walk lights. At the far end of the crosswalk is a right turn only lane, which of course has a red light. There is also a “No turn on right when pedestrians are present” sign. As I approach the end of the crosswalk a middle aged/old lady in a minivan is partially blocking the crosswalk, so I move a couple of feet left to go in front of her. Right as I do this, she lurches forward, forcing me to swerve and take evasive action. I yell “watch it!”. This old lady actually then flips me the bird!!
I get off the road and continue on the sidewalk. Due to heavy traffic in a minute or two I end up next to old lady again.
Old lady: “Mumbled something… People like you give cyclists a bad name!”
Me: “What the hell is your problem!? I had a green light. You had a red light. Green means go. Red means stop. Learn to drive!”
Old Lady: “I was there first!”
WTF?!
If you have Showtime, check out the season premiere of Californication this Sunday.
This lady in a white car flipped me the bird as she passed me.
I passed her back as we approached the next signal light.
She flipped me the bird again as I smiled and waved.
She passed me again after the light turned green and flipped me the bird again!
I passed her and blew her a kiss.
I got home, took off my shoes and was walking my bike into my garage as she pulled into my driveway.
She was pissed!
It was my then new girl friend and now wife and she couldn’t believe that I could beat her home on my bike when she was in a car.
Just curious. A recent post about being hit with a bottle thrown from a car got me thinking. Has anyone had a confrontation with a motorist and, by chance, later that day, week or month met up with that same motorist? At the mall, school, church, or on the road, etc.
If so, I’ll would guess the exchange was pretty interesting.
Mike
An older guy in a Toyota Rav 4 buzzed me while laying on his horn once. Just grazed my arm with his side mirror, so like any respectable STer I flipped him the bird.
Of course I caught him at the next light where I pulled up to his drivers window and he immediately starts cursing at me that he was warning me he was there (yeah asshole I’m riding on the highway I figured out there MIGHT just be fucking cars passing me). I of course returned it in kind until the light turned green, I could see the other drivers and pedestrians watching in horror, he looked like he was ready to take a swing at me. He then took off down a side street and I told him to go back to Florida where the old farts like him belong (he had Florida plates).
I had a similar instance once with an overweight woman in a Camry, who yelled at me that I was a jerk for holding up traffic (I wasn’t, I was riding in the shoulder). Caught her at the next light too and exchanged some choice words, which I ended with that I’d suggest she should try riding a bicycle herself, but I don’t believe the steel they use is strong enough to hold her up. She was not amused…
Haha! That’s how you really get the aggressive female drivers back, you gotta shoot some insult back regarding their weight. Whether they are fat or not, they will be thinking about it the rest of the week lol.
Just curious. A recent post about being hit with a bottle thrown from a car got me thinking. Has anyone had a confrontation with a motorist and, by chance, later that day, week or month met up with that same motorist? At the mall, school, church, or on the road, etc.
If so, I’ll would guess the exchange was pretty interesting.
Mike
An older guy in a Toyota Rav 4 buzzed me while laying on his horn once. Just grazed my arm with his side mirror, so like any respectable STer I flipped him the bird.
Of course I caught him at the next light where I pulled up to his drivers window and he immediately starts cursing at me that he was warning me he was there (yeah asshole I’m riding on the highway I figured out there MIGHT just be fucking cars passing me). I of course returned it in kind until the light turned green, I could see the other drivers and pedestrians watching in horror, he looked like he was ready to take a swing at me. He then took off down a side street and I told him to go back to Florida where the old farts like him belong (he had Florida plates).
I had a similar instance once with an overweight woman in a Camry, who yelled at me that I was a jerk for holding up traffic (I wasn’t, I was riding in the shoulder). Caught her at the next light too and exchanged some choice words, which I ended with that I’d suggest she should try riding a bicycle herself, but I don’t believe the steel they use is strong enough to hold her up. She was not amused…
My ability to sympathize is mitigated by the fact you were riding your bike in the crosswalk and on the sidewalk.
I’m not trying to bust your balls here but living in a major city this type of situation occurs all the time and it can be partially avoided by doing things like getting off your bike and walking if you plan on using the crosswalk (the key is in the name) and the sidewalk (likewise). If you have the green light ride in the street, if it’s not safe enough to ride in that street pick another street or walk/transit/drive.
Drivers (and other pedestrians) aren’t prepared for objects moving faster than a walking speed in crosswalks and sidewalks and tend to make poor decisions when encountering them. High speed roller-bladers create similar situations.
Obeying the law (at least it’s the law here) and not riding your bike where it’s not allowed to be ridden helps minimize these encounters.
This lady in a white car flipped me the bird as she passed me.
I passed her back as we approached the next signal light.
She flipped me the bird again as I smiled and waved.
She passed me again after the light turned green and flipped me the bird again!
I passed her and blew her a kiss.
I got home, took off my shoes and was walking my bike into my garage as she pulled into my driveway.
She was pissed!
It was my then new girl friend and now wife and she couldn’t believe that I could beat her home on my bike when she was in a car.
Was she driving a Model T?
I had a car ride up on my ass, blow the horn, then pass within millimeters of my elbow. As he went by, I yelled something and spit onto his car. He did the usual pull ahead, hit the brakes and pretend to wait, then drive away again. Whatever. About ten minutes later, I feel something hit my leg and something bounce off my frame and wheels. I look up, and it’s the same car. He threw a handful of pennies at me. I tried to catch him but couldn’t.
My ability to sympathize is mitigated by the fact you were riding your bike in the crosswalk and on the sidewalk.
I’m not trying to bust your balls here but living in a major city this type of situation occurs all the time and it can be partially avoided by doing things like getting off your bike and walking if you plan on using the crosswalk (the key is in the name) and the sidewalk (likewise). If you have the green light ride in the street, if it’s not safe enough to ride in that street pick another street or walk/transit/drive.
Drivers (and other pedestrians) aren’t prepared for objects moving faster than a walking speed in crosswalks and sidewalks and tend to make poor decisions when encountering them. High speed roller-bladers create similar situations.
Obeying the law (at least it’s the law here) and not riding your bike where it’s not allowed to be ridden helps minimize these encounters.
Picking another street is not possible here. This area (Reston, VA) is divided by toll road. There are only two bridges over the toll road nearby, this is one of them, and just happens to be right next to the major bike trail in the area. As for staying in the street? Not during rush hour. I like being alive. The bottom line, using the crosswalk and staying off the road is a favor FOR the car drivers. It is quite annoying to be threatened and flipped off when trying to stay out of THEIR way. BTW, pedestrian traffic tends to be rare, so there are not many walkers around.
I’m a bit hesitant to respond as one who has engaged in a “follow up moment” with a driver of an automobile, in the sense that such acts really do lead to more aggression, and perhaps, “legitimizes” drivers to be more aggressive towards other cyclists. But, I do have one story… this summer I was passed by a car in a blind turn and was nearly run off the road when a car coming in the opposite direction created the all too familiar squeeze play. After yelling at the initial driver that passed me, I managed to catch up as they were going through an automatic car wash. I waited patiently just outside the car wash exit after removing my helmet and sunglasses. All I wanted to do was calmly discuss my experience and suggest that the driver wait until they could see what was coming before passing me… some bedrock SHARE THE ROAD stuff. As the car wash finished, the driver, who was now talking on a cell phone, drove slowly passed me and completely ignored my requests to talk. I knew that the driver saw me waiting. They were probably freaked out that I had caught up to them and were likely expecting a tirade from me. Even though I didn’t get a chance to discuss my concerns, I recognized it as an opportunity to work on not getting so worked up. It’s so hard not to go ballistic when this stuff happens - I just think about other cyclists when I have the urge to verbally purge!
Cruising along a 4 lane divided street, no shoulder, just curb (westbound Slaughter on my way over to Mopac for you Austinites). Pick up truck honks at me about 3 feet off my ass. Half a mile or so further on I happen to catch the driver at a light (wasn’t trying to) and the following conversation ensues:
“You were out of line to honk your horn at me.”
“You shouldn’t be on the road going that slowly.”
“I have just as much right to ride on that road as you do to drive on it.”
“You’re wrong. You shouldn’t be riding there.”
“Check the Texas Transportation Code. I’m perfectly legal riding there.”
“Not when you’re going so slowly and almost cause an accident.”
“My speed is irrelevant. I’m legally entitled to ride on any street that has not been otherwise prohibited as long as I ride as far to the right as is reasonable given road conditions and hazards.”
“You weren’t on the right, you were in the middle of the road!”
“Hardly, the only time my line veered from the right side of the lane was when you honked at me.”
“You almost caused an accident! The guy behind me was coming up way to fast and almost hit me!”
“How is that my fault? Take it up with the guy that almost hit you. Honking at me is hardly going to help. All it’s going to do is startle me into veering right in front of you, just as it did. And getting back to that middle of the road issue. On this particular road, since the lane is less than 14 feet wide, I can legally ride right down the middle of it, if I choose.”
“You’re wrong.”
“No ma’am, I’m not. You need to review the Texas Transportation Code.”
“It’s too dangerous for you to be riding out in the middle of the road with that much traffic and holding things up.”
“Again, you need to look at the Transportation Code. It clearly says what is and isn’t allowed when it comes to operating a bicycle.”
Her passenger joins in at this point: “There’s a sidewalk there you could be riding on.”
“The sidewalk joints are too uneven to ride safely and the speed differential between a cyclist and the pedestrians makes it dangerous for both. Besides, check your city ordinances. The City of Austin prohibits cyclists from riding on the sidewalk.” Really that’s only true in certain neighborhoods, but they sure didn’t know that.
The driver comes back in with my favorite line: “Well, you need to get yourself right with God.”
“Pardon me?!?!? You have no idea of what my relationship with God may or may not be. Regardless, what could it possibly have to do with this situation?”
“You need to straighten your life out with him before you get yourself killed riding like you are and have to face eternity.”
“Let me get this straight: I have to get right with God because you might kill me? Well, since I can tell that you’re a fine, upstanding Christian, I’m sure you’re going to rush right home and pray for my poor soul and for the Lord to keep me safe from inconsiderate and woefully ignorant drivers such as yourself, aren’t you now?”
Yes, more than once. I have no hesitation to smack a driver who wants to toss a bottle at me. Had a local guy who some years ago dragged a driver out the drivers window and beat him to a pulp in the road for the same thing…the driver went to jail (Karl was a Marine Special Forces guy…not to be messed with)
A couple of years ago riding home from work through a residential part of the city, I get caught next to a garden service pickup truck. Traffic is not very heavy, but it is residential arear so a speed limit of 50 km/hr with lots of stop signs, so I pass him, he passes me, and so on. Clearly this pissed him off (?)
Next thing I know, I get bumped, twice, by the truck. Not a brush with the mirror as he goes by but physically “bumped”.
Made the mistake of losing my temper and flip him the bird, at which point he accelerates up a hundred metres, slams on the brakes, jumps out, reaches into the truck bed and comes up with a shovel.
Not knowing what else to do, I put the hammer down, break several traffic laws and cut across two lanes of traffic to divert down an alley. Didn’t know I could ride that fast…
There are some weird people out there, I would be hesitant to be aggressive about looking for understanding or retribution.
I got hit by a car last week right by my house-
I was doing exactly what I am supposed to do per the laws here in Toronto. I was in the middle of the lane getting ready to turn left at the corner or Yonge and Suter st. As I started to pick my hand off my bars to signal that i was making a left turn some a$$hole in a Toyota decided to run the yellow light, he passed me on my LEFT and managed to contact my hip and knee about 3-4 times before i finally lost it and come off my bike in the middle of the intersection. As soon as i was on my feet he was screaming AT ME from inside his car because apperently i had done something wrong.
I was so taken a back by what had just happened that i didnt use my head and it has bothered me ever since. I have “hit” cars- and had some insanly close calls with taxis nearly hitting me. But at that moment i was just screaming back at him and he drove away.
I should have gotten in front of his car to prevent his escape, gotten out my phone and called the cops. At least I shoulde have gotten his license plate number so i would have been able to have him charged for what he did. But i was shaking too much-
I woke up early the next morning, i was going to go wait at the intersection and just let me know what he had done, but i realized it wont do any good. I pray for his sake he never runs into me again (metaphorically or physically)
I am very luck considering what happened, i pray there isnt ever a next time, but if there is I hope i am able to get the law on my side.
Hell, I woulda let him come at me. What is he really going to do while in a “company” truck? Use your bike as a sheild and at the end of the day the worst case is that you get a new bike, a settlement, and he goes to jail and possibly no longer has a company. Then again, I am all about letting folks go ahead with their actions…who am I to judge?
Plus, people get real docile when they notice that you are not going to back down.
I figured the shovel represented an unfair advantage…
I figured the shovel represented an unfair advantage…
I bet he was too drunk to swing it 
I try to remain calm and not let things get worse. If I am riding with my cell in my jersey pocket I wipe it out and try to get a picture. Even better if you can catch them and instead of making a scene take a good picture. If they notice and ask, just say you are gathering evidence.
Also fun to carry a brief summary of the state bicycle laws that you can give to ignorant drivers. It will probably sit in your jersey pocket and never get used, but that one time you can actually give it to a driver is worth it.
I’m actually surprised at how either dumb/oblivious/gutsy some motorists are. A few times I’ve been harassed by a motorist while I’m on a side street with them honking, fingering, yelling, etc.; only for them to pull into their driveway a few blocks up.
I ended up seeing where they live, and I know this because they’ll do things like unload groceries and their kids.
I mean, what if I was some deranged psycho or homicidal maniac willing to come back in the middle of the night to show them my new chainsaw and hockey mask?