While riding alone on a deserted road today an 18-wheeler came up behind me. About 500 yards back he began to lay on the horn. There were no cars coming in the on-coming lane but he stayed on the horn anyway. I was going ~20mph and he blew by going well over 50mph, still laying on the horn. He missed me by about a foot, max.
Without really thinking I gave him the bird. Just as soon as I got it up there and began to let fly with the obligatory profanity the truck locks up its brakes and proceedes to skid to a stop. Having never seen an 18-wheeler skid to a stop I didn’t know what a show I was in for. The trailer began to swing around and went into the on-coming lane, smoke boiling off most of the tires. It looked like he must have steered the cab to try to counter the skid of the trailer. The guy never once let off the brakes to straighten it out he just let it skid across both lanes until he came to a stop. He came pretty close to jackknifing. It was very cool to watch.
There was an SUV behind him and they pulled up beside me to see what was going on. I told them I wasn’t sure but it was probably going to involve either me or the trucker getting his ass kicked. I guess the guy had a change of heart because just as soon as he got the truck completely stopped he took off again, the guy never said a word. It was quite strange, but I did enjoy the show.
I’ve been thinking about that. Either I’ll use both hands or I’ll consider myself lucky and trade in the middle finger for a friendly wave. Although close encounters with 18-wheelers really do give you a surge of adrenaline that makes you feel invincible (as short-lived as it may turn out to be).
Most truck trailers have a phone # on the back. Even if it’s just the number to call if you’re interested in working for them, you can give them a call and let them know how their drivers are driving.
Three of us on a VERY country road near Newark Wi. Small dog is in the road and wants to play on a climb - cute pup who means no harm at all. The three of us are stopping trying to get the pup to go home (we were all dog lovers and this was a pup). Car LAYS on horn…I take off and move to the left to give room…woman and her male driver come even with me and yell every F word in the book. I tell them a thing or two and off they go. At the next stop sign (1/8 mi) they are there waiting for me (I saw them and made sure I made good time to them)…dude was on the phone (with the police as the story goes)…I said “what the fuck? there was a dog in the road”…she said “we would hit the fucking dog”…I spit in her face. Dude said he was going to kick my ass…I invited him out and got off of the Litespeed and was walking to his door, as I got to his side of the car he took off…pussy.
Several years ago, I was riding in the mountains and entering a relatively flat long stretch. A tractor trailer came around the bend behind me, and did exactly the same thing. So, being stupid, I flipped him off. Feeling proud, I kept riding as he approached, never turned my head. So he slows, and once the cab is going 20mph beside me, I thought hmm. Maybe not my best decision. So then he starts forward, and I’m relieved, right up until the time he slows again with me half way back on the trailer and starts to edge into me. I remember those bullshit recaps on the rear wheels going wawawawawawa as they approached, and once I had my hand on the side of the trailer and ran out of pavement, I dove into the ditch. He won the first battle. But I got enough of the plate number that with some information from a local store about an a-hole trucker running water from a local spring, the highway patrol found the guy. Of course they couldn’t prove WHO was driving it, so nothing happened, but they told the owner (not the driver) that if a single story ever came by again, they’d impound and sell the who friggin thing.
I felt like maybe that was good enough for victory in the end.
But I’ll never flip off another motorist. Right or wrong, those f*ckers are scary.
Three of us on a VERY country road near Newark Wi. Small dog is in the road and wants to play on a climb - cute pup who means no harm at all. The three of us are stopping trying to get the pup to go home (we were all dog lovers and this was a pup). Car LAYS on horn…I take off and move to the left to give room…woman and her male driver come even with me and yell every F word in the book. I tell them a thing or two and off they go. At the next stop sign (1/8 mi) they are there waiting for me (I saw them and made sure I made good time to them)…dude was on the phone (with the police as the story goes)…I said “what the fuck? there was a dog in the road”…she said “we would hit the fucking dog”…I spit in her face. Dude said he was going to kick my ass…I invited him out and got off of the Litespeed and was walking to his door, as I got to his side of the car he took off…pussy.
Please tell me that you’re kidding. I’m finding it very hard to believe that you would actually spit in a woman’s face over something she said about a dog. I’m going to give you the benefit of the doubt and assume that you’re putting us on.
No no…I spit right in her face…No regrets, and had the guy got out of the car I would have beat him to a pulp. No regrets at all…and I would do it again and again and again.
Don’t get me wrong, I hate it when white trash behave like that woman and her punk friend. However, I’ve got way too much self-respect and self-control to do something like that. I’m a believer in trying to not escalate situations like that. There are people like the poster who feel they don’t have to take “crap” from anyone. I knew guys like that in high school. Those are the guys who wind up getting their butts kicked or, worse yet, shot. Last year I was on mile 99 of a 100 mile ride and I had a guy honk at me and then wait for me a stop sign. He began screaming at me “F-you, Mother F’er!” etc. I told him I was just trying to ride my bike and I didn’t understand why he had such a problem with it. After he screamed some more I said “Well, thanks for your courtesy.” That earned me an “F-YOU! I’ve been riding a bike my whole life!” (yeah, right.) I honestly believe he would have enjoyed the whole deal WAY more had I sunk to his level and started exchanging name-calling and cursing with him. It seemed to really frustrate him when I wouldn’t do it. Of course, I’m secure enough to be able to deal with a situation like that without resorting to high-school behavior.
It’s funny that you posted to say this because as I skimmed the subject lines of the forum I saw this one about “power of middle finger” and my first thought was that Record must have posted a ride story…
I guess I’m glad that I live in more tame country than some of you guys…well usually, I did get hit in the ass the other day by a nut or bolt thrown out of a work van that went speeding by. I do believe it was the fastest sprint of my life trying to chase that bastard down.
Chip, 11,275 posts and this is the BEST you can do?. Come on dude, get your daily frequnecy to 20+ per day and you got some serious “street cred” on ST. How do you manage to post so frquently and with such learnedness (LOL)…did you work for the Little Tokoyo in Rockford a few years back? LOL.
Did you see the Belgium newspapers Thursday about Campy’s new groupset for 2008…RECORD11CARBON…better get posting dude.
