Originally Posted by LittleBigMan
Of all road users, commercial drivers, especially bus drivers, have a special responsibility to use caution. Any driver who threatens another is guilty of a misdemeanor, but a bus driver assisting a passenger to assault a cyclist should have resulted in his immediate suspension, possibly dismissal. In addition, you don't need drivers like that behind the wheel of a large vehicle who will purposely cut it too close to a cyclist.
Right on! It's getting to be well known here in Portland that there is a definite widespread animosity towards cyclists from Trimet drivers. That's not to say they are all out to get us, but there's been several accounts of bus drivers acting hostilely towards cyclists on the roads. It's very unfortunate that the general auto population here is for the most part considerate and aware of cyclists, but the bus drivers continue to be so aggressive. As for whether the cyclist in this incident did the right thing or not, I don't think it's too out of line to make a firm point when someone almost kills you. It was certainly wrong for the driver to let a passenger out to assault him, let the passenger back on, and drive away.