laserred02

Hi all,

I'm a new member, this is only my 2nd post. I started biking to class about a year ago, and only a week or so ago did I get a nicer bike for weekend riding and more exercise. So here is the story of tonight.

First, let me say that it was dark out and I had two rear blinky lights on as well as a helmet and a front cateye headlight. I was riding on the right of a four lane road that has a 30 mph speed limit. After going through a light I was buzzed by a car and several teenagers yelled "get on the f'n sidewalk and f you and all of that". I will note that there is two lanes going east and noone was in the left lane they buzzed me for no reason and I was on the right where I am supposed to ride. The next stoplight turned red and they stopped. I rode past them as they are now in the left lane and I am in the right. There are four of them with the windows open yelling obscenities at me while I wait for the next light.

In this situation I am outnumbered as well as on a bike and they have a heavy dangerous machine, with way to much testosterone. So I ignore them, and at this point I should have gotten the license number but I didn't. Anyway, I go through the next light staying to the right and they buzz me again and yell and swear, so I am angry and I turn left when they do and wait until I have a chance to get the license plate number. The cops came out and took a statement and we will see what happens. I would be happy if the cops actually talk to them.

That was my experience that night. As a new rider is there something I did wrong in this situation? Well happy riding guys I've already lost 4 lbs and I have a lot more energy. Run in with high schoolers will not stop me from riding.

Sorry for the long rant...and I hope this is in the right forum.

Kurt Erlenbach

You're in the right place, and welcome to our world. Scroll through the posts on this forum and you will find that your experience is depressingly familiar.

Dchiefransom

Don't let them think you are following them or taking their license number. This can push someone over the edge and result in injury to you.

CollectiveInk

Least you kept yor head about you! I'm amazed at how many people here in BF brag about smacking/kicking cars.

Kudos for keeping your cool, and for contacting the cops. My 11 yo son and I have been yelled at, honked at, and buzzed while out riding little- used country roads. It's an interesting thing to explain to a child why he is more matue than the "grown up" in the car.

Good luck and you might want to have back up routes for your commute.

laserred02

Thanks for the encouragement. This is usually a fine route, the street I was on runs through campus and there is always bikes on it. I guess these kids were young and wanted to mess with someone.

Good call on the being discreet about the license number, although I am pretty sure they knew that is what I was doing. I'll be more careful in the future. Happy riding.

buzzman

unfortunately, all too typical. Your response was the appropriate one. I can go months without one of these incidents and then have five in a day as I did on a recent ride. Cyclists are an easy target for a jerk with a car.

surveyor

Not necessarily. I make a show of writing down their license plate number or talking to the police on my cell at the next stoplight. They usually back off when they realize they may actually shoulder consequences for their actions.

If such behavior "pushes someone over the edge" and results in them coming after me, then they were a ticking time bomb to begin with. And I would rather have them in jail facing assault with deadly weapon charges sooner rather than later. Also another reason for cyclists to carry some form of self-defense beyond a cell phone or pepper spray.

maddyfish

You need to get yourself some pepper spray. If they came back for seconds at you, they were pretty dangerous.

bac

That's the attitude. Don't let the jerks influence your life.

... Brad

maximushq2

Usually these are little punks who are all talk and when confronted run away like cowards. I find it impossible not to yell back or give chase if need be, but I don't recommend others do this. I had two incidents like this in the past two weeks and I just gave it right back to them when I increase my speed pedaling after them they just take off like chickens. The last time it was 3 teens in their daddy's white Escalade yelling the typical you are not a car crap lol. I find myself smirking or laughing after this happens and find it kind of fun in a way. But for those more sane than myself, getting the plate number and calling the police is the wisest way to handle this.

Dchiefransom

Does the news in your area carry the story of the guy in San Francisco charged with murdering a father and two sons in a road rage incident? Unless I'm "capable" of defending myself with deadly force, I'm noting the plate number and getting away unless it's just harassment as they pass.

littlewaywelt

+1
I pull out a cell phone and take a picture of the plate and of the occupants.

surveyor

That incident had nothing to do with self defense or cyclists. Not even close. It was a gang member randomly killing people, and it happened to be in traffic. I surely hope you are not intimating that law-abiding citizens who choose to carry firearms for self defense are on a par with gangbangers.

If you don't consider yourself capable or competent, that is your decision. I do consider myself competent. That is my decision. And I want to have that last-ditch option available for that extremely unlikely scenario. I have carried concealed long before I started biking, and in the vast majority of self-defense scenarios, pepper spray won't cut it. And it most definitely won't cut it against a vehicular assault.

markhr

You may want to try the helmet camera route, it helps a LOT in a he said/you said situation.

General consensus seems to be the POV.1 is the best all in one package available but the ATC2000/3000/5000 cameras are also useful (and significantly cheaper)

UK helmet camera users thread - https://www.bikeforums.net/united-kingdom/394724-uk-helmet-camera-thread.html

https://www.vio-pov.com/ - pov.1
https://www.oregonscientific.com/ - ATC2000

Google for "helmet camera" OR "bullet camera" OR "lipstick camera" OR "helmet cam" OR "lipstick cam" OR "bullet cam"

harleyfrog

+1 on keeping your cool and thinking through the situation. You have done well, young padawan.

Dchiefransom

It has nothing to do with carrying a concealed weapon, it has to do with most people on here believing that the drivers will back off, versus me believing there are more kooks than that out there that won't. My point about being "capable" WAS about whether a person is carrying, or not, not whether we should.

P.S.- that's not the only incident like that here recently. In the other one the father was killed and the kids weren't.

adriel

I think reporting them as being "Obviously drunk" might get them at least pulled over. The police seem to take drunk driving more seriously than harassment.

I do not know, I had a very similar incident recently, called 911 and they really didn't do much. This was in Austin, TX.

roadragers.com has a wall of shame you can post license plates on. I forgot the one I called in, I read it to the guy before I forgot, I did not want to call back to retrieve it. I may start posting there.

AlmostTrick

Maybe it would have been better to not have passed them (or pulled up next to them, at the light) after the first incident? I think I may have been inclined to stop short and stay behind 'em.

Cosmoline

I love those guys. One of the coolest episodes on a bicycle I ever had was four or five male teens in a muscle car. They didn't like me in the road and blasted past me. I gave them the bird. They slammed the brakes and backed up as I turned right. I saw them coming and got up to warp speed. In those days I was a lot younger and faster. They were coming up on me as I approached a major one way street with traffic heading right. I waited until I was right up on it and dodged left, going into the darkness. The fools headed right, still looking for me. I keep hoping I'll have another run in with wild teens but so far no luck. It's as fun as getting chased by a bull moose.

laserred02

I would have stopped short but there were three other cars in front of them. This means I would have been stopping 4 or 5 cars back from the light with no one in front of me. I think I would have been more vulnerable to a car coming up behind me. Anyway I'll keep it in mind.

adriel

I would have stayed in line with the other cars, if it had been me. If I was thinking clearly

noisebeam

Thats the right thing to do. Staying 4 car lengths behind would have been acknowledging the idiots. Ride up (using full adjacent lane) along side and ahead of them as you did.

Al

Blue Order

Probably pretty accurate anyway.

Test4Eric

Eff that.

If someone is going to harass you for *****s & giggles, whip out your cellphone & take a picture of them & their plates. Heck, mock them while you do it & ask them to smile.