Greyride

Next time it happens, smile then hand him a Snickers bar. Who can be mad after getting a Snickers bar?

wphamilton

Crazy or not, it might be worthwhile to try to make peace with the old guy.

kunsunoke 

This sounds like a heck of a good idea.

I once worked for a guy that had a problem neighbor he never could get along with. The neighbor eventually decided to step things up a notch, and got a doberman. Aforementioned doberman was aggression trained, loud, and rather irritable. My ex-supervisor was rather distraught by this, until an acquaintance of his suggested that he feed the dog.

"Feed the thing? Hell, I want to shoot the thing!"

But the acquaintance told him "Just give it a try. You may be surprised."

It took about fifty dollars worth of beef, but eventually the dog came around, and my ex-super and the doberman became best buddies (which really irritated the living crap out of his neighbor, BTW).

Of course, this tactic may not work if the neighborhood guy is severely unbalanced. If that happens to be the case, it might be better just to avoid that stretch of highway in favor of another.

asmac

Heart says: Ride by every day, maybe two or three times. Maybe moon him.
Head says: Just avoid it if you can. It's really not worth it.

AngeloDolce

I like kunsunoke's story about the dog, but I really think your best advice is post #33 from Aaron. I've known people that seemed to enjoy what I considered "recreational litigation" - their chances of economic victory was slim to none but this never seemed to stop them. If you can avoid prolonged interaction with this homeowner, your life will be a lot easier.

I-Like-To-Bike

I think the appropriate term for A&S tuff guys who frequently recommend or say that they practice getting in the face of whomever annoys a bicyclist is "recreational confrontation."

AlmostTrick

Another appropriate term for certain frequent posters would be "recreational internet forum confrontationist". To each their own when it comes to what's fun I suppose!

ursle

Ah, both sides, well, do unto others, and if you know they have a mental illness (1 out of 8 adults do) run them down next time, or, try to make their environment a little more bearable.

Karma's a beoitch

Meanwhile...
I'm on my foxtrotter (16.3 hands) on a dirt road, going down a slight hill, 8:30am one weekday and as I was going by a house I saw two gentlemen in the garage, then they saw me, I heard one tell his dog(mid age German Shepard) to "attack" me, so I was expecting the horse to get busy, he just faced the dog and laughed... Now the owner and friend came out of the garage and the owner was mad at the dog, he had to hand his beer to his buddy to reprimand it, I laughed and left.
So which was more in the wrong, hmm, both
Which should the police have been involved with, both
Which need professional counseling? 1 out of 8

DX-MAN

I interpret this as you are one of 14 other OK people, LOL.

Grillparzer

There is another method of dealing with situations like this that hasn't been mentioned yet. The next time he yells at you stop and ask him if he's heard the good word of Jesus Christ our lord and savior. Saying that has pretty much killed every confrontation I've ever been in.

350htrr

Bwaa, works for me.

AngeloDolce

I really like this idea. I'm guessing that the people shouting and cursing are almost never the born again types that want extended conversations? I admit even this would end the confrontation.

I wonder how this would have worked with one driver honking & swearing at me when I stopped at a red light a few years ago. He said I should get the F$%^* out of the (local 20mph) road & be polite to him because he was driving his mother to church. I'm sure it would have been a unique conversation, but the bigger win seemed to be getting him out of my life.

009jim

Exercise is the key to not becoming like that.

Philphine

maybe see if you can get a human interest/trouble shooter type news reporter interested in the story. he might tone down if more people know how he's acting, (or not if he's gone a round the bend some. then you know you should probaly just avoid him). or he can get his story off his chest, situation related or not and calm dowm (or we get his side of the story and find out you're on a lowrider trike blasting a megawatt sound system as you ride by...


are you?


ARE YOU!!!???)

kinda get the court of public opinion behind you.

if the majority of people side with him however, you're living in wackadoo town and should consider moving.

ak08820

Ask the cop that what exactly is his complaint and why is he entertaining it. Hopefully you are living in the same town and the cop does not have any reason to favor him. Talk to the cop's supervisor and have the cop reject the guy's complaints.
Organize a group ride - open to all and as many times as possible to condition the guy to public usage of a public road.
Be proactive and file a complaint against him for harassment and get a restraining order against him.
I used to live across a guy who behaved rudely with me from day 1 since I moved in the street. He did not like Asians. Eventually, he ended up moving and sold to an Asian. There are all kinds of nuts.

Cyril 

Okay...so you don't like the path here because it is mostly a sidewalk, and the street you have chosen has an angry man with barking dogs. Is there another street nearby? One without unreasonable and vocal inhabitants?
Srsly,lengthen your ride. Avoid the fight.

lubes17319

The right to travel is a human right concept that the constitutions of numerous states respect. It asserts that a citizen of a state in which that citizen is present has the liberty to travel, reside in, and/or work in any part of the state where one pleases within the limits of respect for the liberty and rights of others, and to leave that state and return at any time.

Essex

I say that you take your bicycle helmet and bash in his window. Just like numbskulls in the NYC SUV video. Just sayin' bro.

rydabent

Has anyone thot of the fact he may be doing something illegal? Maybe he is worried that someone on a bike going by much more slowly than a car may see something, and report him.

rumrunn6

reclusive mental illness ... sad. be kind

iconicflux

Wear a Go Pro on your helmet next time. Do your own thing, ride your own ride, don't change your ride for him. If he waves something at you in a way that seems threatening and/or threatens you verbally in any way, call the police and ask him to be prosecuted for assault then give them the Go Pro video.

Then, YOU file for a restraining order. As part of it, ask that he get a mental health evaluation.

I-Like-To-Bike

Sounds just lovely! Lots of fun and certainly a good use of the OP's time and psychic energy, eh?

Whom would you suggest that the OP ask that this homeowner get a mental health evaluation?

JoeyBike

Trust me, that man is mentally ill and not taking his meds. Proceed at your own risk.

iconicflux

If you have to ask that question then you don't know how restraining orders work. I'm not doing your homework for you.

As for it being a good use of the OP's time and psychic energy, that depends on whether you think harassment and intimidation are things that are okay. Perhaps next time it'll be some children on bikes that creepy whack job is harassing and because of their smaller size he may be more aggressive.

jolly_ross

Of course he doesn't know how restraining orders work. That's why he's asking the question. I do wonder why you are avoiding answering it though. My guess is that your original post was just an acrid cathartic rant with no actual legal substance behind it. Prove me wrong - please...