and arrogant about it (but doesn't hit you)? waht can one do?
Backgrounder:
On the bike commute to her work today things were going great, she looks like she has her confidence back but as we're making a right to her office a car comes zooming past on our right and luckilly I yell in time for my wife to stop.
The main problem was the lane (if you can call it that) to our right was the diagonal car parking lane so no vehicle should have been riding in that place anyways.
So me being the fair guy I am, I pull up to her car and calmly say that she almost hit my wife and did she at least notice her, to which she's all arrogant saying that we didn't signal (which I would have had I not been too busy screaming for my wife to watch out) and she WASN"T EVEN CLOSE!!!! I wanted to clock her right there but unfortunately I knew I'd be at the losing end of that path. I then started to explain the fact that you're not supposed to pass right or drive IN THE PARKING LANE.
So this ended up with the lady just being selfrighteous and us taking the high road. But there has to be something one can do in this situation outside relying on karma.
Paul L.
05-26-05, 10:37 AM
and arrogant about it (but doesn't hit you)? waht can one do?
Backgrounder:
On the bike commute to her work today things were going great, she looks like she has her confidence back but as we're making a right to her office a car comes zooming past on our right and luckilly I yell in time for my wife to stop.
The main problem was the lane (if you can call it that) to our right was the diagonal car parking lane so no vehicle should have been riding in that place anyways.
So me being the fair guy I am, I pull up to her car and calmly say that she almost hit my wife and did she at least notice her, to which she's all arrogant saying that we didn't signal (which I would have had I not been too busy screaming for my wife to watch out) and she WASN"T EVEN CLOSE!!!! I wanted to clock her right there but unfortunately I knew I'd be at the losing end of that path. I then started to explain the fact that you're not supposed to pass right or drive IN THE PARKING LANE.
So this ended up with the lady just being selfrighteous and us taking the high road. But there has to be something one can do in this situation outside relying on karma.
Well, you could have your wife distract her while you flat her back tire (or vice versa) :). . OH, or were you talking stuff that keeps you on the high road? I don't think there is anything else you can do and remain on the high road, and the last tire I flatted was when I was 8 and was figuring out all the cool things you could do with this cool little gizmo that unscrews the valve stem out of schrader valves. Just have to trust in Karma I guess. Stupid people eventually end up with a lot more frustration though they will never admit it is their fault (comes from being stupid I guess).
genec
05-26-05, 11:14 AM
Motorists are often embarrassed by the blunders they make and then try to rationalize their decisions. About the best you can do is point out that they should take the time to be courteous to others on the road and try to avoid distractions.
If they get testy… smash their windshild with your U-Lock. :D
John E
05-30-05, 06:02 AM
The motorist was in the wrong, but were you and your wife appropriately situated near the curb as your approached your right turn? Your situation is sort of the inverse of a right-hook, and can be addressed by the complementary strategy; instead of staying toward the left to avoid a right hook, you stay farther toward the right to avoid a "through hook" as you attempt a right turn.
iwantphuong
05-30-05, 07:03 AM
If they get testy… smash their windshild with your U-Lock. :D
Haha! I've heard about this little piece of advice before - don't know if I could ever go through with it though.
Motorists are usually quick to anger so as to scare cyclists off and to not admit any fault. If it ever happens again you could try saying that your wife is pregnant, has cancer, or something similar? If that doesn't work, you can always try to get the motorist to empathise and say "How would you feel if someone drove like that next to your daugher/son?"
Dchiefransom
05-30-05, 08:19 AM
The motorist was in the wrong, but were you and your wife appropriately situated near the curb as your approached your right turn? Your situation is sort of the inverse of a right-hook, and can be addressed by the complementary strategy; instead of staying toward the left to avoid a right hook, you stay farther toward the right to avoid a "through hook" as you attempt a right turn.
If the parking area is marked by lines dividing the parking spaces, it's usually illegal to drive/ride through it.
jslopez
05-30-05, 08:26 AM
Haha! I've heard about this little piece of advice before - don't know if I could ever go through with it though.
Motorists are usually quick to anger so as to scare cyclists off and to not admit any fault. If it ever happens again you could try saying that your wife is pregnant, has cancer, or something similar? If that doesn't work, you can always try to get the motorist to empathise and say "How would you feel if someone drove like that next to your daugher/son?"
I did say something to this effect and it did not phase her. Basically this was human trash I was speaking to so short of putting her in a garbage bag and dumping her in a landfill it was really useless trying to deal with her.
slvoid
05-30-05, 09:40 AM
Tell her that what she did endangered the life of your preganant wife and that it was illegal and reckless driving. Then motion for your wife to get the license plate, or move to the front of her vehicle while lecturing her and make it clear that you're jotting down her plates.
Alekhine
05-30-05, 12:30 PM
Let her get testy and rude, then lie and tell her that you're a cop and watch her attitude instantly transform into conciliation and politeness and "Oh I'm so sorry."
slvoid
05-30-05, 07:50 PM
As funny as that would be, in all seriousness, don't. Impersonating a police officer is a crime.
Better to hold up the phone and say, "I'm actually on the phone with the police right now, would you care to talk louder to give them a piece of what you're giving me?"
sbhikes
05-30-05, 08:27 PM
People get embarrassed when they make a mistake and try to make excuses. I had a little almost-incident with a motorist recently, and the motorist was so embarrassed he said he pulled up to me at the light to explain that he couldn't see me.
I said, But what about my hi-visibilty neon-hellow jacket? What about my flag? He said, Yeah, but your flag isn't orange. I laughed and said, Well sorry about that but the orange flag flew away so now I have to make do. It was pretty obvious he was fishing for an excuse.
Anyway, I told him to have a nice day, don't worry about it, no harm done. Of course, my case was different. Your motorist was just outright idiotic and wrong! Driving through parking lines. What an idiot!
Dutchy
05-30-05, 10:25 PM
Unfortunately there is nothing you can do. It eats me up too but to what end, I end up angry and the motorist has forgotten about it by the next red light. It’s a hazard of cycling. Forget about it, keep on riding.
Just be thankful your wife didn't get hit and take her out to dinner.