General Cycling Discussion - Your Daily Verbal abuse!

On your ride today, what kind of verbal abuse (if any) did you get from motorists, pedestrians or other non-cyclists? And what did you do to respond?

This is assuming that you were obeying the rules of the road, weren't being reckless and were generally behaving and didn't deserve the verbal abuse. If not, then you pay the price!

So tell us all about your verbal abuse for the day and what you did in return!

i got honked toady on my MTB on my way to the LBS to work. I take this road everyday and I know how it works. I was over to the side as far as I could go as I wont ride on the sidewalk/shoulder thingy. So as the first white car honked for no reason and gave me his finger i realized it was a buncha kids my age. So i grabbed the sandwich in my pocket, sprinted up that frikin Civic and threw it in the window, then i jumped on the sidewalk and made a u'ey and ran down the hill to take the alternative route. they couldnt make the u'ey as theres a boulevard in the middle of the road.

i got his clothes all dirty and he freaked. i dont let no 16 or 17yr olds my own age hnk and swear at me.. they werent even doing a get out of the way honk, its a urr a *** for being on a bike honk so..

good.

Some people might find your action a bit rash. Not sure, but I can see myself doing the same thing (unless I really wanted the sandwhich). I say "to hell" wit em.

dont matter. i had 1 sandwich already and i work by a donut shop.

lol this was on highway 7 and keele on top of the train bridge for those who live in TO

like i said im 16 and this was a buncha 17yr olds just acting like 17yr olds.

I know the area. I live sort of near there. Not too close but it's Lawrence and Jane.

Sometimes people just need their a$$es kicked, or at least a sandwich smeared all over their threads:D . You should consider it a favor to the person as you're just giving them something they really need. Always make sure you have an escape route planned though.

I must say that the drivers on my usual 20 mile route are pretty good. I don't think I've been honked more than 2X in well over a year of riding that route and even more importantly drivers swing ride when passing. There's always tomorrow though......

This is a huge improvement over riding in Miami where you'd have to be ready to throw down at any given time and just getting honked was considered proper etiquette.

well Highway seven is not a major highway like an interstate its more like an equivalent to a US highway like US 1 in florida or something. You cant make a U-turn therefore they cant get to me especially when the street is in gridlock. Total Kos. im in thornhill so..

I get honks and verbal abuse all the time. I just ignore it, it's not worth me wasting my effort to respond to it. Funny thing I've noticed, very little of it actually happens on my commute anymore. Generally, people who actually have somewhere to go or something to do (i.e. a life) tend not to bother. It's only the dole-bludger low-life types with nowhere to go that bother usually.

Another thing is, because they absolutely must go nowhere at all at 120km/h+, most of their abuse seems pretty incoherent to me.

WB FJ! :D

Greetings Joe. I have to apologise for my little temper tantrum after the "London Protests" thread. I do have one request tho, can I go back to being Chris L again? The Fatal Justice thing somehow felt impersonal, and everyone still seems to think of me as Chris L anyway.

Not a problem, there have been times where i wanted to leave the forums ;)

i was riding my bike when I decided to stop for a coffee at Tim Horton, but before I entered Tim Horton, I made brief call to my wife thru my cell, and at the drive thru window there was a car with mon driving and four teenagers as passenger, and the front passenger youth pointed at me and the whole kids started laughing, so my initial reaction what the f@4@2K are you laughing at, so what I did I gave them the old finger salute, the mom driving , I think scolded his kids, so the kids stop laughing, thats the only time I stop my midle finger from making the salute, you don't get to make me a laughing item on your life and get away with it,"no way Jose"

I think I make it hard for motorists to abuse me verbally by passing them. I mean, how can you yell at a guy passing you on a bike? ;)

The latest was yesterday, coming back from a ride on road that is actually a designated shared road. However, it doesn't guarantee everyone shares the sentiment. We were honked at and I thought the guy was just alerting us, but instead he yelled at me and then at my SO who was just ahead, "get off the road with your toys!" In french. I didn't have time to respond but shot him the bird. My SO yelled at him 'eat my dirty foreskin' and 'eat my farts' in french. The funny thing was this guy was a redneck driving an old beat up crappy, rusty toyota- he's the one who should be off the road.

I saw a show on the idiot box the other day about modern rage. There was a section on how violent and uncontrolled teenagers can be. I was horrified to see them videotaping a rampage where they rode by cyclists and pedestrians shooting them with red paintballs. They were hysterically laughing about it. The cyclists generally crashed, scared out of their minds and humiliated. The teenagers were arrested, so there's a happy ending. The world is so hostile.

Originally posted by hosehead
I saw a show on the idiot box the other day about modern rage. There was a section on how violent and uncontrolled teenagers can be. I was horrified to see them videotaping a rampage where they rode by cyclists and pedestrians shooting them with red paintballs. They were hysterically laughing about it. The cyclists generally crashed, scared out of their minds and humiliated. The teenagers were arrested, so there's a happy ending. The world is so hostile.

Yup, I think I saw the same piece - but I saw it several months ago. I was soooooo glad to see that they got busted!!! They were obviously not too smart as they videotaped their own crime. :lol:

It just goes to show that if you are stupid enough to document a crime than you are waaay to stupid to comit one.

I saw the same show well over a year ago. Laughing like fools. I was laughing at them cuz I knew they must have gotten caught. Man if someone did some ish like that to me. It'd be on!

I had a guy look at me funny on the way downtown, so I killed him and his family...no wait, must stop voices in head...

Actually I am rarely yelled at. They just very quietly cut me off and try to run me over. Maybe if they yelled more I could be better prepared. The one time I was yelled at recently was by a guy cutting across a parking lot at 40mph. It sounded something like: "youahdjha udjhafpoi!" I wanted to tell him: If you want to insult others while driving you need to 1) slow down so we can hear you; and 2) fix your muffler so we can hear you.

While I had NEVER verbally accosted a driver before, this time I did. Must be a near death experience thing. Though I couldn't hear him, he definitely heard me (in language Joe has requested we not use). The funny thing is that as he drove past he looked familiar. But it turned out not to be who I thought--whew! Watch your public displays in smaller communities.

Clay

The only time I've been yelled at so far was by a guy in a new red pickup full of young, possibly drunk rednecks...he yelled something about the Grand National. I think he was just trying to be funny (and failing) and I ignored him.

I am a pu**Ssy. I try to avoid conflict as much as possible. I really get nervous when someone threatens me and I forsee a possible hostile situation.

I dunno why, but I'm like that. It's a weakness but I really can't control it. When I am biking it is less of an issue and I feel more confident I think because of the pumped adrelanine.

It's not that I'm a physically weak guy. I regualrly work out, have a medium toned body (compared to the average guy at my age), and in good physical shape, but I'm quite insecure. At the moment of conflict I swallow my pride and try to avoid it, but moments later I piss at myself for being so passive all the goddamn time.

For example the other day I was on a narrow street, which still does have a symbol of a bike on its sign (indicating that this is a bike route), On this street there were huge semi-trucks going by and it was really stressing. Under my lips I was praying that it come to and end soon cause I was really tired as well.

and then this fat ugly bi***tch on a really old ass toyata tercel honks at me.

The immediate reaction from me was to jump on to the gaddamn sidewalk (and I'm on a roadbike) and didn't get a good chance to get back on the road for a long while since the cars wouldn't yield.

The funny thing is that as she passed me she and her daughter give me this stare, like "what the hell are you doing your ****** biker".

It wasn't a big deal, but to this day I wish I hadn't gone to the side walk and instead given her the finger. Or better, catch up to her and throw a big rock at her face. I'd gladly punch her if I see her again. I have gotten my share of crap in this life, time to give something back. One of these days the rage is just gonna come out as this huge explosion and probably with innocent bystanders becoming victims as well.

I think I make it hard for motorists to abuse me verbally by passing them. I mean, how can you yell at a guy passing you on a bike?

Exactly. I get quite a few stares as I flash by them or they can't shake me from their draft. Teenagers, especialy, have great respect for power and grace on a bicycle. As for being cutoff :irritated

well, on the bike i'm kind of the opposite from Amir...

normally, i'm a pretty passive kind of guy and although i stick up for myself i usually avoid a 'macho' fight b/c it's usually not worth it - plus i grew up in Texas where you can get shot if you beat someone up! (the guy with the bloody nose returned to his car to grab his revolver stored under the seat...)

but when i'm on a bike i seem to have no fear and i've chased down motorists and yelled and threatened them and almost gotten into a number of fist-fights.

these days, i really try hard to tone it down and keep myself in control - mostly b/c i think it doesn't do much good - so i mostly wave when cars honk these days - confuse them or at least don't give them the satisfaction of irritating you

i guess when i really react is not when they just honk or yell something, but those times when someone almost kills me: when a driver makes a left-turn in front of me or rolls through a stop-sign in front of me - or a guy recently who took a sharp corner about 4 feet INTO my lane where i was going the opposite direction, forcing me to swerve off the road - he sped off, i turned around and chased him and caught him at a light and he kept his window up -- i laid my bike on the ground in front of the car so he couldn't drive off w/o driving over my bike (there were other cars around), got off and came to his window - finally he rolled it down about and inch and i politely explained that what he did was dangerous and i thought he should apologize or something... anyway, i scared the living sh*t out that guy!

if i think it might do some good, then i sometimes try to confront people, but the most of the time i just try the "ignore and wave" technique --- although sometimes i still get so pissed when i am almost killed that i do something aggressive... so far i haven't gotten shot, arrested or run over

Hey! I usually get flamed in here for admiting to stuff like that!:roflmao: OK, I wasn't going to tell this one. Last Friday a guy cut me off on my way home from work. I had to ride up on the opposite sidewalk to avoid him, then, immediately get back out into the road. He slowed way down and started to roll down his window, I pulled in front of him and accelerated away. After he honked several times, I reached arround, puckered my fingers and knocked them agains my butt ... like.. "kiss my a$$". Went home, headed out on the training ride. As I rode in from the ride, this dude pulls up on my lawn! This was 3 hourse after the initial incident. I was pissed, amped from the ride and jumped right in his face ( I am a long time Karate ka and have no qualms about getting on someone when it is necessary- though I avoid confrontation). Well, he starts in on how he just followed me home to apologize ... yeah right, this dude was big .. and he's parked in front of my door! Further, he says I insulted his fiancee by "spreading my cheeks" in front of his car. So, I proceeded to demonstrate that I couldn't spread my cheeks with spandex on. He persisted. So, I bent over, pulled down my bike shorts and spread my cheeks for him. He ran like the wind. The cops showed up at about 10:00pm laughing their asses off. Said they had to write a report since he had filed a complaint. Now everyone knows I am a perv.

Being 6'2" and weighing 275lbs, I have had no problems with verbal abuse. Although I do have friends that get alot. I do know one guy who put a flag on his bike that stuck out to the side and drivers would try to hit it. Mind you it only stuck out about a foot.
Sliante:beer:

Originally posted by Amir R. Pakdel
I am a pu**Ssy. I try to avoid conflict as much as possible. I really get nervous when someone threatens me and I forsee a possible hostile situation.

I dunno why, but I'm like that. It's a weakness but I really can't control it. When I am biking it is less of an issue and I feel more confident I think because of the pumped adrelanine.

I have the same problem. I think it has to do with the fact that I only weigh 62kg roughly. Really though, what's the point of reacting to it? Most of them are just rednecks without lives whose whole existence aims at getting the satisfaction of a response. Why give it to them?

Originally posted by Chris L


I have the same problem. I think it has to do with the fact that I only weigh 62kg roughly. Really though, what's the point of reacting to it? Most of them are just rednecks without lives whose whole existence aims at getting the satisfaction of a response. Why give it to them?

62KG?? That's me exactly! I'm 5'6 though.

In any case, it's not a good thing at all to be as passive guy as me. Everybody will take advantage of you.

It was the very same reason I got bullied all the earlier years. It's the same reason I become the scapegoat at every place.

Forgive and forget works well in the Bible, but in the 21th century North America it's crush or be crushed. Sometimes for people it's like just crush everyone else just to be safe... the chances are they'd crush you if they had the chance...

Well, maybe not so extreme, but sometimes it just seems too true.

I think I've posted this before, but can't find it.

I had a road rage argument with a cab driver. I was dressed in my usual bright yellow jacket, long cycling tights and green and yellow Vittoria shoes and at one point he said

"You look like a poof in that outfit"

At least I could change out of my outfit. he was always going to be a fat B*stard.

I know what you mean Chewa!

Strange how whenever you catch up with one of these ar**holes they always seem to react by abusing your appearance , maybe it`s a British thing? dunno!!

Not just a British thing. It goes on out here, too. Maybe I'd like to know how he gets the idea that I'm a poof? Does he have a lot of experience in that area or something?

Originally posted by Chris L
Maybe I'd like to know how he gets the idea that I'm a poof?

There are worse things to be.

They could be really rude and call you a :gasp: motorist!

Ellie

Originally posted by Ellie


There are worse things to be.

They could be really rude and call you a :gasp: motorist!


Noooooooooooo!!!!


Alright! I promise I'll be good from now on.

Originally posted by WorldIRC
So as the first white car honked for no reason and gave me his finger i realized it was a buncha kids my age. So i grabbed the sandwich in my pocket, sprinted up that frikin Civic and threw it in the window....i dont let no 16 or 17yr olds my own age hnk and swear at me

An observation...

'Cept for the means of mobility, an objective analysis might conclude *all* the players in this incident were more alike....than different.

<asbestos underwear....on!>

lol

Ah heck, cycling keeps us young and vindictive.

Originally posted by Rotifer
Ah heck, cycling keeps us young and vindictive.

exactly

I have to say that the drivers around here are pretty reasonable. Yesterday a woman in a minivan followed me for over 2 miles until I crested a blind hill on a narrow road. Very polite. Most of my bad experiences are with red-neck furballs in pickups with their first cousin/wife riding shotgun. Because their speech is slurred from generations of bad breeding and low quality beer, I car rarely understand what they said.

However, nothing compares to the problems I had in California as a mormon missionary 20 years ago. I spent about 15 mos. with a bike ( Schwin Le Tour IV) as my primary transportation. We rode 10 to 30 miles per day, 7 days a week, in suit pants, white shirts and ties, even in the summer at 105 degrees F.

For example, while riding a bike, I had lit firecrackers thrown at me which blew up just to my left and deafened me for over an hour. Another time a half-full can of beer was chucked at me from a pickup coming from the other direction, which came close enough to soak me in Bud. The worst was when a low rider coming from the other direction intentionally crossed the center line causing the car coming from behind me to go off the road and into a field. It was close and scary.

We rode 10 to 30 miles per day, 7 days a week, in suit pants, white shirts and ties, even in the summer at 105 degrees F.

Although a dedicated heathen, I'ave always been impressed by this. You forgot to add, a smile on your face.

Heres to randy cousins and high quality beer. :beer:

Originally posted by Rotifer


Although a dedicated heathen, I'ave always been impressed by this. You forgot to add, a smile on your face.

Yes, a smile on my face and a sheepskin cover on my seat!

The other day, some old geezer in a ROLLS honked at me- he was turning left and I wa coing straight. He was also blabbing on his phone. Old, blabbing on his phone and I'm in his way. I just gave him the finger.


The cheeks story reminds me of an old routine by Richard Pryor, about being hassled by cops. He talked about how being out on a date, looking all snazzy and then the cops come by. "All right (n-word)! Out of the car. And spread your cheeks!"
Pryor asks, "now how can you have a good time after that???"

I asked them if they wanted to take a picture for evidence.

Rotifer gets the You Gotta Hear This One vote from me. But I have to correct you about the impossibility of spreading one's cheeks while wearing spandex. If you suddenly lose your saddle in just the right way and then by chance connect with your rear tire in just the right way...not only will you spread those cheeks, I can also promise you they won't be meeting each other again for about a week.

As for verbal abuse, I had an episode worthy of note about three days ago. I felt like I was living a scene out of "Deliverance." I came up a hill and was almost at the top when a skanky little boy in nothing but a pair of bibs (no shoes, no shirt and probably no running water) came wobbling out on a bike that looked like it had lain in a corn crib for forty years. I did my normal "countryside" thing...pleasant smile , a little wave and a "hi, there, little fella..." to which he replied in kind by screaming "Sic 'er dawgs!! Git 'er, git'er!! Yuh better git outta heah-- made ya run!!" Well, the pack of wormy mangy mongrels that appeared from the bushes didn't look too energetic but I thought stopping and going back to stomp this kid's two good teeth in might be pushing it. Besides, it was close to 105 with the heat index so just keeping the air moving was more important at the time than a little genetic weeding.
I found out later that the folks living there in that hole are basically seventh-generation religious fanatics and that they believe: women in revealing clothes are jezebels, red is the devil's color. I wear mesh tanks, black sportsbras and club shorts, and my Trek is red so I guess this only reaffirms the local notion that I am indeed Hell On Wheels.
Whatever, as long as it keeps little psycho boys and their hounds scared!

I'm normally pretty agressive when motorists get agressive with me. I'll chase them down and give them an earful or bang on their windows [which usually scares them to death].

One recent encounter was with a pickup full of a couple of Quebec-style rednecks -- greasy balding long hair tied back in a ponytail, sleevless jack Daniels T-shirt displaying tatoos, droopy moustache and an arm hanging out the door with a cigarette.

These guys passed me [breaking the speed limit] and the redneck on the passenger side -- waving his cigarette so it almost burns me -- yess abuse. I give chase, but they are turning off, so I yell:

"Mange mes petes, salaud!" [Eat my farts you moron!] and "Ronge mon prepuce sale en cachette!" [Chew my... on second thought, I don't think I'll translate this one]. I didn't stick around to see what they did, but I'm sure they cursed me for hours over their case of Cinquante.

If you suddenly lose your saddle in just the right way and then by chance connect with your rear tire in just the right way...

I've had this happen before... it is also a good way to get back in the saddle very quickly! I like the little ragamuffin story, now we need a picture.

Well, the whole episode kinda gave me a flashback...Jeff Foxworthy once did a skit about the Atlanta Olympics and one part of it deals with the kayaking event on that river (was it the Chattahooche? oh whatever--) "...if old Ned Beatty can't make it down that river, ain't no way a coupla Frenchies in spandex are gonna stand a chance..."

Believe it or not I have secretly been going a few miles out of my way lately to go by there again...I just want to antagonize!!

This may seem against the grain, here, but hang in there...

I've had my share of mistreatment, sometimes by accident, sometimes on purpose. When someone disrespects me, I hate it, especially children. A kid threatened me with a bottle and I had to tell his mommy (would have loved to spank him.) A lady in an SUV pulled up next to me on a steep downhill with her front wheel about a foot from me and just held her position; later, after passing, she tried to block me on the shoulder. A young man walking with his buddies stiff-armed me and knocked me off my bike clear into the emergency room, head-first (I have to wear a mustache now to cover a scar, but it looks rather handsome.) I've been screamed at, called "******," had beer bottles thrown at me, squeezed, blocked, buzzed (fly-by at supersonic speeds with no safe clearance.) I've had policemen politely ask me to "keep as far to the right as possible, thank you!" when there was no place on the right but construction and gaping holes.

What is my point? Every time something happens, it seems like
it's just them and me. But really, it's them, me and a crowd of spectators. If I play my cards right, everyone gets to see what
how wrong my "opponent" is. But if I react too aggressively, I may lose their support.

I'm not a doormat, just making the most of an opportunity.

Originally posted by LittleBigMan
What is my point? Every time something happens, it seems like
it's just them and me. But really, it's them, me and a crowd of spectators. If I play my cards right, everyone gets to see what
how wrong my "opponent" is. But if I react too aggressively, I may lose their support.

I couldn't agree more. And the other thing is, will reacting aggressively really solve the problem? Seems to me that some guy in a SAV (suburban assault vehicle) can just run you down if you get to be too much trouble. They may or may not necessarily do it, but I'd rather not find out.

I see one problem with that...until the "spectators" are better informed as to what rights (and responsibilities) we cyclists have, they will probably still side with the other guys most of the time. Unless more non-riders can come to grips with the reality that we DO have a right to our side of the road, they will still try to force us onto the sidewalks.

I'm that type of guy who doesn't give a _____ if anyone sides with me. I don't care if stupid pedestrians or selfish motorist "stick together". I am going to obey OUR laws and if somebody steps in my way they get run down. I am so sick of the ignorant traffic (both autos and people) in my city that I am out for blood. I have a short fuse and will not hesitate to flip, tell off, or throw down for our right.

ditto that...but you gotta remember that anytime you argue with a 2000 lb vehicle, regardless of the issues you may have with the driver, the vehicle is probably going to win. Now on the other hand, if the ignorant SOB wants to step out of the car and take matters up with me...that's different.:fight:
Choose your battles.