Advocacy & Safety - Verbal assaults while riding

What should one do if someone yells out of a car while we are riding? It is so shocking. Should one follow them, get the license no. and call the police? I would really ruin a nice weekend ride. Any suggestions?

Let it go.

I dont do anything unless the yell is accompanied by wreckless driving. Then I memorize their plate number and report the incident to my local police via the non-emergency phone number. I have tracked down the houses of a few a-holes though. :)

Keep riding, and thank ? that you're not such an a**hole as the person doing the yelling.

Or you can shoot 'em.

Contemplate their family tree. I've only gotten yelled at by unevolved looking knuckle draggers.

When I was riding my tricycle on the sidewalk this big kid called me a stupid dumbhead so I stuck my tongue out at him! :p

get the license no. and call the police?

What exactly would the police charge them with?

The consensus here is that the best thing to do is either show no sign that you even heard them, or smile and wave. The smile and wave seems to throw them off balance the most.

I got a "Woot, Woot" from a car load of young ladies during yesterday's ride. I was a little weirded out when they put the car they were driving in reverse (opposite lane) and giving me all sorts of attention. Needless to say I did not tell them off or call the police because they were having a good time even though it was dangerous.

Contemplate their family tree. I've only gotten yelled at by unevolved looking knuckle draggers.
Chances are it would be a straight line.

The smile and wave seems to throw them off balance the most.
--- Also, try saying "Shalom" to throw them off balance.

When I get yelled at by passing idiots I usually get all bend outta shape and fill up with blinding rage, all the while maintaining a calm expression on the outside and pretend like it didnt bother me.

Anyone know best way to treat split personality disorder? :)

Last time I had someone yell at me from a passing car, I was changing lanes to get into the left turn lane. I had waited for a break in traffic and approached it a little sooner then I could have, making me get into the center "yellow broken stripped" lane and then went another few feet to actually be in the left turn lane. A guy in a car going the opposite direction, got on a loud speaker and yelled "That isn't a bike lane!" I just chuckled to myself and went on my merry way. :D

Say "Hey Joe, how's the kids", as if you know them.

I try to ignore it but I'm not always successful. I've been known to yell back or flip them off. I really don't think it helps to do that, but I'm hard headed sometimes.

Yelling is fortunately just words.
My frustation with it is that is brings to light (on nearly every commute its so common) how freaking miserable the culture is around me. It angers me at first, but that quickly turns to sadness that there are so many pathetic car-me-first-agressive-angry people out there.
I have a very thick skin generally and can take and brush off lots of verbal abuse while riding, but even so when on some 30min rides when I get 3-4 agressive insulting yells, honks and other rude behavior it does wear on me and puts me in a bad mood when I get home, not angry at the people who did it, but angry/saddened by the enviroment that has brought on this behavior in people.

(where I live traffic moves fast and even if it were helpful (its not) there is no way I could yell back or catch them at the next light. one of the attributes of the yelling is that it is by circumstance and known to the yeller a one way communication, you get yelled at but cant respond. this certainly makes it frustraing.)

Al aka "A total f-ing a-hole" as I learned a few weeks ago riding home from work.

Wait till they pass, then use your shoulder fired light antitank weapon .Aim for the trunk.It works every time. Of course i am kidding sometimes you can feel like that, but generally let it go unless they put you in danger then get the liscense and call the cops A.S.A.P.

Noisebeam I lived out there in AZ for a few years and that's got to be the angriest state in the US. The traffic there makes SoCal seem relaxed by comparison. AZ has all the "2-1/2 strikes" people fleeing CA (or at least getting closer to their source of meth) and all kinds of weird, spun-out people. In AZ, if you don't have a criminal record, well, it's like being a 25-year-old virgin.

Move to California, move to the middle of L.A. or anywhere in the state (as long as you're not moving into "south central", East Palo Alto, etc) and you'll find it much more relaxed.

Like was said....let it go. Remember what happened to that rider in Denver a while back. Said, "Whats your problem", the next thing happened was some F-ing A-hole shot and killed him. For what? Not worth it bro. I think the more people learn that "verbal" assault is no more assault than just playground children namecalling, the longer lives they will lead. Yes, its lame, it sucks, and sometimes a bltch, but its definitely nothing to loose your life over. Times have changed...too many looneys!

What I do is what mood I am talk. So if I have a bad day I let off some steem, go days let it go, or if I want to miss with there minds I like to say, "Thank your wife for me, I was great, she was ok!" you get great looks after that one.

GEEK

I wait until they're stopped at a light, then I rip off my shorts and hit them in the face with the chamois.

When I get yelled at by passing idiots I usually get all bend outta shape and fill up with blinding rage, all the while maintaining a calm expression on the outside and pretend like it didnt bother me.

Anyone know best way to treat split personality disorder? :)

I don't think you have a disorder, neither do I :p

What should one do if someone yells out of a car while we are riding? It is so shocking. Should one follow them, get the license no. and call the police? I would really ruin a nice weekend ride. Any suggestions?

I just ignore it, mostly because by the time I think up a witty comeback they're blocks away :rolleyes: Come to think of it, on the rare occasion when it was called for I was the one doing the yelling at boneheads who inadvertently almost ended my existence :mad:

What should one do if someone yells out of a car while we are riding? It is so shocking. Should one follow them, get the license no. and call the police? I would really ruin a nice weekend ride. Any suggestions?

When this happens I'm so glad that I installed that 20mm Gatling cannon that makes sheet metal into confetti in no time at 5000 spm. Every town should have an Army/Navy surplus store. Sure, it weighs a lot, but satisfaction is GUARANTEED!

What should one do if someone yells out of a car while we are riding? It is so shocking. Should one follow them, get the license no. and call the police? I would really ruin a nice weekend ride. Any suggestions?

Ok, Rochester, NY. The driver can argue that he has a right to express his opinion (First Amendment). YOU do not have the right to never be offended (Bill of Non-Rights (http://www.calpoly.edu/~doleary/humor/billofnonrights.htm)). I usually do the hand-cupped-to-the-ear, shoulder shrugging, mouthing "Sorry, I can't hear you!" routine. Since the point of a rant is that the other person hear your opinion, this tends to render their anger impotent. It's a way to hit back without, well, hitting back.

I wait until they're stopped at a light, then I rip off my shorts and hit them in the face with the chamois.That is cruel and unusual. :eek:

When this happens I'm so glad that I installed that 20mm Gatling cannon that makes sheet metal into confetti in no time at 5000 spm. Every town should have an Army/Navy surplus store. Sure, it weighs a lot, but satisfaction is GUARANTEED!I prefer a light antitank weapon and a few extra rounds. :p

This happened to me yesterday.

Unfortunately for the B*tch driver, she was approaching a very long red light.

I just pulled up right behind her, took off the shades, and glowered at her in her rear view.

You could tell by her furtive eyes, she was more then a lil' scared of this 6'3" 215#, angry male.

You can respond however you like (but calling the cops is not reccommended). Cycling is a fiarly public activity, and unfortunately some members of the public are rude and discourteous. These people do not pose a threat to you, so try not to let them ruin your day.

It sounds like you might be new to cycling. Are you sure you understand and follow the laws and safety guidelines for cycling? If you're not sure, you might want to read other threads in this forum, take a class, and/or ride with some more experienced riders for a while.

I prefer a light antitank weapon and a few extra rounds. :p

How about recoil... isn't a bit tough on a bike while rolling?

I am waiting for particle beam myself... the power supply will be heavy, but think of the lights I can run with it on a night commute.

Personally, I get a little warm glow of empowerment, knowing my mere presence is enough to throw some people into apoplectic fits. Then I flip the Vs because I'm American, and doing so is a pretentious affectation.

Sometimes I act like I'm going to ride the bugger down and give him piece of my mind. I say things like, "Hold me back! Hold me back!"

Later I weep for the species...

Ehhh.. weep all ya want, but that assertiveness is what brought us from scared lil' monkeys to bipedal overlords.

It's the "management" of aggression that is the problem. Not the aggression itself.

Look back to the animal kingdom - they seem to manage their intra-species spats in relatively harmless ways... especially given that they often come locked and loaded with claw and fang!

How about recoil... isn't a bit tough on a bike while rolling?

I am waiting for particle beam myself... the power supply will be heavy, but think of the lights I can run with it on a night commute.
A light antitank weapon is a rocket launched from a tube open on both ends. The gases should push you forward if anything.

Noisebeam I lived out there in AZ for a few years and that's got to be the angriest state in the US.
--- The angry and abusive motorists will be on their own bicycles after the oil runs out--SOON:
www.hubbertpeak.com/campbell/

I like one of the observations by one of the peak oil scientists, saying that verification of Hubbert's theory is less and less a matter of projection and more a matter of just observing the data year after year, for better or for worse, it appears to be playing out exactly "according to plan".

And yeah I think some of the anger in some motorists is the subconscious realization that they'll be out there on a bike soon.

What should one do if someone yells out of a car while we are riding? It is so shocking. Should one follow them, get the license no. and call the police? I would really ruin a nice weekend ride. Any suggestions?


If it is just a "get off the road" or "you're a queer" or "woot woot" or whatever, then Let it go, do not aggravate the situation.

If they threaten your life or threaten you with physical harm, then get the license plate, car description and description of person, if you can. Then call the police. If the police state they need a witness, horsesh!t. The police should at least knock on his door and state that someone complained about death threats or threats of physical injury from him. If the police refuse go over their heads to the supervisor. Push it!

Digger

Before bothering to report an incident, see what constitutes verbal assault in your area. In my jurisdiction, if the words do not contain a specific threat to commit a specific ilegal act, there is no crime. Examples of NON-criminal statements would be "I'm going to get you" or "You'd better watch your back." A very common threat that does cross the line into illegality is "I'm gonna kick your a**," but there may be reluctance to make an arrest for such a commonly uttered phrase unless behaviour reinforced the threat. The statement "I'm going to kill you" is specific and in Texas can result in the higher charge of terroristic threat IF the threat is imminent as well as specific. OTOH, "I'm gonna kill me a bicyclist," in and of itself, is neither specific nor imminent unless reinforced by additional behaviour. Your laws may vary; this is not legal advice, of course, just my $0.02 derived from 21+ years of wearing a badge.

Luckily, I have never had anything hateful yelled at me. Thank goodness, I would not want to start crying....HA! Most of the time, if I happen to ride on an actual road, I get "Hey, baby!" or "Woohoo, I love you!" or wolf whistles. Geez, I am an ole grandma, so I figure the guys yelling such things need help, and I just ignore the poor fellas.

Once I got a "Sorry, didn't see you!" when someone almost ran over me. I glowered at him, but restrained myself from giving him the finger or yelling something rude. When you are a woman, you just never know how people will react. :rolleyes:

My suggestion is try to ignore or, depending on the situation, maybe a smile and a friendly wave. You don't need trouble, and you just never know.

The ability to yell, "BLARGHHHMLANNNGH!" or whatever out the window of a car made us rulers of the planet. Man, now I weep for all the species.

Would you trust an ape with anger management issues with a two-ton, internal combustion missile?

It's always a mixed bag here in Humble, Texas (N.E. of Houston). On most days...nothing. Last week I got yelled at twice in two days. First day by some lady passenger in a car telling me I should stay on the sidewalk. Second day by an SUV loaded with obnoxious young men yelling something about getting a "real ride".

Oh well!

--gordy

First I must say I hardly ever get yelled at but this morning I decided to do a metric century before work and got honked at 3 times and yelled at twice and a thumbs up once! I figure this is mostly because I strayed down into Johnson Ranch. Johnson Ranch is a housing development about 20 miles from anywhere that offers cheap housing but no infrastructure. It onlly has 1, 2 lane road supplying thousands of houses and all these people go to work at the same time which leads to a lot of backup. I figure a frustrated motorist is one who is tipped to the dark side a little easier. I just wave hi to them as if they are a friend honking at me to say hi! After all, that is usually what I use my horn for! I figure this is a peaceful way of getting them even more ticked off. After all, they failed to accomplish their design obviously..

I got yelled at on the way home yesterday. Some chick leans out the window of her SUV and shouts,"go Lance go!". The nerve of her!

I wouldn't be caught dead on a roadie. And I am way,way sexier than Lance! :D :D :D

First I must say I hardly ever get yelled at but this morning I decided to do a metric century before work and got honked at 3 times and yelled at twice and a thumbs up once! I figure this is mostly because I strayed down into Johnson Ranch. Johnson Ranch is a housing development about 20 miles from anywhere that offers cheap housing but no infrastructure. It onlly has 1, 2 lane road supplying thousands of houses and all these people go to work at the same time which leads to a lot of backup. I figure a frustrated motorist is one who is tipped to the dark side a little easier. I just wave hi to them as if they are a friend honking at me to say hi! After all, that is usually what I use my horn for! I figure this is a peaceful way of getting them even more ticked off. After all, they failed to accomplish their design obviously..
Do you ever ride on Broadway or Southern? Or cross I-60 on some of the NS roads that have narrow lanes? That is a guarantee to get you a honk or yell for every 2-3mi in my experience.

Al

Masturbate profusely.

How about recoil... isn't a bit tough on a bike while rolling?



No worse than a head wind. ;)

I prefer a light antitank weapon and a few extra rounds.

Weight weenie....