"Why don't you drive a car like Normal People??!!" (Toronto Road Rage)
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cooker
True story....happened today in Toronto.
We're at a stop light, facing north on Lascelles Blvd at Eglinton. There's no through street ahead, instead there's the driveway entrance to a local community centre, and that's where we're heading, since there's a bike path from the driveway through to the next street. I hear a cyclist pull up behind me, and glance back. He's a middle-aged, maybe professional dude, not too different from myself, except he has a cellphone mike and earpiece attached to the side of his head. He asks my kid if he's pushed the signal button and comments on how long it takes the light to change even with that. So, a well-wired, impatient fellow.
Finally the light changes and my kid speeds ahead. My new friend and I are a little slower off the mark. As we pull into the intersection we see a blue minivan coming south out of the community centre driveway and starting to turn left into our path. The driver hesitates as we approach, then blasts his horn.
I'm usually more passive-aggressive than aggressive in these kinds of situations...I like to ride 'real slow' and make 'em wait. Cellphone Guy pulls ahead of me and yells something about having the right of way as he passes the driver's window, then slams his fist against the rear passenger window.
We keep riding, but seconds later, when I'm 50 feet into the driveway. I hear the unmistakeable sound of a vehicle reversing fast. Blue van man backs up recklessly past me, bouncing over speed bumps, and coming within a couple of feet of Cellphone Guy's rear wheel. "Watch out", I yell, but Cellphone guy has already pulled over onto the path, and is waiting, with a bit of a smirk, to see what will happen next. The window comes down on the van revealing an ordinary looking guy in his forties, but what we hear is a stream of puerile abuse that could have come from a pre-teen. I can't remember everything he said but the one thing that sticks out is "Why don't you drive a car like normal people??!!" Of course the spew has been directed at the other cyclist, but the last comment offends me considerably since I'm standing right there astride my bike. "You're such a fool" I say in my mock sweetest voice. Van man throws his vehicle into gear and screeches away, and the last thing we hear is him repeatedly yelling "******! ******!".
Would love to hear your comments.
Robert
The BikeForums Team
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"Why don't you drive a car like normal people??!!"
This isn't what he meant, but, if he thinks he's a good example of how "normal people drive", I'll stick to my abnormal style, thank you very much.
aadhils
I got an Idea.....Y not somebody take pictures of all the people who abuse them when they are riding a bike. Then we could make webpages about what happened and what they did. Mebbe they'll stumble upon their pic one day, and feel remorse....not...
Ah well just an Idea.
BeTheChange
Or it could be like America's Most Wanted and we could all go vigalante! I say it would be a great page.
lilHinault
Tell 'em you're better than normal!
Chris L
Better yet, just ignore them. Unless, of course, they call you a ******, in which case, blow them a kiss.
heckflosse
"Why don't you drive a car like normal people??!!"
And he was driving?...
A Minivan :D
bkrownd
Must have been a chuckle for you to watch him ruin his tires, suspension, transmission, engine, etc just to impotently fume at you.
Metieval
Would love to hear your comments.
Cell phone dude is going to get shot some day. OR a big dude is going to jump out and whoop his @ss into the ground.
Impatient for the light but had the time to start a confrontation?? don't make sense to me.
Elvish Legion
Cell phone dude is going to get shot some day. OR a big dude is going to jump out and whoop his @ss into the ground.
Impatient for the light but had the time to start a confrontation?? don't make sense to me.
Agreed, always better to just blow it off, than to risk the one day you stumble across the one dude you can't handle
phinney
Canadians...
cooker
Canadians...
Good one...we're as cranky as people anywhere.
Robert
bwinton
Cell phone dude is going to get shot some day. OR a big dude is going to jump out and whoop his @ss into the groundI don't know about that. Cyclists are some of the more fit people I've seen around T.O. I mean, we get a certain amount of exercise just by getting around, ya know?
Impatient for the light but had the time to start a confrontation?? don't make sense to me.To be fair, that is one seriously long light. True story: When I was in high school, waiting for that light to change actually made me late for my next class.
scarry
True story....happened today in Toronto.
Van man throws his vehicle into gear and screeches away, and the last thing we hear is him repeatedly yelling "******! ******!".
Would love to hear your comments.
Robert
Fallback insult of a loser.
caloso
I think a good response is "What makes you think I'm normal people?"
eff-J
Cell phone dude is going to get shot some day. OR a big dude is going to jump out and whoop his @ss into the ground.
On the down side, that'd make it one less bike rider. :(
On the up side, that'd make it one less cellphone dude. :)
timmhaan
Fallback insult of a loser.
exactly. that guy lost his temper and his true colors came out for a bit. and how disgusting they are.
rs_woods
what's normal about driving an automobile?
Little Darwin
Better yet, just ignore them. Unless, of course, they call you a ******, in which case, blow them a kiss.
I am reading this while on a telecon that is simply degrading... I wonder what the other people think happened here to give me a belly laugh...
:)
I may start wearing pink just to use this one...
vtjim
"Why don't you drive a car like normal people??!!"
:rolleyes: Well let's think about that... If everyone had been driving cars, would the rager have been able to make his left turn, or would he have had to wait then, too? (rhetorical question) ;)
Cyclaholic
Hahahah...he's driving a minivan, I would have pointed that out to him and asked him why he doesn't get a life like normal people
gmacrider
Canadians...
Heh heh I'm a Canadian too eh. I always carry my Easton Synergy and some extra pucks when I'm biking, eh, in case I have to fire a few shots at some ragin' cager. But I'm always polite about it, eh.
KrisPistofferson
You should've pulled out a gun and shot him. :p
wabbit
That is so Toronto... the whole city revolves around work. If you're on a bike it means you're a drunken loser welfare junkie bum.
skookum
I always carry my Easton Synergy
My neighbour was being plagued by a mean dog that would ambush cyclists- he talked to the owner who shrugged it off, thought it was funny. So Al took an old hockey stick handle, hopped on his bike and rode around the block. Next time the dog made a foray Al slammed him across the shoulders with the hockey stick.
Dchiefransom
" I'm sorry Sir. When I drive I don't gab on my cellphone, fiddle with the radio, read a newspaper, put on make-up, turn around and talk to someone in the back seat, or watch a DVD on my TV. I keep control of the vehicle and pay attention to where I'm going and what's happening around me. I CAN'T drive like a "normal" person."
77Univega
...and starting to turn left into our path. The driver hesitates as we approach, then blasts his horn.
Cellphone Guy ... then slams his fist against the rear passenger window.
--- The van driver is required to wait for the through traffic to clear.
The cellphone guy was legally in the right so it was foolish of him to slam is fist on the van window.
It seems to me there is a lot more anger in the big cities lately. We humans were not designed to tolerate the stress of urban living. Get out of the big city.
smurfy
---
It seems to me there is a lot more anger in the big cities lately. We humans were not designed to tolerate the stress of urban living. Get out of the big city.
Good advice except for the fact that there are 6+billion inhabitants of this planet and big city living is a must if we are to keep any open spaces and wildlife areas intact. You seem to be ignoring this. The last thing we need is more and more sprawl (and more car driving!).
oboeguy
OMFG I can't believe I missed this thread. Cracked me up! (especially the idiot's parting words)
cooker
Heh heh I'm a Canadian too eh. I always carry my Easton Synergy and some extra pucks when I'm biking, eh, in case I have to fire a few shots at some ragin' cager. But I'm always polite about it, eh.
rofl
sbhikes
"Hey, I'm just trying to be one less fat chick out there."
recursive
"A normal person? Hmm.. you mean like you? No thanks."
pakole
Cellphone Guy pulls ahead of me and yells something about having the right of way as he passes the driver's window, then slams his fist against the rear passenger window.
While, the cellphone guy was right with his words, he was wrong with his actions. There is no point for him to attack the other vechile even if the driver was the ones that was wrong.
Nevertheless, the driver was quite immature and he is not something one should give much thought towards.
cosmo starr
i thought canadians were nicer than that
thomj513
Not only could "wired guy" get pounded by a bigger dude in the future, the driver of the mini-van could claim, as far fetched as it may seem, that "wired dude" assaulted the mini-van driver and vandalised his mini-van. People here is the U.S, particullarly Los Angeles where I live, are nuts about filing lawsuits. Better to let it go.
ghettocruiser
the driver of the mini-van could claim, as far fetched as it may seem, that "wired dude" assaulted the mini-van driver and vandalised his mini-van.
Dude, the cops here don't even send out an officer when your mini-van is STOLEN these days. They're not gonna help a guy who says someone "banged on" his van. Unless the vigilante cyclist in question mentioned his correct name and address mixed in with the profanity he shot off, I don't really think there is much litigation risk, anyways.
I do occasionally knock on the sides of cars that move over on me in traffic, it's the only real way to get the attention of a car with the windows rolled up. In Toronto cars are legally supposed to leave one meter or more when passing, so if I can reach their fender to tap, they're too close.
People in beat-up cars are over-represented in the pass-to-close crowd (not suprisingly) and they are usually scared and even apologetic at the noise. No one's ever gotten too miffed that I touched their ride.
bwinton
I don't really think there is much litigation risk, anyways.Another factor that helps is that if you sue someone, and lose, you'll have to pay their legal fees, so people up here in general don't sue unless they have a very good chance of winning.
In Toronto cars are legally supposed to leave one meter or more when passing, so if I can reach their fender to tap, they're too close.That's good to know. Uh, you don't, by any chance, have a reference for that, do you? You have to admit, it sounds a little urban-legend-ish.
No one's ever gotten too miffed that I touched their ride.I had a guy get really angry at me when I smacked his car to let him know that I was there, but I turned right at the next red light, and never saw him again.
crazybikerchick
That's good to know. Uh, you don't, by any chance, have a reference for that, do you? You have to admit, it sounds a little urban-legend-ish.
There used to be posters up everywhere like this
http://www.city.toronto.on.ca/cycling/passbikessafe.htm
I'm not sure if its the law or just the city's "encouragement" for drivers.
julielenore
Another factor that helps is that if you sue someone, and lose, you'll have to pay their legal fees, so people up here in general don't sue unless they have a very good chance of winning.
I know that it is OT, but thank G-d! I would be scared to breathe in the states for fear of being sued. :rolleyes: