Singlespeed & Fixed Gear - etiquette for a taxi nudge?

i have to admit, i am a lurker since my membership,but i have question. i was waiting for a left turn single on houston st so i was in a trackstand in the divider lane, and then a taxi just nudged me. Not enough to throw me off, but enough so i was confused how to respond. any ideas?

throw your bike through the taxi's windshield. or, get the plate # and cab company and report it to the coppers. wreckless endangerment ahoy!

Mr. U-lock meet Mr. Windshield

alas, i need to invest in a u lock for i only have a secondary coiled lock

yeah, and one looks rather lame when they get tangled up in their own cable lock as they try to use it to break a window...

ooooh. i'm curious to see where this thread goes after the initial u-lock throwing responses. i mean, seriously? what would happen if you threw a u-lock? you'd be in *****.

Whip out yer gat, pump a few rounds into the windshield, then ride off into the moonlight like a gangstaaaaaaaaaaaa






by gat, I mean u lock, as baxtefer said

ooooh. i'm curious to see where this thread goes after the initial u-lock throwing responses. i mean, seriously? what would happen if you threw a u-lock? you'd be in *****.

How so? If you seriously threw your lock at a car's windshield and took off, I think you could get away and how would they ever find you?

How so? If you seriously threw your lock at a car's windshield and took off, I think you could get away and how would they ever find you?

they'd catch me when i went back to pick it up. no way i'm dropping another 70 bones on another ny lock.

http://www.officerstore.com/store/product.cfm?pID=1176

http://www.officerstore.com/store/products/20031028115615_Photo2.jpg

... and go. Check url and description of this thing. Then do a search for "spring loaded punch" and you'll see it's more commonly known as a carpentry tool used for starting nails / screws. That's how I originally aquired mine - gotta love those multi-use tools.

- eyefloater

leap off your bike, take your chain off as you spin around in midair, land on the hood of the cab, and swing the chain through the windshield - breaking through it. Then, punch the cabbie in the face. Grab him by the collar and say "don't **** with the bikers, motherfücker!", then leap back onto your bike (which should still be standing) and speed off through that left hand turn signal that just changed for you.

No no no boys, you've got it all wrong. These methods involve using what the law would deem "weapons." This will land you in the ____. Therefore, the way forward is merely to unclip the foot closest to the offending vehicle, hold the metal part of the cleat against the bodywork and then wait for them to drive off. Voila! No court date and maximum annoyance imposed!

Stand your ground. Let them know what they did was wrong. If you have time and he is in traffic ride up to the cab and let the driver know. if he gets hostile ,knock him out but do it as self defense . DON'T LET THEM GET THE BEST OF YOU!


S/F,
CEYA!

if you keep your ulock in your hand or on your bars you could make it look like an accident, but then it's awkward to keep your lock on your bars all the time

There's no "ettiquette" for a "nudge". That's assault and battery, assault with a dangerous weapon, reckless endangerment, and/or a few others besides. It's severely illegal in any state.

What you do about it is up to you. I like s_9's solution best.

All these calls for violent action forget that cabbies don't own their cabs, and don't particularly care what kind of condition they're in. They *might* have to pay for damage, but even that's relatively uncommon; it's built into the overhead of the business, just like parking tickets are built into Fresh Direct's overhead.

If you get "nudged" and can catch up, the correct response is to stand in front of the cab so he can't get away and call the police. It's called assault, and even if you can't get them to file charges (and you won't be able to), you can *probably* get them to file an accident report (though you're going to have to insist like a sonofa*****, and may have to politely request that a senior officer join you and the patrol officer), which is going to hurt him much more than a broken window or a scratched finish on a car he doesn't even own: it's going to make his taxi lease and his insurance more expensive. If they won't even take an accident report, go to the precinct and pick up the form for self-reporting an accident; fill it out and send it to Albany within ten days.

Be sure also to call 311 and file a complaint with the Taxi and Limo commission the same day he hits you, and be prepared to take an afternoon off one day in the future and go to a hearing to tell them about it. If enough people go to enough hearings, he'll have to start hitting people with his OWN car.

Sure, he only nudged you. But the reason you didn't fall under somebody else's wheels and get your head popped is that you're a skilled rider. The next guy he hits might not be as good, or might simply be distracted; without this driver's history on record, that death will be a "tragic acident" rather than the culmination of a string of assaults against cyclists.

I *know* filing all the reports and chasing them down and following up is a PITA. But the simple fact that the city is so reluctant to do the right thing in car / bike crashes is evidence that we need to be more insistant. They're not EVIL, they're just BEUROCRATS. When enough people start insisting, they'll start making it easier, and they may even start being a little bit proactive and ticketing / charging drivers who hit us. And if they do, MAYBE the death rate will start dropping. Wouldn't that be nice?

Actually, even in NY, almost a third of medallion cabs are owner-operated. A little over half are leased to the opetor and the remainder are owned by taxi companies. So, yes, damage to a cab is actually something the operator will most likely feel directly. Whether they care or not is a separate question. Of course this all assumes you're actually taking the above retaliatory responses seriously.

Being a cabbie's not unlike being a bike courier. You join a company to get access to their dispatcher, but you're still expected to bring your own equipment and may very well have to pay to lease anything provided by the company such as a radio.

Escalation is almost always a bad idea (u-lock, fisticuffs, etc) but you definitely need to confront him and educate him a bit. Assertively.

unless you're gonna pull some shaolin ninja style revenge like s_9 suggested, broken robot has the right idea.

Punch out the side view mirror glass. It's easy to break, and they'll get a ticket if they don't take care of it:)

If you get "nudged" and can catch up, the correct response is to stand in front of the cab so he can't get away and call the police. It's called assault, and even if you can't get them to file charges (and you won't be able to), you can *probably* get them to file an accident report (though you're going to have to insist like a sonofa*****, and may have to politely request that a senior officer join you and the patrol officer), which is going to hurt him much more than a broken window or a scratched finish on a car he doesn't even own: it's going to make his taxi lease and his insurance more expensive. If they won't even take an accident report, go to the precinct and pick up the form for self-reporting an accident; fill it out and send it to Albany within ten days.


standing in front of a car that has already hit you once, doesn't strike me as something i would consider a good idea, in the event that it was a malicious act, you could be asking for more trouble than the original contact. all the rest of that i can agree with.

and to all those that reply to throwing a ulock, about 6 months ago in sf i watched a cabbie beat the crap out of some punk kid, and just this past monday night i watched a cabbie get out of his cab and grab a fool and throw bounce him off the rear quarter pannel then slam him to the ground, before folks on the block could try and break it up.

violence only begets more violence, i dunno i tend to ride for fun, not to be that bad mf rolling through the streets...

but if you must get some form of payback, don't throw your lock be a wo/man about it and catch up and walk up to the cab door and smash the window and pull the cabbie out of the freakin' cab and put in the
work, and while you're at it take his $$$, cellphone and yank out his radio and take their keys of course.

whiskey for breakfast now for the second day, this has got to stop...

I carry pepper spray for the times I have to "talk" to a motorist. Taxi or not, that large metal cage makes most feel untouchable. This has to change. A short burst of pepper spray while a car is not moving would give the driver plenty of time to realize they are touchable.

i wish i could track stand. . .

they'd catch me when i went back to pick [my U-lock] up. no way i'm dropping another 70 bones on another ny lock.
You don't throw it, just hold it by the shackle and swing it:D.

I'd tell the driver to take more care next time... If he's an ass about it and it looks like the nudge was intentional, kick the mirror off and ride away.

Doug what kinda goofy crap are you getting in to now? Do what we in london do and give them an earful about how kids these days have no respect. Tosser.

breakdance on his roof a la teen wolf.

Just carry a disposable camera. Roll up next to the cabbie.

"Smile. I'm filing an accident report."

Ride away.

I don't think I would ever swing a lock for the above mentiond legality issues. I already hit a car on the hood with my hand, lightly, when they pulled in front of me mid-sprint while I was on my road bike. The impending verbal assault and threats on my life taught me to just be assertive/polite when correcting their wrongs. Me + bike = 165 lbs so I had no chance. I guess I can understand the emotions running high after something but I tend to like exiting while on top and let the drivers fume like crazy in their car.

violence only begets more violence, i dunno i tend to ride for fun, not to be that bad mf rolling through the streets...


Much as I rant and rave and plan violent retaliations all the time, karmical's reply is the only reasonable one (plus filing police reports if possible/necessary), and this is what I practice. I think this includes yelling or whatever.

My secret plan that I don't at all advocate is to keep a supply of Cars R Coffins and One Less Car stickers and catch them at stops and slap it on their trunk while yelling so they think you're just telling them off. Probably an even worse idea than throwing a ulock, but it's kind of fun to imagine people driving their SUVs around without knowing there's a sticker on their butt that says "by driving this vehicle I support the war in Iraq" or whatever.

Put one more chalk mark in the incosiderate as.shole column and keep going. Breaking windows/calling police/etc etc etc doesn't help anything or anybody, as much as I wish it did. Next time, just remember cabbies can't nudge you out of the way if they can't catch you.

My secret plan that I don't at all advocate is to keep a supply of Cars R Coffins and One Less Car stickers and catch them at stops and slap it on their trunk while yelling so they think you're just telling them off. Probably an even worse idea than throwing a ulock, but it's kind of fun to imagine people driving their SUVs around without knowing there's a sticker on their butt that says "by driving this vehicle I support the war in Iraq" or whatever.


I've been thinking for years about printing up some 3" "UNSAFE DRIVER" bumper stickers for this very reason.

I don't see how it's a worse idea than throwing a Ulock. You aren't doing any real permanent damage to the vehicle, and they probably won't even know you did it. Throwing/swinging your lock can get you thrown in jail pretty quick.

no one has really addressed the fact that it could have been an accident. people bump other people all the time, and think nothing, but when we're on our bikes, fighting the world on the city streets, we seem to see everything as an attack, before thinking, and most of the time this gets us in trouble. the most logical thing would just be to talk to the driver, and politely tell him to be more careful next time. if he meant to do it, he's gonna get hostile, and then you can resort to your various methods of justice, but if it was just an accident, i'm sure he will be more than sympathetic. after all, he's doing his job for a living also, and he can't afford to replace windows, or fight court hearings.

sorry to take the optimistic look on it, but think if you were driving, and not really paying close attention, and you accidently bumped a cyclist's back tire. i'm sure we wouldnt want them coming and smashing our windshield for something that was a miniscule lapse of judgement to begin with. it would be like a ped kicking your front wheel into taco'd state for merely brushing them while passing by.

Ok, brushing a pedestrian is not the same as accidentally bumping into someone with your car. Even if we assume there's no malice, the burden of responsibility is just that much greater on a motor vehicle operator. I mean is it the same when I'm walking along and I bump into someone else? No. I'm not carrying a ton or two of steel along with me.

Even if the guy accidentally bumped you, that doesn't cut it with me. Either the guy is a maniac using his vehicle as a weapon or he simply can't control it well enough to be operating it on the public way. Neither is acceptable.

MHO.

follow him around all day and tell his potential fairs that he's a drunken child molester. that'll learn him.

Ok, brushing a pedestrian is not the same as accidentally bumping into someone with your car. Even if we assume there's no malice, the burden of responsibility is just that much greater on a motor vehicle operator. I mean is it the same when I'm walking along and I bump into someone else? No. I'm not carrying a ton or two of steel along with me.

Even if the guy accidentally bumped you, that doesn't cut it with me. Either the guy is a maniac using his vehicle as a weapon or he simply can't control it well enough to be operating it on the public way. Neither is acceptable.

MHO.

but if you confront him, that difference isn't going to mean **** to him because drivers just. don't. think. like. that. they're comparatively safe for those inside and cut you off from everything and it becomes this individualistic "i'm safe, so there's nothing to worry about", even if you tap someone. it can be an accident and it's a dangerous accident you shouldn't just brush off and let them away with. but at the same time, if you come up to the driver yelling and waving a u-lock around or whatever, they just don't think about things the way you do, that we do, that they've got a couple tons they're driving around at 35 mph and that there's responsibility with that. rather, they'll start yelling back, getting violent, convinced they weren't doing anything wrong and you're just being an ******* for no reason...

yeah, you're right about the dangers of crappy drivers, even if it's an accident, but confronting them with this pissed off attitude will just make things worse. hell, they might be even worse next time they see a bike on the road. just keep letting people know you're there and educate them firmly (ha ha...we never call it "scolding them" or anything) if you can. that's all i do. nothing else is going to help and just might make things worse.

I never said anything about confrontation, I simply said that you shouldn't look on it the same way you might brushing a ped while riding. It's a much more serious thing, that's all.

Again, what you choose to do about it is entirely up to you.

Time for the Big Voice and an open-hand slap on the bodywork. It's not damaging but it is attention-getting. And if the fleshmountain inside stops to remonstrate (1) he's wasting his time and you can tell the toad exactly that and (2) you can always ride off.

Mongo crush smash destroy is all very nice until the charges get filed...

There is definitely no ettiquette, though. This is not part of some dance or game, it's not like a cotillion where some Southern gentleman has cut in on your dance partner. It's attempted intimidation, just like a big guy in a bar deliberately barging you but more dangerous.

I don't have the time to read all the responses, but I've always thought this would be a good method:

-pause
-take out a notepad and quite obviously read their licence plate while writing
-put notepad away
-ride off into the sunset

I've given up on yelling. I'm afraid I'm going to get shot. I knocked on a guys trunk after he sped past me to make a right-turn last week, and then I heard screeching tires as he proceeded to yell out his window at me.

oy.

i'd rather try to have the conversation--like Ceya said--than break windows, despite the urge (which grows significantly the larger and more expensive the car is).

Punch out the side view mirror glass. It's easy to break, and they'll get a ticket if they don't take care of it:)

Some of the newer crown vic have mirrors with this plastic **** that doesn't break very easy.


I've found stickers to be a good way to let people know they drive bad.

I had a batch that said "DRIVE BETTER" for a while until something bad happened.

Some of the newer crown vic have mirrors with this plastic **** that doesn't break very easy.


I've found stickers to be a good way to let people know they drive bad.

I had a batch that said "DRIVE BETTER" for a while until something bad happened.

Yeah. Stickers are a good call, WK. But you know how it goes, sometimes your gut leads your fist/foot/mouth to action.

... sometimes your gut leads your fist/foot/mouth to action.

I hear you. Trouble is, eventually it will lead to more action than anybody wants. There are plenty of maniacs out there who don't know when to back off. I used to be half-maniac myself, and would slap on cars with my hand if they were real aggressive/stupid/dangerous/etc. But if you're that aggressive yourself, you inevitably meet up with the other aggressive maniacs out there and bad **** happens.

We've all got to stand up for ourselves, but escalating a confrontation is almost never worth it, however righteous it may feel. Just my opinion.

a quick squirt of water from your bottle across his windshield usually gets the point across quite well. i use that method sometimes when i'm screwed around with.

a quick squirt of water from your bottle across his windshield usually gets the point across quite well. i use that method sometimes when i'm screwed around with.

****.. that's a great method. I can't believe I've never done that before! My commute is really short though (~20 minutes) so I don't generally ride with a bottle.

I've definitely given up on physical contact.. I've had it blow up in my face waaaay too many times. Yelling is safer, there's less road rage from drivers, still gets the point across, and still makes me feel like I'm not just letting them get away with it.

I'm still thinking about getting one of those 'zound' air horns though... but they're just so ugly!

get in his cab (put your bike in the trunk) and take a crap on the seat. :D

edit: I guess it'd be hard to get your bike back after that...

get in his cab (put your bike in the trunk) and take a crap on the seat. :D

edit: I guess it'd be hard to get your bike back after that...

after getting hit by a cab once, the cop MADE the cabbie drive me home. he watched as the cabbie helped me load the bike into the trunk.. couldn't help but snickering. i was a bit nervous about him speeding off with the bike but nothing happened.

i nudged a cab last night.
he was in my way so I pushed him
****er should have seen me coming.
goddamn cars

heres what you do: give them the finger, take a picture of their license plates and cab numbers, file a report, show up to whatever hearings/court procedures you have to, and tell everyone that will listen that cab driver ____ of company ____ is an *******.

i nudged a cab last night.
he was in my way so I pushed him
****er should have seen me coming.
goddamn cars

hardcore, what gear were you rockin to pull that off? :D

Much as I rant and rave and plan violent retaliations all the time, karmical's reply is the only reasonable one (plus filing police reports if possible/necessary), and this is what I practice. I think this includes yelling or whatever.

My secret plan that I don't at all advocate is to keep a supply of Cars R Coffins and One Less Car stickers and catch them at stops and slap it on their trunk while yelling so they think you're just telling them off. Probably an even worse idea than throwing a ulock, but it's kind of fun to imagine people driving their SUVs around without knowing there's a sticker on their butt that says "by driving this vehicle I support the war in Iraq" or whatever.

yeah but they probably already have one of those yellow ribbon stickers on their sith anyways and would love to have a i kill for oil sticker.

d-nast -
I'm also a lurker (primarily), and yes that is my real, full name.

My advice:
calmly mention that he hit you - tell him you'll need to call the police to file a report so that his insurance can pay for any damage to you bike. Maybe he'll give you a few twenties.
if he leaves, report a hit and run (use the medalion number).

of course all this requires a lot more poise than I have.

when some stoned kids bumped me with their mom's mini van (twice) while we were waiting for a light to change (at spring and bowery) I chucked some C-batteries at their windshield and took off (i'd just replaced the batteries in my old headlight - i'm a HUGE dork) luckily their return fire (a snapple bottle) missed.
More recently I smacked an old man (like 60 years old) upside the head after he hit me with his long leather coat for litteraly no reason (I was heading up the 4th ave bike lane and had a green light, and he was waiting to cross).

If you're reading this crazy old man, I'm still pissed and I will smack you again.

Its hard to act properly in the heat of the moment - but its always better if you can.
I'll be the fist to admit that I can't.