Advocacy & Safety - What to do when drives attack?

I'm riding along in a neighborhood, making a left turn. Notice a car a block back in my mirror. I have my left arm all the way out signaling my left turn and am in the left part of the lane near the painted line. The driver pulls up directly behind me about a foot back and blasts his horn as I'm leaning into the turn.
Couldn't get his plate, he sped off leving me so scared and angry, I wanted to find and bash the guy...

It seems as though every ride anymore someone comes from behind and tries to scare or wreck me, I'm always in bright yellow, obeying traffic laws and using prudence (they are after all, bigger). Makes me want to ride armed. Do you ever call 911 and report someone trying to run you down? Any advice?

See if the web site of your local police department has any "report reckless driving" forms.

There was one guy along my route who has been aggressive a few times. I learned to watch for him. Now I wave or say hello when I see him driving or warming up his truck. Since I started waving he is a lot less aggressive. Not because he thinks we are buddies or anything, just because it's clear that I know who he is and where he lives.

You might watch for your guy and see if you can dial him in. If you need to, report him. With luck, you won't ever have to put up with the guy again.

There was one guy along my route who has been aggressive a few times. I learned to watch for him. Now I wave or say hello when I see him driving or warming up his truck. Since I started waving he is a lot less aggressive. Not because he thinks we are buddies or anything, just because it's clear that I know who he is and where he lives.

You might watch for your guy and see if you can dial him in. If you need to, report him. With luck, you won't ever have to put up with the guy again.

A brick through the window works wonders, just wait until he drives away and let the brick fly. :D

Licence and phone the cops.
Get home safe and do the deed.

There was one guy along my route who has been aggressive a few times. I learned to watch for him. Now I wave or say hello when I see him driving or warming up his truck. Since I started waving he is a lot less aggressive. Not because he thinks we are buddies or anything, just because it's clear that I know who he is and where he lives.

You might watch for your guy and see if you can dial him in. If you need to, report him. With luck, you won't ever have to put up with the guy again.
+1 -- acknowledging drivers is a good way to get them to accept you as part of the environment. This significantly reduces abuse.

Try to keep cool and avoid reacting to idiots and hostile people. If you act mad/scared, it encourages them (i.e. the rules that apply to large unfriendly dogs also apply to people). They are harrassing you to provoke you. If you don't give them the satisfaction, they're much more likely to leave you alone. Don't hesitate to call the cops for repeat offenders and the truly dangerous though.

You have a severe disadvantage in any confrontation and there are some seriously disturbed/high/etc individuals out there. Engaging the miniscule number of psychos is asking for trouble.

Licence and phone the cops.
Get home safe and do the deed.
I don't think this cager actually broke the law, unless there is a local noise orinance. How upset do you want to get about sombody honking at you? I doubt if the police or anybody else are going to think it's very important.

Shoot him and claim self defense.

I don't think this cager actually broke the law, unless there is a local noise orinance. How upset do you want to get about sombody honking at you? I doubt if the police or anybody else are going to think it's very important.
In several states, it is harassment, reckless endangerment and/or terroristtic threatening. Most police probably would just blow it off, unless of course the cyclist happened to be a cop. Then, no doubt the driver would get a visit from the cyclist after he went home and changed into his cop getup.

I made a complaint about a road rage incident. The responding cop was blowing it off until I asked him what if the driver did the same thing to one of his kids or his wife. That hit a nerve. The cop then relates how a driver once cut too close to his daughter while they were riding. Cop goes home, calls dispatch for address, puts cop outfit on and goes to drivers home to have a little discussion.

It saddens me terrible to know that Hawaii is such a car-centric, traffic-clogged place. It's supposed to be paradise and everybody is supposed to be happy all the time, surfing all day, eating poi at luaus all night, everybody's thin and if I was there I could wear a bikini out in public.

eating poi at luaus all night,

Nobody eating poi is happy. Ever.

A brick through the window works wonders, just wait until he drives away and let the brick fly. :D

Damn, dare you to throw a brick while making a turn, actually have the brick reach the dude to make an impression on the car.

I heard that theives use broken pieces of ceramic from spark plugs to break car windshields, quickly and effectivelly. I must admit when something like what the OP mentions happens to me, I have an inkling to go home, put a cloth over a spark plug, hammer the s!$&% out of it, and arm my self with windshield braking ordenance. Of course, I don't do it, I'd probably actually use it :D .

+1 -- acknowledging drivers is a good way to get them to accept you as part of the environment. This significantly reduces abuse.
+10

it was just some dick, let the verbal abuse fly next time. If he stops you have two choices:
1. Ride off quickly (my pick) this will probably make you look like a wimp, but will also annoy the driver
2. Stand your ground and probably get into a fight. Seeing since most cyclists would be fitter and stronger than most of car driving brethen you stand a good chance, unless he brings a weapon. -then just use a u-lock

But seriously its just some jerk, forget about him

Turn to him, smile, and silently thank him for giving you a chance to better develope tollerance and patients. If a driver gets out of a car, stay cool, if he gets physical fight back with all your worth.
Bend but don't break.

rule - My brother always suggested that when a driver pulled an idiot manuever (happens at least every other ride here on L.I.), just smile and wave. It makes him think you know him, or at least "de-fuses" him a bit.

True enough. I know that when a driver waves or at least tries to be friendly after an encounter it defuses things with me.

rule - My brother always suggested that when a driver pulled an idiot manuever (happens at least every other ride here on L.I.), just smile and wave. It makes him think you know him, or at least "de-fuses" him a bit.
FTW

Smile and wave. Smile and wave.

Thumbs up works too.

rule - My brother always suggested that when a driver pulled an idiot manuever (happens at least every other ride here on L.I.), just smile and wave. It makes him think you know him, or at least "de-fuses" him a bit.
I stand up on the pedals, wiggle my butt around and yell real loud, "I love you too babe!"

It saddens me terrible to know that Hawaii is such a car-centric, traffic-clogged place. It's supposed to be paradise and everybody is supposed to be happy all the time, surfing all day, eating poi at luaus all night, everybody's thin and if I was there I could wear a bikini out in public.
You could wear a bikini out in public, that is cool.

Forget the poi, but luaus are good, beaches are great (beach park 2 blocks from work makes a great place for a lunchtime run or walk).

The surfers seem to be some of the worst jerks when driving, check out some of the surf rage videos from Hawaii and California. Seems they carry over the same rage to the road. Garcia, a big time surf champion, will sucker punch any guy that even looks at his girl on the beach - what a jerk.

As I ride across an overpass to the traffic-clogged “freeway” twice a day, I do get a chuckle at all the drivers going 5-8 mph while I am moving along at 18 mph.

The weather is pretty good, except for the 2 weeks of near straight winter rain.

It saddens me terrible to know that Hawaii is such a car-centric, traffic-clogged place. It's supposed to be paradise and everybody is supposed to be happy all the time, surfing all day, eating poi at luaus all night, everybody's thin and if I was there I could wear a bikini out in public.
Would you take your purse with you? :D

If they honk when they're behind you, stand on your pedals and wiggle your ass in a sexy little happy dance. Yell real loud: "I love you too babe!"

One of the most dangerous intersections in the west suburban Boston area was the intersection of Main Street (route 20) and Pleasant street (route 60). It's Big and noisy with lots of traffic, even on Sunday mornings. Road Rage, including screaming, yelling, blaring horns, and all the rest, were common. It was bad for motorists, cyclists, and pedestrians looking to cross the road. So, what did the city of waltham and the state of MA do to address this issue? Well, two years ago they totally rebuilt the intersection. But they addes something else: Cameras. Yep, right there, high atop the light supports are surveillance cameras. If you live in an urban area, you have probably seen them.

So what does this have to do with this thread? Just this: On a nice warm August evening last year, I was approaching this intersection, heading east. A horn blares from behind. It was a ratty-looking Honda, driven by a very cheesed-off looking female, and an equally cheesed-off looking male passenger. They apparently didn't like my position in the travel lane. ( I was riding the needed distance from parked cars.)

They passed, and yelled the usual potty-mouthed nonsense. Alas, the light at the aforementioned intersection turned red. They didn't think I was going to stop. Silly them. The passenger started to scream something about "F***ing KILL YOU!" in a poor attempt to be intimidating. My response: I pointed upwards, right at the cameras, and said "You're being watched."

It was as though someone had tossed a bucket of water on a fire. They both looked up, dumbfounded. Not another word. They drove away from the intersection at a very nice, reasonable pace.

It's truly amazing, isn't it? How "nice" some folks can be at intersections, when they suddenly realize that their cloak of anonymity has been pulled away.

Waltham police have reported that since cameras have been installed at problem intersections, accidents and road rage incidents have dropped dramatically.

That worked for me, at least that time. In these times, it's logical to assume that some some drivers, pumped up on their gas engines and egos, won't care if they're being watched or not, so use this technique with discretion.

Here is what not to do.
Biker fights motorist in the street. (http://www.citynoise.org/article/2770)

Comments about using ceramic to break windshields aside, I actually try to abide by two principles:

(1) if (s)he honks, I know (s)he sees me, it's a plus
(2) if (s)he disagrees with what I'm doing, (s)he's not the first and not the last, so whatever.

The driver pulls up directly behind me about a foot back and blasts his horn as I'm leaning into the turn.
Couldn't get his plate, he sped off leving me so scared and angry, I wanted to find and bash the guy...


Although it might be hard to enforce, what this driver did to you (though he might not realize it) is considered a misdemeanor in Georgia, possibly even what's known as a "misdemeanor of a high and aggravated nature," due to the fact he used his automobile as a weapon to intimidate and harrass you.

Here is what not to do.
Biker fights motorist in the street. (http://www.citynoise.org/article/2770)

Yikes! Reading through those various comments, there seems to be a lot of confusion about who did what, exactly. "The courier keyed his car", "The motorist threw coffee/food at her". That aside, check out the look on that guy's face, especially his eyes. Would you call that hateful rage?

There was a similiar incident in Boston a few years ago, that apparently began with verbal exchanges at an intersection.