The last time I commuted home I had a motorist get very enraged with me.
This was on Singing Hills Blvd, a divided 4 lane roadway, 35 mph with left & right turn lanes into the commercial shopping area on both sides.
I was in the right half of the right hand lane. The motorist was in the left lane, he never moved into my lane. As we pulled to a stop light he moved into the left turn lane, I was still in the right half of the right lane. All of a sudden I hear him yell "GET ON THE ****ING SIDEWALK!!!" I looked, waived my hand & said thank you for the advice but I am fine where I'm at. I was not sarcastic, I was not yelling, just speaking loud enough for him to hear me, I did not flip him the bird & I was not being a jerk or ******* about it. I simply said thank you & gave a friendly waive, that's it. He tried to yell again but he had lost his voice & was so enraged he was turning bright red. The people in the car between us in the left travel lane started laughing. The driver in the turn lane who shouted at me started to get out of his vehicle, all the further he got was his door open. Not knowing what he was going to do I started to get off the bike but the light turned green, I proceeded through, he shut his door & made his turn. I do not know if he was going to go after the occupants in the other car who were laughing, if we was going to come after me, or both. I never saw him again after that, though I expected him to come after me or the other car.
What I don't understand is we were never in the same lane together. So why did he become so enraged he reacted this way? I could almost see it if we were in the same lane & he had to go around me, traffic was pretty heavy that day in this area. Maybe unknown to me another motorist that had to go around me cut him off in his lane to do so.
The BikeForums Team
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He's a moron, don't worry there's plenty more out there.
I think you handled it OK, being the smartazz that I am I may have been tempted to say (sarcastically) to the people laughing in the other car 'hey, he wants you guys to get off the road and onto the sidewalk' :p
....just remember the penguins - "just smile and wave boys, just smile and wave"
nelson249
Geesh, sounds like someone forgot their meds. If someone started coming out of their car at me, I think I would evade but whatever means necessary and wouldn't stand around and wait for him. I view someone getting out of their car as a directly leading to physical violence and the gloves come off at that point. If I can evade, I will. But if for some reason I can't, someone is going to take a steel bike frame in the lips.
randya
The motorist had probably been reading your posts here.
;)
Falkon
eh, don't worry. He'll probably have a heart attack before 50. That's what I love about MTB shoes, you can walk in them and they have hard soles. A sidekick to the ribs and he's gonna feel it.
gbcb
That's what I love about MTB shoes, you can walk in them and they have hard soles. A sidekick to the ribs and he's gonna feel it.
Another great tip -- the information I get from this site is amazing! :D ;)
To the OP: Sounds like you did exactly what you should have done. I don't see how it could have been handled any better.
I-Like-To-Bike
The motorist had probably been reading your posts here.
;)
Could have been payback from a previous recipient of a pre-emptive Air Zound warning blast.
Bekologist
pepper spray. duct taped to the seat stays. A.K.A. "dog-n-driver spray."
why did he scream and yell? it was your notions NC, your notions.
i've read in bikeforums, if you ride in an assertive manner and take the lane when appropriate, you'll never get yelled at because the bad drivers, well, they just fade away.something like that, or so i've read. did you refuse his request for some of your Grey Poupon? I think sometimes this upsets the drivers....
nelson249
did you refuse his request for some of your Grey Poupon? I think sometimes this upsets the drivers....
That's why I always carry some of that in my paniers..... :)
jakub.ner
Just imagine... he gets around his car and there you are, standing, with your saddle in your hand, a quick release 450mm seatpost, gleaming, protruding from said saddle... just don't give him time to get his crow bar! 'Cuz your getaway vehicle is in shambles! Of course these sort of dreams are better seated in the imagination than reality, or are they?
N_C
I ride a recumbent. The seat is not exactly the easiest thing to take off the frame to use as a defensive weapon or shield. I do have pepper spray clipped to the handle bar stem though.
Falkon
Who has a quick release seat post clamp anyway? I'd just give him his room. If he tries to start a fight, use the mace if needed. Just don't end up getting beaten to death by him and three of his friends over his pigheadedness.
N_C
Who has a quick release seat post clamp anyway? I'd just give him his room. If he tries to start a fight, use the mace if needed. Just don't end up getting beaten to death by him and three of his friends over his pigheadedness.
I do. Both of the points where my seat is attached to the frame & seat stays are QR's. When I had a road bike the clamp was a QR.
MyPC8MyBrain
Once I had a "Rubenesque" driver blubber out the "Get on the sidewalk". I figured he was offering heath and safety advice. I replied with "Quit eating Donuts"
I think his head exploded... well maybe not, bit I'm fairly confident that the borderline stroke he generated took a couple years off his miserable life. Freakin idiots really piss me off sometimes. :)
Falkon
Once I had a "Rubenesque" driver blubber out the "Get on the sidewalk". I figured he was offering heath and safety advice. I replied with "Quit eating Donuts"
I think his head exploded... well maybe not, bit I'm fairly confident that the borderline stroke he generated took a couple years off his miserable life. Freakin idiots really piss me off sometimes. :)
AHAHAHAHAHAHA YOU are the MAN!
LittleBigMan
All of a sudden I hear him yell "GET ON THE ****ING SIDEWALK!!!"
...He tried to yell again but he had lost his voice & was so enraged he was turning bright red. The people in the car between us in the left travel lane started laughing.
:roflmao: He lost his voice??
That's just too hilarious!
:D
TimJ
So why did he become so enraged he reacted this way?
Because he's got serious problems. Because he's an infant. Because a person can go through life with the emotional maturity of a child and get along just fine. Heck, even thrive (see potus). Is this the first time you've ever been sort-of threatened by a beet red angry guy in a car? I get that crap at least 3 or 4 times a year. Some people are just looking for a fight, some people are just children who like to bluster, some people should be on anti-psychotics. It wouldn't matter if you said nothing or said something jerky or whatever, the guy's a freak and he was going to pretend to get out of his car no matter what.
There's no need to even consider any "why's", the guy's a f*****g jerk, end of story.
Denny Koll
Once I had a "Rubenesque" driver blubber out the "Get on the sidewalk". I figured he was offering heath and safety advice. I replied with "Quit eating Donuts"
I think his head exploded... well maybe not, bit I'm fairly confident that the borderline stroke he generated took a couple years off his miserable life. Freakin idiots really piss me off sometimes. :)
Now that's funny! In fact it might be a good idea to carry a few donuts and when one of the fatsos starts getting angry ...toss one in his direction.
chipcom
Now that's funny! In fact it might be a good idea to carry a few donuts and when one of the fatsos starts getting angry ...toss one in his direction.
Oh really nice...the fat pissed off jerks get the donuts while the rest of us get granola and rabbit kibble. You're really starting to tick me off Denny! (does that mean I get a donut?)
genec
So what's with the wierd numeric code that some posters are using?
Hahahahah ahahahahaa!!! This thread has me ROTFLMAO! :D I'm imagining myself rolling up to an aggressive driver at a light and asking the Grey Poupon question and I certainly plan to use the donut line if the opportunity comes up. "Stop eating donuts!".... hahahaha!!! :roflmao: :roflmao: :roflmao:
recursive
So what's with the wierd numeric code that some posters are using?
It's a code. I won't reveal what it says, but it's definitely nothing earth-shattering, or even with any real basis that I've seen. A small amount of effort will crack it.
And there's a typo. 131545181201519 should be 13154518120151819.
I-Like-To-Bike
So what's with the wierd numeric code that some posters are using?
WTF?
Makes more sense than the rest of the OP's usual comments.
Denny Koll
Oh really nice...the fat pissed off jerks get the donuts while the rest of us get granola and rabbit kibble. You're really starting to tick me off Denny! (does that mean I get a donut?)
Well that would be the downside of carrying the donuts Chip....I'd probably be eating more than I'd throw to the slugs.
Bekologist
i had some jackstrap honk at me because i biked in front of him (like, 50 plus feet) and 'cut him off' in a parking lot today- how much of a hurry ARE people these days, anyway? what a joke, americans are pathetically self centered nowadays, nationally psyche-wise.....
ItsJustMe
Once I had a "Rubenesque" driver blubber out the "Get on the sidewalk". I figured he was offering heath and safety advice. I replied with "Quit eating Donuts"
I am SO glad I wasn't drinking anything when I read that. Thanks for the best line of the week so far!