Commuting - Accosted by a runner

I was on the Manhattan Bridge this morning, descending into Brooklyn. At the very end is a helix that brings you under the bridge to the intersection of Jay and Sands. As I entered the helix, there was a runner 20 ft ahead running on the center of the two opposing lanes. I dinged my bell twice to let him know I was passing him and went into the left lane and passed him.

As I descended to Sands St, I saw him cutting across the grass (straight line). He catches up to me at the light and starts yelling at me. "Did you save any time?!?" Evidently he didn't like that I rang my bell to let him know I was there. I explained to him that some people don't like being surprised when a bike passes. "So you were trying to do me a favor?" He kept trying to provoke me. "Do you know what GFY means? Go F@ck yourself." He tells me. I apologized for bothering him and he keeps going "Oh yeah? Oh yeah?" He never thought that running in the middle of a path with shared traffic and blind spots might not be the safest practice.

So, apparently, it is a better just to buzz or run him down? With some people you just can't win. Motorists want cyclists off the street, pedestrians (legitimately) want cyclists off the sidewalk, joggers want cyclists off the shared trails. I think one of the basic problems with transportation in North America is there is absolutely no recognition that the everyone else has to the right to the road, sidewalk and trail. This is why drivers won't merge properly because they are so deathly afraid that someone might get in between them and the next car and they resent bicycles because they might slow them down on their drive to work. It is also why people take up the entire width of trails and give cyclists dirty looks when they want to pass. People are so focused on their own personal convenience to worry about their own or anyone else's safety.

You weren't accosted, you just ran across a smart - mouthed guy.
Forget about it

Don't worry, there's an ass in every bunch. A guy tried to right hook me this morning, then honked and yelled out the window as I slid by him b/f he got to the intersection. Doesn't mean that I did something wrong, it's just that he was an ass.

I probably would have laughed at him. It's hard to take idiots like that seriously.

Once, after accidentally cutting someone off in traffic he caught up to me and started giving me a rash of crap about it. When he paused, I apologized and told him it was my fault and it wasn't intentional. I just screwed up. But he wasn't happy with that, continuing to yell and get pretty hysterical, all the while remaining in his car like the big whiny nancy he was. So I finally told him, "I can only see two solutions to this, you can either get out of your car and kick my ass or you can shut up and go away like the ***** you really are. He said a couple more things, rolled his window up and drove off.

They're all such badasses until they realize that there might be some pain involved.

Az

Yeah, the guy was a jackass. If you were driving he would be yelling and giving you the finger. If you were pushing a stroller, he would spit on the baby cuz you were in his way.

Some people just need to hurry up and let their bad mojo catch up with them. Don't worry, it will ... eventually.

Pull out your u-lock and bash him in the head. Then kick him in the shins with your cleats.

..or you could shrug it off and forget about it.

That's funny cuz the jogger was in the wrong lane. The Manhattan bridge has separate bike and pedestrian paths. The bike path is on the north side of the bridge and the pedestrian path is on the south side. The curve you were on is for cyclists, not peds. The jogger should've been on the ped path. Next time remind him he's on the wrong path and question his reading ability and cognitive skills.

..or you could shrug it off and forget about it.
Wow. Jogging rage? Although, it's not a new concept to me because I've had peds get angry with me because they thought I passed too close or without warning on the MUP. Of course, the first thing they do when they start yelling is pop their earphones out...

I tend to go with the "shrug it off" attitude and just chalk it up to the other person being a moron.

That's funny cuz the jogger was in the wrong lane. The Manhattan bridge has separate bike and pedestrian paths. The bike path is on the north side of the bridge and the pedestrian path is on the south side. The curve you were on is for cyclists, not peds. The jogger should've been on the ped path. Next time remind him he's on the wrong path and question his reading ability and cognitive skills.

Pwned!

Edit: and the guy was obviously a tool. You behaved normally and as anyone reasonable could expect.

So, apparently, it is a better just to buzz or run him down? With some people you just can't win. Motorists want cyclists off the street, pedestrians (legitimately) want cyclists off the sidewalk, joggers want cyclists off the shared trails. I think one of the basic problems with transportation in North America is there is absolutely no recognition that the everyone else has to the right to the road, sidewalk and trail. This is why drivers won't merge properly because they are so deathly afraid that someone might get in between them and the next car and they resent bicycles because they might slow them down on their drive to work. It is also why people take up the entire width of trails and give cyclists dirty looks when they want to pass. People are so focused on their own personal convenience to worry about their own or anyone else's safety.

+100. This is the key issue... nobody wants to extend a bit of courtesy and share.

What, can't we all just get along?

I would have said "Do some hard sprinting practice and get some enodorphins, or I can give you a hug. Either one should make you feel better."

Well, I would have likely actually not said that, but I would have thought it! And it's the thought that counts.

He's probably a fartleker, anyway.

He's probably a fartleker, anyway.

Hey, there's nothing wrong with that. I incorporate a lot of fartleks into my normal exercise regime.

Depending on how my morning was going, the GFY comment might have been the last thing he said, before asking me to take my foot off his throat. Then again, I'm a bit of an a$$ sometimes.;)

I think your way of handling the situation was far more appropriate.

Depending on how my morning was going, the GFY comment might have been the last thing he said, before asking me to take my foot off his throat. Then again, I'm a bit of an a$$ sometimes.;)
Sharpened bullhorns, and go after him El Toro style!

not defending this guy, but getting buzzed by cyclists absolutely sucks. many of them (cyclists) don't have bells to ring and often you cannot hear them coming up (and i do not wear headphones) from behind. i try to avoid running in areas where there are bike riders because it's so annoying. it's funny because we complain about cars doing the exact same thing to us, yet many riders turn around and do the same thing to pedestrians.

Hey, there's nothing wrong with that. I incorporate a lot of fartleks into my normal exercise regime.

Fartleks are great, actually, they burn more calories than holding any steady pace. :)

Having done a lot of running in the past (Cross country/Track), I can understand why some runners hate the honking or bells. If you're really really into your running, it can break your concentration, mess up your pace, etc. If you're trying to go for a record time on a work out or something, that can ruin it all.

That said, none of the above excuses someone (ie, the runner you encountered) from acting like an arse.

Next time run him over and when he asks, say "Why yes, yes I did save some time..."
:D

That's funny cuz the jogger was in the wrong lane. The Manhattan bridge has separate bike and pedestrian paths. The bike path is on the north side of the bridge and the pedestrian path is on the south side. The curve you were on is for cyclists, not peds. The jogger should've been on the ped path. Next time remind him he's on the wrong path and question his reading ability and cognitive skills.

Actually the south path is undergoing construction, so everyone is on the north "bike" path.

Actually the south path is undergoing construction, so everyone is on the north "bike" path.
Ah k. Then stick a frame pump in his legs while he's running.

Is mace legal in NYC?
:rolleyes:

This is funny.
Cyclist rant about motorist honking at them when they are in the way.The cyclist yells "whats your damn hurry"
Peds rant about cylists ringing at them when they are in the way.The ped yell" Whats your damn hurry"

I wonder if snails honk at earthworms, and if the earth worms wanna know what the damn snails hurry is?

At least he wasn't in his car. By the sounds of it he probably would have run you down.

That was definitely a crazy irate guy.

I run a LOT (I run commute more than I bike commute, and average nearly 50miles/week on foot), and there's nothing more surprising for a runner than having a well-intentioned biker blast by at 30mph while only 2 feet away from you. It's unsafe for both parties - the rare times it happens, I start turning around due to the surprise, and nearly hit the biker.

Keep on dinging until you're pretty sure they heard it or acknowledge you. If you see the guy again, keep on dinging. (actually, if you blow by him at 30mph, he'll get your drift, but it's not so safe.)

I think all commuter bikers should get a little bell. It's true, some walkers/runners think you're "honking your horn" to get them out of the way, but trust me on this one - it's for their benefit more than yours, and they'll come to realize it as soon as they get scared ****less by the 30mph bullet to their left one day.

"Do you know what GFY means? Go F@ck yourself."

Ask him if he knows what "stfu, rofl" means.

Chatspeak is invading "rl".

You weren't accosted, you just ran across a smart - mouthed guy.

One definition of "accost" according to the American Heritage Dictionary is:

To approach and speak to boldly or aggressively, as with a demand or request.

How was egonlou not accosted?

Here is what you should have done to prevent this jog-rage...

1) Call out "excuse me Sir...I would like to request permission to pass you"

2) If permission is granted hop off your bike and run with your bike until you pass him....this shows good faith...

3) After you have clearly passed him request permission to remount your bike and continue riding.

These few simple steps could have prevented the ugly incident you describe.

So I finally told him, "I can only see two solutions to this, you can either get out of your car and kick my ass or you can shut up and go away like the ***** you really are. He said a couple more things, rolled his window up and drove off.
This really amuses me. :D

A bike bell, or a shouted "excuse me", is much less offensive than a Fox40 whistle.

A bike bell, or a shouted "excuse me", is much less offensive than a Fox40 whistle.

i like the Fox40...so loud...
i also like to scream...no words, just a "i just found an ax-murderer in my closet" type scream...usually scares the crap out of people

With people like that, just run him over next time. Or what I like to you on people like that is my air horn, keeps them quite.

I think you did very well at keeping your calm.
I encounter runners ( and Im one of them) but who run in the opposite lane, I always have to be the one who looks to see if anyone is behind me so that I can move on the road since they are taking all the room and I have wanted to get angry at thier stupidities since that puts me at risks!
avoiding an uncoming car is much easier when running then riding!
God job keeping your cool, I might of lost it

Am I missing something? How much space was there between the rider and the runner? That path looked just fine for many people to pass on. Eitherway the damn runner needs to like, deal with it.