General Cycling Discussion - Great--we've got a batsh*t crazy driver on our block

I had just wrapped up a really nice commute home, and after checking the fridge, decided to head back out to the little Mom-n-Pop store four blocks away. My house is the third from the corner on a dead-end street, and my street spills into a 25mph two-lane road that's somewhat heavily used (for a suburb in Eugene, that is).

So I poke my front wheel out of the driveway, look up the street, and here comes my neighbor--a nice guy--in an SUV. He's maybe fifty yards upstreet of me. Plenty of time for me to launch from my driveway, turn right, and make it to the stop sign before him, right? And even to turn onto the main road and get into the bike lane.

But no! He guns it! He must've been doing forty or fifty! I mean, he really, honest-to-jeebus floored it and raced to the stop sign--still got there just after me, but then he pulled up next to me and lurched to a stop, and then stabbed it again to nose in front of me and to my right, and then he hooked in front of me.

And the whole time he was next to me he was smiling at me!

I still can't believe it. I told my husband when he got home--the guy is a customer of his--and he said that the guy is a real menace on the road, even though he's kind of a nerdy, soft-spoken guy when he's not behind the wheel.

I know this is nothing new for you experienced folks, but I'm just floored. Just...wow. Un-freakin-believable.

Call the cops. Maybe if it happens enough they'll send someone to the block to observe the traffic.

Neighbor...talk first, be reasonable, see what happens. If that doesn't work, call the cops and ask them to do a radar run because you've got people speeding at a certain time of day...

Sounds like someone needs their tyres let down at 2am. ;)

Believe me, talking to drivers and trying to reason with them rationally just doesn't work. I've been there and done that. All you're likely to get is a mouthful of abuse because they're "sick and tired" of people telling them how bad their driving is (do you really think you're the first person to notice it?). Your first call should be straight to the cops, but you might have to call them a few times before they bother doing anything about it.

Knock on his door and talk to him about it.

Err...just one guess, but perhaps he thought he was being funny. You know, sort of like the annoying friend who never seems to realize how hard he slaps you cheerfully on the back and is always wanting to shadow box or something goofy like that.

Just my suggestion, but it would suck to be at odds with your neighbor if it's just a matter of he's got poor taste in jokes and you come on too hard when talking to him about it. I know ChrisL has a lot of experience with crazy drivers, but I think it's a little bit different case since this guy's your neighbor. If he doesn't take you seriously, then it's time to play hardball.

The OP indicates that her husband has observed this guy's behaviour before, which would suggest to me that this guy has an ongoing problem. It's possible that the guy doesn't realise what a dickhead he is, but that would only be because he's ignored anyone who's pointed it out to him so far. Either way, the fact that he's your neighbour means that it has to be dealt with. Now consider this, if you just call the cops straight out, you have the option to remain anonymous if you so choose. You can just ask the police not to reveal the source of the complaint, and all he will know is that someone complained. It could be anyone of a number of neighbours or even someone in the street.

On the other hand, if you wait until he laughs in your face to call the cops, he'll pretty soon put two and two together, and that will be when your problems start.

It is an interesting note on how our society is these days where we would rather call the cops on our neighbors than try and be "neighborly" first.

Go talk to him (or have your husband go talk to him). It is always a good first course of action since at the end of the day you all live next to each other.

-D

Interesting problem. I have similar one in the parking lot for my bike shop. The owner of the pizza joint near me drives into the lot going well in excess of 35 MPH and gets huffy if anything is in his way. Like me on a bike testing it after a repair, or a customer test riding a bike. He has actually complained to my landlord. My landlord of course is on my side. It is a PARKING LOT, not the freaking highway.

After many confrontations between myself and this yahoo over the years, we both realize that he is not going to change his ways, and I am not going to stop purposefully getting in his way. If the day comes he nails me or one of my customers, I will own his shop, his house, and his big 4 wheel drive P/U. Or my widow will.

I do not understand the mentality many drivers have that they own the road. But I deal with it.

My advice would be to try to be neighborly once and actually have a one on one with the guy. When that fails, the gloves are off and let your imagination take over.

Knock on his door and talk to him about it.

And if that doesn't work, a spike strip.

It is an interesting note on how our society is these days where we would rather call the cops on our neighbors than try and be "neighborly" first.

Yeah, you know why? Because neighbors are *******s.

It is an interesting note on how our society is these days where we would rather call the cops on our neighbors than try and be "neighborly" first.

Go talk to him (or have your husband go talk to him). It is always a good first course of action since at the end of the day you all live next to each other.

-D

That's just it, you have to live next to each other, and a lot of people would rather an intermediary handle the problem rather than risk confrontation with the person you live next too. I understand both sides, but being neighborly to a person who's clearly not can be a big risk. Maybe you tick them off more by saying something face-to-face. Maybe a call from the police will at least put the neighbor on notice. It just depends if the guy is reasonable and whether one can judge that.

Screw being neightbourly, puncture his tires then smile and wave in the morning as he tries to change them. Come over and with concerned expression on your face ask what happened? Then start talking about how this neightbourhood is becoming unsafe. :D

Remove the valve stem cores. The tool is cheap and it's easy to do.

Remove the valve stem cores. The tool is cheap and it's easy to do.

Alternatively, a quick glob of shampoo across the windshield can make an emphatic point that's hard to ignore (especially when they start up their windshield wipers :D ). I carry a very small container in my car to remind those "I'm so cool I have to take up 2 parking places" yahoos that their behavior is not appreciated.

Yeah, you know why? Because neighbors are *******s.

Ummm, you realize that you're a neighbor too, right? So I guess that makes you an ******* too:rolleyes:

Seriously, to the OP, I'd suggest that next time you see him, say something like "what, were you trying to race me or run me over the other day?", in a fun way, and see how he reacts. Calling the cops is the last thing I'd do, and I'd gamble that most cops would just brush it off anyway.

And the whole time he was next to me he was smiling at me!


I hate to mention this but it sounds like he was flirting with you. Gag I know. :eek: Ignore this person. He'd probably love nothing better than for you to show up, knocking on his door to speak with him.

Honestly, overlook this offense BUT make a note of the times he drives like an a$$ in front of your home. If he behaves this way towards you again, call the police and request they set up a speed survey. Be sure to let the police know a good time to be there.

I'd say this isn't a neighborly situation. I'd call the cops since he could be dangerous. My cousin drives like this and has totalled 6 cars (of his own, i dunno how many of others) and seriously injured his girlfriend once (broke her neck when he hit the corner of a parked 5th wheel). My parents once had a problem where the neighbor's son opened his window and worked out in his little home gym with the stereo at jet engine level. my dad went over and said "please have him shut the window, get some wireless headphones, turn it down, something please" and they did, no problem, the son had no idea we could hear it. then they had a problem with another neighbor's kids throwing rocks at our dog, the dog barks at people when they walk within 10 feet of the fence, he's totally fenced in and isn't mean, it's the regular "ruff ruff rooooo ruff ruff" bark until they get out of his perceived territory, my dad tried talking to the kids but they laughed at him. so then he called the cops and they visited the parents. no more rocks.

I had just wrapped up a really nice commute home, and after checking the fridge, decided to head back out to the little Mom-n-Pop store four blocks away. My house is the third from the corner on a dead-end street, and my street spills into a 25mph two-lane road that's somewhat heavily used (for a suburb in Eugene, that is).

So I poke my front wheel out of the driveway, look up the street, and here comes my neighbor--a nice guy--in an SUV. He's maybe fifty yards upstreet of me. Plenty of time for me to launch from my driveway, turn right, and make it to the stop sign before him, right? And even to turn onto the main road and get into the bike lane.

But no! He guns it! He must've been doing forty or fifty! I mean, he really, honest-to-jeebus floored it and raced to the stop sign--still got there just after me, but then he pulled up next to me and lurched to a stop, and then stabbed it again to nose in front of me and to my right, and then he hooked in front of me.

And the whole time he was next to me he was smiling at me!

I still can't believe it. I told my husband when he got home--the guy is a customer of his--and he said that the guy is a real menace on the road, even though he's kind of a nerdy, soft-spoken guy when he's not behind the wheel.

I know this is nothing new for you experienced folks, but I'm just floored. Just...wow. Un-freakin-believable.
PM me with an address, I'm on 24th and Willamette. I would make a nice video:
http://www.amazon.com/Oregon-Scientific-ATC-1000-Action-Camera/dp/B000A7QI5O

Well, lots to think about. Thanks for all your thoughts (some of you guys are eeeeee-vil. In a good way, though ;) ) You all make good points; after reading each post, I think, "THAT's what I'll do!" "No, this guy's right, I've got to do this instead!"

I'm not sure what I'm going to do; I'm leaning toward friendly conversation and seeing where that goes. Not because I'm a softy (you shoulda seen me light up a bunch of yakkers who clotted up the entire MUP last weekend, after repeated requests for a little space on the left), but because my husband's had dealings with him and says he's a nice guy off-road.

I've got a girlfriend who's as mild-mannered as a churchmouse, but when she gets behind the wheel she turns into a maniac. Whenever I call her on her it she gets all embarrassed, but then she goes and does it again. But still, her embarrasment makes me wonder if I could at least get this guy to think twice before he goes roaring down our little side-street at forty+ miles an hour.

Of course, just typing that out loud makes me furious all over again. Forty+ miles an hour on a street where kids and dogs play? What the f*ck is the matter with him? So, if I'm going to talk to him, I guess I'd better do some serious deep breathing exercises first.

So, if I'm going to talk to him, I guess I'd better do some serious deep breathing exercises first.
Good call. But keep the valve core remover handy. IT IS very effective, along with just a little note that says "Slow Down!" Otherwise he won't know WHY his tires are flat. :D

Cuz if you SLICE the tires and he finds out who did it, you get to fork out for NEW tires! AND he knows where YOU live!:eek:

Don't sign the note, and don't write it by hand.

Actually, I'm of the "let the police in on it" school of thought. Like someone said earlier, calling the police, or going for the tires after talking to him gives him a pretty good idea of where to to go looking for whom. Anyway, calling the police is legal; harassing him is not.

If he pulled that stunt on me he would have lost a side mirror and maybe picked up a few new dents in his panels, I'd also be calling the cops. So what if he happens to live nearby, he may be a neighbor by geography but he's not very neighborly trying to assauly you with his car.

What if he ran down and killed a kid in your street, just like you say may happen? would you be asking yourself "gee, he splattered a kid but he's our neighbor, should someone call the cops on their neighbor? or should we just have a neighborly chat and ask him to stop killing us?"

Call the cops before he kills someone.

That son of a biatch! I'd be icepicking his tires in the dark of the new moon every month.

you say he's a 'neighbor?' and a customer of your husband? I would have already talked with him after that incident, pounding on the front door of his house. maybe talking with him AND calling the cops.

ask him if he does that to the kids in the neighborhood.

How about some reverse psychology. Next time you see him profusely apologize for cutting him off. Let him know that you know how he likes to speed and you are very sorry you failed to recognize it was him and thought you had enough time to exit your driveway. ...... Never mind. Just slash his tires.

This is a motorist (I won't say "person") who makes a case for vigilante theft and/or vandalism of vehicles to protect the larger community.

A gentle word with the Idiot normally works. Remind him that he only has one licence and if he carries on driving like that- He will not be keeping it.

I had a problem with an idiot like this once and a big scratch down the side of his car cured him. He lost his no claims bonus and as it happened in front of witness- the police gave him a warning that ANY further reports about his driving style would be taken seriously.

"This is a motorist (I won't say "person") who makes a case for vigilante theft and/or vandalism of vehicles to protect the larger community."

So, if a 'cyclist' is caught riding irresponsibly or rudely, is it okay to go crush his/her bike?

It sounds like the guy is a real jerk, but you need to go talk to him first. Be polite, control your temper, and ask him to slow down on your street. We had a neighbor like that, who almost hit me twice coming out of my driveway. I finally went over to talk with her and asked her to slow down. Now, every time she passes my house, she is going under the speed limit.

Good luck with resolving this situation to everyone's satisfaction.
Michael

Amazing he stopped. Most people going that fast roll the sign. Sounds like he was showing off how powerful and skilled he is to handle a vehicle.

Amazing he stopped. Most people going that fast roll the sign. Sounds like he was showing off how powerful and skilled he is to handle a vehicle.

I have a feeling this is the right analysis. I haven't seen him since the incident, although his vehicle's been in front of his house every time I've walked the dog (but that's often after 10:00 at night). My husband and I have decided to talk to him together this weekend, in a calm and friendly way. He's been spotted driving this way before, and as other posters have pointed out, that makes him a menace to the whole neighborhood.

Video tape. Have your husband ready to tape and you ready to ride at a time you know he normally leaves. Pull out as you did before, he will do the same thing, but this time it will be on tape. Give the police a copy of the tape.

If you want to be mean, don't spike his tyres ... that's damage. Don't take out the valve cores ... that's obvious. You let his tyres down and then squirt a bit of super glue into the valve.

This clown is a menace. He's known to have a problem and the problem is rather serious. This isn't 'good neighbour' vs 'bad neighbour', it's you vs someone with real problems. Get onto the cops - that's why you pay them, to sort out society's idiots. To go to him first is just asking for him to get angry with you and let's face it, if he's a reasonable sort (which is the only sort who's going to listen to you), he'll take the message from the cops anyway.

I've got one like that, some bimbo that is always late for work. I mean EVERY day. I started timing my backing out of the driveway with my F350 as she comes screaming down the street. The first couple times the oh @#$@#$ look on her face was pretty funny but ya know what? The @#$#@$ is still doing it. Yesterday she ran a red in front of me and almost got tboned by a car to the left that had a green light. Let the cops know, at least it will be on record. I believe you can notify the dmv so that will also be on record?

Ya ya. The more you ride, the more you will see and experience from all kinds of people.

Marvel at it for awhile and then get on with life.