so im takin my normal every day 25 mile or so trek at about 10AM... cruisin up a hill (some would disagree here in fla) at roughly 18mph according to my cyclocomputer... minding my OWN business, stayin in my OWN designated bike path on the side of the road when i hear a large diesel truck on large swamp/mud tires whirling behind me (whirling bc thas the sound u hear from them about a mile away here in redneck fla)... next thing i know i hear in a very "country accent" - GET OFF THE F****** ROAD! and smash! some redneck thru a glass bottle at me and broke on my fork!!! i didnt fall, nor did the bottle even effect my riding but i was in a state of shock... i didnt know what to do? wtf jus happened? i was like omfg r u serious?:eek: in a very idk how to say valley girl tone in my head? i could not believe what had jus happened... i stopped pedaling and cruised over the hill inspecting my fork and everything seemed ok, no shrapnel(sp?), no scratch... but i couldnt believe the ignorance and stupidity... fwiw i continued my ride at my usual pace and everything was fine...
now dont get me wrong, im not tryin to bash any1 here whos "country" in any sense by me referring to them as rednecks... jus clarifying that!
Bekologist
05-15-07, 09:41 PM
In Seattle they throw steaming hot lattes.
Road rage is on the rise in America, IMO. Had two SERIOUS ragin' cagers pull the buzz-n-stop and pretend to run me off the road in the last two days..... effen drivers. I'm seriously considering carrying a billy club.
bike2math
05-16-07, 05:06 AM
I keep score; over my life
I have had as a bicyclist: 3 glass bottles (2 beer, 1 snapple), 3 part empty fast food drinks, and 3 unidentifiable things thrown at me.
As a pedestrian I have had: 3 glass bottles (all beer), 1 empty fast food container, an undertermined number of cigarettes, and 2 handfuls of CHANGE!?!?! thown at me.
By state the breakdown is: 4 in Vermont over 22 years, 6 in Arizona over 6 years (including both handfuls of change), 2 in Massachutes 3 years (spread out), and 3 in Ohio over 2 years. The only state I've lived in that I never had stuff thrown at me was Texas, now I was only there for a short time so maybe that's why, but I had both glass bottles that were thrown at me in Ohio thrown in the first few months here.
I don't think its rednecks doing the throwing. As Texas is pretty thick with rednecks (no offense intended), and I never had anything but friendly and courteous passes from them (and I was out in the boondocks).
Stacey
05-16-07, 05:22 AM
Flordia is a shall issue, castle doctrine state is it not?
JeffB502
05-16-07, 05:53 AM
That's one of the reasons I prefer riding at night. If somebody yells from a car they get a good blast of helmet mounted light...makes them think twice once you take away their anonymity.
When they yelled at you and threw a glass bottle at you that would have constituted an assault with a deadly weapon in California (a felony). Definitely would have called the cops on that one even if I didn't get a plate #, and I'm sure they would have responded with some enthusiasm considering the seriousness of the crime.
I've had a full 20oz. plastic soda bottle thrown at me...passed between my front and rear wheels and under my pedals, then harmlessly to my right onto the railroad tracks I was crossing at the time. That was when I had first started and I didn't think to get a plate # until it was too late. I saw a police officer using his radar gun a couple of miles further on my ride...told him what happened and gave him a vehicle description but I knew he couldn't do much without a plate #.
pj7
05-16-07, 06:39 AM
I'm a redneck and I admit it openly, but this is more of an ass hole type of thing than a red neck one, it just so happens that most red necks are ass holes... but not all of us.
It's cool that nothing happened to you or your bike though, and I've taken no offense to your redneck statement as 99% of the time the two terms are inclusive. :D
GreenGrasshoppr
05-16-07, 08:07 AM
Can't you just note the plate number and call the cops?
rickbsgu
05-16-07, 09:39 AM
I've thought about mounting a movie camera pointing backwards for just such occurances. You can get real tiny ones, these days.
A split prism or mirror setup would get the action in both directions (and a rear-only license plate number.)
Problem is, of course, it wouldn't happen until the day I didn't have the camera mounted...
Still. Gotta take the fight to the enemy, somehow (not drivers - just a-hole drivers.)
rickb
sbhikes
05-16-07, 09:41 AM
I wish it was that easy to get a plate number, but they are very hard to see. Especially if you've just been blind-sided by a glass bottle.
But once I did get a plate number, but only because the guy was a regular commuter who happened to threaten me. Here's a tip for you: if you show up at the same time at the same place every day, that's probably not the best place to execute anonymous violence.
Gave his plate number to the cops who paid him a little visit. I wish I could have been there to see it.
AlmostTrick
05-16-07, 11:16 AM
I keep score; over my life
I have had as a bicyclist: 3 glass bottles (2 beer, 1 snapple), 3 part empty fast food drinks, and 3 unidentifiable things thrown at me.
As a pedestrian I have had: 3 glass bottles (all beer), 1 empty fast food container, an undertermined number of cigarettes, and 2 handfuls of CHANGE!?!?! thown at me.
By state the breakdown is: 4 in Vermont over 22 years, 6 in Arizona over 6 years (including both handfuls of change), 2 in Massachutes 3 years (spread out), and 3 in Ohio over 2 years. The only state I've lived in that I never had stuff thrown at me was Texas, now I was only there for a short time so maybe that's why, but I had both glass bottles that were thrown at me in Ohio thrown in the first few months here.
I don't think its rednecks doing the throwing. As Texas is pretty thick with rednecks (no offense intended), and I never had anything but friendly and courteous passes from them (and I was out in the boondocks).
Wow that's a lot to remember. Are you keeping track on a spreadsheet?
For those who have had multiple attacks I would assume that most projectiles miss you. My question is do the attackers most often over shoot or under shoot? Just curious I guess.
PDay
05-16-07, 11:27 AM
As a runner I once had someone throw water balloons at me. Musta known my 2nd-run-of-the-day nightly route. I mean that takes some planning, unless they had some just lying around. Didnt bother me too much though.
thebankman
05-16-07, 11:45 AM
On the last bike commute home from my girl's work, we had a driver in a little car deliberately move to the right to block us in the lane. My girl goes right and onto a bike path to go around him. He slams on his brakes just as I'm rolling up behind him, I track standed for a second, went to the left and passed him just as he realized I wasn't behind him any more and started to move forward to a stop sign. My girl is now around him and moves from the crosswalk to the center of the lane as I catch up with her and run block so she can go ahead. Driver yells "get off the ****** road" and really flips out. He had a full load of passengers too, I'm sure they had a calm, pointed discussion about his actions later ;) We just flipped him off and kept pedaling away as he continued to scream and make a right turn.
There are plenty of road ragers out there, keep your head up!
KeatonR
05-16-07, 12:02 PM
If anyone assaulted me like that, they'd better be prepared to be assaulted back when they're stuck at the next red light. I don't know that it's the right answer, but I have a feeling it's the answer I'd jump at.
webist
05-16-07, 12:06 PM
Couple of youngsters 16 and 23 were arrested here this am for throwing a rock through the windshield of a firetruck responding to a call. They were arrested after they subsequently threw a water balloon at a pedestrian. Someone (fire fighter) gave a great vehicle description. The pedestrian apparently got the plate.
bike2math
05-16-07, 12:31 PM
Wow that's a lot to remember. Are you keeping track on a spreadsheet?
For those who have had multiple attacks I would assume that most projectiles miss you. My question is do the attackers most often over shoot or under shoot? Just curious I guess.
Nah, I started thinking about it in Arizona after the handfuls of change (both of which were accompanied by a garbled yell that sounded something like "mugashdsadj take a bus a;df;asj;dfjk;af!!!" I was absolutely floored when i realized I had left Texas without anything ever being thrown. Whatever you might say about texans they were some of the bike-friendliest people I'd ever been around.
For the most part everything hit the pavement just to the side and behind me. The only time I've been endangered by this were the glass bottles thrown at me while a pedestrian. I figure at the slower speed I make a much better target. One more reason to walk against traffic.
I just never seem to be able to get the plate number. I'm a slow reader I guess. I'm always floored at the European liscense plates with a gazillion characters. The only ones I can remember are the vanity ones here. Plus, I don't know about where you guys are, but here it seems like alot of people (especially the A-holes) have something obscuring their plates. Have the police stopped caring?
GreenGrasshoppr
05-16-07, 12:46 PM
A split prism or mirror setup would get the action in both directions (and a rear-only license plate number.)
Do they make helmet cams with this setup?
zeytoun
05-16-07, 01:02 PM
+1 on the cam.
Also, carry a buttefly net. If you can catch the bottle, you can demonstrate the presence of alcohol in the bottle (and dust it for prints).
Crazy Cyclist
05-16-07, 01:04 PM
If anyone assaulted me like that, they'd better be prepared to be assaulted back when they're stuck at the next red light. I don't know that it's the right answer, but I have a feeling it's the answer I'd jump at.
Me too. NO way would I let some ******* throw someting at me and get away with it if I coud help it.
I would try and catch up to him and put my lock throught his windsheild.
Bikepacker67
05-16-07, 03:38 PM
I wish it was that easy to get a plate number, but they are very hard to see.
Practice. Seriously.
Also practice taking note of make/color.
Just every once in a while, take the next car that passes you, and practice.
Burrito Eater
05-16-07, 03:47 PM
Also, carry a buttefly net. If you can catch the bottle, you can demonstrate the presence of alcohol in the bottle (and dust it for prints).
simply awesome. :roflmao:
RomSpaceKnight
05-16-07, 04:34 PM
I was able to track down a punk and his friend who threw a small bag of garbage at me once from a piece of mail in the bag. His dad offered to let me take a free poke at his son. I declined, saying "I'm sure you can hurt him more than I could".
The worst is those drunken youths who yell in your ear as they go past. I've been able to catch a couple of them and return the favour plus...
zeytoun
05-16-07, 04:38 PM
His dad offered to let me take a free poke at his son.
What kind of poke?...... :eek:
trackhub
05-16-07, 04:50 PM
Sorry it happened to you, zekebobish. But, welcome to bicycling on the roadways of america. Over the years, I have had bottles, (Soda, beer) tossed at me on several occasions. None have connected. Besides bottles, I have been targeted by fast food remains, half empty Dunkin Donuts coffee cups, and cigarette butts. On one occasion, some Harvard graduate student (I'm being humorous, of course) leaned out the window of a passing station wagon, and blasted an air-powered marine horn a few feet from my left ear. Aside from all that, I have had the usual comments telling me to "Get off the F__kin road!", as well as comments regarding my masculinity.
I'm always amazed when people toss left over fast food, or a half-empty coffee cup. Wow! This is indeed one fine country. People can afford to buy the food, and throw at someone they don't like. Amazing!
It's not getting better. Despite all the "Share the road" efforts, and other programs to promote advocacy, it's getting worse. I seem to remember a forum member posting photos of Share the Road signs, with bullet holes in them.
So, is Dutch a difficult language to learn?
Robert C
05-16-07, 06:57 PM
I am loathe to admit that this has happened to me too. The worst part is that I have always failed to get a plate number. In the recent past, I have been making a game of noting make, model, and number of vehicles as they pass me and for some reason this type of behavior does not happen any more. It may be that I simply look more alert to the morons.
The most interesting one was a case of a SUV with a bunch of girls in it. (This is a motorcycle story, sorry) I was on I5, which is a four lane (two in each direction) highway that runs the length of California, and happened to notice, in my mirror, a white SUV (it was a Chevy Tahoe, I remember that because that is what I drove at the department I was at, at that time) coming up behind me and driving erratically. I also noticed the cars being passed driving erratically. It was as she pulled onto the inner shoulder in order to pass the car next to me that I saw the reason. As they passed vehicles they were throwing coins and I observed one windshield, on the car in front and to the left of me (as I was in the #2 lane) damaged. I then rolled on the throttle (sounds cooler than “increased my speed”) in order to approach, only, near enough to copy the plate number.
I suppose at this point I must describe my bike, It is a grey and white Yamaha V-Star 650. It has spot lights (two lights next to the head light) a Q-beam (the motorcycle headlights that can be caused to change in intensity) a tall windshield and two large, white, side cases. Yes, I know what it looked like and I can say with confidence that I have had fewer close calls on that bike than any other that I have had.
I split a few lanes to approach and she clearly saw me. She greatly increased speed and the passengers stopped throwing coins. I was not willing to initiate any sort of a chase (I was on my own time). The next I saw her was on an off ramp that was about three miles down the road. I began to use the off ramp in order to confirm that it was the same vehicle, get the plate number, which I had failed to do previously, and to place a phone call to CHP from a nearby truck stop. The driver observed my presence and immediately left at high speed into a series of side streets.
I still made my phone call and described the vehicle. I suspect that she, and her passengers, were done throwing coins for the day.
zekebobish
05-16-07, 10:09 PM
well all this feedback has been great... thanks guys... i mean im no push over to begin, and the "questioning masculinity" thing is somethin i deff had to deal with bc the town i live in isnt so big and people esp kids my age a i graduated with gimme flack for the spandex when they drive by but its usually friendly... i dont mind my gf drivin by n honkin or the typical "get off the road" but throwin somethin at me? idk i was in such shock i didnt know what to do... if were to approach a cop n give him a vehicle description, hed say "big lifted truck on big mud tires huh? thanks theres none of those around" idk... i jus couldnt believe it... i was more in the omg state of mind than my typical break ur face state of mind when somethin like that unexpectedly happens to me... its crazy really to hear some of ur stories as well... maybe i should ride with a peace next time!