Advocacy & Safety - Cyclist Harassment Video on YouTube

- dunno if this one has been posted, but this one really should be investigated... in the video, a carload of teenagers film video of cyclists in a bike lane while honking, swerving, chasing and harassing the cyclists... then laugh when the cyclists get angry...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=seNcv7w482w

Pretty dangerous stuff, that. Who knows what they might have crashed into whilst the distracted driver was busy annoying the cyclist.

That said, i think the cyclist could have handled that situation better. By following the car he was really just adding fuel to the fire and making it more enjoyable for the kids. He was never going to catch the car.

Easy enough to say whilst watching the video, but if i was in that situation? I probably would have done the same!

He did catch and pass them at one point.

If it was me, and I was not in my home town, I'd have taken a window or a mirror out. No mercy for little pukes in a crappy car.

Guy got a good workout.. good for him.

Kids will feel guilty and immature if they remember it in five years. This is good.

Sounds like they blazed a few doobs before filming this...

Guy got a good workout.. good for him.

Kids will feel guilty and immature if they remember it in five years. This is good.

You show an incredible amount of optimism.

here's one of the a**hole's myspace page:
http://www.myspace.com/poodleo

That said, i think the cyclist could have handled that situation better. By following the car he was really just adding fuel to the fire and making it more enjoyable for the kids. He was never going to catch the car.
Looked like he was close enough to get their plates more than once.

i just called the number and that was not his number. a woman's voice mail picked up.

Shoot I tried to text it and I got an undeliverable response.

You show an incredible amount of optimism.

This is true. And yeah, they probably were high. There is no other way they could have found it that funny.. unless they are brain damaged.

They're probably brain damaged.

he's a sponsored surfer too. i'm sure aqua east would love to know what their surfers are up to when it's flat.
http://www.aquaeast.com/team-surf.htm

Was he reaching for a camera at one point? I think it's a good idea to always bring a camera of some type with you. If you get harrassed just take it out and start snapping pics of the person(s), car, license plate etc. I think this would make the harrassers cease and desist pretty effectively.

Hopefully the biker will have the cellphone more accessible from now on if that's what he was reaching for. The kids are idiots.

Typical teenagers of today.

I can't say anything, I did a lot of dumb stuff when I was a kid. It seems pretty harmless although it also seems pretty stupid... but I'm not 18 anymore.

Certainly wasn't very funny.

Az

Doesn't seem too harmless to me. They could have caused a cyclist to fall by blowing the horn like that behind them. Also they seemed to be going through stop signs without completely stopping. I hope they are made to pay in some way or another.

Well ... what can be done about it now?

Serious question.

-G

I'm not sure who was more stupid, the cyclist or the dumb kids. First of all why would you let somebody acting so strangely ride behind you for that long? I would have been OFF the road in a heartbeat and on my cell phone.

Next why would you antagonize the occupants in the car by chasing them? They could have been a bunch of gang bangers just as easily as a bunch of stupid kids. Dumb! :rolleyes:

Young rednecks in pickup trucks, with their KKK flag decals and their "W 2004" bumper stickers often try to run my bike over a curb while I'm riding in Houston. But, they forget that Houston has stop signs every hundred yards, and red lights everywhere.

So, at the next red light, I'm tapping on the driver's window with my Kryptonite New York Lock. And, regardless of whether the redneck is alone, or has a couple of friends with him, he refuses to lower his window, or get out of the truck...and when the light changes, you get to see the scared little peckerwood fleeing as fast as he can.

Inside of every redneck, a half-witted coward is cowering...a cyclist can never, ever back down to those jerks. They are brave when they in their truck, but too frightened to get out on the street for a face to face discussion on sharing the road.

Doesn't seem too harmless to me. They could have caused a cyclist to fall by blowing the horn like that behind them. Also they seemed to be going through stop signs without completely stopping. I hope they are made to pay in some way or another.

It's my opinion that if a cyclist is unable to stay upright through the sound of a horn, they are not fit to ride on public roads. They should practice balancing until they are able to consistently stay up, even in the presence of external sounds.

The crew in that car sounds extremely baked. I hope the cyclist reported these jerks.

Also some of the worst camera work I've ever seen.

That was actually pretty funny seeing how suprised they were that the bicyclist could actually keep up with them in traffic. The best quote was "He's like the Terminator!" In a sad and odd sort of way they might have a new respect (fear) of bicyclists.

It would have been really funny if he was a crazy cyclist with a gun.

So, at the next red light, I'm tapping on the driver's window with my Kryptonite New York Lock. And, regardless of whether the redneck is alone, or has a couple of friends with him, he refuses to lower his window, or get out of the truck...and when the light changes, you get to see the scared little peckerwood fleeing as fast as he can.



How about tapping with this instead? ;)

"Double-sided, steel hammer heads breaks through side and rear windows with minimal effort"

http://www.amazon.com/LifeHammer-Original-Emergency-Hammer-Orange/dp/B000BN3A4Y/ref=pd_bbs_1/104-5887037-0347955?ie=UTF8&s=automotive&qid=1189793565&sr=8-1

recursive, I understand what you mean. I don't care really who blows their horn around me, but a less experienced cyclist might have a problem with the excessive horn blowing and while looking back to see what the fuss is about run into a pot hole or something of that nature and cause them to fall. You might argue then that that type of cyclist shouldn't be on the road, but I feel they have a right to. Under normal circumstances a few toots of a horn isn't going to be a problem, but this was excessive and dangerous. I feel the cyclists should have just pulled off the road and called the cops to report it though as these stupid kids actions are hazardous and chasing them just made them enjoy the whole situation more.

recursive, I understand what you mean. I don't care really who blows their horn around me, but a less experienced cyclist might have a problem with the excessive horn blowing and while looking back to see what the fuss is about run into a pot hole or something of that nature and cause them to fall. You might argue then that that type of cyclist shouldn't be on the road, but I feel they have a right to. Under normal circumstances a few toots of a horn isn't going to be a problem, but this was excessive and dangerous. I feel the cyclists should have just pulled off the road and called the cops to report it though as these stupid kids actions are hazardous and chasing them just made them enjoy the whole situation more.

I think I understand what you mean. It's still my opinion that cyclists (and everyone else) should have a minimum level of proficiency before operating on public roads. Even if it's not the law, it is in one's own interest. It doesn't take very much practice to get a basic handle on riding in traffic.

I think that the horn was quite obnoxious, and I think there are many reasons they should not have done that. I just think that your particular reasoning, especially as it would be perceived by non-cyclists, does not engender much sympathy. Even if it's not what you mean, you make it sound like cyclists should be able to ride as poorly as they please, and it is everyone else's responsibility to ensure they don't hurt themselves.

Anyway, I think we probably understand each others' positions. I respect your position, but just wanted to offer you a counter-point. I suspect neither of us are likely to change our opinions, so I suppose this is for the benefit of other readers.