Southern California - So What Can You Do? Stupid Drivers!

Return section of our ride today. We are heading down Sapphire, nice fat descent. The lane gets narrow right at 19th street (or is it Highland?). Well tow cars ahead of me and Gina behind. I signal for a right turn then a signal to warn Gina of the stop. I stay behind the two vehicles also making a right turn. Gina pulls up and stops right behind me.

I am directly behind the car ahead of me line up with the center of the car. I had 3 letters of the plates on my left and 3 on the right. That's how centered I was!:D....Some idiot, maybe 50'ish swings around me on my left eventhough I have my signal up. He's driving halfway into to left turn lane and half in my lane about a foot from my leg. He then swerves infront of me blocking my way with his car and waits to make a right turn. The light turns green about 5 seconds later then he guns his engine and proceeds to blast his way around me.

What a friggin' idiot! He hauls arse down the road and up a hill. As I topped the hill, I was hoping I'd see his car in the shopping center lot. I would have given him a big piece of my mind! At the light, I could feel my arm twitching and wanting to punch out his pasenger window. Maybe a good kicking in of his door would have been a bit better. I know, I know! The wuss would have called the cops and said a big ugly beast attacked him!:notamused:

So what can you do? Nothing? Just let the guy be and arse and go on living life?:(

You're not ugly.

Beanz, you can get his license plate and call 911.

Ive only ever done that once, we were on the 405 and some nutter was driving like a mental patient, my wife called 911 and they said they would put out any apb....

5 miles up the road the ****wit was pulled over with a chp officer peering into his window....

The best way is to memorize his # then dial 911 and when the operator answers repeat the # slowly...twice, the operator will get it...then voice your complaint...

Ok, there's always a chance that the perpertrator will take it out on the next cyclist....but if you smack him or damage his car you will be the one in trouble....and you're a mate, i dont wanna see that happen...

You're not ugly.


Yes I am and I like it! Keeps me away from wimmins trouble!:D

Beanz, you can get his license plate and call 911.

Ive only ever done that once, we were on the 405 and some nutter was driving like a mental patient, my wife called 911 and they said they would put out any apb....

5 miles up the road the ****wit was pulled over with a chp officer peering into his window....

The best way is to memorize his # then dial 911 and when the operator answers repeat the # slowly...twice, the operator will get it...then voice your complaint...



Only thing is Jag, does anything happen to the nut? I've read so many posts where the cyclist says the cops don't do anything unless someone is hurt!:(

If a motorist is behaving like this one was, better to just back off. God knows what they might have done if confronted. The police won't spend any effort on a close call and the cars outweigh us by TONS.
I've been spooked several times and when I get spooked I get pissed, then I want to retaliate. In my head I'm going to kick ass and take names...in reality the reverse may well happen and how do I explain that to my wife.....or after the fact, myself.
Don't get me wrong, if attacked I'll defend, but some of the stuff that occurs on the street when I'm cycling just aren't worth the potential consequences...just a thought........take care.

If a motorist is behaving like this one was, better to just back off. God knows what they might have done if confronted. The police won't spend any effort on a close call and the cars outweigh us by TONS.
I've been spooked several times and when I get spooked I get pissed, then I want to retaliate. In my head I'm going to kick ass and take names...in reality the reverse may well happen and how do I explain that to my wife.....or after the fact, myself.
Don't get me wrong, if attacked I'll defend, but some of the stuff that occurs on the street when I'm cycling just aren't worth the potential consequences...just a thought........take care.


Yup, I understand! Although I think of punching in the window, I know I'm in trouble. And I aint going to jail for an idiot! Well that and I did punch out a windshield once and it cost me $300!::(

Nothing you can do about it. As much as it pains me every time some nut job does this, I stop and try to be thankful that I didn't get injured.

Must have been something in the air today.

This morning I was riding east on Altadena and turned right onto Mendocino. A silver Maxima turned right after me, sped by, then pulled over to the right, as though to park. Then, she decided to make a u-turn in front of me. I hit the brakes hard and yelled "Hey, hey, watch out." I came to a stop about a foot from the rear door. Her polite response was, "Go f--- yourself."

Yup, I understand! Although I think of punching in the window, I know I'm in trouble. And I aint going to jail for an idiot! Well that and I did punch out a windshield once and it cost me $300!::(

It's not that easy to punch out a windshield. Remind me not to make you angry.

Must have been something in the air today.

This morning I was riding east on Altadena and turned right onto Mendocino. A silver Maxima turned right after me, sped by, then pulled over to the right, as though to park. Then, she decided to make a u-turn in front of me. I hit the brakes hard and yelled "Hey, hey, watch out." I came to a stop about a foot from the rear door. Her polite response was, "Go f--- yourself."


Wow! I was just thinking on today's ride how nice the drivers have been lately!..Guess I thought too soon!:D

Eh, no biggie Indolent. The way they make everything so cheap nowadays! Either that or it was a lucky Karate Kid punch!:D

I am directly behind the car ahead of me line up with the center of the car. I had 3 letters of the plates on my left and 3 on the right. That's how centered I was!:D

That's pretty good Beanz! How good are you at hanging a picture straight? :D

That's pretty good Beanz! How good are you at hanging a picture straight? :D

Ack! I can't stand crooked pics! Gimme a square, tape measure, and some calipers, I'll get that sucker right!:D

DANG!!! and I'm glad that it hasn't been that bad here in SD AT ALL...wowee... they'd be eating a large serving of my bike served with a healthy side of their windshield...

A nice compliment to your stupid cyclists post ;)

Glad you didn't get clipped on his way by. No accounting for these idiots. When a few seconds of his life becomes more important to him than the entire rest of your life, something is definitely wrong here.
I got pushed out into the middle of a small street by a dumb high school girl who didn't look as she pulled out from the curb. I caught her at the next stop sign, pulled up next to her window and gave her a piece of my mind. She just ignored me and was so indolent, I lost it and kicked her rear fender as she went by. Imagine my surprise when it dented in and then just popped back out! Damn newfangled plastic cars! Thoroughly unsatisfying.

Glad you didn't get clipped on his way by. No accounting for these idiots. When a few seconds of his life becomes more important to him than the entire rest of your life, something is definitely wrong here.
I got pushed out into the middle of a small street by a dumb high school girl who didn't look as she pulled out from the curb. I caught her at the next stop sign, pulled up next to her window and gave her a piece of my mind. She just ignored me and was so indolent, I lost it and kicked her rear fender as she went by. Imagine my surprise when it dented in and then just popped back out! Damn newfangled plastic cars! Thoroughly unsatisfying.


I really don't think this was a hurry situation. I think this guy was more the "cyclists should be on the sidewalk" mentality kind of guy!:(

A nice compliment to your stupid cyclists post ;)


M'eh! They're all over the place!:D

M'eh! They're all over the place!:D

I think the common thread is that people do stupid things regardless of their mode of transportation. I witnessed several very scary passes by cars today, of other cars.

I think the common thread is that people do stupid things regardless of their mode of transportation. I witnessed several very scary passes by cars today, of other cars.


You're right! I was about to start a 'stupid jogger' thread too. But what's the use? Like you said, every form on transportation! Bikes, cars, mopeds, scooters, rollerblades, sneakers etc!:D

Oops, forgot 'shopping carts'!:p

Never punch, only choke them, it leaves fewer marks.. If that doesn't work get the license and report to 1-800-cut-smog.. They get a letter and have to take there car in for testing..

http://www.aqmd.gov/complain/report_smoking_vehicles.html

That or something similar doesn't happen to you every day?

Where do you ride, Fantasyland?

Never punch, only choke them, it leaves fewer marks.. If that doesn't work get the license and report to 1-800-cut-smog.. They get a letter and have to take there car in for testing..

http://www.aqmd.gov/complain/report_smoking_vehicles.html

That's a good one!:thumb:

Where do you ride, Fantasyland?Frontierland today.

That or something similar doesn't happen to you every day?

Where do you ride, Fantasyland?

Puppet = Fantasy! You don't have the nutties to say what you want to say as a person that others know, so you fantasize that you are saying them through a puppet. That's fantasyland! Don't worry, you are not alone, there are plenty of them! Lots of people that would like to speak their minds, but too scared to speak up in the real world:thumb:

Come to think of it, you remind me of the Maximan story. A 13 y/o kid that posted here. He got a little snippy on the forum, then talked some trash, but he was real. He and his father were rather shocked when I spotted them on the trail. I walked up and introduced myself for a friendly hello!:D...Atleast the kid had some bahalls!:D

Thank you for your analysis, Dr Dimestore. I feel much better. You know so much more about me than I could ever know.

Thank you for your analysis, Dr Dimestore. I feel much better. You know so much more about me than I could ever know.

Oh no problem! Don't worry about payment cause there are plenty of others here that have you figured out too. I was just lucky enough to have you as my patient!:thumb:

I've commuted over 40 miles to work for the past 13 years. I've been cut off, side swiped, car have sped up and turned right in front of me, cars have pulled out from driveways in front of me. I've been hit by fruit, soft drinks in cups, sprayed with a fire extuinguisher. Life on a bike can be dangerous. I except it, its my life. Life is short, pedal hard...

Never punch, only choke them, it leaves fewer marks.. If that doesn't work get the license and report to 1-800-cut-smog.. They get a letter and have to take there car in for testing..

http://www.aqmd.gov/complain/report_smoking_vehicles.html

This actually is not true. They will get a letter recommending that they take their car in. They cannot be forced to do it upon a 1-800-cut-smog complaint alone. Evidently the letter is worded in such a way that some people feel compelled to do it OR ELSE, but you definitely aren't required by any law to do it.

Close calls seem to come in bunches for me. I've had a relatively incident free past year and then in one day on my normal ride down to the ocean an SUV buzzed me so closely on Harvard Avenue that the wind almost knocked me off my bike. I ride well into the bike lane and she was over the white line! Had I been on the white line I would have been nailed! (Hopefully this won't turn into a VC thread about had I taken the lane she would have seen me and pulled around me - Harvard is two lanes with a 50mph speed limit and a six-foot well-marked bike lane - taking the lane IMO would be suicide). She AGAIN crossed into the bike lane up ahead as I watched. Must have been distracted. I had no way to catch up to her.

On that same ride, going UP the hill from the Back Bay to join up to Jamboree a Mercedes sedan actually hit my handlebar! It wasn't enough to twist them and cause a fall because when going up that hill I am out of the saddle and have a deathgrip on the bars. Thank goodness I'm not a better rider and was sitting with a normal grip. When I got to the top of this hill the car turned right onto Jamboree and I couldn't catch him. I was irate. I'm glad I didn't catch him. Big guy, again distracted. Had I caught him I would have confronted him. Who the hell goes up that hill at 30mph buzzing bikes? It's one-way and is really just a tourist route. Nobody in their right mind would use it as a shortcut or regular route.

Mostly I'm pleased with the courtesy I get from drivers in Irvine/Newport. Bikes are ubiquitous here and drivers are accustomed to dealing with them. People routinely move to the left to provide more room, stay back at lights to let me have my space, wait before turning to allow me to go first, etc.

I did my 30 mile ride last night and had nothing but pleasant experiences with drivers. In fact a car driving along the Back Bay last night around 10pm actually pulled over (!) to let me pass. I'm well-lit and perhaps they thought I was an automobile coming the wrong way on a one-way street! Damn drunk bicyclists!

Although I usually experience a good amount of courteous drivers, there is always the exception. I was headed down a hill (West Victoria before it changes to Hamilton) towards Brookhurst (Huntington Beach), and I was centered in the bike lane. At the last minute, some Jack Hole decided he needed to turn right onto Brookhurst and tried to merge into the right hand turn lane. He couldn't get in the lane, so he was left in the middle of the bike lane. I put on the E brakes, and still managed to hit his bumper hard enough to flat my tube. Fortunately, I live close by and was able to walk the rest of the way home having already gone through all of my CO2, tube and patch kit. Not a great day!

And the driver? Left quickly without so much as a wave. I'm just glad he didn't side swipe me or run me over.

Best advice, be safe, keep your eyes and ears open and watch out for those cars!

Regards and Happy 4th to everyone!

Thank you for your analysis, Dr Dimestore. I feel much better. You know so much more about me than I could ever know.

Why, oh why, hasn't this Mutherfuker been banned.?
Really, why?

It's not that easy to punch out a windshield. Remind me not to make you angry.
It's easy to do from inside the car. I know :o

Go ahead, you little sad monkeys...ban me. Oh, please, oh, please. Just so I can come back under a different name.

You know they can do an IP ban, right? (Not that there aren't ways around that, too!)

Open proxy FTW! :lol:

On the other hand, while I've encountered some bad drivers trying that don't give me room, it hasn't been a daily occurrence (touch wood). If I do get potentially life-threatening close calls daily, I'd probably reconsider my route/timing or just go to the gym. :D :p

Beanz - don't punch the window. Use the Miami Florida Car Jacker Trick.
They take the ceramic portion of a spark plug and throw it at the window. For some reason it just shatters into pieces. Very effective.

Whew, where did that come from. To bad about your window buddy!

I share your distaste for jerks like you described. They also come in the form of women in expensive Lexus who pulled to my right while I was signaling a left turn and turned left in front of me. I caught her at the next light and screamed at her. I'm sure it just scared her and made her more aggressive towards the next cyclist.

You know they can do an IP ban, right? (Not that there aren't ways around that, too!)

Yeah, I'm not concerned. I hardly ever come on here. I was drunk posting last night out of boredom. :twitchy:

Yeah, I'm not concerned. I hardly ever come on here. I was drunk posting last night out of boredom. :twitchy:


Hey tipsy2, I don't believe you are who you say you are, either.

Quick...where's my secret birthmark?

She would have the answer to that...;)

Someone threw a bottle at us Sunday. I think that was better than the golf ball a few months ago.

Hey tipsy2, I don't believe you are who you say you are, either.

Quick...where's my secret birthmark?

She would have the answer to that...;)

This sounds like a more interesting topic... Maybe a poll?

This sounds like a more interesting topic... Maybe a poll?

Which one? Alice's birthmark or Tipsy Tippy's identity?

Which one? Alice's birthmark or Tipsy Tippy's identity?

The birthmark, I'm not big into guessing people's identities.

I'm guessing on her cheek.

Someone threw a bottle at us Sunday. I think that was better than the golf ball a few months ago.

Some flatbillers threw a half can of weakpiss beer at some friends and me Sunday night and then made the mistake of ducking into a dead end street. The outcome was interesting to say the least. As (has)beanz indicated, I didn't say a word to these people about their lack of regard for others. Wanna buy some swampland?

Hey Clit. The Pacific Ocean called. It wants its crabs back.

Quick...where's my secret birthmark?

This post is worthless without pics.

Hey Clit. The Pacific Ocean called. It wants its crabs back.

You've been watching Seinfeld, haven't you!:D

No...I think that was a shrimp comment. The Jerk Store episode, right?

It's just saying Rose and I use around the house when one of us is being cranky. That or, "Hi, I'm SpongeBob, you must be Mr. Crabs."

Some flatbillers threw a half can of weakpiss beer at some friends and me Sunday night and then made the mistake of ducking into a dead end street. The outcome was interesting to say the least. As (has)beanz indicated, I didn't say a word to these people about their lack of regard for others. Wanna buy some swampland?

They turned around drove away? And when passing another 1/2 can of weakpiss beer was lobbed your way?

Which one? Alice's birthmark or Tipsy Tippy's identity?

keep it up, son, and I'll take your ass out. You little chicken, you'd just run away anyway