Advocacy & Safety - Hard headed wrong way cyclist

I'm doing McMiles around the golf course loop this afternoon and a wrong way cyclists is doing laps also, but riding on the left hand side of the road, coming right at me, in my lane, twice each lap.

After a couple of passes and very close calls, where I yell at him "you're on the wrong side of the road." I wave him to a stop. He's wearing black and the sun has already set (I have my front light and rear blinker on), no lights and no helmet.

I explain to him its safer to ride with traffic and when he argues I tell him, look I don't care if you want to kill yourself, but you have no right to kill me. He replies with its safer to see traffic coming at him and that he was hit from behind by a car while riding in the right direction in traffic and spent the next year sucking dinner out of a straw. I explain to him that rear end accidents are rare and that he will get really get FUBAR'ed if he hits a car head on.

No reasoning with him. He feels "safer" going agasinst traffic because he got hit from behind and is paranoid.

How do I convince this moron to stop endangering my safety?

Never mind convincing him of his safety - just drill your safety into his head if you insist.

Let him spend another year sucking dinner out of a straw if he wishes to be an arse. Your only concern is whether you are endangered or not.

-Kurt

As irrational as the decision is, it's his to make (and I understand his feeling, if he's been rear-ended, he might be a bit skiddish - although why he has no light is beyond me...).

You might have had more success with a "ride how you like, but don't interfere with me" approach. If that didn't work, duct tape a big knife to your handlebars.

leave him alone. he took one for the team.

i mean, now both of you know each other is out there, no surprises, no problem

if someone else hits him, not your issue

I've been tempted, when having a wrong way rider coming straight at me:
to hop off the bike, get behind it and brace it sideways across the bike lane like a barricade aimed at an angle out into the oncoming car lanes.

Just to Physically Emphasize the point of why going against traffic is a bad idea; he can either stop, hit me, or hit the oncoming car lane.





Might try that out next time he's on a collision course with you, from that position behind your bike he'd be the one to take much more damage should he actually hit you... be sure to yell a reminder about wrong way while he tries to get around you...

I've been tempted, when having a wrong way rider coming straight at me:
to hop off the bike, get behind it and brace it sideways across the bike lane like a barricade aimed at an angle out into the oncoming car lanes.

Just to Physically Emphasize the point of why going against traffic is a bad idea; he can either stop, hit me, or hit the oncoming car lane.





Might try that out next time he's on a collision course with you, from that position behind your bike he'd be the one to take much more damage should he actually hit you... be sure to yell a reminder about wrong way while he tries to get around you...

Not a good idea- around here most of the people riding the wrong way are on crusty old tanks that would likely break my CF Cannondale in half. I'm guessing they don't have insurance or assets, either.

I just pass them in the same way I'd pass a jogger or pedestrian.

They normally hug the curb pretty tight anyways. I don't really get all the angst on this topic.

I just pass them in the same way I'd pass a jogger or pedestrian.

They normally hug the curb pretty tight anyways. I don't really get all the angst on this topic.

yep, I'd rather not screw up my breathing pattern to yell at this guy. Nothing like trying to get back into the same tempo after getting out of steady breathing.

Ok, so, after the first close call, what evasive action did you take to avoid a second close call, or is what we're really talking about here a game of chicken being played out between two equally stubborn cyclists?

It sounds to me as though he is holding his line and you are holding yours as you approach each other on a collision course. You don't mention if this loop is on a public street or part of the golf club. Regardless, even though most of us would agree that he is wrong to ride in the wrong direction, that is still no excuse for you to exacerbate the situation by challenging him to these close calls (unless you really mean to say that your attempts to alter your path are met with confusing attempts on his part to also alter his . . . that's the problem for which lane markers and conventional traffic patterns were developed to solve). As you approach him, make clear your intention to switch lanes to pass and ride on in bliss. I think he's wrong, by why let it raise your blood pressure and ruin your day/ride?

If, as he has stated, he has been rear ended, then, no amount of statistical data you present will allay the likely phobia that affects his thinking - I think you need to cut him an accommodating break on this point, heartless comments posted in this thread notwithstanding. If, due to such an accident, I had to spend a year of my life sucking dinner from a straw, I don't know how eager I might be to get back on a bike altogether. Give the guy a little credit for this . . .

Caruso


I'm doing McMiles around the golf course loop this afternoon and a wrong way cyclists is doing laps also, but riding on the left hand side of the road, coming right at me, in my lane, twice each lap.

After a couple of passes and very close calls, where I yell at him "you're on the wrong side of the road." I wave him to a stop. He's wearing black and the sun has already set (I have my front light and rear blinker on), no lights and no helmet.

I explain to him its safer to ride with traffic and when he argues I tell him, look I don't care if you want to kill yourself, but you have no right to kill me. He replies with its safer to see traffic coming at him and that he was hit from behind by a car while riding in the right direction in traffic and spent the next year sucking dinner out of a straw. I explain to him that rear end accidents are rare and that he will get really get FUBAR'ed if he hits a car head on.

No reasoning with him. He feels "safer" going agasinst traffic because he got hit from behind and is paranoid.

How do I convince this moron to stop endangering my safety?

It sounds to me as though he is holding his line and you are holding yours as you approach each other on a collision course. You don't mention if this loop is on a public street or part of the golf club. Regardless, even though most of us would agree that he is wrong to ride in the wrong direction, that is still no excuse for you to exacerbate the situation by challenging him to these close calls (unless you really mean to say that your attempts to alter your path are met with confusing attempts on his part to also alter his . . . that's the problem for which lane markers and conventional traffic patterns were developed to solve). As you approach him, make clear your intention to switch lanes to pass and ride on in bliss. I think he's wrong, by why let it raise your blood pressure and ruin your day/ride?


I've done that before, that is, hold my line with a wrong way cyclist coming right at me. The way I see it, I have the ROW, so they should be the ones to get out of the way. Unfortunately, if you're wrong-way cycling, you're probably also oblivious matters of ROW, so it's me who ends up swerving to avoid collision. :notamused:

Snot rocket...

You could also, hold your line, and let him hit you. (be prepared with helmet, extra padding, extra pairs of sharp bar ends mid handlebar) Make sure to give him an earful of everything he did wrong if he lives...

Sure, that'll hurt, but think of it as an investment; afterwards he'll also gain a new phobia of riding the wrong way on top of riding the right way, and might just quit altogether.
Then he's not longer a problem right?

I mean... this guy seems to ignore the logic and base things purely on having been hit right? so hit him.



Other thoughts: this guy has a phobia of cars, how do you think he'll react to the sound of an airzound? One of the more intimidating aspects of cars is their horn, so that might work well for getting him out of your way.


Or how about a more pacifist approach? Next time ride with a friend, make a point of both of you going side-by-side taking the entire bike lane so it's obvious that he cannot even think about playing chicken but will have to get out of your way. Be sure to both of you yell at him for going the wrong way as you pass him stopped by the side of the road. Chances are he'll get frustrated with it and leave?

Make a reference to Florida chapter 316.2065 if you desire to make his head spin for a few moments.

Or print out a copy and give it to him. Maybe point out that if he ever happens to get hit by a car again, the fact that he is breaking the law by riding in the wrong direction would likely make it impossible for him to recover from the driver that hits him or that driver's insurer.

Or get in your car and hit him from the front. If he survives, that ought to cure him of cycling.

Joust perhaps?

Ok, so, after the first close call, what evasive action did you take to avoid a second close call, or is what we're really talking about here a game of chicken being played out between two equally stubborn cyclists?

It sounds to me as though he is holding his line and you are holding yours as you approach each other on a collision course. You don't mention if this loop is on a public street or part of the golf club. Regardless, even though most of us would agree that he is wrong to ride in the wrong direction, that is still no excuse for you to exacerbate the situation by challenging him to these close calls (unless you really mean to say that your attempts to alter your path are met with confusing attempts on his part to also alter his . . . that's the problem for which lane markers and conventional traffic patterns were developed to solve). As you approach him, make clear your intention to switch lanes to pass and ride on in bliss. I think he's wrong, by why let it raise your blood pressure and ruin your day/ride?

If, as he has stated, he has been rear ended, then, no amount of statistical data you present will allay the likely phobia that affects his thinking - I think you need to cut him an accommodating break on this point, heartless comments posted in this thread notwithstanding. If, due to such an accident, I had to spend a year of my life sucking dinner from a straw, I don't know how eager I might be to get back on a bike altogether. Give the guy a little credit for this . . .

Caruso

Do not assume what you do not know.

He's all over the place, the first time I came up to him, he made no clear indication of which side he was going to pass me on, he went to outside, forcing me to the curb. Next time, he goes to the inside. On two occasions, we meet as we both are going into a corner, me at over 20 mph, him a little slower. I have to change my line in the corner both times.

Remember, our closing speed is close to 40 mph, there is not much time to react at that speed.

Lance? :innocent:

http://www.blooiphoto.com/img/msr/Bike_joust.jpg

Airzound!

Or print out a copy and give it to him. Maybe point out that if he ever happens to get hit by a car again, the fact that he is breaking the law by riding in the wrong direction would likely make it impossible for him to recover from the driver that hits him or that driver's insurer.

Are you kidding? Carusoswi is right - no amount of data or laws will stop the doofus from riding wrong-way. From what I can tell, the OP's main (rightful) complaint is that this fellow is not only wrong-way cycling in an erratic manner, but buzzing him in the process.


-Kurt

Are you kidding? Carusoswi is right - no amount of data or laws will stop the doofus from riding wrong-way. From what I can tell, the OP's main (rightful) complaint is that this fellow is not only wrong-way cycling in an erratic manner, but buzzing him in the process.

No, I'm not kidding. You're the one who suggested citing the statute. I think that the wrong-way cyclist would be more likely to consider the statute if he has it in front of him in black and white than if it's just a number being thrown at him by some random stranger.

I agree with you that it is not likely to change his habits one way or the other.

I would
(a) cordially explain the law to the cyclist and why what he is doing is dangerous

(b) if he continues his unsafe behavior - unsafe to him, you and every other cyclist he encounters - I'd give the cops a heads up and see if they could respond to the unsafe situation and explain the law to the guy.

Sure he's behaving that way because of his accident, but he's being unsafe to himself and others. Nobody has the right to break the traffic laws for their own sense of security when it endangers others.

Sure he's behaving that way because of his accident, but he's being unsafe to himself and others. Nobody has the right to break the traffic laws for their own sense of security when it endangers others.
Cycling conditions must be very good indeed when a wrong way rider on the golf course loop is worthy of calling the cops about his threat to others' cycling security and safety.

Point out that when motorists look for traffic before pulling out in the street, they look for traffic going the right way -- not the wrong way. They don't look for traffic going the wrong way, because there's never any traffic going the wrong way -- not until now, anyways.

But if that that doesn't convince him, you might as well just give up. Or get the police to tell him it's illegal and perhaps give him a ticket. Or I guess go and get a car and start doing loops the correct way, making sure to run him off the road every loop, pointing out who has the right of way each time.

Though I'm not sure what a golf course loop is ... if it's a road, then OK. If it's a track that only pedestrians, golf carts and bicycles are permitted on, then what's he afraid of anyways?

I've been tempted, when having a wrong way rider coming straight at me:
to hop off the bike, get behind it and brace it sideways across the bike lane like a barricade aimed at an angle out into the oncoming car lanes.

Just to Physically Emphasize the point of why going against traffic is a bad idea; he can either stop, hit me, or hit the oncoming car lane.





Might try that out next time he's on a collision course with you, from that position behind your bike he'd be the one to take much more damage should he actually hit you... be sure to yell a reminder about wrong way while he tries to get around you...

wow, if this ever happened to me...if I was the wrong way rider and you did that, you'd be in jail. I would 1) restrain you 2) call the cops 3) put you in jail. if you played tough guy, I'd use the persuader. you'll happily sit and wait for the police. Just to Emphasize the point you can't run around and be a jackass to just anyone because you want to*

someone did that to me once I was riding the correct way, but they tried to block me. 4 months later after the tool spent a week in jail, I get a settlement check from State of NY for 2000 bucks. all he did was try to shove me into traffic. I win. I still
don't know how the State paid me, but that's what happened. Maybe the jerk was a ward of the state I dunno. all i know was
the cops came, set the dogs out, found the jerk and his buddies in the woods, corralled them all. I went in, pointed to the dweeb, case was closed for me. then in my mail later that year a big surprise.


*although this could never happen because I never, ever ride the wrong way. it feels unclean and nasty and dangerous. I hate hate hate riding against traffic......so unsafe it doesn't need to be thunk about twice.

I would
(a) cordially explain the law to the cyclist and why what he is doing is dangerous

(b) if he continues his unsafe behavior - unsafe to him, you and every other cyclist he encounters - I'd give the cops a heads up and see if they could respond to the unsafe situation and explain the law to the guy.

Sure he's behaving that way because of his accident, but he's being unsafe to himself and others. Nobody has the right to break the traffic laws for their own sense of security when it endangers others.

He recognized that what he was doing was against the law, but that he would continue to do it because he felt "safer" that he would not get hit from behind again.

I'm not going to call the cops, he said he usually rides in the morning and I ride in the evening, so hopefully out paths won't cross again.

wow, if this ever happened to me...if I was the wrong way rider and you did that, you'd be in jail. I would 1) restrain you 2) call the cops 3) put you in jail. if you played tough guy, I'd use the persuader. you'll happily sit and wait for the police. Just to Emphasize the point you can't run around and be a jackass to just anyone because you want to*


You miss the point that the 'jackass' in this case is the guy going the wrong way, not the guy trying to prevent injury from impact by: 1-stopping, and 2-getting behind his own bike for protection.
thats the story, 'he was barreling straight at me from the wrong way and weaving back and fourth, I didn't want to get hurt so i got behind my bike in case he ran into me.'

You're the one who suggested citing the statute.

Citing the statute (to someone who ignores the law) serves only to help shut them up if they are attempting to involve you in an argument - and you so happen to have taken their bait. Most people don't know how to respond to the comment; it gives you a manner to ride off with reasonable tact - It is not intended to change their wrong-way riding habits.

-Kurt

P.S.: What was he riding?

He recognized that what he was doing was against the law, but that he would continue to do it because he felt "safer" that he would not get hit from behind again.


Well, that might have been the time to form an agreement on you taking the curb side while he went around each time you passed.

You miss the point that the 'jackass' in this case is the guy going the wrong way, not the guy trying to prevent injury from impact by: 1-stopping, and 2-getting behind his own bike for protection.
thats the story, 'he was barreling straight at me from the wrong way and weaving back and fourth, I didn't want to get hurt so i got behind my bike in case he ran into me.'

If you have time to stop and get behind your bike, you have time to stop and take one step off the road with your bike.

Did you ask him if he had lights on him when he got hit?

And tell him it doesn't take a car to make you need to eat through a straw (whilst raising your fist of course).

If you have time to stop and get behind your bike, you have time to stop and take one step off the road with your bike.

HEY Get with the Program!
We're here to bash the Wrong Way cyclist! and come up with all kinds of devious ways to get him out the friggin way!

I think you're in the wrong thread, why don't you go and make a new one advocating going the wrong way and generally being a doofus on the road?




...Friggin troll trying to disagree with everyone in the topic...

Yaaaawwwwnnnn...

-Kurt

I'm doing McMiles around the golf course loop this afternoon and a wrong way cyclists is doing laps also, but riding on the left hand side of the road, coming right at me, in my lane, twice each lap.

After a couple of passes and very close calls, where I yell at him "you're on the wrong side of the road." I wave him to a stop. He's wearing black and the sun has already set (I have my front light and rear blinker on), no lights and no helmet.

I explain to him its safer to ride with traffic and when he argues I tell him, look I don't care if you want to kill yourself, but you have no right to kill me. He replies with its safer to see traffic coming at him and that he was hit from behind by a car while riding in the right direction in traffic and spent the next year sucking dinner out of a straw. I explain to him that rear end accidents are rare and that he will get really get FUBAR'ed if he hits a car head on.

No reasoning with him. He feels "safer" going agasinst traffic because he got hit from behind and is paranoid.

How do I convince this moron to stop endangering my safety?

I can sort of see, the other cyclist's reasoning, pursuant to the fact of him getting hit from behind.:(

After my accident in May, where the motorist ran me into the sidewalk by squeezing me, I have 'taken the lane', since then.:mad:


At the same time, he is not only, not getting control of his fear resulting from the accident, he is also breaking the law.:notamused:

Tell him, if he wants to kill himself in a head-on collision, that you don't want to join him in dying.