Advocacy & Safety - Has anyone else been tempted to just hit a car?

Again this morning I had two idiots offer me the opportunity of T-boning, one an SUV one a little chevy. In both cases my immediate response was hard braking and yelling "Hey! Watch out idiot!" Both drivers stopped at the intersection and one zipped across a 4 lane downtown street to get into a parking lot right in front of me, the other looked left, right and pulled right out in front of me.

Now I'm 6'4" 250 lbs of muscles clad in high vis yellow, with two bright white Catseye lights flashing in the front. It was just before 8:00 AM, clear and daylight. It's hard to say they couldn't see me.

But, with just a little less braking I could have T-boned them bounced off and had "soft tissue injuries". My commuter is an mid '90's Trek 700 that I bet I could get the LBS to say it was totaled. I could have sued, made life miserable, etc.

Anyone else ever tempted this way or am I sleep deprived or something?

You're sleep deprived or something. Doing what you state you'd like to do is a mistake you'll likely regret, if you lived through it. Sure you can probably find an ambulance chaser of a lawyer to help you file a suit, but the drivers you hit also have lawyers as do their insurance companies. If the drivers are in the right of way you would be at fault for hitting them, in which case you would not get a dime and you may be the one who is sued. IF it is their fault you would still not likely see a dime in the law suit for a very long time. Your ambulance chaser lawyer would likely get most of it.

You say you're 6'4" and 250 pounds of muscle. But how old are you? Just wondering if you're a young adult who has not matured enough to learn to keep a cool head about things like this. Sure drivers are idiots and do stupid things. But that is NEVER grounds for doing what you state you'd like to do to them. I have encountered my fair share of idiot drivers, but never once did I even think about wanting to hit them and then sue. There are other ways to deal with this. Injuring yourself then sueing over it is not it.

Also keep in mind you more or less told everyone on this forum what you would like to do. If it ever happened, what you posted here would likely come back to affect the outcome in the law suit.

That's why I say tempted. I'm into my 2nd half of the century and one of the things that I've learned is the law of unintended consequences. That's why the temptation is so crazy. Somehow Hey Idiot just isn't satisfying anymore.


You're sleep deprived or something. Doing what you state you'd like to do is a mistake you'll likely regret, if you lived through it. Sure you can probably find an ambulance chaser of a lawyer to help you file a suit, but the drivers you hit also have lawyers as do their insurance companies. If the drivers are in the right of way you would be at fault for hitting them, in which case you would not get a dime and you may be the one who is sued. IF it is their fault you would still not likely see a dime in the law suit for a very long time. Your ambulance chaser lawyer would likely get most of it.

You say you're 6'4" and 250 pounds of muscle. But how old are you? Just wondering if you're a young adult who has not matured enough to learn to keep a cool head about things like this. Sure drivers are idiots and do stupid things. But that is NEVER grounds for doing what you state you'd like to do to them. I have encountered my fair share of idiot drivers, but never once did I even think about wanting to hit them and then sue. There are other ways to deal with this. Injuring yourself then sueing over it is not it.

Also keep in mind you more or less told everyone on this forum what you would like to do. If it ever happened, what you posted here would likely come back to affect the outcome in the law suit.

Again this morning I had two idiots offer me the opportunity of T-boning, one an SUV one a little chevy. In both cases my immediate response was hard braking and yelling "Hey! Watch out idiot!" Both drivers stopped at the intersection and one zipped across a 4 lane downtown street to get into a parking lot right in front of me, the other looked left, right and pulled right out in front of me.

Now I'm 6'4" 250 lbs of muscles clad in high vis yellow, with two bright white Catseye lights flashing in the front. It was just before 8:00 AM, clear and daylight. It's hard to say they couldn't see me.

But, with just a little less braking I could have T-boned them bounced off and had "soft tissue injuries". My commuter is an mid '90's Trek 700 that I bet I could get the LBS to say it was totaled. I could have sued, made life miserable, etc.

Anyone else ever tempted this way or am I sleep deprived or something?

With a heavy cargo box , yes, it can teach a motorist a lesson if I "forget" to use the brakes:

http://s134.photobucket.com/albums/q119/hotbike/00000024-4.jpg

Arguement goes like this:

"You cut me off"

"No I didn't"

"How do you explain the dent in your trunk?"

"I'll pay for the damage myself"

"I have insurance, are you sure?"

"No, I'll pay for the damage myself".

+++++++++++++++

I wouldn't hit a car on purpose unless I'm riding my cargo bike.

Hit a van a while ago, semi-intentionally.

Riding home along 44th street on one of the few occasions I could ride the bicycle to work,(normally too far or have to haul too much) and the van popped out of a 'taco-boy' drive way. I had cars behind and to my left so the only option I had was to shoot into the driveway, it was so close and such a tight turn that I ended up having to slap the van hard to keep myself upright. I stopped and he started b*tching and wanting to kick my a**.
Picture a guy about 5'9, and 250lbs or better (all jello) holding a taco and coke threatening you, when he jumped out of the truck all I could do is laugh and ask if he wanted fries with that. He threw the taco, jumped back in his truck and took off.
You could see in his face that it wasn't going quite the way he planned, I think he really expected me to run as soon as he jumped out, I'm skinny and small, 5'6 and 145 lbs, but look like I'm about 110lbs.

There have been a few other times that I have decided to hit a car, but most often it was the safest choice, (hmmm, hit that car that just pulled out, or miss him and get hit by that car doing 45....)

Ken.

Can't say I have been tempted on a bike but I sure thought about in my car on the odd occasion. I was hoping to finish off the old Tempo in a blaze of glory by using it total some arse's BMW or VW whilst he or she was doing something particularly stupid behind the wheel (The drivers of these particular vehicles are easily the worst and most aggressive drivers round here). Alas, it was not to be and the Tempo has gone off to the great scrapyard in the sky without performing one last act of public service.

Again this morning I had two idiots offer me the opportunity of T-boning, one an SUV one a little chevy. In both cases my immediate response was hard braking and yelling "Hey! Watch out idiot!" Both drivers stopped at the intersection and one zipped across a 4 lane downtown street to get into a parking lot right in front of me, the other looked left, right and pulled right out in front of me.

Now I'm 6'4" 250 lbs of muscles clad in high vis yellow, with two bright white Catseye lights flashing in the front. It was just before 8:00 AM, clear and daylight. It's hard to say they couldn't see me.

But, with just a little less braking I could have T-boned them bounced off and had "soft tissue injuries". My commuter is an mid '90's Trek 700 that I bet I could get the LBS to say it was totaled. I could have sued, made life miserable, etc.

Anyone else ever tempted this way or am I sleep deprived or something?
I've had people pull out in front of me, driving a CAR.

Anyway I generally shrug and realize they aren't worth my time, I'm not going to clear the world of idiots by reminding them how stupid they are (look at P&R).

I avoided a collision with a car door opening in the street once. I fantisized going back down that street again with the same car opening a door again and me in a 2 ton truck going 50 and ripping the door from its hinges and scaring the **** out of the driver.

(Square & compas, you can forget making any comments here.)

Under the common law, all persons owe all other persons a "duty of care." When that duty of care is breached, and some sort of injury or damage occurs, the person breaching that duty is at fault, and can be held liable for a "tort of negligence."

The duty to exercise due care in avoiding collisions with others applies to all travelers using the public highways and thoroughfares – motorists, cyclists, pedestrians, equestrians, speed-skaters, and others. Under the common law all travelers have a duty to exercise due care, and all travelers have a corresponding right to assume that all other travelers will exercise due care.

This means that all travelers must exercise reasonable care and caution to avoid a collision with another traveler and expect all other travelers to do the same. What constitutes “reasonable care” depends on what is prudent in a particular set of circumstances. Because of this common-law right and its corresponding duty, all travelers have an obligation to obey the applicable traffic laws, and a right to assume that all other travelers will do likewise.

See Mionske, Bicycling and the Law: Your Rights as a Cyclist for more extensive discussion. You can't just go out there and run over or run into folks at will, the same common law and rights that put motorists at fault if they run over you apply in exactly the same measure when the charges are reversed.

I vote sleep deprived.

In addition to all of the various reasons other posters have stated, if you hit the car hard enough to do damage, there is a real possibility you would do damage to yourself. It's fun to think about getting a pain and suffering settlement, but if that pain and suffering is real, it's not really so fun.

Stay cool.

Speedo

Again this morning I had two idiots offer me the opportunity of T-boning, one an SUV one a little chevy. In both cases my immediate response was hard braking and yelling "Hey! Watch out idiot!" Both drivers stopped at the intersection and one zipped across a 4 lane downtown street to get into a parking lot right in front of me, the other looked left, right and pulled right out in front of me.

Now I'm 6'4" 250 lbs of muscles clad in high vis yellow, with two bright white Catseye lights flashing in the front. It was just before 8:00 AM, clear and daylight. It's hard to say they couldn't see me.

But, with just a little less braking I could have T-boned them bounced off and had "soft tissue injuries". My commuter is an mid '90's Trek 700 that I bet I could get the LBS to say it was totaled. I could have sued, made life miserable, etc.

Anyone else ever tempted this way or am I sleep deprived or something?

Daily!!

Today in fact, I was passed on a two-lane blacktop with a double-yellow solid line. Three cars sped past me into oncoming traffic. Just because they wanted to make the green light.:mad:

You need to read some of this - it'll cool you down:

http://linux.stevens-tech.edu/kmh/spike.bike.all.txt

-Kurt

A friend of mine (rather large) was doored by a Mercedes while riding on Bloor st. in Toronto.

Fortunately he hit the door when it was fully open, so the impact resulted in major damage to the hinges of the door (and not so much to my friend).

While I doubt he would replicate the incident on purpose, he was satisfied with the outcome. Not sure how much it costs to replace the door hinges on a Merc - but it is likely not cheap.

That's why I say tempted. I'm into my 2nd half of the century and one of the things that I've learned is the law of unintended consequences. That's why the temptation is so crazy. Somehow Hey Idiot just isn't satisfying anymore.

If yelling "Hey Idiot!" is not enought anymore then buy and use one of these; http://www.hostelshoppe.com/cgi-bin/readitem.pl?Accessory=1015625493

They are very effective and a lot better then intentionally hitting someone.

Yesterday I had a driver so determined to pass me and turn, rather than waiting 5 seconds and turning behind me, that his tyres were squealing as he headed around the corner.

He saved a few seconds, wore down his tyres for no reason, and almost killed a cyclist. Why?

I used to have a Honda that I hated, and couldn't get to run right for years. Take it to the dealer, to other mechanics, still ran like garbage. Every time some bonehead pulled out in front of me with no room to spare, I thought of just doing in the car at their expense. But this was always while I was saving their bacon -- and the car. There were a couple times where I had to change lanes instead of hitting them. In these cases, nobody would have said anything if I had just plowed right into them. But I never did because the potential consequences are so disastrous. So I guess the answer is yes, I have been tempted, but not on a bike.

If you're gonna do that make sure you pick an expensive SUV. SUV to make sure you don't flip over the vehicle. And expensive to make sure that you can get money when you sue ;).

If yelling "Hey Idiot!" is not enought anymore then buy and use one of these; http://www.hostelshoppe.com/cgi-bin/readitem.pl?Accessory=1015625493

They are very effective and a lot better then intentionally hitting someone.

1+. On a recent thread, "How to handle a deliberate buzzer?":


I always take the lane, which works perfectly fine in my small city. The only time I have problems is on single lane roads where I force cars to overtake me in the oncoming lane to pass me. One bmw driver has deliberately buzzed me twice now. The first time I gave him the blast of my airzound. Today I did it again and he just mockingly honked back...


I think that airzounds could be a really great response to a cager since it would be so unexpected, compared to insults and obscenities. It would be really cool if it came in obnoxious sounds, like flatulence, or "rasberries." I have seen such noise makers in joke shops, but I wonder if they would be loud enough. Pthftttt. :lol:

Using one's hand to whack the windows or side panels of vehicles seems to be popular here. When a motorist tries to pass on the right of the rest of traffic and encroaches on the bike lane, much whacking ensues.

Recently I saw a lady doing this while riding in on a busy street on her omafiets.
I'd say she was about 65 years old.

Anyone else ever tempted this way...?

Yes. My evidence: Truck Punch Video (22 seconds) (http://www.vimeo.com/2293166)

Joey, Joey, Joey, you are a bicycle death waiting to happen dude. Are there any traffic laws you abide by?

Yes. My evidence: Truck Punch Video (22 seconds) (http://www.vimeo.com/2293166)

Boo get new media, I call a fake if you haven't actually done anything more than that in the past 6 months.

Again this morning I had two idiots offer me the opportunity of T-boning, one an SUV one a little chevy. In both cases my immediate response was hard braking and yelling "Hey! Watch out idiot!" Both drivers stopped at the intersection and one zipped across a 4 lane downtown street to get into a parking lot right in front of me, the other looked left, right and pulled right out in front of me.

Now I'm 6'4" 250 lbs of muscles clad in high vis yellow, with two bright white Catseye lights flashing in the front. It was just before 8:00 AM, clear and daylight. It's hard to say they couldn't see me.

But, with just a little less braking I could have T-boned them bounced off and had "soft tissue injuries". My commuter is an mid '90's Trek 700 that I bet I could get the LBS to say it was totaled. I could have sued, made life miserable, etc.

Anyone else ever tempted this way or am I sleep deprived or something?

I actually came close to doing that on Thursday. I was riding on the sidewalk(it is legal in the county since, the state law was abridged by the county code), about to cross a driveway in the business district when, a car suddenly pulled into the driveway and, I had to hit the breaks hard.

I chased her, catching up to a couple of blocks away. I chewed her out big time!!!!

She was as ignorant, as they come. She told me I wasn't allowed to ride of the sidewalk. I would have shown her, that she was wrong but, I had to get to an appointment.

to the op, yes, but I don't want to have to fix or replace any of my bikes, so i don't

i do, however, punch cars and knock on windows and mirrors...but that usually just enrages drivers.

I actually came close to doing that on Thursday. I was riding on the sidewalk(it is legal in the county since, the state law was abridged by the county code), about to cross a driveway in the business district when, a car suddenly pulled into the driveway and, I had to hit the breaks hard.
.Why would you be on the sidewalk? In most business districts, it's illegal to ride on the sidewalk, and if it's not, it should be.

She was as ignorant, as they come. She told me I wasn't allowed to ride of the sidewalk. I would have shown her, that she was wrong but, I had to get to an appointment.

:roflmao:

Talk about turning the tables. Smart motorist meets jack@$$ cyclist.

-Kurt

The only time I hit a car on purpose was on skates, the guy ran a right on red so I rolled up to the car and smacked the roof right over his head as hard as I could and said next time I would put my fist through the window. On a bike I wouldn't because all my bikes are vintage. I did get doored and hit the guy in the hand and broke his fingers. I aimed at the hinge but hit the door handle, too bad for that clown.
I on the other hand suffered no damage to bike or self.

Yes. My evidence: Truck Punch Video (22 seconds) (http://www.vimeo.com/2293166)

The enormity of your penis is amazing.

Are there any traffic laws you abide by?

Nope. Just the laws of physics.

Nope. Just the laws of physics.

Dead man cycling. Dead man cycling here.

Talk about turning the tables. Smart motorist meets jack@$$ cyclist.
Amen

Aside from riding on two wheels, it's pretty clear we have so very little in common.

Nope. Just the laws of physics.

I feel sorry for the po fool who ends up crippling you. :deadhorse: