Advocacy & Safety - Which One of You Angry Forumites Did I See?

I went for a short run (yes, running, sans wheels) at noon today and came upon a guy riding his bike on the sidewalk. He flipped his middle finger at every pedestrian and car he saw. He would pedal a few strokes flip someone off, pedal a bit more, flip someone off... every few seconds... and he kept it up for as long as he was in my sight - crazy!

So, who was it that I saw? Who's the angriest here? And what are your "issues?"

Rofl...

I went for a short run (yes, running, sans wheels) at noon today and came upon a guy riding his bike on the sidewalk. He flipped his middle finger at every pedestrian and car he saw. He would pedal a few strokes flip someone off, pedal a bit more, flip someone off... every few seconds... and he kept it up for as long as he was in my sight - crazy!

So, who was it that I saw? Who's the angriest here? And what are your "issues?"


Wasn't me--I was out for a walk, yup walk, about the same time. I did pass two from the local bike club I found online--recognised the jersey--and heard "people up." Made me feel good that they were being cautious and good representation of the club.

Did I leave you out? No problem, tomorrow I'll flip you off twice to make up for it.

Sorry, it wasn't me. I was enjoying myself at the Farmer's Market downtown during the lunch hour, as in having FUN. Where in puddletown did this event occur? Sounds like Hawthorne Blvd or NW 23rd to me... ;)

There used to be a homeless guy outside my Manhattan building who would spend all day pointing to individual people walking by and very calmly telling each one "F*** YOU!" Perhaps he's swapped coasts and bought a bike?

I have noted an increase in the general level of hostility in my neighborhood. Whether I am running or biking, I seem to be having more confrontations with angry pickup truck drivers, the mentally ill, and agitated pedestrians.

The latest incident was particularly puzzling. I was running down the sidewalk along a major street (8 mile), and there was this pedestrian, a kid in his late teens or early twenties, who was heading the opposite direction. He seemed to be determined to place himself directly in my path, even though the sidewalk was quite wide. I would move over, and he would move over.

I figured out that he was determined to collide with me, so I obliged him. He apparently didn't know too much about physics because a 160lb man traveling at 8min/mile doesn't just bump into you. I knocked him over and continued to run. This seemed to upset him. He followed me for a about 50 yards, but couldn't keep up.

People are strange.

Dan

Erm... you were on the sidewalk? At any rate, I would've just showed him what 1/2mv^2 is all about.

Bizarre...

Probably a representative of our mental health "system"...

I was running. The street was an eight lane divided boulevard type street. Though I sometimes run in the street, this would not have been an ideal street for that because traffic is moving quite fast (40-50mph) and folks just don't expect to see runners mixing with traffic.

On a bike I avoid this particular route, as a couple of good lower speed, and less travelled alternatives exist.

Dan

I'd think it was me, but I don't ride on sidewalks. I do suffer from the little known version of tourret's (sp?) syndrome where I don't yell out my obscenities while riding, but use hand gestures instead. I need to get a loud air horn or something to alert all of those idiots in my path that they need to get out of my way...

I have had the people I work with come from the other end of the warehouse and ask me what's wrong after hearing the language coming out of my mouth though... And that's on the other end of closed doors and probably 200 feet away... I wonder why I don't yell when riding....

Oh yeah, I ride stealth... couldn't have been me...

Sorry, it wasn't me. I was enjoying myself at the Farmer's Market downtown during the lunch hour, as in having FUN. Where in puddletown did this event occur? Sounds like Hawthorne Blvd or NW 23rd to me... ;)

Ha, you're pretty close, though not the vicinity around 23rd you probably suspect. It was between NW 22nd and 23rd, but slightly north of Vaughn, in the industrial area near where I work.

It's not uncommon to see some hostility in this area...mostly from the homeless. They walk down the middle of the street and flip everyone the bird. But, this is the first time I've seen this behavior from what appeared to be a non-transient, bike rider. I gathered he's pretty darn angry -- must be an Ullrich fan :)

hmm sounds pretty close to the route I was on sunday,maybe he was an STP'er that didn't finish :D

We have a guy here that screams at the top of his lungs when he rides and he usually is in full roadie gear