Commuting - An Amplified Windows-Closed "Get Off the F-ing Road"

I was riding home last night as the sun was setting on a cold, snowy afternoon and I'm near home pedaling along on a 4 lane road that's somewhat busy, I got yelled at by a guy in a monster wheel type Dodge Ram pickup in a bizarre way.

I've been cussed out a half dozen times so I'm that's not the issue. :twitchy: But never in the winter, (I figure) since the cager would have to roll down his window and suck in the cold air.:lol: This time was different as this guy was very well prepared. He turned on a PA system that he seemingly directed right at me, and out came the loudest and clearest "get off the f-ing road" I've ever heard--and I was wearing a balaclava! (I was further humbled since my mitten prevented me from giving him the traditional response.):o

This guy can push a button and cuss out anyone in the damn whole world. It's redneck heaven for this dude!:eek: I hope this isn't standard equipment on new trucks. :mad:

Ooofa! It's not a good development, that's for sure.

Twice this week (and it's only Wednesday) I've heard muffled things yelled at me from car windows. I can usually go a year or more without anything of this sort, so something must be up. I think it ticks them off to see someone out riding in the cold, though why that would be... the mind fairly boggles.

This guy can push a button and cuss out anyone in the damn whole world. It's redneck heaven for this dude!:eek: I hope this isn't standard equipment on new trucks. :mad:

Wow, I'm feeling ripped off. My truck is absent this feature! Maybe its because I have a GMC...made to be "PROFESSIONAL" grade ;) Seriously though, I find this more funny than offensive.

This guy can push a button and cuss out anyone in the damn whole world.

Yeah, I've encountered a few of those boys. They've got a new toy and just have to play with it. I guess a car horn just isn't eloquent enough for them.

As I understand the law, in Illinois it's illegal to have a PA in the car unless it's an emerency vehicle. No matter if it's legal to have one, I can't imagine that's a legal use of a PA. Next time I'd get the plate number and call him in. The fact that you know he has a PA is proof he used it....

Wow, I'm feeling ripped off. My truck is absent this feature! Maybe its because I have a GMC...made to be "PROFESSIONAL" grade ;) Seriously though, I find this more funny than offensive.

Sorry, but I have to agree here...Maybe it's just the way you described it Dave, but I'm :roflmao2:. I'm sure that freaked you out...:notamused:

Wow, I'm feeling ripped off. My truck is absent this feature! Maybe its because I have a GMC...made to be "PROFESSIONAL" grade ;) Seriously though, I find this more funny than offensive.

At first I was ticked, then I was shaking my head at what I heard but now I'm with you--it is funny.

(I was further humbled since my mitten prevented me from giving him the traditional response.):o

A gloved hand held up will usually be interpreted correctly in this situation.

A gloved hand held up will usually be interpreted correctly in this situation.

Or you could use the international made-for-mittens version...

http://www.foxsports.com.au/common/imagedata/0,5001,5395206,00.jpg

Or you could use the international made-for-mittens version...

http://www.foxsports.com.au/common/imagedata/0,5001,5395206,00.jpg

Love it, Chris!

(but I won't risk it in the winter--I might fall going no handed whilst riding on icy streets, which would give untold satisfaction to the monster wheel truck driver)

Not that I'd ever use it for hollering profanities at cyclists, but I've got a PA system hooked up to a toggle on the CB in my Jeep. It's nice to have when you're queued up in a line of traffic and there's some prick who knows the lane he's in has to merge but he's more important than the rest of us so he's zipped up to the head of the queue instead of getting over when the rest of the drivers merged, and he's stuck there trying to nose his $90K Mercedes in front of you. My response to that is to pick up the mic and announce, "Take a look at my Jeep. Does it look like I care if you hit me? I'm not letting you in. You should have queued up like the rest of us. Your Mercedes does not make you any better than us."

Love it, Chris!

(but I won't risk it in the winter--I might fall going no handed whilst riding on icy streets, which would give untold satisfaction to the monster wheel truck driver)

There's always the backhand swept forward under the chin manouvre, which lets you keep one hand on the bars.

Has anyone ran into the trucks with the Train Horns? I darn near shat myself when a truck wailed on it coming up behind me. Evidently the hide the airtanks under their truck somewhere. I was somewhat amused after I made sure I didn't soil myself.

Ooofa! It's not a good development, that's for sure.

Twice this week (and it's only Wednesday) I've heard muffled things yelled at me from car windows. I can usually go a year or more without anything of this sort, so something must be up. I think it ticks them off to see someone out riding in the cold, though why that would be... the mind fairly boggles.


It's not a new development--it's retro, usually an option that comes with a Citizen's Band (CB) radio.

Has anyone ran into the trucks with the Train Horns? I darn near shat myself when a truck wailed on it coming up behind me. Evidently the hide the airtanks under their truck somewhere. I was somewhat amused after I made sure I didn't soil myself.

Ran into? OK, I guess I'll have to admit my hillbilly streak: I have a 125dB twin trumpet air horn on my Jeep, along with the PA speaker.
It's the "Last Resort" horn, and I have it wired to a separate button from my regular horn. The big chrome external train horns usually run off a tanked compressor inside the vehicle, but the little plastic ones you can hide under the hood have a self contained compressor module which installs with them.

He musta picked it up at the Mt. Prospect cop surplus auction.

http://jalopnik.com/assets/resources/2007/11/Bluesmobile.jpg

Did the Dodge Ram happen to be diesel, navy blue and with exhaust stacks like a semi? Had that guy yell at me last year over his PA, but I couldn't understand anything he said. He even turned around twice so he could pass me 3 times. This was also in Ohio.

(I was further humbled since my mitten prevented me from giving him the traditional response.):o

This happened to me once... A box truck bearing down on my ass leaning on his horn as I was struggling up a hill in my tank of a winter commuter. When he finally decided to pass me in the wide open lane to his left (wtf?), I held out my mittened hand to him, and I can only assume he knew that I was giving him the finger by my body language :p

I was riding home last night as the sun was setting on a cold, snowy afternoon and I'm near home pedaling along on a 4 lane road that's somewhat busy, I got yelled at by a guy in a monster wheel type Dodge Ram pickup in a bizarre way.

I've been cussed out a half dozen times so I'm that's not the issue. :twitchy: But never in the winter, (I figure) since the cager would have to roll down his window and suck in the cold air.:lol: This time was different as this guy was very well prepared. He turned on a PA system that he seemingly directed right at me, and out came the loudest and clearest "get off the f-ing road" I've ever heard--and I was wearing a balaclava! (I was further humbled since my mitten prevented me from giving him the traditional response.):o

This guy can push a button and cuss out anyone in the damn whole world. It's redneck heaven for this dude!:eek: I hope this isn't standard equipment on new trucks. :mad:

Probably has a CB with a PA feature. Only thing you can do is get an Airzounds to respond in kind.

I held out my mittened hand to him, and I can only assume he knew that I was giving him the finger by my body language :p

Intention is everything. I found that with my lobster mitts, I hold up all 3 of my mitted fingers then very deliberately show the driver as I fold down my thumb and pinky/ring finger. Sure, my index and middle finger are extended, but for the intent with a pair of lobster mitts on, that is my middle finger. :lol:

My dad had one on his similarly monstered-up Ford (at the time, a '92 F350), and he might still on his '06 F150, but I think he's only used it to harass his children in parking lots. :)

Probably has a CB with a PA feature. Only thing you can do is get an Airzounds to respond in kind.You could shoot out a tire and watch him tip over as the tire goes flat.

Find out what radio station he listens to and follow him around with a "Mr. Microphone" and make comments on his driving and heritage.

I always try to soften the aggression by doffing an imaginary cap.

In the UK, sadly, this is sometimes mistaken for a gesture which implies that the person concerned is a d-ckhead.

In the UK, sadly, this is sometimes mistaken for a gesture which implies that the person concerned is a d-ckhead.Sounds like a feature, not a bug.

Those have been around forever -- I had a PA feature on my CB in high school, mid-70's. Nothing like what was available from places like JC Whtiney! CB PA's usually had 4-5 watts of power for the speaker; aftermarket, specialty PA's ran about 4x that.

This yutz is using his as a virtual penis enlarger.

I was riding home last night as the sun was setting on a cold, snowy afternoon and I'm near home pedaling along on a 4 lane road that's somewhat busy, I got yelled at by a guy in a monster wheel type Dodge Ram pickup in a bizarre way.

I've been cussed out a half dozen times so I'm that's not the issue. :twitchy: But never in the winter, (I figure) since the cager would have to roll down his window and suck in the cold air.:lol: This time was different as this guy was very well prepared. He turned on a PA system that he seemingly directed right at me, and out came the loudest and clearest "get off the f-ing road" I've ever heard--and I was wearing a balaclava! (I was further humbled since my mitten prevented me from giving him the traditional response.):o

This guy can push a button and cuss out anyone in the damn whole world. It's redneck heaven for this dude!:eek: I hope this isn't standard equipment on new trucks. :mad:

Bike shotgun rack FTW!

what a clown

Has anyone ran into the trucks with the Train Horns? I darn near shat myself when a truck wailed on it coming up behind me. Evidently the hide the airtanks under their truck somewhere. I was somewhat amused after I made sure I didn't soil myself.

I did- on 23rd street in Manhattan. He was laying on it right in my ear after I flipped him off. You could hear the guy on it all the way down Second Avenue. I threw a penny from my ashtray at the back of his immaculate conversion van from the window of my beat to heck toyota van. Things degenerated from there.

Or you could use the international made-for-mittens version...

http://www.foxsports.com.au/common/imagedata/0,5001,5395206,00.jpg

http://z.about.com/d/italian/1/6/2/1/gestures26.gif

This is a poor image of an Italian gesture. Imagine you have a long beard... possibly full of crumbs and vermin.. you dust it all off in the direction of the cager. Can be used to great effect.

I'm surprised you could make out what they're saying... most ******* haven't heard of the doppler effect. It would have been funny if he was so busy yelling at you he almost crashed... I have seen it happen.

Anyways, if you have the plate # you can file a complaint and the police will charge them with mischief. Say if they were harassing you and you fell off the bike and scraped your elbow...

Or you could use the international made-for-mittens version...

http://www.foxsports.com.au/common/imagedata/0,5001,5395206,00.jpg

This video gives you the full range, although some of them require 2 hands:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jVCuyrPk7P4

Imagine you have a long beard... possibly full of crumbs and vermin.. you dust it all off in the direction of the cager. Can be used to great effect.

Wouldn't that mean you are probably riding a recumbent?

In any regard, guys with trucks like that are compensating for something. The guy like that in my neighborhood sure is.

D

let's hope this guy exercises restraint around cyclists:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Pzvwna9tKHo

I was riding home last night as the sun was setting on a cold, snowy afternoon and I'm near home pedaling along on a 4 lane road that's somewhat busy, I got yelled at by a guy in a monster wheel type Dodge Ram pickup in a bizarre way.

I've been cussed out a half dozen times so I'm that's not the issue. :twitchy: But never in the winter, (I figure) since the cager would have to roll down his window and suck in the cold air.:lol: This time was different as this guy was very well prepared. He turned on a PA system that he seemingly directed right at me, and out came the loudest and clearest "get off the f-ing road" I've ever heard--and I was wearing a balaclava! (I was further humbled since my mitten prevented me from giving him the traditional response.):o

This guy can push a button and cuss out anyone in the damn whole world. It's redneck heaven for this dude!:eek: I hope this isn't standard equipment on new trucks. :mad:


I thought you were a LEO.

I have found wisdom in the episode of "Roseanne" where Dan tells Rosanne "You should never flip off some one you can't out run".
I feel that the world has enough folks overreacting to things without me adding to it.

I keep this (http://www.bicyclemeditations.org/road.html) in mind. Thus, when the motorist honks his horn, raises the single digit, and makes his sincere invocation, you have but one response: to smile, to wave, and return to the joy of riding your bike. (from the page)
It is all about your POV.

I got a "what an a$$-hole" on Monday (and it was my birthday, which made it sting a little bit more). :(

I guess some dBags didn't get what they asked for for Christmas!

I always consider that anyone who yells, honks or gestures at me is not running over me. So I'm happy.

I found it funny thdave only because it didn't happen to me (I'm sure i'd think the guy was a jack-a$$ if it did). I'm glad you can look back and see the humor. Did he expect you to have an epiphany, dismount your bike, and walk along the shoulder until you got to your destination.

let's hope this guy exercises restraint around cyclists:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Pzvwna9tKHo

Whaddya mean? There's got to be a version of this that will fit on a bicycle rack...;)

Whaddya mean? There's got to be a version of this that will fit on a bicycle rack...;)

I would pay handsomely for a bicycle version of that horn. I could finally teach those crazy motorists a lesson.

I found it funny thdave only because it didn't happen to me (I'm sure i'd think the guy was a jack-a$$ if it did). I'm glad you can look back and see the humor. Did he expect you to have an epiphany, dismount your bike, and walk along the shoulder until you got to your destination.

I think his expectations were to be an ass and use his PA system.:rolleyes: That was about it.

With his monster wheels he could have driven on the sidewalk but not me. It was covered with ~3 foot of snow, most of which was put there by the snowplow.

let's hope this guy exercises restraint around cyclists:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Pzvwna9tKHo


I think if he used that in that Scion, without hearing protection, it would blow his eardrums out. Quite literally.

(I was further humbled since my mitten prevented me from giving him the traditional response.)
You're doing it wrong, the best response is to smile and wave. It drives these people insane.