Here's a message posted to my cycling group's message board. I'd like to know what the consensus is regarding whether he should have gotten the license plate number and reported this to the local police or not. And if you have any other feedback or suggestions, feel free to share them. Thanks.
Two stories from my ride on Sat. The first relates to ...(text omitted)
The second is a lesson on how the superior intellect fails after 5 hours of riding (my wife has done the "oh dear" on me already). As I was finishing my 95 mile ride going up Lathrop-just north of Lake, a bunch of cars were passing, quite civily. I heard this close, approaching roar and thought I was a goner. A speed motocycle guy (looking like a typical speed motorcycle guy) came within inches of me (I mean inches) and owing to the trafiic, only going about 3-4 miles an hour faster than me.
He passed and immediatly had to stop for the stop sign. I pulled up to him and here is how the discourse went:
"Hey - what's your problem!"
"What's your problem!"
"Can you give me some room"
"Why don't you ride on the sidewalk, sissy"
"Why don't you ride on the sidewalk"
rrrrrrroar as motorcycle speeds off.
Well, even after 20+ years of schooling, my first grader has already advanced beyond me in conflict resolution....
The BikeForums Team
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no...nothing happened. why bother. i can picture the police report..."suspect called the victim 'sissy'".
lala
Depends on how cranky I was and what the local was. I've been trying to memorize plate #s but I'm not too successful. If I did it would be unsafe operation.
Nightshade
Since nothing except a verbal exchange happened there is
nothing the police could do.Besides in this situation you're
dealing with a mental midget. Not to mention that some guys
that ride a motorcycle think that the motorcycle is an extra
set of balls.
supcom
No harm, no foul.
shokhead
Why say anything in the first place? You already know he's an jackhole.
lala
Well, if this person has a history of abuse, then the reports will come in handy when/if an attack occurs.
supcom
Well, if this person has a history of abuse, then the reports will come in handy when/if an attack occurs.
What are you going to tell the police? A guy on a motorcycle slowly passed within inches of my bike, then called me a sissy? Maybe if he was going 70 MPH you could report reckless driving. I didn't read anything about the guy swerving to cut off the cyclist, throwing anything at the cyclist, taking a swing at the cyclist, or even verbally threatening the cyclist, so there's nothing to report.
lala
i'd probably exaggerate. course, like i said, it depends on how grumpy i was. course i hate cops, so the likelihood of an actual report is low. I also dislike cars, haven't had much experience with motorbikes.
operator
No sense calling the police, crap like that happens about every other block around here. Been called a fag, people yelling out of windows out of sidewalk, getting cut off.
Of course there is that line I cross from ignoring it to calling the police, such as getting assaulted with beer bottles or anything thrown from the car.
Moonshot
Sometimes a little reverse psychology works well in these circumstances.
How I think this discourse could have gone:
Bicyclist smiling broadly "Hey, nice bike!"
"Wha...??"
"You ride around her often?"
"Uh..sometimes"
Still smiling broadly, "Race ya!"
He wanted to p!ss you off. Don't give him the pleasure, but do instigate a dialog. By initiating this dialog you have the upper hand and show that you are still in control of yourself and are even able to be condescending. Of course, with these dolts it'll take them hours to realize this.... :rolleyes:
John E
i'd probably exaggerate. course, like i said, it depends on how grumpy i was. course i hate cops, so the likelihood of an actual report is low. I also dislike cars, haven't had much experience with motorbikes.
1) Why would you exaggerate? The truth will always win, eventually.
2) Why be grumpy? You are a bicyclist!
3) Why do you hate cops? There are bad apples in any profession, but almost all of my encounters with LAPD or the San Diego Sheriff's department have been positive.
4) Why do you dislike cars? Of course the problem is not the cars, but their drivers, most of whom are actually pretty decent folks.
twahl
I'm not sure I understand what you'd report? Unfortunately being a twit isn't illegal, which leaves us vulnerable as cyclists because there's nothing to report unless something has already happened or a threat has been made. Much like the situation you have if some 300 lb. shopper is taking the entire isle at Walmart. It's annoying, but nothing bad happened.
Dchiefransom
I'm not sure I understand what you'd report? Unfortunately being a twit isn't illegal, which leaves us vulnerable as cyclists because there's nothing to report unless something has already happened or a threat has been made. Much like the situation you have if some 300 lb. shopper is taking the entire isle at Walmart. It's annoying, but nothing bad happened.
It depends on the state's laws. Here in California vehicles are required to pass us with two feet of room. As pointed out before, even though nothing might be done in this instance, should anything ever really happen, all this would be on record, for either a criminal or civil suit.
operator
Your case would be a lot stronger if you had a witness.
twahl
Virginia requires 2 feet as well, but I have no idea how you could ever hpe to substantiate it. I think that law is in place so that there is something for an afficer to charge a motorist with in the case of an accident. If you were to report someone based on that it would be "was not"...."was so"...etc. and unless it's a local in a small town I doubt there would be any record of it. I might report to a company (How am I driving? sticker) if a company vehicle cut it close like that, but police aren't going to even investigate a private citizen on that charge without an incident. They pull they guy over and he says "I gave him plenty of room, but he was riding all squirrely" and it's all over.
Allister
In situations like that only call the cops if you enjoy exercises in futility.
If I reported every dolt that passed uncomfortably closely I'd pretty soon become known as the boy who cries 'wolf'. The best advise I can offer is, get used to it, it's probably gonna happen a fair bit. They're not actually trying to hit you. Hold your line and keep your cool
JMPetersen
I would have said, "You are a big man. I'm really impressed with your crotch rocket", very seriously.
joeprim
Go Moonshot! Right response!
Joe
LittleBigMan
I probably would not have called the police.
I did call the police once on the freeway when a dump truck flew past me at 75 in a 55 zone, hugging the bumper of some poor guy in a tiny economy car. It ticked me off, what can I say. But I'm not sure they did anything.
Chris L
No sense calling the police, crap like that happens about every other block around here. Been called a fag, people yelling out of windows out of sidewalk, getting cut off.
Of course there is that line I cross from ignoring it to calling the police, such as getting assaulted with beer bottles or anything thrown from the car.
I encounter a similar experience on my rides, and have adopted the same policy. As Allister said, if you call the cops on this one, you'll get a reputation for "crying wolf", which won't be terribly useful when something more serious happens. I think Moonshot had the best response.
Mind you, if they'd called me a "fag" or "poofter", I'd probably be tempted to blow them a kiss.
philrush
I am large enough that I would have been tempted to determine WHO the "real" sissy was. :)
cyclingshane73
No, I wouldn't.
webist
If the attempt was meant to intimidate you, any response shows that the MC rider was successful in getting a reaction. The MC rider apparently had little enough regard for you that he crowded you. Why then would the rider care what you had to say?
collegeskier
I have a question on "crying Wolf", to some extent I agree but then again, if you call all the time there is the possibilty that police will eventually notice learn the law and stop and ticket people who are not respecting bicycles. Also almost everyplace a 911 call requires action from the police, if you don't get one call your town reps and be vocal.
AndrewP
I wouldnt call the cops because I often pass cars that close when they are moving real slow in traffic.
John Ridley
Wow, I suppose weightlifters are sissies too; a real man would get a forklift to lift heavy things, just like the real man would get an engine to push their asses down the road instead of doing it themselves.
saturnsc2
i would have made out a police report just for the record. that would be classified as wreckless operation around here. theres no need to do that. he's on a bike himself & has plenty of room to pass. if he does it again to another cyclist & this time causes an accident, the retard will have a previous record of wreckless operation of a motor vehicle & that would work against him in court. if he really came that close to you, he's endangering your life, & there's nothing wrong reporting criminals. if that makes me a sissy, crybaby, ect., then i'm the biggest sissy around here....
saturnsc2
Well, if this person has a history of abuse, then the reports will come in handy when/if an attack occurs.
EXACTLY! that's my thinking too. the road is no place for games. if he wants to play, he should buy a deck of cards & go sit in some corner by himself & play solitare. i'm surprised by so many people here seem to take this situation so lightly. i've been cut off so many times i can't see straight. been hit recently by a retard who just took off. i'll report ANYTHING to the police that is out of line, ANYTHING......
bikeforumlegs
did anyone else giggle at the ironic mis-spelling (wreckless instead of reckless)?