Southern California - I Shouted at a Cyclist Today

I was on 13th in Upland crossing San Antonio today about 4:20 while headinghome from work. I encountered a cyclist at the 4 way stop. Ended up with me shouting "AAAAZZZZZZHOOOOOOOOLE!!!" at the cyclist. I drive home with my windows down.:p

If you're reading this, yeah, that was me! Someone needs to remind you with all the cyclist getting hit lately, you should stop at stop signs and avoid racing in front of my truck at intersections.

FTR, I'm stopped, proceed as cyclist is 40 yards from the stop sign to my right (heading south and downhill). As I approach the middle of the intersection he's approaching fast then stomps on it to race me across. You're damn lucky I'm an alert driver! ;) I had plenty of time to compensate for your stupidity and call you an azzhole as a bonus! :D

It's just too bad that your bone head probably doesn't realize it was a cyclist that screamed that at him. It might carry more weight if they did.

I'm politely not showing up for a group ride that I've been invited to and would love to do, because of their ignoring of road rules. I want to be treated by other road users as though I have full rights to the road. Subsequently, I accept that I need to obey the same road rules I expect them to adhere to. I just wish more cyclists did the same.

Good on ya' Beanz

I blow through plenty of stop signs but never when there's a car there... I don't want somebody yelling imprecations at me... or getting a nice big radiator print on my body from the car. Why would anybody with 3 or more functioning brain cells cut in FRONT of a 5,000 pound truck? Makes no sense.

Big Beanz in a big truck, shouting at some poor little bugger on a bicycle - he could have had a heart attack on top of being run over by a truck. :D

Guess everything those A&S ninnies have been preaching back & forth at each other is true; autos (and especially pickup trucks) strip away our humanity and turn even the kindest among us into foulmouthed monsters. :p

The most annoying thing is that all those cyclists are like that! :p:p

I blow through plenty of stop signs but never when there's a car there... I don't want somebody yelling imprecations at me... or getting a nice big radiator print on my body from the car. Why would anybody with 3 or more functioning brain cells cut in FRONT of a 5,000 pound truck? Makes no sense.

+1

I only run stop signs when there is no one around. I've done the MrBeanz thing too. Last time was at a salmon who almost t-boned me as I was turning right from a path to a bike lane that had painted arrows confirming my calling him a stupids**t. (I didn't have to shout though, we were face to face)

FTR, I'm stopped, proceed........

A "California stop" is not the same as "stopped"......and you need to wash your truck! :p

The recent encounters I have had with cyclists both on my bike and cars have been young riders who are part of the new fixie culture.. I have seen riders who blow red lights / stop signs like the rules just do not apply to them. But if I see them on the road I remind them that a 4000lb car vs a 22lb bike guess who wins everytime - the car 100% of the time.

I have also seen riders like this come out of parking lots cut cars off and then ride down the middle of the road while flipping everyone behind them off.. If I did not see it with my own eyes I would of never believed it.. I asked my nephew who is in the same age range what this is all about.. It is part fixie and jackass culture combined.. There are 1000's of videos of fixie riders - some in packs taking over the roadways and this has filtered down into riders like the ones beanz encountered that stopping for stop signs / lights - just do not apply to them.. Unfortunately it takes just one in-attentive or aggressive drivers to run them down to help change there mind that they are not impervious.

Living in a university town, I do find rider behavior gets much worse on the roads immediately around campus.

I was on 13th in Upland crossing San Antonio today about 4:20 while headinghome from work.

Oh is that what you were doing, were you? :p :D j/k I don't do any of that stuff, just thought it funny that you posted that time instead of just "about 4:30".

I'm sure you've all seen and enjoyed videos like this: http://vimeo.com/20672919

The marathon crash is cool but this cross city do whatever you want race is a disaster waiting to happen.

i cannot believe something like this goes on in LA.. It is hilarious if you watch to the end - one of the teams is named RIDE SAFE OAKLAND. Nothing about what happened is safe or reflects well on the cycling community.

I'm sure you've all seen and enjoyed videos like this: http://vimeo.com/20672919

The marathon crash is cool but this cross city do whatever you want race is a disaster waiting to happen.

Disaster? Oh pshaw! I think it's beautiful and noble that these selfless individuals are improving humankind's future by making an effort to remove themselves from the genepool.
And I wish them all the best of luck in this beneficent endeavor! :thumb:

i cannot believe something like this goes on in LA.. It is hilarious if you watch to the end - one of the teams is named RIDE SAFE OAKLAND. Nothing about what happened is safe or reflects well on the cycling community.

Hey, not even lance has dogtags.... :roflmao2:

There is a link labeled "bicycle safety" on their website. True! I guess if it makes them feel better it's a good idea.

Hey, not even lance has dogtags.... :roflmao2:

Wow, dogtags! Really? How completely awesome! It's not like you can get dogtags printed with whatever you want on them at every military surplus store in America or anything. ;)

wow, dogtags! Really? How completely awesome! It's not like you can get dogtags printed with whatever you want on them at every Walmart in america or anything. ;)

fify ;)

Wow, dogtags! Really? How completely awesome! It's not like you can get dogtags printed with whatever you want on them at every military surplus store in America or anything. ;)

I sense.... sarcasm....

Can you be a hipster and be that organized though? Something seems awry with the counter-culture.

I sense.... sarcasm....

Can you be a hipster and be that organized though? Something seems awry with the counter-culture.

Maybe they're just joining the Sheep-herd Hustle for the irony of it?
http://www.motifake.com/image/demotivational-poster/0912/downtown-hipster-finals-award-hipster-loser-demotivational-poster-1260353043.jpg

A "California stop" is not the same as "stopped"......and you need to wash your truck! :p

Believe it or not, I do complete stops. No way am I giving a few hundies to the city when I could be buying GP4000's.:D

Believe it or not, I do complete stops. No way am I giving a few hundies to the city when I could be buying GP4000's.:D

Um....really? From my perspective, had you made a complete stop, I could have blown that stop sign and you would have only been 1/3 the way across the intersection instead of the 1/2 way that you were. :speedy:

Hey, not even lance has dogtags.... :roflmao2:

There is a link labeled "bicycle safety" on their website. True! I guess if it makes them feel better it's a good idea.

You should ride with them sometime.

Wolfpack Hustle does a lot for cycling advocacy in Los Angeles. Yes it started off as a little rag tag, but thats how most movements start. Their latest event (Midnight Drag Race) has a LA City Councilmen sponsoring it.

I cringe every time I read stories like this. I'm trying to promote a positive image of cycling by my actions and in my videos. This means always yielding when I'm supposed to. If I come to a stop sign and there are any cars there, I stop. Sometimes I have to wave the driver on even when they have the right-of-way. Why do I have to do this you ask? Probably because said driver is used to boneheaded cyclist moves and thinks I'm going to run the stop sign in front of him.

Now, if there are no cars in sight I will slow, look around, and proceed. Driving is another story though. Complete stops every time. I have a perfect driving record and would like to keep it that way.

Now that I have started riding with other people, I am experiencing the same BS as some of you. Salmoning, unnecessary sidewalk riding, and riders blowing through stop signs when there is already a car there that has the right-of-way.

I almost took out two teenage fixie riders out of a pack of six. First two guys made the light barely, the next two ran the red, the last two tried to catch up as I was passed the crosswalk. Laid on the horn, locked the brakes, and exercised my freedom of speech. I'd seen & anticipated the twits. Never was going to hit them. Scared the little maroons. Street theater on my part. I hope the lesson took.

No, I don't feel bad. Cars blow through this intersection fast. I've been hit. Don't want to see it again

I'm sure you've all seen and enjoyed videos like this: http://vimeo.com/20672919

The marathon crash is cool but this cross city do whatever you want race is a disaster waiting to happen.

Cool video. Looks like a lot of fun. Someone is going to get hurt at ambulance level or killed. One lane change with a cyclist in a blind spot is all it takes. They are banking on cars seeing them and reacting.

This would be a cool formal event with different classes. I'd pay a $25 entry fee to ride in the bitter middle-aged burn-out touring bike class.

You should ride with them sometime.

Wolfpack Hustle does a lot for cycling advocacy in Los Angeles. Yes it started off as a little rag tag, but thats how most movements start. Their latest event (Midnight Drag Race) has a LA City Councilmen sponsoring it.

The marathon ride looks fun (loved the 2011 video) - what started out as an unsanctioned underground event appears to now have cop support but it's on closed roads. The drag race... closed road. The city to beach is just flat out scary.

You should ride with them sometime.

Wolfpack Hustle does a lot for cycling advocacy in Los Angeles. Yes it started off as a little rag tag, but thats how most movements start. Their latest event (Midnight Drag Race) has a LA City Councilmen sponsoring it.

If you want to support a group look to LA Bicycle Coalition - http://la-bike.org/

The marathon ride looks fun (loved the 2011 video) - what started out as an unsanctioned underground event appears to now have cop support but it's on closed roads.

I'm not sure this is entirely true. I'm part of the TV crew for the LA Marathon. I was standing at the corner of Hollywood and Highland at 4am for the 2011 race (the race in the rain!). I saw this ride go by. Yes, Hollywood was closed, but Highland was not. There were dozens of close calls as riders blew the red. I agree, though, it looks like a fun ride!

Thanks, I am already a member. Just explaining that the head of the group is a guy who shows up at city government meetings/police commission meetings and brings focus on their treatment of hit and runs etc..

Despite the law, coming to a complete stop at a stop sign is not the safest thing for a cyclist to do. The safest thing is to slow down, enough so you can stop instantly if need be, check cross traffic, the proceed. If you come to a complete stop then you have to push to get up to speed, clip-in, watch for cross traffic and get harassed by impatient motorists behind you.

Despite the law, coming to a complete stop at a stop sign is not the safest thing for a cyclist to do. The safest thing is to slow down, enough so you can stop instantly if need be, check cross traffic, the proceed. If you come to a complete stop then you have to push to get up to speed, clip-in, watch for cross traffic and get harassed by impatient motorists behind you.

I would never want to ride through any intersections with you next to me. If you downshift when coming to a stop, getting up to speed is never a problem. Clipping in is second nature and not an issue. Watching for cross traffic is something that should ALWAYS be done if you stop or not. And to hell with the impatient motorists behind me, they can wait the amount of time it is going to take me to come to a complete stop and get started again. Stopping completely also saves the cost of the ticket from the cop that came up behind you that you didn't see, or the one down the street hiding behind parked cars just waiting for someone like you that doesn't stop. :50:

P.S. Just my humble opinion.

I roll through a stop if there are no cars to conserve at least some of my momentum.

Until local police start using hybrid squad cars, I'll know when there's one behind me. If I hear a car behind me I typically stop at the intersection even if no cars are coming from other directions, and will wave the car on by. So if it's a cop car I'll know it.

I roll through a stop if there are no cars to conserve at least some of my momentum.

Until local police start using hybrid squad cars, I'll know when there's one behind me. If I hear a car behind me I typically stop at the intersection even if no cars are coming from other directions, and will wave the car on by. So if it's a cop car I'll know it.

Seems some posters are changing the topic. The original topic is a rider blowing in front of my truck (few feet) at 25 mph, after I am already half way through the intersection. When I started my take off, he was 30-40 yards away from the intersection. Yeah, a 25 mph rolling stop in front of a truck is the safest way. :p