Advocacy & Safety - Road rage threatens my life, so what can be done?

Today I purchased a new motorscooter to replace the one that was totalled in a car accident a couple weeks ago. (I'm ok, but in a lot of pain on my bike.) Anyway, the thing only has 17 miles on it, I haven't even gotten it home from the dealer yet, and some idiot in a jacked up truck is yelling at me, squealing his tires and throwing up gravel behind me because I take a little longer than he thinks I should making a left turn.

Basically, you put people in a car or truck and they lose all respect for human life just to get through a signal one second faster. It's totally out of control. This could happen to me when I'm making any one of my left turns on my bicycle commute as well. I'm really sick of it. What can be done? Is there any community out there actually doing something about road rage? What are they doing?

Best thing to do is note license plate number. If they do anything illegal a phone call to police dept. There's nothing you should or can do short of attacking the person with a rocket launcher on your bike.

Car vs bike = car win ++

At least everyone on this forum can sympathize with you. (It's sad. I thought most Santa Barbara drivers might be little more considerate and laid back than the rest of So Cal...but that's probably wishful thinking)

The only way for these arses to show any respect is for them to switch places with you for a week...and you know that ain't gonna happen. In the meantime, smile, wave to them...and bring out that rocket launcher ;)

It's the traffic that's doing this. It's getting worse all the time and no one can drive for any significant distance without getting caught in gridlock. Driving is becoming an unpleasurable experience regardless to what the television commercials tells you. If you get on the highway in any major city, the stress of having to battle the traffic is incredible. Then when you finally reach the burbs, you still have to maintain 70mph and that stress kills you too! Then add the high cost of gasoline, insurance, maintenance and parking and you'll quickly see why drivers are angry.

Was just walking through a crosswalk the other day with my one year old boy when an older man in a car proceeded to make a left turn across the intersection stopping a couple of feet from us and laying on his horn - cussing at me to get out of the way as if i were committing a crime by walking across the street when i had the right of way. Something happens when one sits into the carcass of a car - its as if one loses ones human self and morphs into the body of the machine which is intrinsically aggressive, violent and inhumane. Could you imagine that same old man walking behind us on a pedestrian path swearing at us and yelling at us because we were walking too slowly? No. He'd probably bend over the stroller and tickle the chin of my boy and make goo-goo sounds. Incredible how powerful the car is in turning human beings into uncontrollable carcasses.

I have to agree. Something goes on inside a person when they're in a car. To be clear, it's not everyone (because some people do drive safely, and some cyclists don't take the time to appreciate this). But I've had too many lousy experiences with bad drivers to ignore.

I was hit earlier this year (sprained wrist, road rash) by a minivan that tried to pass on my left in traffic, and ended up cutting back in front of me too quickly. He hit my front wheel with his back bumper and pushed me into a row of parked cars on the right. I was wearing my helmet, but I ended up in the hospital anyway.

Last week I was almost hit the same way (pinched against a row of cars while riding on the right side of an SUV in traffic). The driver was on her cell phone, didn't see me, and was drifting towards me, so that the space between her passenger door and my handlebars was decreasing rapidly. I reached out and rapped on the window sharply to get her attention and to alert her to the biker she was about to crush. She swerved out away from me, then sped up and cut me off at the next intersection. She laid on the horn, rolled down the window, and cussed at me repeatedly. She told me never to touch her f_ing car again, and who did I think I was, and I was nothing but an f_ing punk, etc. (I am not a punk -- I'm a ministry student at a University in the United States). I rode past her, ignoring her (hoping that she wasn't going to run me down with her truck), only to have her screetch past again, and then cut me off so that she could stop, get out, and chase me on foot, still screaming obscenities. This time, I went back up the block in the other direction, hoping that she would just leave me alone. She backed up her truck (going 30 MPH backwards down a one-way street), with her head out the window, still screaming.

I finally ducked down and alley and tossed my bike over a fence into someone's backyard. I had to sit it out for a few minutes back there, just hanging out, waiting for her to leave. When I thought the coast was clear, I took off and headed home. I called the police when I got home and filed a police report on her. All of this was at 3PM on a Thursday. Unreal.

All I can say, is be careful, and be the bigger man (or woman). Always ride away. It only takes one driver feeling angry and out of control to run you down and have it be the last.

:(

when this happens to me, and the car is already stopped, i just stand in front of the car as if i don't understand what's going on.

he isn't going to hit you...i love making the jerk more pissed off by delaying his ass a little more.

yeah, yeah, whatever...i'm sure it's not the safest option
bk

Unbelievable! Good advice too - I've found with time that the best thing is to flash a peace sign and go on my way. I've exercised the reptilian part of my brain a few times though and once found myself reaching to throw my u-lock before common-sense prevailed. Too bad you didn't catch this woman on video tape - she sounds like a real star (of some God-forsaken reality show anyway!)

It's the traffic that's doing this. It's getting worse all the time and no one can drive for any significant distance without getting caught in gridlock. Driving is becoming an unpleasurable experience regardless to what the television commercials tells you. If you get on the highway in any major city, the stress of having to battle the traffic is incredible. Then when you finally reach the burbs, you still have to maintain 70mph and that stress kills you too! Then add the high cost of gasoline, insurance, maintenance and parking and you'll quickly see why drivers are angry.

Yeah, but she's talking about Santa Barbara. I would say that jerk was just an anomoly. Unless you were near Isla Vista, that doesn't sound normal for the area. For those that don't know SB, you can rent electric cars to drive around Main Street. Scooters everywhere, very bike friendly.

I have to agree. Something goes on inside a person when they're in a car. To be clear, it's not everyone (because some people do drive safely, and some cyclists don't take the time to appreciate this). But I've had too many lousy experiences with bad drivers to ignore.

I was hit earlier this year (sprained wrist, road rash) by a minivan that tried to pass on my left in traffic, and ended up cutting back in front of me too quickly. He hit my front wheel with his back bumper and pushed me into a row of parked cars on the right. I was wearing my helmet, but I ended up in the hospital anyway.

Last week I was almost hit the same way (pinched against a row of cars while riding on the right side of an SUV in traffic). The driver was on her cell phone, didn't see me, and was drifting towards me, so that the space between her passenger door and my handlebars was decreasing rapidly. I reached out and rapped on the window sharply to get her attention and to alert her to the biker she was about to crush. She swerved out away from me, then sped up and cut me off at the next intersection. She laid on the horn, rolled down the window, and cussed at me repeatedly. She told me never to touch her f_ing car again, and who did I think I was, and I was nothing but an f_ing punk, etc. (I am not a punk -- I'm a ministry student at a University in the United States). I rode past her, ignoring her (hoping that she wasn't going to run me down with her truck), only to have her screetch past again, and then cut me off so that she could stop, get out, and chase me on foot, still screaming obscenities. This time, I went back up the block in the other direction, hoping that she would just leave me alone. She backed up her truck (going 30 MPH backwards down a one-way street), with her head out the window, still screaming.

I finally ducked down and alley and tossed my bike over a fence into someone's backyard. I had to sit it out for a few minutes back there, just hanging out, waiting for her to leave. When I thought the coast was clear, I took off and headed home. I called the police when I got home and filed a police report on her. All of this was at 3PM on a Thursday. Unreal.

All I can say, is be careful, and be the bigger man (or woman). Always ride away. It only takes one driver feeling angry and out of control to run you down and have it be the last.

:(


Gee, were you riding in a safe vehicular manner? Some Vehicular Cyclists claim that they never have confrontations with drivers, because the drivers respect their predictable manner on the road. :rolleyes:

Today I purchased a new motorscooter to replace the one that was totalled in a car accident a couple weeks ago. (I'm ok, but in a lot of pain on my bike.) Anyway, the thing only has 17 miles on it, I haven't even gotten it home from the dealer yet, and some idiot in a jacked up truck is yelling at me, squealing his tires and throwing up gravel behind me because I take a little longer than he thinks I should making a left turn.

Basically, you put people in a car or truck and they lose all respect for human life just to get through a signal one second faster. It's totally out of control. This could happen to me when I'm making any one of my left turns on my bicycle commute as well. I'm really sick of it. What can be done? Is there any community out there actually doing something about road rage? What are they doing?


Whoa, did you lose your 'bent? Obviously you were NOT in a BL with this thing.

I rode past her, ignoring her (hoping that she wasn't going to run me down with her truck), only to have her screetch past again, and then cut me off so that she could stop, get out, and chase me on foot, still screaming obscenities. This time, I went back up the block in the other direction, hoping that she would just leave me alone. She backed up her truck (going 30 MPH backwards down a one-way street), with her head out the window, still screaming.

I finally ducked down and alley and tossed my bike over a fence into someone's backyard. I had to sit it out for a few minutes back there, just hanging out, waiting for her to leave. When I thought the coast was clear, I took off and headed home. I called the police when I got home and filed a police report on her. All of this was at 3PM on a Thursday. Unreal.



:(

You should have circled back and car jacked her when she was out on foot looking for you ... Now that would be funny... HA HA HA HA
D

I carry a waterproof notepad, 2 waterproof pens and a cell phone in my saddle bag. I've used them before too, to report drivers that think they're doing a remake of the "Fast and the Furious". I give a vehicle description and model, a plate number, road and direction of travel, but I don't know if anything comes of it. I've been considering OC spray for situations like dwj ran into.

In response to a few of these posts, Santa Barbara isn't a fun and laid back place to drive at all. That is why I mothballed my truck and started driving a Vespa and riding a bicycle. I just could not take the stress and frustration of not having a race car to keep up with everybody, or an SUV to look intimidating to everybody.

Also, just last week or so some guy up in Buellton (where they filmed that movie Sideways, with all the wine) was angry at how someone else was driving so he shot and killed him. Road rage is out of control here just like everywhere.

It was my motorcycle that was totalled in an accident, not my recumbent. (Having laned on my butt, with a huge bruise back there, this is one time I can definitely say a recumbent is not more comfortable than a diamond frame.)

This road rage thing is definitely a psychological thing, because a lot of these people will cuss you out and flip the bird at you, but if they actually do hit you, they feel just awful. The lady who hit me was crying. I felt sorry for her. But if I had been able to avoid being hit she probably would have flipped me the bird. (By the way, I was determined to be at fault for this accident. I have inadequate visibility at my driveway, and I'm not the only one who has had an accident or near accident there.)

Anyway, all these suggestions are nice, but they're all so singular. This battle needs to be on a community level. Have you heard of any community-level responses to road rage? I plan to write a letter or something and it would be nice if I could suggest something, not just ***** and moan about it.

I have to agree. Something goes on inside a person when they're in a car. To be clear, it's not everyone (because some people do drive safely, and some cyclists don't take the time to appreciate this). But I've had too many lousy experiences with bad drivers to ignore.

I was hit earlier this year (sprained wrist, road rash) by a minivan that tried to pass on my left in traffic, and ended up cutting back in front of me too quickly. He hit my front wheel with his back bumper and pushed me into a row of parked cars on the right. I was wearing my helmet, but I ended up in the hospital anyway.

Last week I was almost hit the same way (pinched against a row of cars while riding on the right side of an SUV in traffic). The driver was on her cell phone, didn't see me, and was drifting towards me, so that the space between her passenger door and my handlebars was decreasing rapidly. I reached out and rapped on the window sharply to get her attention and to alert her to the biker she was about to crush. She swerved out away from me, then sped up and cut me off at the next intersection. She laid on the horn, rolled down the window, and cussed at me repeatedly. She told me never to touch her f_ing car again, and who did I think I was, and I was nothing but an f_ing punk, etc. (I am not a punk -- I'm a ministry student at a University in the United States). I rode past her, ignoring her (hoping that she wasn't going to run me down with her truck), only to have her screetch past again, and then cut me off so that she could stop, get out, and chase me on foot, still screaming obscenities. This time, I went back up the block in the other direction, hoping that she would just leave me alone. She backed up her truck (going 30 MPH backwards down a one-way street), with her head out the window, still screaming.

I finally ducked down and alley and tossed my bike over a fence into someone's backyard. I had to sit it out for a few minutes back there, just hanging out, waiting for her to leave. When I thought the coast was clear, I took off and headed home. I called the police when I got home and filed a police report on her. All of this was at 3PM on a Thursday. Unreal.

All I can say, is be careful, and be the bigger man (or woman). Always ride away. It only takes one driver feeling angry and out of control to run you down and have it be the last.

:(


You ran away from a woman?

Gee, were you riding in a safe vehicular manner? Some Vehicular Cyclists claim that they never have confrontations with drivers, because the drivers respect their predictable manner on the road. :rolleyes: Like the various bozos who evidently expect me to share an 12-foot-wide lane adjacent to diagonal parking on Coast Highway 101 through downtown Encinitas?

I had a fantasy the other day. This asshat, yes in a big red neck pickup with Calvin peeing and some negative comments to the other red neck pick up Truck Company, threaded the needle with me and an on coming car and his self. I really don't think the guy thought anything was wrong, indeed the most dangerous kind. Anyway my fantasy.......

I find out where they guy is and kidnap him at night. Take him out into the deep woods where no one can hear his screams. Tie him to a chair. Balance a tennis ball on the top of his head. Produce a size 36 Louisville Slugger baseball bat. Kindly explain to him that instead of tapping his brake and waiting for the on coming car to pass and then accelerating around me, wow real hard to push those pedals huh, he tried to squeeze through and who cares if I hit the guy on the bike it's his fault right? Wrong. Ok here we go I’m gonna show you how I feel when you almot crush my skull. Ready?

And then try to hit the ball nice and cleanly off the top of his head!

:)

Thanks for the vent.

I like the former description of drivers becoming part of the machinery of there cars and the car as a machine is a very aggressive violent creature. That’s how they are advertised too. That and they will get you laid of course.

I've found that my little cell phone with a camera in is perfect for this situation. Hell, it even records a little video..... at least when they find my body in a ditch they will have video of the guy coming towards me with his tire iron, angry 'cause HE cut ME off....
But seriously I find if someone commits this kind of crap when I'm riding and I pull out the phone right away, they usually take off. Anyway, be safe out there!

It's the traffic that's doing this. It's getting worse all the time and no one can drive for any significant distance without getting caught in gridlock. Driving is becoming an unpleasurable experience regardless to what the television commercials tells you. If you get on the highway in any major city, the stress of having to battle the traffic is incredible. Then when you finally reach the burbs, you still have to maintain 70mph and that stress kills you too! Then add the high cost of gasoline, insurance, maintenance and parking and you'll quickly see why drivers are angry.

Well, let see. This past week Providence, Worcester, Springfield, Albany, Binghamton, Syracuse, Rochester, and then back almost in reverse order, in the cities, on the interstates, on local roads. Was a pretty pleasurable experience for me; yes, some folks going fast in the passing lanes, more than willing to let THEM go by me. Gasoline prices? Means I nibble less along route (not so many hostess twinkies). Maintenance: local Jiffy Lube seems as good as ever. Parking: hmm....all the municipal faclities seemed pretty convenient and available.

Don't forget the definition of gridlock: thats when your being there is important but everyone else should somehow get lost.

roughstuff

I agree with the cell phone option. Mine doesn't have a camera but in the last situation with a jerk, I whipped it out of my back pocket (I was on my road bike) and started to dial in clear view of him. Instant reaction from the driver. He stopped, yelled a me a few times and took off the other direction. That was the end of the situation. I filed a police report and nothing happened but you can be sure that his license plate is in their computer if he ever gets in trouble again.

At some level, I think you have to "look" like someone that won't take any crap.

So basically nobody knows of anything on a larger than individual scale for combatting road rage?

I suppose I might be able to act fast enough if I kept my camera phone mounted on the handlebars. But that's still fighting the problem one road rager at a time.

What if bicyclists had cameras like the cops do? Imagine a system that records from front and rear facing cameras to a memory pack like an Ipod. it could also record sound and acceleration. You could bury the memory in your seatpost. It might even surive your being squished by an SUV. They can make cameras so small and lightweight now and chip memory so large that this is clearly a fieldable technology. Now, it is also quite a niche product that the vast majority of cyclists would have little use for. But once a few people go to jail based upon their videotaped road rage behavior it might be a very good thing.

I have to agree. Something goes on inside a person when they're in a car. To be clear, it's not everyone (because some people do drive safely, and some cyclists don't take the time to appreciate this). But I've had too many lousy experiences with bad drivers to ignore.

I was hit earlier this year (sprained wrist, road rash) by a minivan that tried to pass on my left in traffic, and ended up cutting back in front of me too quickly. He hit my front wheel with his back bumper and pushed me into a row of parked cars on the right. I was wearing my helmet, but I ended up in the hospital anyway.

Last week I was almost hit the same way (pinched against a row of cars while riding on the right side of an SUV in traffic). The driver was on her cell phone, didn't see me, and was drifting towards me, so that the space between her passenger door and my handlebars was decreasing rapidly. I reached out and rapped on the window sharply to get her attention and to alert her to the biker she was about to crush. She swerved out away from me, then sped up and cut me off at the next intersection. She laid on the horn, rolled down the window, and cussed at me repeatedly. She told me never to touch her f_ing car again, and who did I think I was, and I was nothing but an f_ing punk, etc. (I am not a punk -- I'm a ministry student at a University in the United States). I rode past her, ignoring her (hoping that she wasn't going to run me down with her truck), only to have her screetch past again, and then cut me off so that she could stop, get out, and chase me on foot, still screaming obscenities. This time, I went back up the block in the other direction, hoping that she would just leave me alone. She backed up her truck (going 30 MPH backwards down a one-way street), with her head out the window, still screaming.

I finally ducked down and alley and tossed my bike over a fence into someone's backyard. I had to sit it out for a few minutes back there, just hanging out, waiting for her to leave. When I thought the coast was clear, I took off and headed home. I called the police when I got home and filed a police report on her. All of this was at 3PM on a Thursday. Unreal.

All I can say, is be careful, and be the bigger man (or woman). Always ride away. It only takes one driver feeling angry and out of control to run you down and have it be the last.

:(
I have said this before on this forum, but I'll say it again. O.C. pepper spray. O.C. pepper spray, O.C. pepper spray........

I carry a waterproof notepad, 2 waterproof pens and a cell phone in my saddle bag. I've used them before too, to report drivers that think they're doing a remake of the "Fast and the Furious". I give a vehicle description and model, a plate number, road and direction of travel, but I don't know if anything comes of it. I've been considering OC spray for situations like dwj ran into.
Considering OC spray???. What's there to think about?? I carry pepper spray, and I'll use it if I have to . No problem.

On the radio this morning were two announcements about camera's in "trouble" locations and drivers speeding, tailgating, or exibiting road rage would be sent tickets. I think all of the locations mentioned were up in DC or close to it. This might be the start of an anti-bad driver campaign.

Joe

Or the start of a police big brother state :(


I was thinking about carrying an air horn anyone do that?

Or the start of a police big brother state :(



Valid point. But isn't that what traffic laws are all about? Else we would let folks bash into each other for a couple of weeks until the nut cases all died and traffic patterns evolved rather than legistete.

Joe

Or the start of a police big brother state :(

Life isn't a choice between two extremes. There are other alternatives to a 'police state'. Fact is that some policing would make a significant improvement. That may only be because people are too fukken stooopid to decide to obey the law for themselves, but I don't see that situation improving in the near future either. Police states are only a problem when the laws they are enforcing are not serving the interests of the society and everyone within it. (Does the 'I was only following orders' defence still wash?)


I was thinking about carrying an air horn anyone do that?

I have an Air Zound. It's loud, but I've found that on the rare occasions I really need to sound my horn, both hands are fully occupied yanking on the brakes. My screams of terror usually grab their attention though.

I really like the camera on my bike idea. I've been thinking about that for, like, ever, but couldn't think of a setup that wasn't too bulky.

But the post upthread (sorry, can't be stuffed to look for the quote) suggested recording to an iPod, but I figure 40-50 minutes of footage set at a lowish resolution would probably fit on my 128Mb player, no? How would you get the image from the camera to the player?

I don't know of any device that lets you record live video to an iPod. A small digital camera capable of taking stills and video would be a better solution, and probably cheaper.

The cameras attached to the threat of sending tickets might have an effect over time, but I don't know how much that will help cyclists. I've given this entire subject quite a bit of thought lately, as I've had to drive from Manassas to Bethesda (covering part of Interstate 66 headed into DC, and part of the famous Beltway for those not familiar) and it's awful. I think it's all part of a much larger problem, that being the way we do business. We demand cheaper goods, which means mass manufacturing. Way back in the Industrial Revolution that meant people went to factory and mill towns to find work. Of course those became the banking and finance, cultural, and academic centers as well. Then people that had become successful wanted to escape the hell holes that resulted, so they commuted further out to live. I'm condensing of course. This all coincided with the development of the automobile, after all it was a result of the improvements in manufacturing technology.

Bottom line is that in terms of profit margins, companies need to be as consolidated as possible, which means that if we want to be employed by these companies, we have to live in or near concentrations of people. Since those areas are densly populated, we either have to accept a high cost, high density lifestyle, or accept a commute. Since this has developed at the same time that the automobile hase become commonplace, the vast majority of us accept the costs of owning a vehicle almost like we accept the cost of food.

I guess to condense my thought process here...jeeze, right? People are reacting to the circumstances that they have put themselves in, and what's worse, they believe that their way of life is normal and neccessary. They vaguely resent it and they are angy. It's not excuseable, but it is understandable. As cyclists, when they see us as a cyclist, they see someone that isn't in the same rat race that they are in, and they either resent it, or deduce that since you aren't in it you must not be worthy.

It's a societal issue brought on by waht we accept as normal. Punishing people may be neccesary, but it's treating the symptoms, not the disease, and it won't have any long term effect.

And if you think that's scary, get this: I consider myself a conservative.

Tom,

The only viable alternative to the ever-longer commute from ever-extending exurbs you discribe is twofold:

1. A large increase in fuel costs
2. A viable mass transit

I am just north of you. Baltimore had a trolly/streetcar system up until the 50's when it was dismantled because.... the trolly interfered with the auto. Back in the day, you could ride a streetcar from Towson to Ellecott City - completely across town - in about 30 minutes (so I am told by the oldsters). Lots of the tracks and right-of-ways are still in place.

In fact, the Powerplant in Baltimore (now an entertainment complex) generated power for the streetcars.

If Baltimore and Maryland had any sense, the would reclaim every rail bed in the state under eminent domain and begin reconstruction the rail mass-transit system of old.

I'm not sure a large increase in fuel costs would do the trick. It's become so ingrained in people that they need a car that they will deal with it somehow. I'm not sitting on a pedestal here, I have 2 vehicles myself. I try to not drive the SUV that gets 18 MPG around town unless I need the capacity. The other vehicle, which my wife commutes in, and we drive as often as possible, gets better than 30 MPG. To be honest, I'd deal with increased costs as best I could. When I see people driving an H2 to the grocery store, I'm amazed. They will pay the cost, whatever it is, short of maybe a 5-fold increase.

Unfortunately mass transit is a poor solution as well. I occasionally ride the DC metro, but I have to go to Vienna to reach the closest station. That means, for me, a drive, pay for parking, and then pay as much or more to ride metro as it would cost me to drive wherever I was going. It's even worse if it's me, the wife, and 2 kids trying to go somewhere. And Metro is screaming for more money, they are trying to get a toll increase so that drivers will pay for expansion to Dulles. You might think that will drive more people to use metro, but if that actually took place, then where would the money come from?

I think we need some creative thinking on a large scale to solve the problem. We don't need a way to get more people into the cities more efficiently, we need to dissolve the need for them to go to the city in the first place. Telework for instance is one solution that seems to be on the rise. Can that kind of productivity somehow be mimicked by manufacturing? If so, does it require a HUGE shift ib how we think about being paid for our work?

I'm just saying that I think it's a bigger problem that "road rage."

You ran away from a woman?
Trolling again, John?? ;)

Portland has a 'Neighborhood Traffic Safety Partnership' program based on the three 'E's - education, engineering and enforcement. The program is funded by a $60 surcharge on moving violation fines. It's a pretty new program, still mostly in the planning stages, with school, pedestrian and bicycle safety elements.

http://www.portlandtransportation.org/Projects/Ntsp/default.htm

Trolling again, John?? ;)


It just sounded odd/pathetic...Would you go running away from a woman like that, cowering in the bushes? Your wife doesn't count :rolleyes:

It just sounded odd/pathetic...Would you go running away from a woman like that, cowering in the bushes? Your wife doesn't count :rolleyes:

Dude, how many hours a day do you spend on these forums? Do you need a 12 step program :)?

I just became the latest cyclist to call and report a motorist to the police. The same old man in the same suv passed way to close to me two days in a row in pretty much the same place on the same road, so I wrote down his license plate number and called the police.

The suv was registered to a company (don't you love the tax breaks people get with their suv's if they claim business use? But, that's another topic...), but the officer I spoke to is a cyclist who rides in the same area, and said he would make it his pet project to find and stop this vehicle. He pointed out that, if there are no outstanding warrants, there isn't much he can do. I told him I would hope that an officer explaining that bicycles have a right to be on the road, and he needs to move to the other lane to pass, would be enough to get his attention.

Unfortunately mass transit is a poor solution as well.

I don't see how you can make this statement with a strait face. Can you imagine DC without the Metro? You think the beltway is in gridlock now???? That system serves houndrends of thousands of people every day.

How about NYC? What would it be like without the subway?

The fact is that our land-use decisions and our missguided attempt to flee Metropolitan life for whatever reason have put us in the mess we are in. People working in one place and living 45 miles away.

I work in the land development industry and I can tell you first hand that abosolutley no though is given to transportion. If the product sells thats all that matters.

It just sounded odd/pathetic...Would you go running away from a woman like that, cowering in the bushes? Your wife doesn't count :rolleyes:

heh heh.

I know women that'd kick your ass, son.

How're things in Maybury, RFD?

El Cabron

It just sounded odd/pathetic...Would you go running away from a woman like that, cowering in the bushes? Your wife doesn't count :rolleyes:

What's the alternative? Confront her, defend yourself when she gets physically violent, then get the sh*t kicked out of you by some random bystander who witnesses you defending yourself, and automatically assumes you were the attacker.

Screw that, I'd get the heck outta dodge too.

I like what the other poster recommended though. Circle back and steal her car after she jumps out and comes after you ;).

Better yet lock yourself in her car and taunt her until she becomes so enraged she starts beating the hell out of her own car. Then call the cops ;). That only works if she left her keys in the car to come after you though...

-Trevor

So basically nobody knows of anything on a larger than individual scale for combatting road rage?

I suppose I might be able to act fast enough if I kept my camera phone mounted on the handlebars. But that's still fighting the problem one road rager at a time.

What if ........

You take pictures or videos of them. I have mounted my digital camera on my bars, and also used a camera case like an open top holster so I can get my camera out easliy. I velcro the camera case to the stem. I prefer the holster method as I can aim anywhere easily. It's a digital, just point and start clicking off repeate shots if you are in a hurry, you are bound to get a good one.


Then you start a website showing them and giving as much ID as you can. Tell the local newspaper too. See if they want to put the photos in the paper. At the very least get a reporter to do a story in the paper about your website. Call the local TV station, explain how your life is at risk from these people and get a news spot about the website too. Try to recruit other cyclists or drivers to contribute to your files. Maybe a local cycling club would be glad to help. At least the local cycling club may guide you to some bike advocacy connections for support and ideas. Maybe get a cell phone company or local retailer of camera phones to contribute some phones to give out in exchange for all the good PR. ????????

I think driving habits would improve if a lot of 2 way cameras were installed on bikes and cars. They would record bad driving both by other people and by the person on whose vehicle the system was mounted. They should be set-up like a cockpit voice recorder running a continuous loop of the last 30 minutes. There was a thread about 6 months ago of someone with a helmetcam who recorded himself and his wife making illegal turns at a traffic light, riding on the sidewalk on the wrong side of the road, then getting hit by a car. He was proud of having it all on tape.

i'd like a camera, two way or helmet. anyone got a set up to share?
i'd also like a sonic wave gun that emits waves that break up poop into little pieces so i could give a holes diarhea for a day.
i'd also like a way to get names and addresses from liscence plate numbers.
i'll pay top dollar.

Always have a rear view mirror on my helmet. You can tell a jerk coming several hundred feet away. Have managed to avoid em. As far driving goes, an old beater is a good choice cause they have nothing to prove to you. Plus no car payments. Mine gets 30 mpg and me to bike races.

sun

I have been trying for a few weeks now to be zen about road rage, and think to myself things like, "My, how stressful their lives must be since they are obviously so much important than I am." And then thank whomever that I don't have to rush around all the time like that.

It's hard to do.

I also tend to phrase things in such a way that will either make a driver feel ashamed (and probably wig out because of that) or dismiss without being rude.

"Get on the sidewalk!"
"Thanks for your concern! I'll take it into account." (said cheerfully)

"You shouldn't be on the street."
"Please don't risk my life because you're in a hurry. That's really all I ask."

and my personal favorite:

"Get off the road!"
"Hey, let's make a deal. I'll try not to make you a minute late to wherever you're going, and you try not to kill me! That seems fair, doesn't it?"

It might help that I'm a woman in my early twenties so it might be easier for me to get away with a winning smile while I say such things.

I don't know. My life is too short to let people like that affect me too much. I love biking. That is good.

Since the motorist is a different, lower species than the human being, what's wrong with a big brother police state to control it?

What I don' t understand..The idiots..If there were more of us vehicular cyclists, it only diminishes the gridlock that makes them nuts.