exarkuhn15

Howdy all,

Well I don't really commute to work (yet! I'm about to start a new job that is encouraging it, which is great!), but I use my bike as transportation, and I read this forum, so this is an apt place to post.

Today I was out riding with my significant other, a block from our house. (By the way, Boston/MA has recently signed laws emphasizing biker rights, including the right to ride two abreast on a multiple lane street. Many of the laws were already on the books, but this new legislation made them more explicit.)

We were crossing a bridge from Cambridge to Boston, taking the lane in full - single file, but still taking the lane), on a multiple lane, one way street, rolling up to a red light. We were second at the light, behind another car.

Before we come to a stop, a fat guy in an SUV, on his cell phone, with windows down, comes up directly behind us, and from a ways back, starts yelling at us. I had no idea what was happening, until I could hear what he was saying.

I'm looking ahead (riding a bike after all), until I come to a stop, and he's just screaming, going nuts. We're MotherF****'s, F****s, A**H****s, and everything else you've ever heard. "Get out of the F**** road!" "Move over!" "I'm gonna kill you, you a**h****!" "I'm going to spit on you as I drive past you, you motherf*******!"

He literally said all of these things, without provocation. We were pulling up to a red light, and while there were many cars around, he could easily have chosen the left lane and once the light turned green, gone right past us without incident.

Learning from these forums, I turned, smiled and waved, and proceeded to loudly recite his license plate number, so he could hear me.

This made him even more mad, and while I did put on a brave front, I was really afraid for the safety of me and my girlfriend. His ranting was absolutely hilarious, for its sheer insanity, so I was laughing, but it was scary too - anyone crazy enough to scream like this might actually snap and decide to "teach me a lesson". His car is a weapon, and I didn't know whether or not he might choose to use it as such.

I didn't talk to him, or engage him otherwise, just the smile and wave, and reciting his license plate.

Fortunately, he just changed lanes, and drove past me, shouting and swearing at me.

He didn't spit on me, however, as he passed to the left, and his son was in the passenger seat next to him.

Unfortunately, I was in a bit of shock, so I forgot the license plate number that I had just said out loud.

What would you all do?

My number one priority is safety. I will NOT get into a fight/altercation, so don't advise me to do so.

jubal117

My advice wouldn't do you any good then. I was able to follow the last person home who did something similar to me. They were pretty surprised to see me roll up their driveway. I tapped on their window and asked them nicely to get out of their car so I could kick their ass. They refused to do so and after holding them hostage in their car for 10 minutes or so, I got bored and headed out to pick up my kids at the sitter.

GodsBassist

You handled it well. Sounds like the guy was looking for a fight. I don't think you need to (or could) do anything about reporting him without the plate number. Some people carry sharpies where they're accessible on the bike.

sanitycheck

Sounds like you handled it well, exarkuhn. Only room for improvement I can think of would have been to remember that plate.

Artkansas 

You handled it well.

CbadRider

You did the right thing in not engaging him any further. For future reference, you can log his license plate in you cell phone if you have it, or take a photo of it.

banerjek

You did fine. This guy could have been on something or suffering from mental problems. Sometimes, there's no good way out.

Mitchxout

OK-I'll be the bad guy. You should've kicked his a55. As for his poor kid, what kind of life will he have with a role model like this?

bluegoatwoods

You handled it well. I would make sure to remember the license plate if such a thing were to occur again. (I suppose that's easier said than done) I'd report him.

If there's nothing they can do in a situation like this, that's okay. But I'd want them to at least know about it. It's my belief that they want to know as well.

DX-MAN

It's somewhat of a recurring nightmare for me to have some car-driving two-legged sphincter harass and provoke me to 'that point' while I'm out with my kidlets. It would scare them to hysterical tears, I know -- yet I want them to know to stand up for themselves, and not be bullied by fools.

Not everyone will have the same answer to that given situation; I don't think I'd have handled it as civilly a the OP. Doesn't make either of us the more correct.

One thing I think we all DO agree on -- that poor kid!

bikeJedi

yeah, it sucks man. people just get all crazy when they're inside their steel cages, not just with bikers. my friends wife who's normally the nicest lady become super angry filthy mouthed bi&*h when she's behind the wheel. Her four year old is definitely picking up some of that language.

Unfortunately as bikers we a) get to hear it clearly and b) dont have a 3k lb steel cage around us to protect us.

You did the right thing. 99.99% of drivers are never gonna actually follow through on their threats. And for that .01% that actually does, well I guess we gotta stay on our toes.

I get a lot more worried about phone talking/attention-challenged drivers than i do about the angry ones.

DanBraden

any one you ride away from!
Am I right or am I right? right? right-right?

CFXMarauder

I joined this forum as a gutter bunny and have morphed into a semi "Take control" rider over the past few months but when riding with my two daughter 8/10 I become a total nutjob..Im very quick to put myself between the girls and any thing I see as a threat to them....The've been told if anything happens to go to the nearest house and start banging on the door, call 911 and tell the police Daddy's kicking ass or gettin his kicked...lol..


To the OP...You handled it right, you stayed the better man and came out no problemooo......

CB HI

You did fine.

Another tactic is to pull your cell phone out and start calling (or pretend to call) 911. Maybe hold the phone up like you are letting the dispatcher listen to what the guy is saying.

It is amazing how fast these bullies start running away when they think you have the police on the phone. I am convinced most of them have been arrested before by their reaction.

filtersweep

If it is at a stop and you have the time, take out your cell phone and start taking photos or video. It really freaks people out. I also started doing this to scam artists who go door to door in our neighborhood. They seriously hate it.

Northwestrider

You handled this very well

Timber_8

You were not his problem but he clearly used you to vent what ever was. There is so much bicycle & foot trafic in the Cambridge / Boston area that for anyone to get upset over what you were doing is insane. I drove tractor trailer in Cambridge / Boston for years in the scientific medical field. I couldn't even imagine getting upset over bicycle / pedestrian traffic. Make use of your cell phone camera or video feature. That behavior will not fly in the Boston area. I am sure he wouldn't like finding himself on the 6 oclock news with a video of him freaking out.

labelcd6

The first rule of self-defense is to avoid a fight if at all possible. You did well. If he got out of his vehicle and invaded your space, that would be a different story.

exarkuhn15

Thanks for the encouragement, folks!

I think being able to ride away without incident is absolutely the most important thing. Life's too short to get hurt or killed in an accident or altercation with some neanderthal like this. There's no hope of reasoning with someone ranting like that.

I had my cell phone in my backpack, in a basket on the back of my bike. Maybe I'll look for some kind of holster to attach it to the bars, so it's more easily accessible.

I've had the occasional, "Move over" comment, or annoyed honk, but honestly I could probably count most of these times on one or two hands.

This guy was absolutely going nuts - it was surreal! I couldn't believe how much he was screaming, as if my very existence was going to cause his head to explode!

I do think the only thing that kept him from spitting on me was the fact that he passed me to the left, and his kid was in the passenger seat.

I wish I had gotten his plate to at least somehow hold him accountable. I'll definitely work on that next time!

wharfrat

He'll grow up to be a typical American. Sorry, couldn't resist. OP did the right thing *applaude*.

ItsJustMe

+100.

I wouldn't engage him unless he became physically aggressive with either his car or his person. In that case I'd hope for a helmet cam for the eventual police report, but I probably wouldn't be rolling with one unless this sort of thing happened a lot.

rugerben

In my experience, the ones who yell are not the ones who actually do anything about it.

I had a guy throw an empty Coke bottle at me once. He never yelled. Just tossed it at me as he went by in the left lane.
The other time was when someone actually spat in my face. I was in the shoulder, minding my own business and not stopping up traffic at all. A guy pulled up next to me and the passenger stuck his head out the window and spat a mouth full of water directly into my face (glasses, mouth, helmet, etc...). they sped off at 50mph before I could get a license plate.

The ones who yell are just being bullies, but in my limited experience, they are all talk. The ones you have to look out for are the ones who don't want you to see it coming.

Kevin666

Whoa...Step back...Who came up with the "two abreast" idea? Or did I read that wrong?

Since I've been commuting by bike, I've become a lot more sympathetic towards cyclists' right to the road. But the one that still gets me when I'm driving is the yuppie cyclists who ride next to each other and block the lane.

I find it disrespectful not only to motorists, but to other cyclists as well. As far as I know, it's always been the law as well as a courteous, safe cycling practice to ride single file, even if there are two lanes. And if they were ignoring the law before, you can bet they'll forget whether there's one lane or two when they're busy chatting.

Ironically, this is the very type of in-your-face practice by some cyclists that screams "Get that boat off the road, you gas-guzzling, global-warming redneck.", and which turns off more moderate-headed motorists. If other municipalities encourage this, I'm afraid it will aggravate existing tensions between cyclists and motorists.

eshvanu

Well done. For future reference, if a driver threatens you verbally and you have a witness, such as your SO or even another driver who hears it, you can report the shouter to the police, as such threats are a crime in all states.

Saddest part is he had a child with him, and if you had been a psycho-cyclist and gone confrontational, the child might have be physically hurt to add to the emotional damage caused by such a father.

rugerben

Get ready to get flamed for having this point of view but I'll give it a massive +1. When riding, I try to be as courteous to drivers as humanly possible. The last thing I want is to give them a legitimate reason to NOT want to share the road with cyclists. I think the same thing as Kevin when I see cyclists riding abreast so that they can chat more comfortably while taking lanes. For the sake of the ease of your conversation you are willing to inconvenience the drivers behind you and sentence them to driving 15mph in a 40mph zone? Not fair. I expect courtesy from drivers, and at the same time, I give it.

Edit to add: BTW- I am not saying that the OP was blocking the road or being discourteous. I am simply agreeing with kevin's point about riding etiquette.