xSandmaNx

I assumed that since he was crossing the road ahead of his family that the redneck pontiac guy was too stupid to assume that the three were together. if he had put that together, though, it could have been bad news.

I ******** HATE THE "WHATCHA GONNA DO ABOUT IT" GENE. That's why I can't stand Hawaii and I'll neevr go back again after living there. And anyone who's lived there knows exactly what I'm talking about...

SSC

I haven't had problems riding in NoVa. There are so many cyclists in this area that I guess most people are used to seeing us on the road.

I've been encountered idiots though. For example, two guys in a VW GTI called me out Fast and Furious style to race from a stop light, which leaves me shaking my head. Yeah, I guess they had their fun. Told them to let me go get my car.

Ryleeryno

You should have kicked his arse and then tied him to your bike and dragged him all the way to the dog pound.

BladeGeek

I had this A$$ hole run me off the road. He moved into my lane and ran me in a ditch. I got luck and dump my bike in the grass and gave him the bird. He turned around and came back and got out of his truck. No doubt he was thinking that I was just a skinny bike rider. I got up and took off on of my shoes. I am 6'2" 180lb Army Ranger. He started talking smack and I poped him in the head. I was ready to hit him in the head with my cleat. He hit the ground and it was over. I got back on my bike and finished my ride.

Ryleeryno

Wow. Sounds all too familiar. I had an old hag in a Saturn too hold down the horn for a couple of seconds right next to me. She had plenty of space, no traffic; she just wanted to make a noise for me to give her plenty of room. Well it scared the SHlTE out of me.... So I followed her to the stoplight and gave her that scary stare and pulled down my shades to make eye contact. hahaha EVIL!

Next time I'll carry a blow horn.

ElJamoquio

I've had at least ten times the occurences of bad motorist interactions (bottles/running off road/etcetera) in Detroit (or New Jersey) than I did in SE VA.

NE VA is much more like a northern city than a southern city. In my experience, biking in the 'ignorant redneck' parts of the country is more pleasurable on every level than in the 'enlightened liberal' parts of the country.

CanyonChaser

I had a similar situation happen to me on my motorcycle. I tired to run away, the guy chased me in his car and almost killed me. I should have done a U-turn. When I called to police to turn the car driver in, the police said, "yeah, we had a trooper who saw the whole thing, he wants you to come in so he can give you a 'wreckless driving' ticket"... Uhm, thanks but no thanks.

I have since started carrying pepper spray with red dye in it when I ride my bicycle. We have close friends where the husband and wife are both cops and they both said that if someone threatens or chases you A) its road rage and B) it is assault - so you would be well within your rights to pepper them in the face, and the red dye doesn't wash off for several days so it is easy to identify the "perp."

dp

banerjek

Getting away rather than engaging nut jobs is usually the right call. A certain percentage of the population are dope addicts, homicidal, mentally unstable, or have some other issue going that prevents them from being rational. If 1,000 cars pass by you, chances are that you encountered people in all these categories.

Normal people do not attack without provocation, so when someone comes after you, there is a substantial risk that the person is screwed up in the head. It's normally best to let the cops, social services, and other wackos deal with them rather than taking them on yourself.

DocRay

Except that he would have been shot dead.

If this guy had had a gun handy, he would have shot him. Happens every day.
Therefore, y'all need more guns. Perhaps a holster mount in place of the second water bottle mount?

Another story about guns 'n cars, and "Robert Lee":

(AP) A driver accused of shooting an 11-year-old boy to death during a roadside argument with the child’s stepfather was arrested while on the run in Virginia, police said.
Robert Lee Vincent, 65, was arrested Sunday and charged with first-degree murder in the death of Kenneth Anderson. The boy was shot late Thursday as he tried to intervene in the argument that began with words exchanged outside a convenience store, authorities said. He died Friday at a hospital.
The incident began when Kenneth, his mother and stepfather were leaving a convenience store west of Gaston, about 90 miles northeast of Raleigh, authorities said.
The stepfather exchanged words with another driver whose vehicle was sitting at the store’s exit, making a comment on the other man’s failure to use a turn signal, Harmon said.
Later, as the boy’s family drove home, the other vehicle pulled behind them, and the men again exchanged words, authorities said.
The boy’s mother got out of the car, apparently trying to quell the situation. Harmon said Kenneth was shot in the forehead when he got out to try to talk his mother into getting back into the car with him.
Kenneth was taken to a hospital in Greenville, where he died Friday afternoon.

Az B

Just tell him to go buy a Hummer and "get his girl on".

It's not just bicycles that people do that to. I was picking up my daughter from school today in my van and was cruising down a 35mph road when a crazy old lady tries to turn left in front of me. I think her depth perception was screwed up by the fact that I was actually doing 35. Most folks do at least 60. At any rate, she stops halfway across the lane when she sees me coming. Realizes she could have easily made it but by hesitating she blew her chance. As I pass, she's yelling all kinds of crap at me. It was pretty hilarious. I did nothing, no horn, no lights, no yelling... Heck, I didn't even make eye contact yet she was going absolutely ballistic about the fact that I was doing the right thing and it made her screw up.

People are truly entertaining sometimes.

Az

Hask12

Concealed carry!
I visit Virginia every summer. I love the State, but there does seem to be an unusual number of very aggressive drivers.

flythebike

Yeah you got it right...I guess I didn't tell that part of the story very clearly. I had ridden ahead of them so when I crossed the street they were .5-1 block back. He didn't know they were there. There were also tourists catty-corner who saw the whole thing. But nobody got a license plate number. My wife also saw most of it, saw him chase me etc.

This was at 8PM at 18th and Constitution in Washington DC. Riding the wrong way down 18th street (between Virgina Ave. and Constitution) was no problem, there was no traffic whatsoever.

I could barely chase down fly balls. I was so sore from towing my son in a Burley for about 3 hours Saturday and Sunday (3 hours total) and 2 hours on the tt bike Monday. So I was a) in no condition to fight and b) if I had fought him, I would have given him what he wanted, a real confrontation. That would have reinforced the behavior of being a menace, and I'm not about that. Furthermore, I could have been hurt. I have races coming up that are way more important to me than trying to fight some random dweeb. Not to mention it would have terrified my wife and been a very poor example to my son.

BTW I love the comment about Grand Ams being such poser cars. Nice.

NoVa can also have its share of oblivious or willfully dangerous drivers, I tend to stay on the trail or in packs to minimize it.

Also, DC has a no pistols law so concealed carry or no I would have been unarmed. Don't know about him though so better just to run away. If I really want to fight I have a friend who likes to box and doesn't mind if I hit him .

2Tired2Shift

Pepper spray is a good way to really piss someone off. If you're forced to resort to force in self-defense, make it lethal.

bikeybikebike

You're thinking of battery


*edit - ooops, too late

Nachoman

You shouldn't have provoked him by crossing in front of him.

Starclimber

Thank you, thank you...<bows> I live to amuse.

Still, it boggles the mind that some imbecile with the faculties of a gila monster can make your day hellish by virtue of stunned driving which forces you to call out for your safety, only to have said cretin further worsen your day by accosting you. 'What are you gonna do about it??!!'...'Well, I'm probably going to signal my turns, allow vehicles with the right of way safe passage, jot down your licence plate while you aren't paying attention, and have you arrested later for being an utter numbnuts. Oh, and when I figure out where you live, I'm going to deflate your tires, all of'em, fill your doorlocks with construction grade adhesives, sprinkle herbicide on your lawn so the dead bits read 'home of the *****head', and fill your mailbox with dog crap. Have a nice day.'

Johnny_Monkey

America seems to be a pretty violent place. Why is that? Manifest destiny?

Hask12

Violent compared to what?

ElJamoquio

Uh, the SE VA part of America was very tame and a beautiful place to live. Why are you trolling?

flythebike

The thing is he didn't ruin my day. He tried, he tried really hard. I guess the point of my post is that I didn't let him ruin my day despite his efforts. I've long since realized that no matter how appropriately I behave someone will always try to take the wind from my sails. I just don't let them if I can help it. If I get upset they win, if I go on about my business and let it roll off me like rain on a duck's back, I win.

I appreciate the creative fantasy of retribution though - talk about full self-expression. You have a gift, sir!

Johnny_Monkey

It's not anymore?

ElJamoquio

You're not very good at trolling. I don't live there any more. See location, at left.

KrisPistofferson

@ J. Monkey. I love how everyone thought my post was offensive because they didn't like being characterized as Right Wing nutjobs, then they go on to advocate carrying a handgun to blow guys away while cycling in traffic. Way to go. If you derail an already fundamentally silly thread, are you a troll?

DrPete 

To quote Denis Leary, who tends to be pretty abrasive but has his own way of speaking the truth:

"This country was founded on two things: Meat and War."

Johnny_Monkey

I'm sure I'd be good if I was trying.