yeamac 

So I'm getting ready to pass a fellow cyclist today and call out well in advance (but not too far in advance) in a loud, audible voice, "on your left." I begin to pass him on his left and he turns his head to the left as if to look at me, like many cyclists do.

In an instant I simultaneously notice the white iPod cord coming from his left ear and the unusual puckering of his lips. He then proceeds to spit. Fortunately it was a very tiny ****er (not like the monsters I normally expectorate), and, as blind luck would have it, I had decided not to "drope the hammer" on him as I passed him, so the ****er actually crossed over in front of me instead of landing on my person, or worse, on my bike.

My first instinct was to not know what to think. Before I even had time to wonder if I was ruining his 28-day streak of not being passed by another cyclist, he immediately apologized as I was riding past him at 2-3 mph faster than his speed.

The guy obviously did not hear me announce my intentions to pass because of the earbuds in his ears. I counted that as the strangest "near miss" accident I have had with my bike.

SO DON'T WEAR EARBUDS, PEOPLE! I don't care about your safety, I care about mine!

SDRider

I'm curious, how exactly does one drope a hammer? I'm fairly certain that drope isn't even a word.

Glad you didn't get spit on though. Cheers.

bmalicoat

I always assumed earbuds were a no-no. But what about wearing them with the volume lower than that of the wind shear? Music helps me go a little farther than I otherwise would, even if I can barely hear it because it's being drowned out by the environmental noises, is this a habit I should quit now?

(I'm going off to listen to Danger Zone now )

yeamac 

^^^ "Drope the hammer" was coined by RyanF in this thread. Like an annoying advertising jingle, when I put power to the pedals I sometimes think to myself "I'm droping the hammer."

SDRider

I must have missed that. I only called you out on it because you misspelled it twice in your post.

ratebeer

No worries mate. The guy in front of me on our Sunday ride underestimated our speed and the headwind and blew snot all over me.

ratebeer

Drope, dropes, droped, have droped, droping.

grahny

My guess is that you wronged him in another life, and he in fact DID hear you, then purposefully spit at you trying to knock you off your bike, but used the earbuds as an excuse when he failed. Just a hunch though.

SDRider

I guess I droped off the face of the planet the night ryanf posted that thread.

mezza

Is droping the Hammer a bit like groping the Hammer? I tried that once, she didn't like it.

goldbam

I'm sorry, while I agree that that was a rather unfortunate circumstance, I disagree that you cannot ride safely with earbuds. Now, I never ride with them on roads, but on paths? Come on, don't be a silly dope. As long as you aren't moving all over the road, and spit when it's clear, I see nothing wrong with using ipods on trails.

yeamac 

monogodo

Yeah, because expectoration is soooo dangerous to our fellow cyclists.

vantassell

Don't turn this into a music vs. non-music thread, it's just pointless after the 1000's that already exist.

He spit off to the left?

that's weird, unless he saw a while a go (when you were farther away creeping up) and didn't realize that you had switched to the left side and was purposefully spitting off to the left to avoid you

bruce19

I believe "drope the hammer" is a colloquialism for "hit the dope with a hammer."

patentcad

I'm happy the deadly loogie didn't kill you. Thank God.

It doesn't get more idiotic than this sports fans. And that's saying something here on BF.

Trevor98

Did he swerve or are you just a little too frightened of the loogie? I confused, how is the loogie unsafe (unless you're worried about slipping on it banana peel style)?

recursive

The real problem is that he didn't look where he was spitting. I would have *****ed him out for that.

steaktaco

I can top that.

I was passing this guy on a hybrid on chicago's lakefront trail. I was on a decent pace, maybe 22-23. he might have been doing 16 or so. no one else was around.

ON YOUR—berfore I could finish with LEFT he turns and spits a wad right into my face. you should have seen the look on his face as he released. he didn't even have an ipod.

right before that a little southside punk threw a rock and hit my helmet. he thought that was the funniest thing. ever.

right after that a cute, tanned rollerblader was rollerblading along in tight, white linen capris. she was coasting along, bobbing her head to her tunes.

"ON YOUR LEFT."

'lala, I'm rollerblading to music'

"ON YOUR LEFT."

'lala I'm so cute.'

"ON YOUR—"

'lala I'ma turn without looking now.'

----

I guess my point is it's better to assume that riders won't hear you, drivers won't see you, and racers won't give you that wheel.

astrodaimler

I like to give the benefit of the doubt. People enjoy headphones and hey, its their life. But if I have to pass them, I'll say something. If they don't hear the first time, I'll come real close and put my hand on their back. Either 2 things will happen, he'll get so scared, get squirly, and fall, or he knows what he's doing and he'll just stay his line.

Shemp

If you're looking to blame the music, it wouldn't have happened with just one ear bud in.

lima_bean

I dunno, earbuds or not, in chicago for most of the year my ears are covered by goretex protection, and im pedaling into a 30mph wind, im not going to hear 'on your left' from anyone, or much of anything else.

Sirrobinofcoxly

When training, you ride with heavy items on your person, such as a hammer. When it comes to passing someone, you release some of the weight.

Hence the phrase "drop the hammer"

Everything else is history.

"Drope" on the other hang changes the context all together.

DrPete 

Yeah, you probably don't want to "drope" the hammer. It might press charges.

tennis5

Are you sure the alleged spit came from the alleged perpetrator or could it in theory have been able to travel from the grassy knoll located just to the right of the "ipod warrior" riding beside you...where a conspirator was lying in wait for just the precise moment to "drope" you with a loog shot?