Cyclaholic

It's morning peak hour, I'm nearly at my destination in fairly heavy city traffic. I'm the last in line and make a left at a green light at a cross intersection (remember, we drive on the left here). I'm almost completed the turn when a small delivery truck runs the red from what would have been my right hand side before making the turn.

He starts honking as he comes up beside me (I'm right in the middle of my lane) then he starts swerving into me, still honking. I react by swerving away but he manages to sideswipe me. I managed to stay upright even though for a fraction of a second I thought I was dead. I hit the brakes and manage to stop just before getting pancaked between the truck and the first parked car. I swear there wasn't more than 3 or 4 inches left between the truck and the car.

What really enraged me is that I could see him looking at me, laughing, and giving me the finger through his great big side mirror. I sprinted after him and caught him at the next red. He was stopped in traffic but as I approached I could see his front wheel turning and him looking at me through his rearview. As I expected he deliberately lunged forward to block my path (or more likely to hit me) as I approached. Fortunately for me he didn't have enough room in front of him to fully block me... and I was anticipating the move. I landed a perfect punch to his rear view mirror and smashed it as I went past. It folded forward right around and hit his windshield.


Footnote: Don't try this unless you're wearing a stury pair of gloves. I use and highly recommend these. There's a lighter model I use in summer.....

JusticeZero

.... Nasty, but I do not know that I would have done that. The violence may be cathartic, but it renders it much harder, if not impossible, to get the police involved.

Cyclaholic

The only way the cops get involved in that sort of incident is if there's a dead cyclist under the truck's wheels.... and then it's just to report that the cyclist swerved in front of the truck and was therefore responsible for the tragic accident. After all, there's only the driver's version left.

Sixty Fiver

Good to hear you are okay and I really hope you got his plate number.

I also wish that more than his mirror got smashed.

yes

on a side note. what's your avatar. looks like a parrot head on a cheese grater.

Cyclaholic

Nah, I didn't bother with his plate number, there's no point.

Cyclaholic

The email was titled "another recalled toy from China" I guess it doesn't really work as an avatar, oh well....

JanMM

Yikes!

CB HI

And then the papers and apologist tell us how sad it is, that the driver will have to live the rest of his life knowing he killed a cyclist.


Maybe you could use a glove upgrade for the next time you see this driver:
https://www.wileyx.com/EcommSuite/Pro...SeriesCode=281

OfficerBarbier

I'd boomerang the m@therf@cker.

gulfcoast

Reaction is up to the individual. Don't rely on the moral judgement of others because it is all relative to interpretation. Screw that jackass in the truck for his motives. If something comes flying back at him,than as he might expect there is always an equal and or opposite reaction. The battles you choose are your own and that's completely up to you, not the wise men yelling from the sidelines. Find your own truth in every situation.

ban guzzi

Screw 'em! After years on a motorcycle commuting, having fun and hitting the race track every now and then I have NO compunction to punch mirrors, kick doors, dent hoods or pop a deserving driver! Had a city bus cut me off because they ran a light trying to cut a different car off. Stood up on the pegs and destroyed his mirror.

The best is SUVs' and 'spensive sedans. Those mirrors are expensive and shatter quite nicely.

I know it doesn't solve the problem and I don't really care. They actively aim for riders of any sort and they get it in kind should it come down to it!

These gloves work great and have been thru several iterations of wonderfulness and plenty of mirrors and doors...

keisatsu

I had to kick an SUV that was running me off the road. I had my MTB shoes on that have spikes (2 3/4" aluminum spikes), left 2 nice little holes and a big dent in the door. The cops did get involved but sided with me saying it was self defense.

Cyclaholic

Oh that's niiiice! I like the injection moulded knuckle protection, I reckon that would leave a 'lasting impression' on car panels!

CastIron

Last time that happened I started to pull the driver out of his semi. The look on his face as I was trying to breach the cabin was priceless, but overall, I really should have just done some urban bike ninja hooey and ridden off without being in the altercation.

I do ride with hard armor gloves and toes spikes, though.

SDRider

I've had to smack a few windows to avoid that but a good hard smack usually gets their attention. I'd increase to window smashing level quickly though.

Glad to hear you're okay Cyclaholic. I got pretty angry just reading your post. Good job folding that *****hole's mirror. Too bad you couldn't smash that idiot in the face.

jyossarian

Glad you're OK OP. Why didn't you hijack the truck Mad Max style?

dwr1961

I am usually a pacifist when it comes to relating to the rest of the world. Most folks that do stupid stuff are just ignorant, so I cut 'em slack....

In THIS instance, I fully agree and support you in your retaliation. This fella is living on another planet and he needed a broken mirror to bring him back down to earth. Hope your little dose of therapy helped!

For everyone else out there - always use your best judgement and keep a cool head. If you're gonna retaliate, have a plan for when things go bad... Here in the USA you never know when someone's got a weapon and is lookin' for an excuse to use it. Hard to ride faster than a speeding bullet!

All that said - I really enjoyed the story. Made my day!

vrkelley

I regularly tell drivers...Don't piss off the cyclists...they laugh when I explain what happens...They think I exagerate

squegeeboo

What kind of temp are those gloves good to OP?

donnamb 

I'm glad you're ok.

unkchunk

I'm still waiting for when one of your Australian garbage trucks tries to take out a cyclist with those robotic arms type story. Your's was pretty good, but no robotic manipulating arm. Better yet, the robotic arm swoops down and plucks you up to safety, right before a car t-bones you. It could happen. Geeze, I hope the cyclist would be wearing a helmet cam then. Oh... yeah, glad you're okay.

vrkelley

Judging by some other posts...It sounds like Aussie drivers are pretty tough!

bryanhayn

Damn, that's F'd up! If that happened to me I would do all that I could to track him down. I would find out where he lives, then visit his house and completely destroy his car - puncture all tires, break windows, create dents, etc. I would be SOOO pissed.

I'm a newbie biker. This story makes me want some nice gloves

Chris L

This is Australia. The police weren't going to get involved regardless, I know from dealing with similar incidents myself.