Cop ticketed driver tailgating and honking at me today!
So, I drop my six year old off at school (we ride a tandem every morning) and I am headed back home in front of the school where there is a lane in each direction and traffic is very slow due to the line of parents in SUVs (mostly) dropping there kids off at school. I am taking the entire line because there is no shoulder and with the lane opposite me stop and go there is no room for both me and a car.
So I am crusing along at 17 MPH or so (in a 20) and this guy behind me thinks he is Johann Bruneel and 3-5 from the back of my bike honking his horn. I look back and then hold my left arm (palm down) in a "slow down jesture". He continues and keeps honking. I only have about 300 yards more to go so I shrug and keep riding. As I am getting ready to turn into my sub I notice a police car in the sub and think about saying something to him but as I turn the police car puts on his flashers and pulls out behind the guy and pulls the guy over. I ride back out on the main street to watch.
Net/net, the guy gets out of his car pointing at me and asking the officer "did you see him, did you see him?", "he was riding in the middle of the street, not the sidewalk", etc. . .The officer tells him (I am close enough to hear) that I was doing the right thing and he was doing the wrong thing, that cyclists have a right to the road and can take the whole lane where safe (Texas law). The guy is going ape sh** and the officer very calmly tells him to go back to his car and get his license, registration. He comes back and hands his stuff over and is again pointing at me (the officer asked me to hang around for my info as he suspects this guy will contest the ticket). The officer points out that it is a school zone with a 20mph limit and I was going almost 20.
He writes the ticket and hands it to the guy who sees it and starts screaming "what the f*** - reckless driving?". At that he tells the guy to either get in his car and leave or he will arrest him for disorderly conduct. The guy got in his car and drove away.
I was pumped! The cop told me he is done being nice to drivers that act like he did - he said if he wasn't honking and driving in an almost threatening manner he would have let him off with a warning. I thanked the officer!
Adam