You see. This says something here. It says that being almost run over by an SUV from dangerous and neglegent driving is a "verbal confrontation" and is escalated by spitting. Since when does "casually almost killing you" (I love this phrase, I got it from some post here, and it says so well what happens between neglegent drivers and cyclists) translate into "verbal confrontation?" This is why cyclists and drivers don't communicate well.

Spitting was probably wrong, but not in the sense that it was wrong because it was wrong. It was wrong because it was a bad tactical move. Better to whip out the camara cell phone and take a picture of the person's face and their license plate. Even if you don't do anything with it, threaten to, and the person might think twice about their actions when they know there might be some consequences waiting over their heads. Drivers have to be taught that there are consequences to casually almost killing another human being. Being passivist about it will only result in that motorist not learning anything from the encounter. And why bike away? Why not set up on the sidewalk and wait for the motorist to move on? If they don't, call 911 because at this point, they are threatening to your personal safety.