Advice from the police after getting buzzed.
 

Sunday I was riding down a stretch of familiar road and got buzzed by a mom mobile. I was doing about 10 MPH while as FRAP on a 4 lane section of residential street, and got passed by someone about 1 1/2 feet at the most away from me. Ordinarily this doesn't happen and I try and let things not bother me when I'm riding but this was worse than usual - bad enough for me to decide to call the police when I reached my destination 5 minutes later. I'd memorized the license plate number and gave that to the 911 dispatcher figuring that would be the end of it, and instead I ended up talking with a cop about what happened. He said the best thing for me to have done then would have been to call right away while the car was in the area, this way they could have stopped them if they saw them and talked with them about what happened. Since I'd waited they couldn't do much more than call the person if there was a phone number listed with the license plate (and that's all I wanted them to do).

So if you're wondering if you should call or not make the call soon according to the cop I talked with if you want to increase the chances of something positive happening - or get a camera.

good info to know. Hopefully they did call.

I was crossing a funny shaped but busy off-set intersection (with a bus stopped and blocking my view) the other day. Someone... in a parked car, no less... saw my somewhat precarious situation and leaned heavily on the cars horn.

I have to admit... that I did brace for contact. Even hurt my neck slightly from a pulled muscle. It did scare me!

But I also saw the humor in the event. I sorta laughed or maybe chuckled inside a bit... not a out loud laugh or anything. And then... I decided that whoever (it could have been a child)... or for whatever reason the horn was blasted (maybe I wasn't a target)... I decided I enjoyed the rush.

Yes. I decided... it was all OK.

People can tend to forget that fear... or the reactions to fear... can to some extent be a choice. I almost always (I am only human) have chosen to enjoy the adrenalin rush that comes with a fright. But disregard the anger part of the fight-or-flight response. It is after all... kind'a fun to be reminded that I am alive.

The bad thing about yelling at, gesturing to, lecturing, or even calling the police on the people we share our roads and ride with is.... it spoils our own enjoyment. And feeds the thought processes that see's these risks are tangible realities.

The reality of being injured while cycling may be set in stone. If so... your reaction is somewhat meaningless in terms of safety. But your reaction does directly effect your own enjoyment. If you feed your fears.... you'll ruin your rides.

One and a half feet doesn't bother me as long as there is no erratic driving involved.

+1. Standard operating procedure around here. Just don't hit me and it's all good. Although I do wonder about the skill level of many motorists and how they can be so sure they will miss me down to one foot distance. A professional race car driver maybe. Mom in a mini van...not so sure. But if I don't like it I can stop cycling all together - the only real solution.

Also...how can they be so sure I can hold my line down to a foot either way? I would never pass a cyclist, even a slow one, with less than 5 feet - even on my own bike. In a car I try to change lanes. It's just not that much trouble.
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This is how you react.
Man Speaks Out After Alleged Attack By Woman On Bicycle In Brooklyn « CBS New York

+1 here Dave. I have no issues with the OP calling the police at all. His decision all the way and a valid one. But this is the first time I've ever heard anyone else articulate the attitude I've usually had when riding, driving, whatever. I guess I'm an adrenaline junky or something and it could be part of why I wake up in the morning with numerous pains, but I tend to laugh and enjoy the close calls. Almost feels sick to type it out but there ya go. And if in this situation I looked and realized it was a joke aimed at me I'd have smiled and laughed out loud.

OK, I'm weird, I get it... but really, its (life) all about having a good time.

Making a right angle turn from a dead stop and then accelerating to what looked to be 30 MPH in under half a block might have been erratic or intentional, but with another lane to their left and no one behind them getting that close wasn't necessary or beneficial to me. Especially since the primer grey color of the car made it so easy for them to blend in with the pavement.

True, and I did debate calling the cops this time. I usually just keep on minding my own business, especially in the town I live and work in which has a police force that's put a lot of time and effort into being useless. But I was in a different town and this person was more aggressive in reminding me my right to ride safely in the street isn't worth protecting or distracted and I decided to do something. I'm more worried about what may happen to others later if they keep driving like that, and I completely respect your right to do nothing that could make the future better/safer if it interferes with your momentary pleasures.

That woman DID NOT cross over in front of him. She was ahead of him and took the same line he would have if she was not there.

Yep. Wa wa, got womped on for being a jerk and has to go on record to defend his sense of manliness.

Well thank you!

But I am an old man now.... and I have, and continue to do plenty... that makes this world a [hopefully] better place. And.... if I thought for even a minute that feeding into my own fight or flight response would somehow make the [future] world a better place for my grandchildren. You could bet I'd do it.

But... In 2009 there are 210 million licensed drivers in America. Reporting one woman who accidently drove a fraction too close to a bicyclist... didn't alter my grandkids global safety paradigm. But showing them how to discard fear and live happily with others..... THAT is life changing.

I agree. The OP can do as he wishes. Unfortunately... I myself have not always been so generous with my jovialness. But we learn. I only hoped to be of use by sharing what I've learned.

I think most of us could fill these forums with wonderful pose of the joys of cycling. Adrenaline... serotonin and dopamine are just a little bit of the enjoyment. However... fear, anger, worry... those are real buzz killers. Besides.. I could think of things to get angry about sitting in an easy chair. To feel adrenaline.... I have to get up and move about.

Absolutely nothing positive from the police around here.

I did not see any 'throwing' of the bicycle or 'storming' around the side of the car. I did see the bicycle get set down and a walk to the side of the car. I wonder what else the driver exaggerates about.

If I were a bettin' man, I'd bet on the length and nature of the needless horn honk.

I chose the latter, but with my camera system, I have to go either to my workplace or home to download my videos, making for a delayed call to law enforcement, if I determine that the pass was close enough to warrant my reporting the motorist.

Proximity activated paintball launchers, fore, aft, port and starboard.

Make it so.

Agreed, plus the close pass that she was originally willing to let go. I noted the video has no sound.

My guess is the motorist was visually well behaved because he knew his misdeeds would be visually recorded.

Also note the driver is not willing to show his face, I wonder why. Maybe another cyclist will recognize him from other encounters.

If they do find the cyclist, she is in trouble for the sunglasses. She needs to just claim he gave them to her for his excessive horn honk and close pass.

Having evidence would have been better in my situation, as it was there nothing but my word against theirs.
When we've had problems captured by the security cameras at my condo the cops will actually do something, the rest of the time they just say they can't do anything unless they see it. Which makes me wonder what they're doing when I see them at the scene of an accident, why are they there if they didn't see the impact?

I can always count on your pontification on how you feel about things after the bare minimum of thought or consideration of others Dave, and you didn't disappoint me here. But much like the stopped clock being right twice a day, you were right about something. In these days of declining violent crime it's refreshing to see someone take the approach of oblivious bliss instead of being paranoid enough to feel the need to be armed when they go out in public.

:thumb: we have good cops near me too. even if called right then and there they may not have found the vehicle. if there's no phone number associated with a car's registration (weird) there is an address and they can pay them a visit

IMO, what cops decide to do or not do should not dissuade anyone from reporting something. we do our part, then it's up to them to connect the dots & do their part. for all we know, other ppl have made similar calls about the same vehicle/driver, or their might be other issues with that registration or owner like an outstanding warrant

I was buzzed by an off-duty officer, a couple days ago. But like my earlier post, before I was buzzed by the officer. They don't care.

in recent years Massachusetts has had new programs for cops to educate them on bike safety & advocacy. the Boston area has new budgets for bike lanes etc. we've had enough deaths that it's a concern for everyone. with an enormous student population, many on bikes, there's an enormous amount of money being spent in the area on tuition, room & board by parents, plus loans that, as a population we demand it. we're moving our son into Brookline today, his 1st apt. the greenline is notoriously slow but he's not an urban bike rider. I'm half disappointed & half not.

I know this is a tangent off of the thread's topic, but Dave's comment is spot on, and I wish it was an awareness shared by more people. People everywhere (and especially posters on bf) are constantly offended by things that happen to them, when in reality the offensive actions in question had nothing to do with them. If you are aware of this fact you can choose how you view things that happen in your life and change how you respond to them. The most articulate description of this that I have found is David Foster Wallace's commencement speech at Kenyon College in 2005, "This is water." I know it's long, but watch the whole thing.




I try to stay mindful of this fact, and have found myself much more compassionate, aware, and appreciative of things since doing so.