serra

I went out for a short ~20 mile ride before class today. I was on my way back, and a car had just turned towards me onto the road I was on. Then, still going pretty slow, around 20 mph, the moved into my lane, and swerved back just as I was about to bail off the side of the road. She drove past laughing with her friend. I refrained from yelling, in hopes that if she didn't get a reaction, she wouldn't do it to someone else. I've had cars pass a bit close, people get mad, and all that, but never play chicken with me. What is wrong with people? Anyone else been "terrorized" while riding?

ItsJustMe

Helmet cam time, if it it likely to happen again. Unlikely that you'd be able to get a plate number though.

I've had people drift lanes but I don't think it was intentional. There have been people here who have been intimidated like you, and even very rare cases of drivers actually intentionally pushing cyclists off the road, and more rare cases of drivers intentionally hitting cyclists.

sggoodri

An intentional threat of injury like that is assault. I would report it to the police.

serra

I would, but I didn't even get the make of her car All I know is it was silver and vaguely what she looks like. I was more confused than threatened at first, until it got extremely close, so I wasn't really looking for those things. Suppose I will if it happens again. I figure I just won't go there again, it was way out of the way, I just wanted to see what was down there. Now I know.

dynodonn 

No, but with intentional intimidation, yes. At certain times when I'm making a left turn and I in the left tire track of the inner lane, I'll have oncoming motorists move over to be as close to the center line without going over it.

Digital_Cowboy

I had the same thing happen a year or so ago. All you can do is gather as much information about the car and driver and make a report to your local law enforcement agency.

Digital_Cowboy

If you feel otherwise safe in traveling on that road I wouldn't let one bad apple "scare" you off of it. As we have just as much right to be on the road as they do, whether they like it or not.

Wake

That's when you wish you had a few rocks in your pocket.

B. Carfree

I had the same thing happen a long time ago. The terrorists were heading to a known swimming hole so I got the local sheriff to respond. Even though the occupants of the car readily identified who was driving (those white teenagers all look alike to me), he would not press charges because I could not be sure which one was driving. I suspect the real issue was that he really didn't think cyclists should be on the road, much less complaining about kids having a little fun.

More recently, three days ago I was on my way home from helping a disabled friend. The road I was on was one with a 3-foot shoulder. I generally ride on the left portion of the shoulder and, just as a fossil-fool is passing I move a bit to the right to create an extra buffer. (This should be totally unnecessary since, under OR law on a roadway with a speed limit greater than 35mph a cyclist has to be given "room to fall" by a passing motorist. As far as I know, this law has never been enforced in these parts.) As one of the terrorists passed, I felt the whoosh of a close encounter; the passenger had opened his door to try to knock me down! I had heard of this sort of thing happening in Alabama, but I thought the car-critters on the west coast were better than that. I guess they aren't above that sort of thing anymore.

I'm so tired of cheap oil.

mikewille

Or a half-empty beer bottle in your hand

Noobtastic

Haha, I thought this thread would be about the NYC bomber and how bike bombs never happen; shows where I'm leaning these days.

If the OP's experience happened to me, I would turn around right behind them and try my best to read the license plate number and call the police. Hopefully such an outrage wouldn't be met with a "you need evidence" from the cops, so I hope I'd have a riding buddy.

serra

I suppose in a way I'm glad I'm not the only one. First time anythings happened that I would report, so I wasn't really thinking about it at the time. I'll be sure to look for plates if something like this happens again.

B. Carfree, that's crazy! I've had cars, more often buses, pass less than 6 inches from me, it's horribly annoying and nerve-wracking, but I've never had them open the door like that! What's wrong with people?

Digital_Cowboy

I've had passengers open their door to yell at me, but never to try and hit me.

B. Carfree

I first heard of this happening from a retired school teacher back in the early '80s (he retired, got on his bike to go for a tour and was still riding five years later). The fact that I haven't heard of it happening to anyone else, until it happened to me, seems like a good sign. I just hope it doesn't become a trend; there's enough to deal with out there.

High Roller

I experienced a couple of incidents last year where kids overtook me on the left and then immediately cut in front of my path and slammed on the brakes, smoking tires and all. There wasn't enough time or space for me to brake effectively, but I managed to avoid a collision in both cases by quick turns. Haven't had this happen yet this year, so perhaps these products of America's failed parenting and education systems have sought out new forms of entertainment.

sm1960

Does anyone here practice getting license plate tags, or am I the only dope. It's kinda of a brain game to get the full # when the car goes by. That's my rational anyway, and I only do it once and awhile.

gcottay

That's one of my games too. I'm really lousy at it if the traffic is moving at all fast.

Itsjustb

Yeah, they're running out onto the field at baseball games and getting tasered.

serra

Haha that was hilarious, nice face plant.

Seattle Forrest

A couple weeks ago, I had biked to a scenic lookout I enjoy, and was sitting down to enjoy the view and a snack. This van drove up, parked in the travel lane, the driver stumbled out and peed on the grass, then got back in the car and left, in a zig-zag path. I didn't have my phone with me ( hadn't expected to want to use it ), and I was so shocked, that I didn't even think to get the license plate numbers.

It happens to the best of us. I've made it a point to bring my cell phone with me when I ride after this, and it sounds like you'll probably get the plates, if you ever have to. But don't feel bad about not having thought of this at the time ... especially in your case. I don't have the excuse that someone might have killed me a second earlier.

Commando303

Been terrorized; happened to see the car, a few days later; smashed a window; felt better.

To the helmet-cam. and sickeningly eager tell-the-cops advocates: what the hell would the helmet-cam. do? Cops don't care about this kind of thing. I asked them after my incident; that's what they said. I provided a location, a vehicle-description, and a license-plate number: They handed me the standard vehicle-accident form (handled by the D.M.V., not by law enforcement), and hinted I should be on my merry way.

Here's an idea: next time, get hit and sustain severe injuries — perhaps be killed. Maybe, then, someone other than you will care (or, maybe, still no one else will).

genec

Nah, that doesn't work... the driver plays the remorse card and the cyclist still loses.

unterhausen

if the helmet cam video gets on TV after the cops ignore it, then they probably will not ignore it much longer. Otherwise it's he said/she said and their hands are tied.

B. Carfree

I've never had the guts to do that. Good for you. I have considered getting a little valve stem remover and loosening all of their valve stems in the hope that they will be inconvenienced by four flat tires. Sadly, I will probably never do that either since I have this nagging feeling that breaking the law brings me down to their level, even if, unlike them, I am willing to pay the consequences. I suppose I am also afraid that once I let loose I will lose track of all boundaries; I am probably better off vicariously enjoying your heroic actions.

Kneez

Congratulations on 20 mph being "pretty slow" for you.