benjdm

https://www.wistv.com/story/15193866/...cided-by-jury#

r_kangaroo

wow, what the hell is wrong with people. I just started cycling again (I'm 25 now, haven't really been on a bicycle since high school) and after cruising this forum and seeing stories like this, I'm actually scared of crazy people in cars. What nutters.

hairyman

It's a strange world out there. In the past few years I've been noticing a huge increase in selfish, uncivil behavior.


I've personally been attacked on my bike three times in the past 18 months by angry motorists:

-One drove ahead of me and around a corner, got out of his car and waited, then ran out into the road and shoved me to the ground as I came around the corner. No charges from the police.

-Another sideswiped me with his pickup truck several times before finally knocking me down, then jumped out of his truck, tackled me into the ditch and started choking me. DA wouldn't prosecute -- cited "self-defense".

-Just this week I was riding on an empty road when someone came up from behind and sideswiped me with his car then slammed on the brakes and swerved into me, knocking me to the ground in front of the car. They lurched forward and hit me again with the front of the car before backing up and speeding off around me. Police can't find the driver due to illegally-attached license plates.

Then there are at least half a dozen people in the same timeframe who have stopped in the middle of the road, exited their cars and come after me. I got away from those ones without injury.


I carry police-grade pepper spray now and I would wear a camera, but I can't afford it.

genec

I have to ask... what do you do that irritates these people so much? To actually have motorists hide in bushes to push you over? That is pretty extreme. Are you a Hatfield or a McCoy?

1nterceptor

https://www.ecovelo.info/2011/08/02/nothing-to-fear/

Activity Fatalities Per Million Hours
Skydiving 128.71
General Aviation 15.58
On-road Motorcycling 8.80
Scuba Diving 1.98
Living (all causes of death) 1.53
Swimming 1.07
Snowmobiling .88
Automobile Driving .47
Water Skiing .28
Bicycling .26
Flying (domestic airlines) .15
Hunting .08

rydabent

Stories like this need to hit the news as much as possible. Maybe the attack loons in cars will get the idea they may be recorded and back off.

hairyman

I've been trying to figure that out myself. The problems usually occur when I am riding in the middle of the lane on a narrow two-lane road. The lane is not wide enough to safely share, but some people seem to loathe waiting for a moment in order to pass safely.

In the first two instances I was riding in the center of a narrow lane and the offending motorist had to wait for a few seconds to pass due to oncoming traffic. I think they are just angry bullies who get pushed over the edge when they see someone in "their" lane who is slowing them down.

The most recent guy must have just been a sociopath. I was riding way over on the white line and there was no oncoming traffic, yet he purposely sideswiped me and then hit me two more times before speeding off.

Chris516

Anyone who drives, but doesn't ride a bike, thinks cyclists have no right to the road.

As for being scared of nuts behind the wheel, a certain amount of fear is good. By fearing crazy motorists, you are actually more alert than the crazy motorists think you are.

While I don't fear them, I ride in such a way that, I am so obvious that someone can't say they didn't see me. I also utilize motorists to indirectly create a buffer zone between me and the traffic. I 'take the lane', so as to force drivers' to take a risk passing me, when I am on a two-lane blacktop and, to make sure on a four-lane, that they go into the passing lane, instead of trying to get 'chummy' with me by passing me at a distance no longer than my arm.

Chris516

This is why I want to get a helmet cam.

Roody

Sorry to say it, but the last thing new cyclists should do is read this forum. It's a collection of isolated incidents that are hysterically blown out of all proportion.

Chris516

Think twice about what you said.

Scrockern8r

I'm surprised the possible penalties are so low. I've been charged with reckless driving just for going around a corner fast on my motorcycle. Much less purposely colliding with another vehicle and running...
In my experience, that would most assuredly be considered reckless driving.

HoustonB

Roody, I partially agree that A&S represents isolated incidents and without a doubt some are blown out of proportion with plenty of hysteria and probably some histrionics (if we could see some web cams - on 2nd thoughts scratch that) - but with regard to new cyclists seeing the "debates" that happen here, I think they should be required reading for all new cyclists and also ALL motorists (prior to obtaining a licencse or renewal).

genec

I love stats... they lie so convincingly. According to those stats, I am better off dead on a bike, as I will live longer. Think about it.

CB HI

What happened to the appropriate "felony assault/battery with a deadly weapon" charge?

Flying Merkel

Statistics don't lie. The interpretation of statistic can mislead. The numbers look accurate to me.

The average person has one breast and one testicle. Actual individuals answering this description are rare.

CB HI

I think we should all become cyclist who hunt road raging motorist. It is an extremely safe sport .26 x .08

CB HI

The incidents are not as rare as when you, Genec and I started cycling. I believe that new cyclist should understand that the risk are low, but still realize the extent some of the road rages they may come across will go.

Digital_Cowboy

Do you have a kick/hit me sign on your back?!?

In your second case, how was that "self defense?" A person in a 2-ton vehicle tries to do his best to turn you into road kill, then jumps out and tackles you and proceeds to choke you and that's "self defense?" Where did that DA go to law school? Did they go to law school?!?

Digital_Cowboy

Agreed, even those of us who have had negative encounters while on the road agree that they're actually isolated incidents. And that the good encounters far outweigh the bad ones.

I related an isolated negative encounter on another forum and several people there think that I'm an unsafe cyclist who thinks that they have the right to ride wherever they want, whenever they want, however they want.

Digital_Cowboy

What would our weapon of choice be?

Digital_Cowboy

Agreed, they're not as rare as when we were kids, but overall (except for the news making cases) they are still pretty rare.

Agreed, they should know what they're getting into.

billdsd

Generalize much?

That is not even close to true. The people who think that bicyclists don't have a right to the road are a small minority.

billdsd

A guy I know who's 6'5" and whose weight tends towards the upper 200's (former football player) and rides a recumbent says that nobody ever harasses him, and he takes the lane regularly on major routes. I wonder why they don't harass him?

Oh yeah. I forgot. Bullies are cowards. They won't pick on the big dude who could squash them like a bug.

degnaw

Well, it's good to hear that the police seem to be taking the incident seriously. Not to nitpick, though, but the camera in the article is a handlebar camera, not a helmet camera.

Christ, I haven't even been hit, ever, much less attacked. FWIW you can get a decent HD camera for pretty cheap (as low as $40), if you encounter that many nutjobs I'd spring for one.