I was riding to work this morning when a car turning right on a red didn't stop and came inches from hitting me. I yelled at him "You idiot your supposed to look before turning." then I noticed that he was wearing and SPD uniform(in a private vehicle). He said to watch out who I called an idiot. My response was that he of all people should know better. He rolled up his window and drove off. I think it is really bad when a cop (on or off duty) pulls a stunt like that and then gets mad at me because I got pissed at him. Just a mild rant I am over it know.

Just as when you're driving, it's always good to be on your best behavior. After all, what good does it do to call someone an idiot?

You're right idiot is too mild of a term, regardless of his career choice, I would have embellished a little more.

Hey, sorry about the close call. I hope he'll be more careful in the future!!!

I avoid insulting people who do things accidentally, even if they've been stupid and careless. I reserve the insults for people who've gone out of their way to INTENTIONALLY be rude.

Must be the phase of the moon or something...this morning I had a pickup start to make a right turn from a street to my right, as I approached at about 24 mph. I gave him my best Taekwondo yell (very loud and authoritative) and he got so flustered he came to a stop right in the middle of the street . As he sat there in the middle of the intersection, I zigged around his front bumper and sprinted through the next light just before it turned red.

I assume he was turning from a side street onto the street you were on and he didn't look left carefully enough to see you.
Police ought to role model stopping fully at painted stop line.
Al

I don't normally insult people when I ride except when they come with in inches of killing or hurtin me. Then being called and idiot is mild compared to what I could of yelled.

Yes nose beam he was turning off a side street on the the street I was on. I was in the intersection when he approached the turn. He did not stop or look before he turned(against a red light). If I had been a car it would of been a mess.

Was the sun a factor? In my close call this morning, I was eastbound, so the pickup that turned in front of me had no excuse.

There is one spot on my commute this happens where it really shouldn't. I ride across a freeway bridge with concrete walls on each side (so cars that get in accidents don't flip over side of bride onto freeway below I guess and to block sound for neighbors). The offramp feeds into the road that crosses the bridge - the intersection has a traffic light with two large "NO TURN ON RED" signs. (as view of x-traffic going over bridge is blocked by those concrete side walls I mention above). Anyway I find about 1 in 5 times not only will some yahoo turn on red, but they don't even come to a full stop.
I compensate as best I can by riding full left in the lane (to maximize sightline), watch the front of cars (I can't see driver because of concrete wall), ride slow, watch same direction traffic in adjacent lane to left so I can pull into it when a car turns in front of me and am always prepared to stop
Police to hang out often on this corner and give tickets for turing red here, but in spite of the enforcement its pretty normal.
Al

I hear you! I get hopping mad when people pull that **** too, then act like it was no big deal. I still try and restrain myself though, because I think it will be better in the long run.

Yeah it's like trying to stop a wave in the ocean by putting a toothpick in the water. Good luck. Turn on red without stopping with or without "NTOR" sign is pretty much normal. Best just to count on these folks, ride slow, watch their tires for the tell tale turn and do your best to stay alive.

On my commute it is most annoying when i'm in the crosswalk where the bikepath crosses a road, the exit ramp from the freeway is going the same direction I am and every morning some yahoo comes barrelling off the freeway and turns right with their tires screeching, not even looking to see if there is oncoming traffic. I just stay out of the way and wait for my walk signal, and make sure I have eye contact with anyone on my left.

Nope it was before sunrise And I had both front and rear lights running and a bright neon yellow jacket on. The intersection is also well light.

Cops never obey the rules of the road. In a non-bike related incident: I was driving with my boyfriend in Philadelphia. We came up to a stop sign at an intersection. The road we were on was two-way but the cross street was one way. I checked to see if anyone was coming down the road and the proceeded to turn right onto the one-way street. Next thing I know my boyfirend is yelling for me to stop. A cop is going the wrong way down a one-way street in his patrol car, and at a decent speed. And he didn't have his lights/sirens on or anything like that. He was within inches of smashing into me, and then shot me a look like I was doing something wrong...

it seems to me that yelling is a reflex when a driver has come close to killing you. i'm alwaysk shaking with fear/ shock/ anger when ive nearly been wiped out

Yeah. New moons tend to screw a lot of people up. Luckily, they tend to calm me down.

Anywho, I give a lot of good yells (I've been trained as an opera singer, so volume and projection come easily to me) to idiot drivers. I think I've actually startled some people. I remember yelling at a stereotypically stupid sorority student (who luckily had her windows down) "In the billion names of G-d, don't turn!" She looked, gasped, and stopped inching forward.

The clerk taking his smoke break outside the Circle K I was passing laughed. We had a nice chat about the idiots of the world.

I guess all I'm trying to say is that there is a bright side. You got to take your aggressions out yelling at someone who has a perceived position of power. He couldn't have done anything to you if he had tried.

re: yelling

In my Taekwondo class they taught us how to yell (from deep in the diaphragm), and said that it was an effective way to project power and disorient an opponent. I've definitely found that to be true when on the bike...and the fact that there's a lot of adrenaline involved makes it even more effective.

I am confused?
Was this guy a pedal salesman?
How does a guy selling SPD pedals & cleats have any power?

S_____ Police Dept.

Not the pedals.

Police are people too. They make mistakes. Most that I've known are too full of themselves to admit a mistake. I've yelled at a few that were in their cruisers. They said something similar, but I told them I'd make their life a living hell through litigation as I'm a lawyer. I'm not, but they don't know that. They usually say something under their breath and move on. I don't take crap from anyone. Mamma always said I was a few bricks short of a load though...

Rolling thru a right turn on red is not a mistake. It is the symptom of habitual carelessness.

Habitual carelessness when driving is the result of not respecting driving as an activity that requires care and attention to ensure safety for oneself and those around them.

Al

Yeah, I agree. In this case it appears he was careless. Wonder if you can make a citizens arrest? :-)

And some of them are among the worst drivers on the road precisely because they are above the law and none of their brethren will ticket them.

Ahhh... so you're why lawyers have such a bad rep...

"Ahhh... so you're why lawyers have such a bad rep..."

Not entirely, but I'm doing the best I can....

a load "yoah" seemed to work for me again today! i got an air-zound, but have not attached it yet...!
a sound may be better than yelling "a$$-hole" or 'idiot' (though potentally a true interpretation).
keep your lane!
tomg (s nj)

I've got one of those air-zound things on my bike. It's a lot of fun. I love to watch dogs do a 180 when I hit that thing. Haven't used it against a vehicle yet. I would think you would want them to be past you first. Might scare them and the swerve and hit you.