I behaved badly...
#1
Thread Starter
Warning:Mild Peril
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From: Seattle Refugee in Los Angeles
Bikes: Cilo, Surly Pacer, Kona Fire Mountain w/Bob Trailer, Scattante
I behaved badly...
So a beautiful day here in Los Angeles, I'm on my mellow commuting bike and don't have to rush home to pick up my daughter from daycare as my wife is already home. I'm cruising in the door zone (I know) of a three lane road with parking when an SUV makes a sudden lane change from the far left lane to make it over to the far right that turns into a right turn only lane. This woman sees me at the last minute, stops, and I end up ahead of her, proceeding straight into the right-hand turn lane, that has just begun. Traffic in the other two lanes is stopped and backed up. I merely look back at this woman, kind of saying, "what the hell?" and she is giving me the full finger! To this I come to a complete stop in the lane and she is just cursing inside her big Lexus SUV, so I walk up to her window and ask her why she's flipping me off after she almost clocked me, to which she just starts cursing and telling me I'm holding her up. I was so angry, I don't know what came over me, but I just didn't feel like yelling anymore, so I spit on her. It definitely shut her up, but I haven't done something like this since I was a messenger. She was so in the wrong, but I should have just ignored her.
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Non semper erit aestas.
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#3
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Joined: May 2007
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From: Jersey City, NJ
Bikes: Giant Quick 3, Cannondale Scapel 3, Brompton ML6
I happend to spit in someones open car window as they ran a red light a good 5 seconds after the change with me crossing on the green in NYC. I was actually surprised my aim was good. I figured I'd just get the vehicle. Next thing I hear is screeching tires braking. I continued my ride so I never got to speak with that person. I'm think mine was worse because that car was moving and to have something hit you while you're driving even if it is just liquid can be scary. I regretted it afterword because then I'm at their dumb level. Sometimes we let our emotions get the best of us. I guess it has something to do with being close to being injured badly or killed because someone in a car is dumb. I have a friend who rides motorcycles and sometimes change falls out of his pocket accidently hitting cars that give him close calls. So spit is better then a bunch of pennies hitting your windshield at 60 mph.
#4
Originally Posted by Treespeed
. . . I was so angry, I don't know what came over me, but I just didn't feel like yelling anymore, so I spit on her. It definitely shut her up, but I haven't done something like this since I was a messenger. She was so in the wrong, but I should have just ignored her.
#6
Thread Starter
Warning:Mild Peril
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From: Seattle Refugee in Los Angeles
Bikes: Cilo, Surly Pacer, Kona Fire Mountain w/Bob Trailer, Scattante
Originally Posted by pmseattle
So was it a loogie or just watery spit ?
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#7
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Joined: Apr 2005
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From: Whitby, Ontario Canada
Bikes: 2013 Brodie Section 8 , 2014 Easy Motion Neo City e-bike
LOL.. yea I have to say the picture in my head of her screaming about holding her up then you spitting on her really made me laugh..okay it may have been wrong but it was sure funny. Better than being hit by this idiot, actually better for her and you.. 
Cheers!

Cheers!
#8
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Originally Posted by Treespeed
Watery, but that doesn't make it okay.
I used to be a hot head, and in some ways I still am but now I have a family to think about, but back in the day I would have likely been facing criminal charges after an incident such as this.
#11
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Joined: Jun 2006
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Originally Posted by chephy
Probably not a good thing to do for your own sake. But she deserved it.
She didn't deserve it. He escalated some harmless words and gestures to assault. Maybe next time she would escalate it a little more and run his ass over?
#14
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Originally Posted by FlatFender
Ill put it this way. Had you spit on me, even with me being in the wrong, you would have been held at gun point until the police arrived to arrest you.
And if the prosecutor were having a bad hair day he might be able to get a "kidnapping" charge stuffed in there as well.What the hell ever happened to people being men and using their fists.
And yes I know the driver was a woman, but where I come from women could fight just as well as men.
#16
Treespeed, we all lose our cool sometimes. Don't beat yourself up about it.
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#17
Originally Posted by FlatFender
Ill put it this way. Had you spit on me, even with me being in the wrong, you would have been held at gun point until the police arrived to arrest you.
Well, would ya'?
#18
Senior Mumbler
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From: England
Bikes: Ridgeback Voyage (for touring and commuting), unknown beach cruiser (for smiling)
Originally Posted by FlatFender
Ill put it this way. Had you spit on me, even with me being in the wrong, you would have been held at gun point until the police arrived to arrest you.
From some of the posts in this forum it looks like the USA is a scary place to ride a bike.
#19
Arrogant Safety Nanny
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From: Santa Maria, CA
Bikes: 2007 Trek 7.2 FX, 2008 Trek Madone 5.2
What were the other motorists stopped alongside doing? Just apathetically watching? Or did they even notice? lol I wouldn't be surprised if they didn't notice such a blatant incident taking place in their midst.
Imagine if a lone motorist got in an argument with a cyclist around a large group of cyclists and the motorist wound up spitting in the cyclist's face. I think the outcome would be much different.
Imagine if a lone motorist got in an argument with a cyclist around a large group of cyclists and the motorist wound up spitting in the cyclist's face. I think the outcome would be much different.
#21
Mirror slap survivor
Joined: Apr 2005
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From: Sunny Florida
Bikes: Gunnar Sport, Surly Pacer, Access MTB, Ibex Corrida, one day a Simple City
I've spat upon a windshield or two in my day, but never on a person. That was a bit much. I understand the sentiment, but still. How about a nice stream of profanity instead?
#23
Neat - w/ ice on the side
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From: Big Ring. Little Cog.
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Originally Posted by donnamb
Treespeed, we all lose our cool sometimes. Don't beat yourself up about it.
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#24
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From: Toronto
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Originally Posted by Xrisnothing
Spitting on someone is definitely assault. If I were her, I would have called the police and followed you around until they got there to make sure you faced charges.
Originally Posted by FlatFender
Ill put it this way. Had you spit on me, even with me being in the wrong, you would have been held at gun point until the police arrived to arrest you.
#25
SERENITY NOW!!!

Joined: Aug 2005
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From: In the 212
Bikes: Haro Vector, IRO Rob Roy, Bianchi Veloce
You sure you spit on her on purpose? Maybe you were just yelling back and got excited and the saliva started flying while you were screaming? Yeah, that sounds more likely.
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