Yesterday I got buzzed by a semi just before i got to work. The drive had the windows down and threw a plastic bottle in my general direction. There was no traffic in the opposite lane and he could have easily and safely passed with no problems. As I pulled in to my office parking lot I noticed he turned into our plant, this is where the fun begins, did I mention I am the warehousing and logistics director for said plant. I got cleaned up and made my way over to the loading dock and asked to see the loads for the day. When I found his truck I instructed the loading team to change his appointment from 9:00 a.m. to 6:30 p.m. I also told them if there were any issues have his dispatcher call me directly. I got the call from the dispatcher by 9:30. I informed the dispatcher I had changed the time and would be happy to move it up if the drive would stop by my office for a moment. The driver came over shortly after I hung up with the dispatcher. You should have seen the look on his face when he came in my office and saw my bicycle leaned against the wall . We had a pleasant conversation about sharing the road with others and what could happen with the relationship between our two companies. On Wednesday next week I meet with the owner of the trucking company to discuss future business. The message here is if you are driving a truck and feel like harassing a cyclist you might want to think twice, they might have a great deal of influence on your economic future.

Heh, heh. I love it. Karma in action

A true lesson learned. Although I hope he doesn't take it out on the next cyclist he passes.

What did he say? I'd love to hear his justification for buzzing you and throwing something at you.

Maybe that driver will think twice next time.


I was in the same position as you were for a long time. I was never able to confront the driver like you were though. There were a few truck lines that had no chance of getting my business due to a "lack of courtesy" displayed by their drivers toward me while I was riding. When those account reps called or stopped in to see me, they heard about it. I even had dispatchers direct phone lines in my cell phone so I could call them immediately when one of their drivers did something stupid.

Overall though, I'd have to say that most of the truck drivers were/are great and professional. Many of them may not like cyclists, but understand that it's just another thing on the road to look out for. I drove a truck a few times, when it was necessary, and it really gave me a better appreciation for the job they do.

gotta love it.

I had an incident with a truck driver once. When I stopped for a red light the truck driver got out of the truck and came at me yelling that he was going to whip my *** for holding him up. He had a billy club in hand and figured he really meant to do just that. I picked up my bike and hit him in the head with the rear tire whereupon he crumpled to the ground knocked out. I climbed up in his truck shutting it off and removed the keys taking them with me. I tossed them in the ditch about a mile away.

I call BS

Man I love when Karma steps in.


So do I and I'm sure there is felony in there somewhere if it was true.

If I did do something like that with somebody (god forbid), I think I'd be more worried about whether I killed him or not, rather than jumping into his truck and taking his keys. Knowing my luck I'd probably be down on all fours trying to revive the SOB.

We have a group of 12 or 13 year old punk kids who run around our neighborhood being annoying... about 4 or 5 of them. They used to yell obscenities at me and be general idiots as I rode by... but I just rode on and ignored them. Until my chance for fun arose last week.

I was on my way to the grocery store, it was almost dark enough to turn on my halogens... but not quite. I was on a four lane divided road zipping along enjoying the total absence of automobiles on this night... and I saw these kids toodling along the sidewalk on their BMX style bikes. You know the picture... baggy shorts... pedaling with their knees tucked up under their chins... yelling and just being preteen annoyances.

I slowed a bit and pedaled just fast enough to silence the tick-tick-tick of my freewheel... they never saw or heard me closing in on them.

Just as I got even with the last kid in line... I let go and started barking as loud as I could. I must have sounded like the biggest mean-@$$ dog around, cause it scared the crap outta them! It was so fun to see them bail off of their bikes and begin to run... they must've taken about three or four steps before they realized what had just happened. I just accelerated and rode away chuckling.

Later, I came out of the grocery store and they were waiting near my bike. I thought, "Oh no... these kids are going to get belligerent"... but they didn't. We all had a good laugh about how badly I scared them... all the while each kid claimed that it wasn't HIM who was scared... it was the others who were running!

Now when they see me out on the road... they laugh and yell and call me the "Dawg-man"...

^ Haha, that's awesome.

Haha. These are great. I still like Tequila Joes story about slapping some little bmx punk in the face as he purposely swerved into TJ's lane and screamed though. https://www.bikeforums.net/showthread...hlight=slapped

Great story. I have been commuting since June with no issues until yesterday afternoon. I was on a two-lane road with extra wide shoulders and one of those middle "turn-either-way" lanes -- basically wide enough to be a 4-lane road. This is the last stretch before turning into my 'hood. There was no one else on the road.

Some ***** hat in a 90s Jeep Cherokee buzzed me super close and then honked their obviously modified, super-loud horn. Well - it scared the crap out of me and I almost went off the road. The driver and passenger were turning around and high-fiving as they drove off and turned into the neighborhood across the street from mine. Unfortunately, the windows were tinted so I could only see silhouettes.

It took everything I had not to flip them off or follow them into the neighborhood and give them an earful. See, I work in the local high school and I never know when I'm talking to one of the students or parents. That would NOT be good.

Although I do wish I'd gotten the plates -- that is not a reflex for me yet -- so I could have had our school cop run them on Tuesday. If it was a student, I'd love to call them down to my office and chat about sharing the road in a polite and respectful way.

If you're wondering, it's not likely that they were students recognized me -- I doubt it. The year just started and I usually arrive too early and leave too late to be seen by most of them. And with a cycling helmet and glasses on it's not like they could identify me that quickly...

You legend - Not vindictive just cool

Sometimes there is justice.

Martin Marietta ran Oak Ridge. One of their big rigs ran me off the road. I was in a car. Turned around, caught up, followed, stopped, got his name off his badge. Apology from VP via telephone. Assurance that driving would not be this fellow's job.

Fellow down the road here, was a pain w/his cab coming home. Did stupid one too many times. Firm letter on appropriate letterhead to employer with list of problems. Suddenly he is not driving a cab home.

It works.