Pennies Being Thrown
 

Long Beach, California -- I was on a normal street, one with wider lanes than most others, hugging my right shoulder and comes up a car next to me with a arm outward that throws a hand full of pennies at me. It startled me as a few hit my face and helmet. I pulled over and just had to laugh at how ridiculous that was.
Then I was sharing my experience with a few friends and one of them who is one of those LA aggressive drivers, shared with me that is the new way of someone flipping off. He said he keeps his ash tray full of pennies so he can throw them at cars that tick him off. Now I have been noticing all the pennies on the streets of Los Angeles and can't help but think of my experience.
Has anyone else had this happen to them?
In my days that I ran a lot I would have all kinds of things thrown at me. Beer bottles, bolts, loogies, cans, various remains of fruits. But never a common societal misfit behavior such as flying penny.

I've had eggs and I took it like a champ because admittedly, I have done similar things when I was younger and I believe somewhat in karma. Ride in richer neighborhoods and maybe you'll get quarters and half dollars. Sure they'll hurt more, but its free money. :)

Watch out for your eyes though.

Do eyes hurt when they hit you?

Been shot at with an airsoft by the passenger of a passing car at an intersection. Luckily it only hit my hands but one more reason to always wear eye gear.

Free money! I noticed a dime on the road recently, I felt guilty not stopping to pick it up.

Makes me even more happy to live where I do. Thankfully never ANYTHING thrown at me <knocks-on-wood>.

Did you clue your friend in that he's a complete jerk? I mean, think of it -- it's antisocial enough to get mad, grab whatever's at hand and throw it...but to actually bring something in your car with the express intent of throwing it at someone? You have to be pretty damaged to do that.

oakback- I like the signature. Made me laugh.

Not funny. Not cute. It's dangerous... and against the law.

In many places, it's a felony assault to throw any object from a moving vehicle at a cyclist. South Carolina recently passed a law mandating a $1000 fine and/or 30 days in jail for this offense.

Not funny at all.

I was watching season one of Weeds and another drug dealer was trying to mess with Nancy and pennied her car in the parking lot. That was the first time i had heard of that, and this was season one so it's old.

I can't believe that Nancy Botwin is pregnant!

A penny can do a lot of damage traveling at 45-60mph!!! Yikes! If they are throwing any pennies dated 1982 or earlier, scoop 'em up as the copper content makes them worth more than 1¢ (if you are into melting down legal tender!)...

Since I don't drive too much (and when I do, it is usually for a good distance), I recently discovered a penny -related trick at the toll booths. At least in Maine, you can use pennies in the coins only lane!!! It takes a few seconds longer for the thingy to count, but it works! My husband always dumps his pennies in the center console of the car, so all I do is grab a fistful. If I overpay, whatever, since I might drive on the toll highways once every couple of months, it won't put me into hock!

OT, but:
I'm probably the least spiritual person around, but my mom always told me that when you find a dime it means there's a spirit/angel/presence/what-have-you around. Her father passed away in his early 50s, and she always says he's visiting her when she finds a dime. While I personally don't think anything is "visiting", whenever I come across a lost dime, I take the time to think of the people who are no longer with us...

I got an egg thrown at me last halloween. I caught up with them 2 blocks later (punk kids in a Corolla) and kicked the passenger side mirror clean off. Ruined one of my favorite shirts. I had to ride over a curb at 15mph through a crowd of people to get away from the car. They continued to throw eggs (I was too far away and moving to fast for them to hit me) and I turned into an alley and they kept going. I'll bet their mom was mad about her car missing a mirror

My 3 year old still throws things when he's mad, but my 5 year old is just about mature enough to have stopped that behavior. So by my estimation, that puts your friend and the moron you met on the street around the same emotional maturity of a 4 year old.

Pennies? Lucky you. All I got was a wood plank.

I have had pennies, a slushy(almost caught it!), and some sort of brownie thing thrown at me. Only a couple of the pennies hit me and they didn't really hurt at all because I was going at a decent speed. My friend though got hit in the neck with a beer bottle.

I was riding my unicycle along the highway when a pickup truck full of rednecks came along and emptied a garbage can of cow manure over the top of my head, then took the can and threw it over me so I couldn't see. With my arms stuck down, I blindly wobbled about on the unicycle until I flipped over the guardrail and rolled down the hill (with garbage can stuck on my head) and splashed into the lake. (budumpity bump bump bump....... splash!)

However, the next day I was out there riding again.. day after day. I never quit and it never happened again.

Keep a few spark plugs and lug nuts in your jersey pocket so you have something to throw back at them.

My parents would kill me for wasting money by throwing it at somebody.

That's what I was thinking. It's amazing how many "grown ups" in our society were never told it's not ok to lash out, but rather process their emotions (and use an inside voice. :D ).

I was at the LBS yesterday and the owner was telling me that just a day or two ago, guy bought a brand new Madone and on his first ride gets walloped by a nearly full soda bottle. Of course he went down, messed up his seat, skewers, etc (the frame and carbon are ok though :thumb: ). But when he called the sheriff's office they basically said "what'dya wooont uz to dew" (yes we are in the hillbilly area).

Makes me sick and saddened at people.

Ooh! Great idea... I see those on the road all the time. (seriously)

I'm not going to throw anything back though.

Pennies is a new one for me. I have heard of lots of other stuff, mostly cans of beer or soda. Personally I have never had anything thrown my way.

Were they driving a Lincoln? Oh the centsless violence. No wonder people don't have good cents anymore. Before you know it, people will be getting nickel and dimed to death. Throwing coins is like pennies from heaving. If that happens to me someday, I'm going to call a copper or perhaps Penny Marshall. I guess it's all because of the election year.... people want change.


Ok... I'll stop. :bike2:

-3bikes

I knew a guy once that got sick of people tailgating him in his pickup truck and rigged something up that he could hit a switch in the cab and this spring loaded thingy would throw rocks out of the back of his truck. If someone was really close behind him the rocks would land on their hood. We were teenagers at the time and it seemed pretty funny. Now it seems kind of stupid

twenty years ago I had a bunch of kids in a school bus throw pens and pencils at me. I hopped the curb, caught up at the light, slowed down and unloaded my water bottle into the open windows. I can still hear their screams.

I haven't had anyone throw anything at me since, but if it happens again, that person will be getting a visit from the police and charges filed. I'm not going to fall to their level and assault them or damage their car. That's beyond childish.