Rum, you forgot to add one of these- - a the end of your post. I know you're not serious... The OP is traveling pretty fast down hill on a road with no shoulder. If he doesn't take the lane, he gets squeezed onto the dirt by this neanderthal-ette or some other inattentive cager.

Further, his "Is there a problem?" question to the driver is probably one of the least provocative things he could have said. You seem to infer that he's riding around looking for confrontations to capture on his helmet-cam. The tone of his original post and his subsequent concern about reporting the incident don't seem to support that motive.

Perhaps you need to chill on this one.

In Pennsylvania it is illegal to pass at a double-yellow line. I know because I got a ticket for it. Seeing as bicycles are to be treated with all the duties and responsibilities of a motor vehicle, it is hard to reason out an exception for this legally. Despite that I would have passed too, though without the horn honking and flooring of the pedal.

And what's with the "senior" members making incrdibly stupid comments?

In MD and NJ you could pass farm equipment against the double yellow if it was safe to do so. Of course that was about 10 years ago so who knows if that has changed.

they saved so much time passing you just to sit at a red light long enough for you to catch up to them.....

I didn't see you do anything wrong. Have to stick up for yourself every once in a while and that's what you did.

Did he really say, "this isn't india"?

Some states specifically allow motorist to cross the yellow line to pass a bicycle or a slow moving vehicle, provided it is safe to do so. FL law specifically says bicycles. In August, after the CO Governor signs their new cycling law, it will be legal there as well.

Read YOUR state law closely, because there is a good chance it is also legal in your state.

Seems you need an appointment with the eye doctor!

OP, good job on keeping your cool.

Had it been me, as you pulled up along the drivers window, is when I would have let loose with the Air Zound.

If I'm wrong, I'm wrong, I can accept that. Can you accept if you are wrong?

My fear is that this forum becomes a "mutual admiration society". A-holes come in all shapes sizes and vehicles. Just because you ditch your car doesn't make you immune from being one. As a group, we should attempt to police ourselves because bad apples ruin the reputation of the group.

Some people shouldn't be on the road - in a car or on a bike. Riding a bike doesn't give you carte blanche.

Ride predictably, signal, stay to the right within reason and expect cars to pass you. Don't take a lane unnecessarily. Do not confront drivers on the road (even I need this reminder!). Get a thicker skin - cars will blow their horns, get over it.

About the name calling ... if you came up to my window I would take it as an invitation to have a conversation, and me my friend, you don't want to have a conversation with. You keep behaving like that and you will meet someone else like me that won't tolerate it.

BTW: making me a "senior' member does not make me your father mother brother or sister, or even your friend. Don't expect me to support your behavior if I think it is out of line.

Watch his video again with an open mind.

Not judging the OP, or really addressing the topic as a whole.

Just wanted to say that this is a VERY good point.

You're lucky he wasn't standing there with a 9mm, then your helmet cam footage would have been featured in the murder trial....

This is not universally true, as others have pointed out. In Vermont, a double-yellow is merely an advisory marking. In the absence of a posted "No Passing" zone, you may pass ANY vehicle against a double-yellow (provided it is safe to do so, of course).

So the moral is... Don't ever talk to motorists, even in a non-aggressive way?

Non-aggressive, hardly. The motorist drove in an aggressive marginally un-safe way. It's obvious something isn't right with the driver. Going up the the driver's side window and asking, "Is there some problem?" isn't non-aggressive, it does tend to escalate the situation. In fact, the driver and her passenger did take it negatively and the situation continued to escalate. The next step is some type of physical altercation. In my dotage, I have learned that it's always better to de-escalate things, esp in public with strangers. Not always easy, always better

Ya know, you see these quotes come up all the time here on BF. Seriously, have you EVER had someone pull a gun on you in response to road rage? Have you ever known someone who had a gun pulled on them for road rage?

Sure, I suppose it *could* happen. But since it *doesn't*, stop going on about it. This argument has been tried on nearly every concealed carry law in the nation: that suddenly what would have been shouts on the highway will turn into shoot-outs. It hasn't happened. It's unlikely to happen. Find something more realistic to worry about.

We have reports all the time on BF of people being chased, hit, or bumped. Curiously, none about people being shot. If you're going to worry about a pissed off driver, worry about him running you down, not about him shooting you.

Rumrunns hitting some solid points above in regards to thinking openly and being objectively critical to whatever degree possible.

My two cents... the driver was out of line and put the OP in harms way. Despite disagreeing with what he did at the light in theory I'll pass on judging it as it wasnt my tail on the line. It's awfully tough to retroactively eval a decision made while the adrenaline is turned to full volume.

That said two things I wanted to weigh in on... "Is there a problem" is absolutely a confrontational statement in my opinion. Again, trying to skirt judging OP but someone mentioned it not being confrontational. Totally disagree. Maybe its regional, but my experience has been its almost always a precursor to violence. Its even reminds me of a cheesy movie line right before the hero beats up 7 guys at once... Try it yourself (I just did), no matter how you change the intonation it sounds like a challenge.

Also, the airhorn in the drivers face at the light thing. I chuckled... its a brand of street justice I can totally appreciate. But you can't do it. It just puts the next guy on a bike in front of this self-important @#$% in harms way even more. Some people are beyond reach when it comes to opening their eyes... you just have to hope they stay at home and don't procreate.

Yes, I have had a gun pulled on me (in Chicago), and I know people that have pulled a gun on other motorists (in Phoenix and Detroit). If you read any big city newspaper you'll read about deadly road rage incidents regularly.

OK, either way, my point is; take care, you never know who you're dealing with. In suburban Chicago, a good samaritian forced a drunk driving illegal off the road and called the cops on him. One week later the illegal forced the good samaritain off the road and shot him dead in front of the good sam's wife and young kid. It does happen....

This is a very important point. The whole reason for a helmet cam (for most people) is to document incidents like this and to use as evidence in case things escalate. You always want to be the reasonable and unthreatening one. Let the others be raging, violent a**holes. Your words were perfect. Had you called the woman a c***, and had the boyfriend then knocked you to the ground instead of yelling stupidly like he did, the video would not have helped much in court. A judge might have decided that you basically got what you had coming.

This video is perfect documentation of the incident and should be forwarded to the police. If these two are every involved in another altercation, the police will remember the video.

OP stood up for himself and handled it calmly. And he got it on tape. I'd take it to the cops and ask if they consider that road raging or driving while stupid.

Geez, I generally don't have problems with motorists, but every once in a while I do. Sometimes I wish they would stop and get out of the car. It would make me happy, considering that I am a 6 foot tall, 210 lb US Marine. Maybe it would make them think twice about confronting a cyclist.

Edit: Oh, and if they pull a gun on me, they better be far enough away (more than 15 feet) to use it before I charge, tackle, and disarm them before calling the police and having them arrested for assault with a deadly weapon.

I am an old Marine, not as big but, I aobut 3 years ago I about yanked a little 145 lbs goofball in an Acura or Lexus out of his car by his little pastel necktie for pulling right up behind me and honking repeatedly when we were on a 4 lane, no other cars and I was where I was suppose to be. Then he got stuck at the light. I cooled down catching up with him, so i came up to the passenger side so I would not punch him. Anyway these people are just not worth it. If they touch you take them apart. otherwise not recognizing their existence is what bothers them the most. They are just trying to feel superior to someone and hoping to get you to pay attention to them. Dont even look up, completely ignore them. They will realize what a sorry POS they really are.

It's just that I have loved ones at home that expect me to take care of them. I'm not letting an idiot driver get in the way of my afterwork refeshments!

BTW, I had a gun pulled on me when I asked a driver "Did you get you license in a box of Cracker Jacks?" Seemed like the right thing to say until I saw the muzzle of a little auto pistol pointing at me. It was over 25 years ago and I still remember it well....

What if they have military training too? I'm sure if any properly trained member or ex-member of the military that has a gun aimed at you and is 3 feet away from you will win. And if the rider is acting aggressive, odds are the cops/DA is going to find the driver acted in self-defense. It happens in Phoenix where un-armed motorists jump out of their car with a baseball bat, the other driver has a gun and shoots the guy holding the bat. DA finds self-defense, in Phoenix, don't get out of your car unless you're ready to shoot it out....

I encourage you to do a quick google search on the following search terms: texas "road rage" shooting. I just did and got a surprise.

FWIW, I'm very pro-gun, but I'm also anti-disinformation.

Here's one from last night north of Chicago, 10 miles from my house:

Road rage: Man hit by car, shot twice

https://www.chicagobreakingnews.com/2...-incident.html

A man changing a tire on the shoulder of the Tri-State Tollway in the northern suburbs after a traffic collision was struck by the driver of the other car and then shot twice in an episode of road rage, according to Illinois State Police.