hairnet

I just have to vent and get this off my chest. I'm just fuming.

I was riding home down some residential streets near a high school. As I approach and take my right turn some stupid teens, well I'm 19 so I guess some stupid high school teens, start calling out "You're not a car" repeatedly. And I just came to a screeching stop .

Now I'm a gentle quiet guy in real life and it takes a lot to get me worked up but I will not take that which treats me as a second class citizen, denial of my rights. Since getting into cycling I haven't encountered people yelling stuff at me. Well RAGE!!!!! I turned around and rolled up to these schmucks, got off my bike and asked "Do you have something to say to me?" This may not seem like much but I'm some built 6'5" guy, with a deep voice, towering over some shrimp 16-17 year olds. I then barked "Do you mind reading the f-ing law before you say stupid ****?"

They just walked away with some stupid smirks on their faces . This was going through my head as I rode around the neighbor hood fuming https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UPHuE5pDlEs
And I know these idiots are not worth my time and energy but AHHHHHHH SO ANGRY
part of me wants to be back there just to say " I know I'm not a car, what are you?"

Doohickie

Dude.



Chill.

JoeyBike

making

hairnet, I am not sure how long you been commuting, but after a few years pretty much the only thing I really notice are direct physical threats. Honk, cuss, whatever, just dont run over me.

aley

Sticks and stones.

If you feel you must respond, you could say something like, "You're not a car either, but you're built like a truck!" But the best response is to ignore their foolishness, not respond to it with your own foolishness.

Cyclaholic

If you look like this then you should have yelled out......

MMACH 5

Just this past Monday, I was came to a stop at a red light and a pickup truck pulled up next to me. The passenger rolls down his window and says, "You know, you're not a car."

I looked over and gave him the "just a minute" sign with my index finger. Then I proceeded to act like I was rolling down my window. I leaned over and said, "I'm sorry, come again?"

Both guys in the truck busted out laughing, I started laughing, the light turned green and we all went about our merry way.

***Disclaimer: I wish I could take credit for this idea. However, I read about it on BF about two years ago and finally got to use it.

modernjess

+1

I know you are young too, make it your goal to not let the *******s get you down. Life is too short for that crap.

noisebeam

Oh my they won ten times over. Thanks for the Friday laugh. Riding by the high school when it gets out is one of the highlights of my commute home.

Cyclaholic

I had a young guy in a small call call out "you're not a car" at me at a red light a couple of years ago. I looked at him, looked at my bike, and looked around at everyone around us now looking at me. I started talking to my bike nice and loud so everyone could hear me, I said "see, I tould you you're not a car, but do you ever listen to me? noooooo, you always have to have it your way don't you. Sure, you're a legal road vehicle, but you're definitely not a car, got it?" then I turned to the guy and said "hey, I try and I try, but what can you do?... you know?"

Everyone around us were laughing hysterically, the guy looked very embarassed. I got a few waves and thumbs up. I grinned like an idiot the rest of the way to work.

subclavius

So is "You're not a car" supposed to be an insult? Why would that make anyone angry?

Aww gee, I'm not a car....guess they caught me on that one.

hairnet

Their tone of voice basically speaking for them.

hairnet

I've only been at it for 1/2 a year

making

yea, you dont intentionally ignore it, but as time goes on commuting becomes more fun, you become more confident and soon people just dont bother you. hang in there.

HIPCHIP

Next time just turn their car over and walk away!

making

or that.

unterhausen

I've never heard that one. Or maybe I have but it sounded like "teyhaahhahahaiegal" I just wave and smile like an idiot.

Teenagers are the worst, because they are just trying to get a rise out of you. I keep trying to get this through to my wife, and she still doesn't get it that my daughter really isn't mad about all those crazy things they fight over. Strangely, my daughter doesn't pick those fights with me.

mihlbach

Stop and ask them if they have found Jesus.

vtjim

watch it, mister. almost spewed dogfish head squall all over the laptop.

hairnet

crawdaddio

Yes I am.

brotherj

I had a similar a few weeks ago. Pulled up at a light, unclipped the left side and put one foot down and waited in the middle of the right lane. Young "adult" male pulls up in the lane beside me, rolls down the window and hollers "You're not in a car you know." The only thing I could think of was to look at my bike and scream, "My car, they stole my car, Oh My Gosh my car's gone. Has anyone seen my car?" The folks at the bus stop broke out laughing, the guy in the car made an anatomically improbable suggestion and drove through the red light almost getting hit.

It actually felt a lot better than getting involved in an argument with an idiot at 7 AM on the way to work.

chipcom 

srsly

nachomc

Be cool, brotha. You're gonna get yelled at, you're gonna get messed with. Ignorant people are everywhere - if you let them get to you, they win.

Shimagnolo

Next time, give them an incredulous look, and exclaim:

"You just *now* realized that???"