Many years ago, before I started riding more....I was road rage guy. I had an ulcer, high blood pressure, smoked, ate like crap, weighed 300lbs and would just explode at any idiot that dared cross my path.

Now, after 5 years of bike commuting and general riding for pleasure....I have no ulcer, my bp is normal with no meds, I don't smoke, I still eat lots of crap...but its balanced with plenty of good food as well, and I've learned that mankind is full of idiots and they outnumber me. I've also learned to let it go. The odds of me seeing a particular idiot again is pretty slim. The regulars on my commute don't mess with me. I've been known to call the "How am I driving" number on company vans to let them know that their driver did something unsafe. I've also called to let them know that their driver went out of their way to make my life a little easier. I do the latter far more frequently than the former. I believe that people enjoy getting praise and good news, so I try to work through positive reinforcement.

That said, I will call the cops if it's something really egregious. Last time was when I was hit and the guy took off. Had plate, had phone, called. But other than that, let it go, ride on. That's my theory. And I know I'm better for it. Life is too short to get that mad. I've been there.

Come on -- you ride in Boston! It's in the air, or water, or DNA -- not the phases of the moon.

that's silly. I gotta say. what about calling it for an ambulance?

Closet I've come to getting clipped so far (knocking on wood) was by a cop rolling through a stop sign talking on her cell phone....

Having said that, I don't think I'd call the cops on the situation you describe--and while my instincts would have been right with you at the moment, getting into a verbal altercation probably, in hindsight, wasn't going to help your case had you contacted the police.

You gotta wonder if this guy is d***head in the car is going to be more aggressive the next time he blows by you now...rights are rights, and I agree yours were infringed, but the sad truth is physics are physics, and we're going to continually wind up on the short end of that contest.

Bill

How many times does a cyclist have to "just let it go". That is the most common response i hear to "driver A shat on bicyclist B" but hey just let it go.

Now I know violence isn't the solution, but I feel so much better after it. That is if I am not a bloody pulp in a gutter somewhere.

Sgt...I don't think the question is about feeling good or justice...it's about survival and perspective. I feel a lot better after telling an idiot to stick it, but I'm an adult now (at least chronologically) and part of that is making sound judgments based on more than temporary feelings of release and relief. I'd love to take a u bolt to each and every windshield of every car that puts me in danger or does something grossly stupid, but I also like living outside of prisons and anger management classes. I still react like an idiot more often than I should, but that's to my discredit. Fast tempers are nothing to be proud of...they may be cute with your college buddies, but they suck when they endanger being a responsible adult. We are so incredibly vulnerable out there...we have a little sheaf of styrofoam on our heads and a quick fall to the ER or morgue if some maniac decides he's had a bad day and hitting us might make it better. There are so many people that are insane...that have nothing in their lives and value them so little that hitting you becomes a viable alternative.

A couple of months back I called the cops on a driver that buzzed me really close with his van (he was texting or doing something with his phone as he passed) and I patted his van with my mittened hand as he crossed over in front of me almost pushing me into parked cars. When he heard my "thump" on his van he slammed on his brakes and burst from the van screaming at me to get out of the road, I had no right to be there etc. and came at me. Fortunately, he stopped short of taking a swing at me and despite his foul mouthed diatribe I managed to keep my cool as I attempted to explain my right to be on the road.

He continued to harass and threaten me and said he drove that route often and would get me next time he saw me on the road- that was enough for me and I called the cops. He waited for them to arrive(!), they took his info, gave him a brief lecture and off they went. As they got back in their vehicle I thought he was flashing me a peace sign but it was the universal two fingers to the eyes of "I'll be watching for you."

I haven't seen him since- but I admit to watching for him every day.

If someone's jumped out and rushing me, I have no qualms about grabbing my bike by the front rim and clocking someone with it.

After a couple of one finger waves at people I know that just honked to say "Hi!", I'm trying hard to do this as well, and it sure feels better afterward, but it's not always easy to do! If it gets any more aggressive, I'll take their pic and send their license number in to the police as well though.

Exactly, I don't ever want to be "dead right".

I like it. Mine reads "Anything I got ain't worth your life", with an image of a .357 Mag pointed at their face. Not as subtle as yours, though.

Don't own a cell phone and have never felt the need to call the police in over 50 years of cycling. Had to pull my ballpeen hammer out of my back pocket once, but that was while walking to work up in Anchorage, AK, not while riding.

Try living in a place without them.

Dunno where all you've lived, but I've had pretty good experiences with every cop I've met, even the two that have written me tickets in my life. I haven't had a lot of dealings with them (other than the one who is one of my taekwondo instructors) but they've always acted very professionally towards me.

Hah, I remember the Redmond Police. Do they still give out DIR (Driving in Redmond) tickets? Sir, do you realize you were going 1 mph under the speed limit? I'm going to have to give you a ticket. Today is Thursday and all cars with an A in their license plate numbers get tickets today. Okay, the second one was an exaggeration, but the only traffic ticket I have ever gotten was in Redmond for driving 2 miles per hour under the speed limit - the cop said I was impeding traffic. The judge threw it out, but it was a big waste of my time.

Oh, and on topic: I try my best to ignore the cagers who feel the need to scream at me to get off the road, it's hard sometimes, but it's for the best. In car (or truck) vs bike the bike will never win.

I feel bad for days when I respond with obscenities to a driver that deserves it. So now I smile and wave and say Hi! in response to anything shouted at me. Responses are so funny most of the time that it makes it all worthwhile.

If someone physically threatens me with their vehicle, I'll call the police. Screaming at me is not worth the trouble. But this really only works when you follow the smile and wave routine. You really have to prepare yourself for it, otherwise you'll revert to old habits.

We've got unlicensed concealed carry up here, not a lot of sunlight in the winter, and a raging drinking problem. Hell, ignoring the fact that every idiot Alaskan is packing, every motorist is operating a deadly weapon. Like someone else here said, I don't want to be dead right. Practice controlling your temper, and down goes the blood pressure, up goes the quality of life. I'm a lot happier as a rage-free cyclist than I was as an aggressive in-your-face biker. How many times must you let it go? Every time that your anger will make no positive difference to the situation. So, pretty much every time.

Are you knocking my city? What, Boise doesn't have its share of short tempered fools? Man, you make me so mad....

*pulls gun*
*shoots own foot*
*pays medical bills with free thousand dollars from the state*

Police in Mpls said they couldn't do anything about an incident they did not witness (after being repeatedly harrassed and threatened with death by the same motorist--- same route, same time of day, etc...).

It taught me to handle these incidents in my own manner. It doesn't take much to find out where someone lives if you have plates.

My brother's a cop (as well as other family members). I'm gonna ask them how they would handle such a complaint/report. Personally, I don't depend on the cops to protect me or my family.

Forget the cops. If you are regular commuter, that means you may encounter the SOB again. Act accordingly. That means, don't rev the guy up cuz he can retaliate later.

I'm curious how, in a circumstance as described in my post (#32), what I might have done to "rev the guy up" other than simply being on the road and drawing attention to myself so that he didn't crush me with his van. I feel much better having called the police so that, should the guy "retaliate" later, the police have a record of the first incident. BTW, I think it's the first time in my life (40 years of bike commuting) I have ever called the cops on a driver.

if your gonna roll up next to his drivers side window then you shoulda stepped off the bike and stepped up to his window and been prepared to blast his ass!

In most places, IIRC, if you are willing to go to court, you can have an officer write them a ticket for a traffic infraction. At least, that's what I recall an officer telling me in the past. Although I don't think most people are aware of that. It is typically not done, because most don't consider it worth their time for a traffic infraction.

If you've ever been in a car where the driver is actually vocalizing his rage, it sounds like a yapping dog. Every time someone gets near the car, he gets protective and yap, yap, yap. The human yapper says:

"WTF is he doing?"
"oh boy, he shouldn't be there"
"Now, I gotta slow down/ ait"
REPEAT

Sage Advice that I will remember during this years commuting.