Friday I had an encounter with a salmon on my ride to work. He was riding in the gutter toward me; I was in the right tire track. Just before coming up to me he moved away from the gutter and rode toward the left side of the lane I was in. It kind of startled me so I shouted, "You should be on the other side." He replied agrily, "I'm on THIS side!"

I was riding a little later than normal so I kind of blew it off.

This morning, though, I was also running a little late and encountered him again, at almost the same spot. I didn't say anything but I must have rolled my eyes because as he went by he flashed the finger at me.

What a loser.

So now... if I see him again, do I:

- Smile sweetly, wave, and say good morning?
- Tell him he's a big boy and to stop riding like a 6-year-old?
- Tell him to read the transporation code?
- Flash him the finger back?

I'm leaning toward the first. I find that the best way to de-escalate is to be the one that blinks. What do I care if he "wins"? Basically, if he's made the conscious decision to ride on the wrong side of the road and feels he is in the right, so I'm not gonna change his mind in several 5 second encounters.

I'd probably yell out:"Hey dummy, it's the LAW to ride with the traffic. We already pi$$ off enough drivers just being out here!"

Ignore him completely

I like that one.

If a vehicle travels on the wrong lane, one will almost inevitably report it to the police. Ergo, is this cyclist ******bag consider a vehicle?

Tell him he has been nominated for a (or is it the) Darwin Award.
Here's your sign--or better yet, "Where's your sign."

Around here we don't have many riders, I always smile and wave. I let the cagers be rude to fellow cyclists

I try not to, but I roll my eyes at people doing stupid stuff. I don't try and change them, I'll just let them be a statistic if their number is up. Ninja salmon, sidewalk riders, if they're not in my way, I let them be. Otherwise, I have a bell, my airzound and a nice shouting voice to say "Get out of my way" to anyone that's in it. I have yet to have anything good of me trying to edcucate, be it drivers, peds or other cyclists.

I guess in this case, I would just give him a couple feet of gutter room to pass by as he hugged the curb, and go on with my day. No response, no wave, and no smile for the people doing stupid stuff.

I just shake my head in a "no!" fashion when they pass. Anything I say won't change their attitude.

Do what you want to do because I will still be laughing at the fact you called that guy a SALMON.

Call the cops tell them there is a wrong way driver on a bicycle.

Stick in the spokes. That'll cure him

Ignore him, but sooner or later should bicycle mishap will befall him then you may take that opportunity to laugh your a** off at him.

I like it. Mr IGH has the second best answer in the thread, but I'll offer the best. If you only see this guy when you're late, be on time.

None of the above.

Aim all your lights (couple of P7) higher than usual at his eyes. That might get his attention.

I'm all for the ignore thing. But there's a small part of me that I keep hidden most of the time that would appreciate the Longest Yard clothesline. "I think I broke his freakin' neck!" Just a brief visualization, then back to my Zen center. Even in my fantasy world I'm not deft enough to spoke-stick in a meeting engagement, but I like the way CCrew is thinking and remind me to behave next time I'm in Winchester.
So back to ignoring the Loser.
I do have to say I've been wrong before and no less an @$$ in being defensive about it. You don't need to win because you're already right. Maybe he'll break the code.

It doesn't happen very often, but occasionally I'll encounter someone riding the wrong way and I just don't know what to do. Well, actually, I do know what to do which is to get to the right and stop and let the dope go past. It's completely impossible to predict the actions of someone who violates the very first rule -- the only thing you can do is hope that they don't have a concealed carry permit.

Ignore.. or game of chicken.. whichever you decide.

I encounter these idiots just about every day. They love to go the wrong way in the bike lane on one-way streets, even when the bike lane has an arrow pointed in the right direction. The "best" part is trying to figure out if they'll pass you on the right or the left, either pushing you into traffic or into the door zone.

Joust with them!

+1

You guys! You have it all wrong.

Doohickie, you're male, right? Blow the guy a big affectionate kiss. He's already shown what a (over)sensitive guy he is- if a virtual smooch doesn't send him careening to the other side of the road, nothing will.

Or you'll make a new friend! Win either way!

First off, that joust gif is priceless.

Secondly, to the OP, I have an Airzound Horn and it's freakin' loud. I'd use that next time I see him. Trust me, it will scare the living daylights out of him.

Yup, 'cause he's going against the current.

Have you heard the expression "It was a Salmon Day"? That's where you spend the whole day fighting the current ( Not in cycling terms, just fighting the usual flood of idiocy ) and when you get to the end, you get screwed.

The first time was a game of chicken. Before he got to me, though, he *did* at least swerve assertively toward his right/my left and passed me on the correct side. He did the same thing today. If nothing else, he's predictable.

Actually, this area is apartment-rich. I've encountered this guy and a ninja (which is why being early isn't such a hot idea either) in the same area. I hate to think the worst of people but they both strike me as people who are riding bikes because they've lost their licenses to DUI or whatever. The mere thought that I'm doing this because I want to is probably foreign to them, and I bet they can't imagine I actually enjoy it.