Advice - file complaint or not

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06-15-10 | 06:45 AM

#51

thompsonpost

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Quote:

Originally Posted by emperorcezar

I can feel the elitism and smug ego oozing out of your post.

Elitism from me? Man, you are way off base. I couldn't care less about anything, just ride. Wow.

06-15-10 | 06:50 AM

#52

thompsonpost

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Quote:

Originally Posted by Greg_R

Yes it absolutely is. To a normal person, it is not escalation. To a crazed idiot already bearing down on him in a 3000lb vehicle it is a horrific insult. Note, I'm talking about the driver's emotional state here... not what a police officer or judge would consider 'escalation'.

Out here in the SE US, you can count on it. As I stated before, you flip off a driver out here and they WILL most likely follow you to your house and deal with you there. Anger is the drug of choice out here.

06-15-10 | 07:01 AM

#53

rhm

multimodal commuter

Joined: Nov 2006

Posts: 19,810

Likes: 597

From: NJ, NYC, LI

Bikes: 1940s Fothergill, 1959 Allegro Special, 1963? Claud Butler Olympic Sprint, Lambert 'Clubman', 1974 Fuji "the Ace", 1976 Holdsworth 650b conversion rando bike, 1983 Trek 720 tourer, 1984 Counterpoint Opus II, 1993 Basso Gap, 2010 Downtube 8h, and...

Flipping the bird is only communication, and it is protected speech. As a response to harassment that has already begun, I don't see how anyone could call it a provocation. As a response to physical threat, I wouldn't even see it as an escalation. From the legalistic point of view, flipping someone the bird just isn't an issue.

Is it a good idea? Oh, maybe not. I remember one time a guy honked at me, and I turned around and made that gesture for his benefit. He looked deeply offended. I guess he had not realized that I would would be offended by his honking; but I'm pretty sure he got that message. In that case, I'm sure the bird was an appropriate response. I'm sure there are myriad circumstances where it the correct response, just as there are situations where it is not.

But aside from all that... it's a done deal. Nutjob car driver did this, OP did that, and we read about it here. I don't see the point in second guessing him now.