Dealing with hillbillies on the road.
 

So this evening I was riding around in the lovely Redmond, WA area, where I recently moved to from Seattle. Most roads are fairly rural, and for those not in the know it's kind of on the border of where Seattle techie culture meets the rural hillbilly one; for better or for worse. I'm not trying to play that card here. But tonight I had one of the most terrifying experiences on a bike due to a guy in a lifted older model pick up truck, with a loud speaker. As I was riding on a rural two lane road I could hear him saying something over the speaker. When it registered it was toward me, he was already passing me saying something to the effect "you look like an idiot," etc. Taunting me essentially.

The worst part comes next when he proceeds to pull in front of me, and drive into the gravel shoulder and floors the gas sending rocks and dust into my face. No provocation at all! Pretty ****ed up.

In the city you'd get honks or whatever, and I flick the driver off or say something to them. Some back and forth maybe. Normal. But this was definitely on another level. I've never dealt with anyone who was out to intentionally do harm toward me for no other reason than riding a bike on the street.

Does anyone experience this too? How do you usually deal with it? I kind of shrugged it off as a isolated incident, but I'm a little shaken up about it. I'm seriously thinking about carrying some type of bear spray from now on just in case something like this comes face to face in the future. If it came down to fisticuffs, my frail cycling arms won't be of any use!

It's the country, that works both ways. Next time you see that truck in a carpark or around the place and you have a chance, stick his tyre. They're expensive... probably can't afford another one...

^^^+1

So, when he passed and drove on the gravel shoulder, you didn't pull to the left side of the lane, you just sat there and took the spray?

He probably didn't have time to realise what was about to happen or react.

That gravel thing sounds pretty crazy. Here, every once in a while someone will yell something, but I can never quite make out the words they're saying. Most drivers are pretty courteous.

Don't do anything to provoke them, perhaps they'll get bored.

One time passing through a hillbilly neighborhood I had a guy shout out at me "you drop something" with a big smile. I just waved and kept going. A block down 2 guys ask me if they could try out my bike... What did they think I was 5 years old? Than at the end of the road I signaled left turn with my hands and a guy in a truck pointed at me like I was playing some game. Than he shouted something racist and his girl passenger started laughing.

I don't go through that area anymore.

Are Hillbillies a hazard on the back roads and in the countryside of all states in the U.S.?
Forgive the question if it sounds stupid. Just that in Europe we don't have hillbillies. Maybe encounter gypsies that are comparable.

May I assume that the OP thinks he is better than a "hillbilly"?

You used to find hillbilly culture in regions of southern Appalachia. Less and less so now, with the incursion of roads, strip malls, and television. I'd be surprised if many hillbilly drivers can be found in the Pacific Northwest...

One time a bunch of kids knocked me off my bike and made me lick a white dog turd. Oh wait...that was Step Brothers.

I feel like I've been pretty fortunate considering I live in a country/rural type area where to most people, the idea of wearing skin tight clothes and pedaling around the county seems flambouyant at best. Only a couple occassions where people have passed me a little too close for comfort. Only negative comment I've ever gotten was from some redneck who passed me at a stop sign and yelled "Nice bike, Lance!"

Yep, it can be hard to tell rednecks and hillbillies apart... rednecks can't play the banjo and hillbillies keep it in the family. You've gotta get way too close to determine either characteristic. Better to just treat with caution unless proved otherwise. Of the two hillbillies are probably preferable, they are that way because they don't know any better. Rednecks are rednecks because they get a kick out of being ignorant jerks.

Get a handlebar camera and record, then report to police.

^ I agree with this. It sounds like the scenario with this particular driver may re-occur. It's best to be prepared, and to be ready with evidence to go to law enforcement...

I think op was trying to avoid using terms like "poor white trash"
Hillbilly sounds so much more politically correct..............just sayin'

The title of your thread says otherwise. Ride long enough and you'll also get the diesel drivers with coffee can exhaust tips who make a sport of smoking out roadies every chance they get.

The question here is: what are you willing to do about it? Last winter a jackass cut me off very closely to get to a red light. He swerved in front of me in a 3/4 truck with an 8 foot bed in order to miss a median which leads into the intersection. This was on ice/fresh snowfall, so I did not have the option of hitting my brakes or swerving over. Really pissed me off. Turns out he lived down the street from me, and as slow as I was on the slick roads, I caught him getting out of his Viagra mobile. I said "hey aren't you that ******* that cut me off?" He replies with "Come over here, I'll beat your ass, blah blah blah."

After that, 3 times he followed me when he saw me on the road. The last time I saw him, he followed me, at night, all the way to my house. Instead of pulling in my driveway I made a quick 180 at the cul de sac and went by him going the other way. He had his window down and started yelling at me as I passed him. I sprinted around the corner, unclipped, shouldered my bike and dashed behind a house. 10 seconds later there he goes, speeding in the direction I was going. I really contemplated taking the valve cores out of his tires while his truck sat in his driveway but thought better of it. He ended up moving shortly after anyways. House was never put up for sale, maybe the bank foreclosed on him...

So, you can either eat it, or you can find the guy and punch him in the face. Take your pick.

Video camera FTW!

I live in the treasure coast area of Florida. That would be the northern end of "South Florida"
The orange groves and such are just north of me, so I too am on a border between the Florida of Northern retreat,
and the Florida of Native Floridians.
I can't say that I've had any problems with rednecks, but then again I stay in the Southern end of the spectrum for just that reason

Dont change your SOP man. If you spend your time trying to prevent idiots from bringing harm to themselves or others, you will end up doing nothing but trying to prevent idiots from bringing harm to themselves or others! However, if this is what you want then apply for the NSA.

A go-pro would be cool. You could always then show the cops. But that isnt cheap.

Unless the sheriff is the guys cousin/brother/brother-in-law/whatever. I grew up in an area similar to that - almost everyone is related. If you weren't born there, you're an outsider.

As someone born and raised in Kentucky (and actually have one leg longer than the other), I object to the term "hillbilly". The correct term is "Appalachian-American".

There is enough Clint Eastwood in us all to want to deal with this situation with a .44 Magnum, however I think it is obvious you were dealing with an idiot (or someone who is emotionally disturbed). It is a certainty if you argue with an idiot you will get an idiots answer ( he may also have all sorts of emotional problems that he would love to unload on you ). We have all been there and it satisfies me enough to know that there are enough of these people in the world that he will eventually run across one himself and the situation will handle itself. When you say your prayers tonight thank the Almighty you are not like this bonehead and then ask God to help him. ( you may want to turn your camera on in case he comes back and try's to hurt you. ) Good Luck

Get over it dude. I'm registered with a federally recognized native American tribe...I hear things like "indian giver" and "historical oppression" all the time. Cover your back in duck's feathers and you won't get so wet.

I guess that I should have put in one of the smilie things as I was joking somewhat. However the term "Appalachian-American" is written into some laws.

Ah, I missed it completely. How does one do a smiley for imitating an airplane flying over one's head?

I tell people around me that my number one concern on the road are white males in pickup trucks between 18 and 40 years old. I live in southern oregon, so there seem to be lots of these characters on the road. the older and bigger the pickup, the more terrified I am. for some reason, nobody in a audi wagon has ever given me troubles on the road. Its always a kid in a pickup.

I'm not sure whats wrong with humans, they are pretty messed up on the whole in their ideas of fun.