Bike Forums - Toronto Fixed

I hit a new low in cager behavior this morning. I'm riding South on Ossington, about to merge into the center lane to turn left onto Harbord. I shoulder check and there's a gap (I'm already taking the lane because people drive far faster than the posted 40km/h), plus the traffic ahead at the intersection is stopped so I can easily switch lanes. I hand signal a left turn, and start moving out and then the guy approaching behind me leans on his horn. I glance back and finish moving over into the center lane. I take a better look over my right shoulder and the guy's window is down... I think this is a good thing since he'll actually hear me when I yell at him, but before I get a chance, as he drives by he actually grabs my arm! wtf?! It's just for a second, but still we're in traffic and he could have totally killed me! What if I was a fairly inexperienced cyclist? Not to mention the fact that he was obviously cutting it pretty close if he could reach out of his window and make contact. He's yelling something incoherent with a thick accent and I manage to flap my arm and yell "this means left turn" but then he was gone (the traffic at the intersection had started moving again).

The thing that annoys me the most is that I've taken to remembering arsehole drivers' license plate numbers, but I was so shocked by this guy's actions that I totally forgot to look.

*sigh*

Deep cleansing breaths.

Calm blue ocean...calm blue ocean. Everyone should start registering complaints with the cops about menaces to society like that clown. What am I saying....they wont do s#!t.

TRaffic Jammer

11-07-06 08:45 AM

Taser....., with removable leads.
Or the shock coat, 10,000 volts through the jacket itself.

STEEKER

11-07-06 09:09 AM

cops will do nothing and don't care any more because when they arrest peeps the courts just let them go with little or no fines

STEEKER

11-07-06 09:13 AM

cool bike vid from Japan http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=86iUu-9qfIo&eurl=

Shiznaz

11-07-06 09:28 AM

Thats it. I'm printing out a sign for the back of my bike today "DOES NOT RESPOND TO HONKING"

I would happily move over if the motorists would roll down their window and ask me politely like a human being. Maybe you have my best interests at heart, its just that that eardrum cracking honk from 2 feet behind me makes you come off as a huge jerk (Especially from your gigantic palace car; if you want to squeeze by people buy a smaller vehicle genius!). Its like coming up behind someone on the sidewalk and just screaming incoherently into their ear, and then expecting them to comply with your request and move.

Hell, if the horn honked to the tune of La Cucuracha I'd probably move.

cavernmech

11-07-06 09:53 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Shiznaz

I want to hook up one of the Air Zound horns Spiderman webshooter style so I can put my hand right in the offenders window and give em a 120db blast in the face. Every night on my commute home I have to deal with some speedy jackass that I inevitably pass at a light down the road. I fear for what my anger might do someday.

darkmother

11-07-06 09:55 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Shiznaz

Thats it. I'm printing out a sign for the back of my bike today "DOES NOT RESPOND TO HONKING"

Indeed, something must be done-I get some goon in a car blowing up at me around once a week. I'm considering putting a rack and baby seat on the back of my commuter. Probably wouldn't make any difference though.

operator

11-07-06 10:01 AM

Jeeze. I've never heard of that happening before somnambulant. You have my sympathies. Good thing you weren't hurt.

darkmother

11-07-06 10:27 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by cavernmech

I want to hook up one of the Air Zound horns Spiderman webshooter style so I can put my hand right in the offenders window and give em a 120db blast in the face.

I would pay to see this. Gold. A few years ago I gave into the frustration and decided to rig up a horn system of my own. I got a car horn from a wrecker, mounted it to some sort of relfector bracket on my headset, and drove it off 2X12V emergency light batteries which I wired in series for 24V overvoltage action. I shoved the 7 lb of batteries in some big fred seatpack and wired it up with a bar mounted thumb switch. The horn was so loud that it would make me jump a little every time I hit the switch. It was a liberating experience to have a horn which outperformed the cager horns-Priceless to see the look on their faces when I'd honk back at them-and it was louder. One time I blasted this delivery truck that pulled in front of me, and the driver was so scared he dropped the clutch and stalled the engine. He was looking around frantically for the car that he was about to hit, and only saw me laughing my butt off. Abnoxious? Yes. Fun? Naturally.

After a couple of weeks, the car horn burnt out, probably from excessive voltage-(or perhaps excessive use?) I'd love to make something like that again, only with a more efficient buzzer/horn and a more compact battery. The air zound is OK, but it really is too bulky, and the mount is kind of inelegant.

gokiburi

11-07-06 10:29 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Shiznaz

La Cucuracha

YEE HAW!
shiz, i actually tried to use your avatar but i got a "no animated gifs allowed" message.
you would think that enough complaints about a driver would prompt a cop showing up at their door or something. i know they monitor/record all inquiries to the police so it couldn't be something that could deny. only in a perfect world would everyone lodge a complaint though... glad that you're still in the land of the living sonam.

pyze-guy

11-07-06 10:37 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by cavernmech

I could use one of those. I had a guy honk at me on the way home last night. No traffic anywhere on Sherboure, and I was in the bike lane. I had to do a double take as I thought maybe a dropped a stick or something, but no just some guy being a jerkoff. Like the whole empty freakin road wasn't enough.

Good game last night, thanks. Feels like I was stuck with one leg on the shore and one in the boat though.

Shiznaz

11-07-06 10:45 AM

Darkmother, wanna order a couple of these and split the shipping? http://www.bikepartsusa.com/product_...=1&p=01-170019
($9USD S&H for one, $10.50 S&H for two or three, and then it goes up by one USD each extra 2 units)
It is 105db, small, easy to mount, thumb switch, takes regular batteries

Airzound is apparently 115db, but way bigger and more of a pain to mount.

PS. What a ******!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2_6UqV5oeR8

somnambulant

11-07-06 10:56 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Shiznaz

If you guys are gonna order some, let me know (via pm or email), I'm in. I was actually thinking about looking in some of the electronics supply places (a la active surplus, etc) to make something similar, but I have no idea how loud I could easily make one.

edit: http://www.jameco.com/webapp/wcs/sto...88&pa=207888PS

darkmother

11-07-06 10:56 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Shiznaz

I used to have that exact horn, until someone ripped it off. The mount is kind of crappy, but otherwise it works really well. The cool thing is it sounds exactly like a police whistle, and people seem to respond to it more than other bike horns. It is loud enough to hear inside a car, but not as loud as the airzound.

Anyway, I'll go in on it with you if you want, I'd like to pick one of those up.

TRaffic Jammer

11-07-06 11:00 AM

Who knows the safety glass shattering frequency? :lol:

jet sanchEz

11-07-06 11:00 AM

Bummer about the arm-grab thing. If he was enraged enough to forgoe thinking about the consequences he probably shouldn't be driving. Eventually, he probably will grab some other less experienced cyclist and we will hear about it on the news; you could have been seriously messed up if you had gone down.

Out of curiosity, are you a big guy? I find that people mis-judge how large or small a person is when they are on a bike and the couple of times I have had to stop and sort something out with a motorist, they were both surprised at how big I was. I am not huge or anything, 6'1, but I think that I appear to be smaller and this might contribute to their stupid behaviour, the whole suspension-of-disbelief while in their cars.

Do we all appear smaller on our bikes? Women cyclists must have a really hard time in Toronto as well because if someone is willing to **** with a guy my size, they wouldn't hesitate to give a female cyclist worse treatment.

somnambulant

11-07-06 11:02 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by jet sanchEz

Out of curiosity, are you a big guy?

Yeah.. I'm also 6'1". But of the somewhat skinny variety, so I don't see that as being a deterrent. :) Not to mention the fact that they're in a 3000lb piece of metal, which certainly seems to make them feel invincible.

Oddly enough, on my way to band practice last Friday I took a cab and had a great conversation about asshat drivers with him. They're not ALL *******. :)

operator

11-07-06 11:07 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Shiznaz

It is 105db, small, easy to mount, thumb switch, takes regular batteries

Quote:

Originally Posted by Nashbar

Loud electronic signal penetrates traffic noise
Used by police departments and alarms in power plants.

All you needed to say.

Shiznaz

11-07-06 11:15 AM

Okay, well if you guys all confirm wanting one via PM I will go ahead and order them.

Right now its:
me
darkmother
somnambulant
my buddy jack at work

Any other takers? The more people the less you get hosed on shipping.

operator

11-07-06 11:19 AM

P.S On bikeparts webpage they say this: Shipping outside the continental United States.
BikePartsUSA does NOT offer this service at the present time.

Shiznaz

11-07-06 11:19 AM

huh?

http://www.amazon.com/Megalert-Mega-.../dp/B000AOA3DA

Even better, spend more than 75USD and shipping is free
edit: D'oh they only have 3 units at amazon

http://www.cyclingsolutions.com/Play...productadded=1
Available here as well for $20USD each (instead of $18USD), but ships via USPS (~$20USD for shipping 4 units)

operator

11-07-06 11:21 AM

Stop reading my posts when i'm editing them!

TRaffic Jammer

11-07-06 11:32 AM

then stop moving your lips when you type

cavit8

11-07-06 11:41 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by cavernmech

I fear for what my anger might do someday.

I hear that. Some dinkus tried to pass a string of cars by zooming along in the bike lane. I eventually caught up with him and informed him that his transgression was not appreciated. He opined differently with some invectives. I encouraged him to pleasure himself at which he took umbrage. We were coming to a light and I envisioned breaking his ankles for him and curbing him. I actually was a little taken aback at the violence of that, so I detoured and left him and his ulcer stewing at the light.... It caused me to reflect quite a bit on road rage as a cyclist...

op: no, not my cranks and yes, I know that's pretty much stock price - make 'em an offer.

jet sanchEz

11-07-06 11:42 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by somnambulant

Yeah, that is it exactly, the invincibility of being in a car really seems to cloud people's judgement. Being a cyclist and a driver, I try to share the road but I think that this is a very rare attitude, sadly.

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