An example from yesterday's ride home... I'm tooling along the Hudson Greenway, starting to cool down as I'm less than a mile and a half from home. There's a soccer game going on at 2 o'clock so I slow down a bit to avoid an errant soccer ball (beat-up indoor model, judging by the size). The ball crosses my path at a pretty steep angle, say, from five o'clock or so as I'm passing the game. No problem, right? Happens all the time.

Today was different. Some stupid MFer riding the other way, obviously very pleased with himself given the @#$%-eating grin on his face, slows/stops him own bike enough to trap and kick back the ball which has nearly stopped rolling. Problem is, he somehow doesn't realize I'm there... and kicks the ball directly under my front wheel as I'm now directly between the ball and the game. I don't know how I didn't go down, but a profanity-laced tirade from me receive a meek "sorry" in return and, the @#$%ers, giggles from the soccer players.

<sigh>

Your stories?

Football (soccer) is a proles game. Whenever there're footballers about I'm always on the lookout for errant balls. Strangely enough, don't have the same problem with other ball games such as rugby etc.. It is something about the attitude of people who play that game.

https://www.bikeforums.net/showthread...7855&page=1068

1. What JeffS said.
2. oboeguy, do you always get this infuriated and full of nastiness ("clueless, stupid, selfish...
obviously very pleased with himself given the @#$%-eating grin on his face", "profanity-laced tirade") over what gives every appearance of being an honest accident with no malicious intent?

Shouldn't expect smooth sailing on a MUP anyway.

Dude, you gotta relax. Like brown bat said, sounds like it was just an accident. That other cyclist was prolly just cruisin haveing a great ride like you, loving life, and tried to help the soccer players out by sending the ball back to them and just didn't see you. At least once a week I have to dodge cyclists riding the wrong way at me but whatever. We both see each other and accomidate, not the end of the world.

I think it's easy to get pissed off when you might've gotten hurt by somebody else's careless move. Still, it sounds like the schmoe didn't mean to bean you. Lucky you didn't wreck.

I have a kinda funny story. Didn't seem so funny when it happened. The other week, I was really tired. I'd put in, for me, lots of miles for days in a row. I was on my way back home after a long tiring day. I'm just plugging along on my route from downtown. I notice some guy on a Next bike riding on the sidewalk. I recognize the guy from the grocery store that's really just as much a liquuor store about two miles away. He's mashing and coasting. Wobbling and swooping. Curb hopping. Carrying a plastic grocery bag on his handlebar. He's pretty far away from me. I pass him on one of his stops to rearrange his grocery bag.

Next thing I know, WHAM, he's come up from behind, swooped across three lanes from the sidewalk, and driven right into my rear wheel. I wobble a bit, and yell something not nice. He says something that sounds like he thinks we're in some friendly competition. It's obvious he's drunk. He says something I didn't catch, but he doesn't sound threatening. I just keep on going. That's my story.

How can someone get angry near a football match/training session? Footie is like cycling. It's good for you and a special gift for only a chosen few.

Relax and enjoy your ride.

[QUOTE= I slow down a bit to .....

Today was different. Some stupid MFer riding the other way, obviously very pleased with himself given the @#$%-eating grin on his face, slows/stops him own bike enough to trap and kick back the ball which has nearly stopped rolling. Problem is, he somehow doesn't realize I'm there... and kicks the ball directly under my front wheel as I'm now directly between the ball and the game. I don't know how I didn't go down, but a profanity-laced tirade from me receive a meek "sorry" in return and, the @#$%ers, giggles from the soccer players.

<You sound just like all the rednecks people describe in trucks or cars harassing cyclists. Dude, CHILL,

The worst I get is when someone comes around the corner on the wrong side of the road and doesn't see me. It's hardly ever a big problem, though. I just yell, "Hey!" or "Look out" and they snap to their senses.

It's usually some local day laborer just trying to get to work or get around town, so I don't really get upset.

Honestly, I hardly ever get upset at anything or anyone while riding. It's too much fun and too relaxing.

shooot I play chicken with the city folk riding their POS with jumbo sized trash bags full of cans/bottles riding the wrong way and barely able to see over the crap hanging off the bike.

And I win.

Have y'all who are saying it's "just an accident" ever crashed because of "just an accident"? Seriously, I don't want another sprained elbow that still hurts three years later because of "just an accident". I don't want to not be able to hold my 3 month old son because of a broken collarbone. Need I go on? Sorry folks, the moron on the bike going the other way put me in harm's way because of some clueless, stupid, selfish behavior so my rant is perfectly acceptable.

Edit: language

GO BACK TO JOISEY, PAL!!

Leave oboeguy alone. Accident or not another rider almost caused him to crash. This a perfectly justifiable reaction. Now if he had gotten off of his bike and bashed the other rider's head in then that would be another story.
Venting is a good thing.

Yeah crashing is no fun, especially if some ****** makes a thoughtless move.

2 annoying things that have been happening to me lately by other bikers:

1) Riding on the wrong side of the street. This is really annoying because I have so little time to see them, look behind me, and get over. I fear these people more than the cars behind me.

2) People riding mountain bikes blowing through red lights that I'm being nice and waiting at. I very quickly catch up to them and get stuck going half the speed I normally do. I'm fine with other bikers going slower than me, it's just very annoying when they pass me illegally knowing full well that I'll be back up behind them w/in a block and unable to pass.

Oh, sure, it's "perfectly acceptable", given that this forum is a positive beeyotchfest at times. I just don't agree that what you encountered consisted of "clueless, stupid, selfish behavior". The guy was riding along, having a good time, and tried to do something nice for someone. It didn't work out so well. That doesn't make it "clueless, stupid, selfish behavior". Honestly, you really might want to reconsider where you're riding and reset your expectations: it's a MUP, i.e., full of people who are riding recreationally and not commuting, and it's next to an athletic field, so balls and people and whatnot are going to get into the mix too. If you just want to put your head down and steam along and have everyone focused on getting from point A to point B, I sympathize, but the place for that's the street.

at times?

My god when I first joined BF the commuting forum was the one all inclusive forum. Now it is getting to the point that the road cycling forum is more inclusive. By no means has the road forum improved. This one has worsened IMHO. Perhaps I should just hide out there.

A 4 year old crossing the street being followed by four adults almost caused me to crash.

I was riding fairly fast on this street with a slight decline. No bike lanes but I was taking up the middle of the road. The curbs are lined with cars and then out of nowhere this kid pops out from between parked cars 10 feet in front of me. I grabbed a whole lot of brakes and started to feel my rear wheel slide a little. I reflexively yelled "Sh**" as I narrowly missed the kid. I overheard one or two of the adults yell STOP at their kid.

Whats wrong with these people?! When my daughters were younger I never let them cross the street in front of me. Are some parents just this stupid? They were lucky it wasn't a car that was barrelling down that street like I've seen before. Its a 25mph zone and some cars sometimes go 35-40 mph down that street.

^Your daughter may not have been as strong headed as this child either...That said parking lots are a nightmare for a parent.

I'm w/ you OG. That ******* wasn't paying attention and could've caused you some hurting. He might be sorry, but he won't be the one that's hurt and has to recuperate. **** what the safety nannies say.

Good idea! Those guys might be more in synch with your opinions and priorities about bicycle commuting. There should be less of an impulse for you to smarm about clueless, stupid, and selfish posters here who don't agree with you.

Ahhh, it's the 9:55, aka ILTB, with a swipe at someone for a comment made by another poster...

Crashing sucks. Glad you didn't oboeguy.

Another poster who has him on ignore, IIRC, so it's futile anyway.

But then you get curious as to what the rant is this time. Sort of like looking at a train wreck. Just can't stop.