when does the yelling end?
06-22-08, 08:07 AM
#26
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Is it really something against cyclists? Seems to me some drivers are always shouting at each other, just normally in cars you can't hear it
No. Hurl your capital 'W's at them like Ninja throwing stars.
No. Hurl your capital 'W's at them like Ninja throwing stars.
06-22-08, 08:41 AM
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06-22-08, 09:07 AM
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Here in Owensboro, Kentucky, I have found the same problems. It never fails that when i am out commuting, some idiot will pull out onto the street and miss hitting me by inches. Of course I just swerve out of the way while holding onto my handle bars for dear life, but it always ends with them yelling profantities at me. I seriously don't know how much more reflector tape and lights my bike will need on it before I can be seen from outerspace, let alone from the car that is sitting at the stop sign/red light up ahead. Sadly enough, I too have come to my senses and now carry a knife on me for self defense all because of some idiot who decided yelling at me wasn't enough.
06-22-08, 09:24 AM
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Sorry about Kentucky, that sounds really awful. That said knifes are ****ty defensive weapons for a lot of reasons we could go into off-line. I say that as someone that was formally trained to fight with them. Pepper spray works pretty good. I also reserve my right to carry a firearm, but when I commute to work I can't carry any sort of weapon (even pepper spray). Honestly, I am more worried about some of the people waiting for the train than I am drivers... but then again I don't live in Kentucky.
06-22-08, 09:48 AM
#32
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Or hope they do; that can be even more fun.
Had a real idiot of a garbage truck driver giving me crap once, over the course of several weeks -- I always try to be extra considerate to people with unwieldy vehicles and/or tough jobs, but this guy flat-out wanted me off the road, and wasn't shy about laying on his horn and yelling. I shrugged it off, but the day he started with the homophobic "f****t" rants, I turned back, waved, and yelled, "Love you too, babe", in front of a large crowd of pedestrians.
Mirrors are great; if you haven't already got one, I recommend it. But even if they served no other purpose, it was worth every penny I paid for my mirror, just to watch this guy turn beet red and kind of shrink into his seat while his buddy in the cab with him cracked up laughing at him.
After that day, he would just pull over to the curb and wait till I was out of sight. I should have done that way sooner.
Had a real idiot of a garbage truck driver giving me crap once, over the course of several weeks -- I always try to be extra considerate to people with unwieldy vehicles and/or tough jobs, but this guy flat-out wanted me off the road, and wasn't shy about laying on his horn and yelling. I shrugged it off, but the day he started with the homophobic "f****t" rants, I turned back, waved, and yelled, "Love you too, babe", in front of a large crowd of pedestrians.
Mirrors are great; if you haven't already got one, I recommend it. But even if they served no other purpose, it was worth every penny I paid for my mirror, just to watch this guy turn beet red and kind of shrink into his seat while his buddy in the cab with him cracked up laughing at him.
After that day, he would just pull over to the curb and wait till I was out of sight. I should have done that way sooner.
Beet red, and as much distance as he could muster.
06-22-08, 11:20 AM
#33
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Practice memorizing license plate numbers. Report any verbal abuse to the police or sheriff's dept w/t licence plate number and a description of the vehicle. If you're a commuter you're likely to be in the same proximity at around the same time everyday. Remember, you're in a VERY vulnerable position and while subject to vehicular laws you're NOT subject to any form of 'road rage'. Which is EXACTLY what verbal abuse is intepreted as under the law. It's assault...and a criminal offence. Not to mention a 'hate crime'...which is Federal...according to what they called you.
During the daylight hours, I sometimes bike along a busy road that has a 3-ft wide bike lane along w/ a ditch on the right side. It is usually teenage or high school kids driving cars (2 or more in a car) that think it's funny to yell real loud as they pass me in hopes of scaring me into driving into the ditch. Can I use this tip in that instance?
At night one time a slow moving vehicle was stalking me, w/ 4 teens in a car and one yelled out loud, "I'm gonna kill you." I knew then it was just a stupid kid, but I wished I had done something about it so that they couldn't get away w/ that.
06-22-08, 12:43 PM
#34
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The yelling ends when you do your entire commute on a separate bike path.
No autos, no drivers, hence no yelling.
Then of course there are the barking dogs and irritated pedestrians.
No autos, no drivers, hence no yelling.
Then of course there are the barking dogs and irritated pedestrians.
06-22-08, 02:42 PM
#35
Every lane is a bike lane
__________________
I am clinically insane. I am proud of it.
That is all.
I am clinically insane. I am proud of it.
That is all.
06-22-08, 06:31 PM
#36
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I'm trying to take pictures.
This came from elsewhere in the forums, where someone recommended taking a picture with your cell phone so that you don't forget the license plate number. (Even if you don't have a camera on your cell phone, you can still hold it up like you do and text yourself the number...)
Not having a camera on my cellphone, I got a hold of an Aiptek PenCam. It sits in a cell-phone pouch on my messenger bag strap.
I'm still working on my quick-draw, so we'll see how it goes...
This came from elsewhere in the forums, where someone recommended taking a picture with your cell phone so that you don't forget the license plate number. (Even if you don't have a camera on your cell phone, you can still hold it up like you do and text yourself the number...)
Not having a camera on my cellphone, I got a hold of an Aiptek PenCam. It sits in a cell-phone pouch on my messenger bag strap.
I'm still working on my quick-draw, so we'll see how it goes...
06-22-08, 07:12 PM
#37
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The yelling ended for me when I put on headphones. I pretty much drown out everything. I ride extremely defensively because I'm essentially hearing impaired when I ride, but I enjoy my ride far more without the comments, kids in dropped civics bumping music I hate, hicks in trucks doing the same and everything in between.
People(even us, see walmart commuter threads) seem to have a tendency to look for ways to look down on other people. People in BMWs look down on people in Toyotas which in turn look down on people in 95 Blazers which in turn look down on people that ride their bikes to work. I feel safe in saying this kind of behavior is human nature. It repeats itself over and over in our society. When you wear full kit and ride a race bike, you are exercising. When you go commuter on a bike with bags and fenders, you look homeless and automatically become the poorest thing on the road.
People(even us, see walmart commuter threads) seem to have a tendency to look for ways to look down on other people. People in BMWs look down on people in Toyotas which in turn look down on people in 95 Blazers which in turn look down on people that ride their bikes to work. I feel safe in saying this kind of behavior is human nature. It repeats itself over and over in our society. When you wear full kit and ride a race bike, you are exercising. When you go commuter on a bike with bags and fenders, you look homeless and automatically become the poorest thing on the road.
06-22-08, 07:26 PM
#38
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OP dont take it too hard man. The truth is the people yelling probably wouldn't know you if they bumped into you at the supermarket an hour later. They just felt like being stupid and you were there. It was like eharmony opportunity and compatibility came together and they said oh this seems like a good idea only you werent matched on 24 virtues
06-22-08, 07:44 PM
#39
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06-22-08, 07:51 PM
#40
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Just a point of order: Yelling at someone from a car window is a form of assault. When a racial or gender preference slur is added it becomes a 'hate crime' by Federal definition.
06-22-08, 07:58 PM
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always have your tire pump strapped on. if you see someone coming who you think or know is going to harrass you, a good whack to the head or rear window should do the trick
06-22-08, 08:00 PM
#42
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EDIT- Not that I like to be yelled at or anything. Some states do have stronger hate crime laws (actually I think 49 of them do, all of them except for Wyoming).
06-22-08, 09:12 PM
#43
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Yeah yelling at somebody isn't assault...here's California's definition; I assume most other definitions would be similar
However if the motorist yelling out the car window challenged the cyclist to a fight or used "offensive words" "likely to provoke an immediate violent reaction" the motorist would probably be guilty of PC415 (disturbing the peace)
Originally Posted by www.leginfo.ca.gov
240. An assault is an unlawful attempt, coupled with a present ability, to commit a violent injury on the person of another.
Originally Posted by www.leginfo.ca.gov
415. Any of the following persons shall be punished by imprisonment
in the county jail for a period of not more than 90 days, a fine of
not more than four hundred dollars ($400), or both such imprisonment
and fine:
(1) Any person who unlawfully fights in a public place or
challenges another person in a public place to fight.
(2) Any person who maliciously and willfully disturbs another
person by loud and unreasonable noise.
(3) Any person who uses offensive words in a public place which
are inherently likely to provoke an immediate violent reaction.
in the county jail for a period of not more than 90 days, a fine of
not more than four hundred dollars ($400), or both such imprisonment
and fine:
(1) Any person who unlawfully fights in a public place or
challenges another person in a public place to fight.
(2) Any person who maliciously and willfully disturbs another
person by loud and unreasonable noise.
(3) Any person who uses offensive words in a public place which
are inherently likely to provoke an immediate violent reaction.
06-22-08, 09:32 PM
#44
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"Bike"
"Behind you!"
"On your left!"
"Thank you!"
etc.
06-22-08, 09:41 PM
#45
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06-22-08, 10:53 PM
#46
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I'm also in the Phila area. I've been commuting for 3 years and just got razzed for the first time last week. Some teenage guys in a car gave me the wolf whistle and told me I was hot (I'm a short, old, bald guy). I was wearing a particularly obnoxious lime green hi viz shirt, so I deserved it I suppose. In general drivers have been excessively polite, almost to a fault.
06-23-08, 12:35 AM
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I've been commuting for a few weeks now. I've only had one "Get off the road" comment but I've had a couple of people just yelling to startle me a few times. I don't understand how in a civilized country people can't even help themselves from yelling things out at cyclists like they are zoo animals.
06-23-08, 12:59 AM
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06-23-08, 07:19 AM
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i just got home from an 1 1/2 hour ride and i successfully only got yelled at 3 times 2 were fat old men in cars the other was an 18 year old hick in a lifted pickup. Is it really that exciting to see a cyclist on the road??? I guess i better get used to it since i am fairly new to cycling but how many times do i really need to be called a fagg*t
.....
06-23-08, 07:37 AM
#50
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It why I wear ear buds.
I listen to NPR just loud enough to block out human voices but I can still hear cars.
With the wind and cars coming from behind I figure my eyes are my only real defense and I should focus with them. If somebody yells or honks I don't really know it.
I listen to NPR just loud enough to block out human voices but I can still hear cars.
With the wind and cars coming from behind I figure my eyes are my only real defense and I should focus with them. If somebody yells or honks I don't really know it.