I get the shouts, honks, and intimidatingly close drive-by's every now and then, and it pushes my buttons.
Inside it hurts to think that someone would scare me or injure me for their own amusement; and I want to hurt them back, even more, with prejudice.

Even at 58 years, going on 59, I weigh 210, work out all the time, have spent years practicing various martial arts, have a concealed weapons permit, regularly carry a 22" hickory axe handle in my messenger bag and a serious self-defense knife in my waistband, and I could ruin someone's day, and my own, in a second.

My son, who fights in those mixed martial arts things you see on DVD in the video store, and who can literally rip off someone's arm and beat them to death with the bloody end, tells me to think of it as a test of character.
He says, "measure yourself by the size of what makes you angry."
It seems strange at my age to get such good advice from a 17-year old, but I get more used to it with every day that passes.

Yes, I have an obligation to myself, my family and my community to not let someone hurt me; and, in almost all cases this means just keep on riding, forgive and forget.
My son tells me the people who do these hateful things hate everyone, and not me, personally, and that I should not return hate with hate because then hate will have won the battle.
If hate wins too many battles, hate will win the war.
For myself and the people I love I need to remember in these situations to not let hate and anger prevail.
Yes, sometimes it hurts, but it makes me stronger.

ken, methinks you are a wise, wise man (and have a bright son as well).

once back in my skateboarding days we kept getting buzzed by dudes shooting bottle rockets out of their car at us, and after their second pass, my friend started doing something with his mouth...looked like he was chewing his cheeks or something, but what he was doing was making a bunch of saliva, just filling his mouth with it, and after the dudes in the car reloaded and came for the third pass, he spewed all this spit all over their windshield. then we ran like hell. that was pretty great.

I've taken to smacking hoods, not hard enough to dent them, just hard enough to make them go 'qtf!'

like some stoner looking kids in a clunker tried racing me at the oceanfront, then running me into a trolley, one hood smack and they backed off

I got egged once while riding my bike by some punk kids, they made two passes then pulled down a side street poised to make a third. They thought the better of it when I chased after them brandishing my U lock and my buddy his 1" thick chain. The look of panic on thier faces was priceless.

I've had lots of run ins while living in Gainesville. Something about college kids, 2 am bar closing times and a 2 am last call, plus a disproportionate amount of rednecks makes for a spicy pot most weekends.

A friend and I were egged one evening by a SUV load of frat guys. We chased them for a few blocks but they out ran us during a long strech. Being hit with an egg flung from a speeding car feels like being hit with a rock.

I've had lots of shouting matches and plenty of close calls but I manage to let things slide most times. Luckily for me Gainesville is a small enough town that if you're patient enough you'll eventually see the offender again and be able to **** up their car without a fear of reprisal.

i agree. getting out of the way, and arriving at your destination alive, is the best thing you can do. they're the ones armed with lethal weapons, not you, and (if you want to go that far) the courts, if not the laws, favor drivers, no matter how stupid or illegal their actions.

here in oakland i don't think i have ever been targeted for harassment, but it's hard to tell because a lot of the people driving around insanely (either local kids showing off in junker cars, or harried "adults" exhibiting extreme impatience) seem as if they are not paying attention to anyone or anything. sort of a cultivated detachment, popular here in the bay area. so it might be random, it might be directed at me...whatever. I get my bad self out of the way, up on the sidewalk if I have to.

and then the fantasies of clobbering someone with a u-lock keep me awake at night. but who's coming out ahead here? You're riding a bike, and they are in a car. There's a reason people in cars are angry, obnoxious, and acting out: driving sucks!

ah. i feel better already. silent1, i'm glad you're OK.

i just spit at the *******s. window open or not. really helps.

I was almost arrested for spitting on someone's windshield once. Spitting on people or their property is considered assault here.
I was pulled over by a squad car a mile later, followed by the "defending" cab and had to talk my way out of the cuffs. I could have gone to lock up... And court...

Ken Cox seems to have the best mindset.

One night I was riding home and sure enough some of the stupid kids in school drove up and shot me with a paintball gun, fully-automatic. I figured by the bruises and memory that I was hit with about 15 at a range of < 4 feet. I had fun getting back at them by revealing some secrets over the school-wide intercom (the code is #987).

But the main thing is to keep cool, and just remember, while they are having the laughs now, think of who will be laughing when they're dropping $25+ filling up on gas, tons on insurance, and car payments.

am i the only one that does not understand this?