Was riding in the street near my house, 4 lane. The car in the left lane in front of me stopped to turn and this caused several cars to have to stop. This mini van, rather than waiting, changed into my lane. The driver didn't slow, he didn't really drive like i was there at all but he didn't actually hit me, he just scared the crap out of me. Distances are relative and i cant say how close he was but it was way too close. I got his tag number and started to chase but the van turned left at the next intersection.

So i called 911, put on hold. They gave me a case desk number and I called it and waited for the next available operator until my battery died on my phone.

So, here I am, I have the tag number-- also have a personal friend who is a cop so i can have him run it.

What do i do?

1. File a case against em for reckless driving.
2. Forget it and hope they learn to slow down on their own before they kill a bicyclist.
3. Get their info and write them a letter telling them that they almost killed me with their reckless driving.
4. Find their car and spray paint share the road ******* on the side.
5. Whine about it on this forum.

1. have your friend the cop pay a visit, or make a phone call if in another jurisdiction.
2. Have a beer

Write a letter. Put it on Hello Kitty stationary if you want to get in touch with the driver's softer side.

three words....burmese tiger pit

OK, so i get a shovel and a jackhammer, then dig a 10x10 pit in the road in front of their driveway then cleverly cover it with a fake road covered dropcloth?

They will never suspect! But who would?

I can't believe this happened in Wichita, we have the nicest people and most careful drivers in the states!!!!!...............................NOT!!!!!!

I ride to work every day, not very far, about 1.5 miles here on the northeast side, up 37th st. from Woodlawn to Rock. You'd think that by only riding 1.5 miles that I would not encounter any problems.........NOT!! Just the other day a car passed me and slowed to my speed and the girl in the back stuck her arm out the window and pointed to the sidewalk and said "THAT IS WHAT THE SIDEWALK IS FOR" and then drove off...............only if they would have stuck around to hear my "law" speech. Stupid people!!! Wasn't a big deal but I was pissed.

Later from the NE side

I think if i see another situation like this i will 100% take my lane until I'm safely past he car turning left. That way they can't pass me without killing me which will make me safer. Or dead.

Excellent plan. But be sure to do your jackhammering under cover of night so the neighbors don't notice and tip 'em off.

I feel with you. But I think its best to forget it. Even if he had killed you
he would probably only get a fine and lose his license for a while.
What will he get for reckless driving when you cant even claim any damage.

"Even if he had killed you he would probably only get a fine and lose his license for a while."

I HIGHLY doubt that. He'll just use the infamous 'i didnt see him' excuse successfully argued against all cyclists and motorcyclists. He'll get off scott free. Prolly even win a lawsuit against kurrekarm's estate for all the stress introduced into his life after killing some unsafe cyclist who wasnt using the 'bike path'.

and I thought I was pessimistic

not a pessimist; just a realist.

Actually yes, it will be his word versus mine. So i decided to forget anything involving the law. That leaves legal and illegal. Talked to my cop friend and he told me that he would lose his job if anyone found out he got me the tag. Told him not to worry about it, not worth that. That leaves out finding the person, taking action period. So where does that leave me? It leaves me where I was before at the mercy of drivers who can break the law at their whim. But again, i think defensive, slightly aggressive riding will reduce the number of these incidents. Taking the whole lane next time.

If the guy had killed me he would have gotten away with it. I believe that. I mean, perhaps not in the Martha Stewart sort of way, you know 5 months, probation, but he wouldn't really be legally punished for killing another human being, just a cyclist. And the i didn't see him, im sorry, blah blah blah defense. A nod a wink and the judges would slap em on the wrist and away he would go.

It's not even news when a cyclist dies anymore, if it happened in Wichita it would be on page 5 of the paper.

Just remember driving is a right for the 98% of people that are stupider than you. I have been to the DMV often enough to convince me that lights and helmets and defensive riding is a very important thing, even if I don't look as cool. AW CRAP! Now I'm starting to sound like an old fart.

and on a friday no less...

And you just broadcasted this to everyone with a computer and an internet connection...

Not to take away from your feeling of violation, but it's a daily thing. Isn't it odd how, at least when you live in a big city (mileage may vary) that there isn't a ride that doesn't involve a near-miss or more? I get feelings of road rage when ****e like that happens and the driver always gets the evil eye and I purposely slow down (when possible) and ride in front of them.

The oddest call I ever had was a while ago when I was riding on the side past Harold Washington Library here in Chicago going down Congress, which is a large entry point onto the expressway.

Next thing I knew, my entire left side of my body made contact with something -- I turned and there was a van who had tried to obviously either squeeze past me or something and now we were tied at the hip so to speak. I slowed down, yelled a "What the f@#k?!" but was mostly shocked than anything else that he didn't notice even.

But that's the thing with riding the streets, being courteous and whatnot doesn't work, on most days I act like a car, and know I own the road, as much as anyone else does. When it comes down to it on the road it's me first, everyone else later.

I will now call upon the title of an Iron Maiden song, "Be Quick or Be Dead."

You mean i asked him to do something and he declined? BFD. Stupid would be destroying their van, taking pics, then posting them here. Not going to happen.

If i ever do anything psycho i wont be telling anyone about it. K thx.

cant do anything.. my friend and i was downtown yesterday and we happened to be on a very empty but wide street. we were coasting towards a red when this large truck coming accross from the right made a left turn... not into the correct side of traffic but into OUR side of traffic... 15 meters into it.. headed towards us.

luckily the street was wide enough that it didnt cause us a scare. the only solution in these cases is to either suck it up or whack the mofo in their window with a hefty frame pump or a baton.. if the situation posed you in such a position

I have about 35-40 miles under my belt yesterday - more close calls than I care to count. The worst was this area where it's 4-5 lanes in both directions and (mostly) rich people in SUVs and big trucks. I was on the right (traffic was close to 50mph) and I heard some guy gunning right behind me - he moved around me, but I had a big pickup turning right accross my path right in front of me to get into a parking lot. It's a good thing that I started slowing when I heard his engine rev - I ended up about 4 feet from running into the side of his truck!

On the way home there were a lot of close calls on a street that's 'almost' two lanes wide - had 2 or 3 minivans pass me with 6 inches to spare on my left.

It's just a fact of life.

I generally will file a complaint if I have a tag and someone's being an extreme moron. Although it's "my word against theirs", its worth that the fuzz have some idea that a drivers a menace (presuming they actually have a licence). At the very least, if something does happen down the road, the jerk doesn't have a "spotless record".

"Talked to my cop friend and he told me that he would lose his job if anyone found out he got me the tag."

uhh...what happened to protecting the public?

Take the lane and forget about it...