Odd ride tonight
#1
Thread Starter
You gonna eat that?
Joined: Sep 2008
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From: Fort Worth, Texas Church of Hopeful Uncertainty
Bikes: 1966 Raleigh DL-1 Tourist, 1973 Schwinn Varsity, 1983 Raleigh Marathon, 1994 Nishiki Sport XRS
Odd ride tonight
On my way to the Sunday group ride, I turned behind a pickup truck. The truck was going very slowly, so I just kind of hung out behind it, figuring it was about to make a turn or something. Then it sped up a bit. I kept pace, but not too close.
I noticed that the truck passed very close to a parked car, so I backed off a bit. It got up to the next parked vehicle, a pickup truck, and BANG she hits her review mirror on the mirror of the parked truck.
She stopped there and I just took off and went around her. At that point, I just didn't want to be involved with whatever happened next. As I put distance between us, I heard her jump on the accelerator and spin the tires. Then she did it again, chirping them. I thought she turned around and went the other way.
About four or five blocks later, she pulls up next to me at a red light and asks, "What was that?" I told her, "Ma'am, you hit a parked car." She said, "I didn't think I was that close." I said, "Ma'am, you're driving a pickup, not a compact car." Then she says, "It was because your headlight was too bright! I was blinded!" I just rolled my eyes. At that point, the light turned green and we both took off.
It was just a really, really strange incident. She wasn't slurring her speech or anything, but I think she was probably kind of drunk.
I noticed that the truck passed very close to a parked car, so I backed off a bit. It got up to the next parked vehicle, a pickup truck, and BANG she hits her review mirror on the mirror of the parked truck.
She stopped there and I just took off and went around her. At that point, I just didn't want to be involved with whatever happened next. As I put distance between us, I heard her jump on the accelerator and spin the tires. Then she did it again, chirping them. I thought she turned around and went the other way.
About four or five blocks later, she pulls up next to me at a red light and asks, "What was that?" I told her, "Ma'am, you hit a parked car." She said, "I didn't think I was that close." I said, "Ma'am, you're driving a pickup, not a compact car." Then she says, "It was because your headlight was too bright! I was blinded!" I just rolled my eyes. At that point, the light turned green and we both took off.
It was just a really, really strange incident. She wasn't slurring her speech or anything, but I think she was probably kind of drunk.
#2
yeah, better to take a different road or stop.
and instead of rolling your eyes you should have either called the cops or told her to take some responsibility for once in her life.
and instead of rolling your eyes you should have either called the cops or told her to take some responsibility for once in her life.
#4
Thread Starter
You gonna eat that?
Joined: Sep 2008
Posts: 14,917
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From: Fort Worth, Texas Church of Hopeful Uncertainty
Bikes: 1966 Raleigh DL-1 Tourist, 1973 Schwinn Varsity, 1983 Raleigh Marathon, 1994 Nishiki Sport XRS
Yes.
I'm tired and couldn't think where to post it and figured since I was on the fixie I would grace you with my story. Now is when you're supposed post up the Cool Story Bro pics.
I'm tired and couldn't think where to post it and figured since I was on the fixie I would grace you with my story. Now is when you're supposed post up the Cool Story Bro pics.
#11
Thread Starter
You gonna eat that?
Joined: Sep 2008
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From: Fort Worth, Texas Church of Hopeful Uncertainty
Bikes: 1966 Raleigh DL-1 Tourist, 1973 Schwinn Varsity, 1983 Raleigh Marathon, 1994 Nishiki Sport XRS
Yeah, I'll probably burn in traffic hell for not being a good scout and turning her in.
#12
Thread Starter
You gonna eat that?
Joined: Sep 2008
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From: Fort Worth, Texas Church of Hopeful Uncertainty
Bikes: 1966 Raleigh DL-1 Tourist, 1973 Schwinn Varsity, 1983 Raleigh Marathon, 1994 Nishiki Sport XRS
CygoLite Rover II (255 lumens in high mode; it was in low mode at the time). Even if I aimed it right at her mirror I don't think it was capable of blinding her. I think what really happened is that when I pulled in behind her, she couldn't figure out what I was and was looking at me in her rear view mirror and not paying close enough attention to what was in front of her.
#13
CygoLite Rover II (255 lumens in high mode; it was in low mode at the time). Even if I aimed it right at her mirror I don't think it was capable of blinding her. I think what really happened is that when I pulled in behind her, she couldn't figure out what I was and was looking at me in her rear view mirror and not paying close enough attention to what was in front of her.
#17
Thread Starter
You gonna eat that?
Joined: Sep 2008
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From: Fort Worth, Texas Church of Hopeful Uncertainty
Bikes: 1966 Raleigh DL-1 Tourist, 1973 Schwinn Varsity, 1983 Raleigh Marathon, 1994 Nishiki Sport XRS
#19
#20
Thread Starter
You gonna eat that?
Joined: Sep 2008
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From: Fort Worth, Texas Church of Hopeful Uncertainty
Bikes: 1966 Raleigh DL-1 Tourist, 1973 Schwinn Varsity, 1983 Raleigh Marathon, 1994 Nishiki Sport XRS
A few factors related to my decision to just keep going:
. The neighborhood is not the best in town. Between that and the behavior of the driver, personal safety was more of a concern at that moment.
. High likelihood that if I knocked on doors, I would not be able to effectively communicate with the residents (No hablo Espaņol).
. All the rational things that are going on here in the thread were definitely not going on in my head at the moment. I was more shocked than anything else.
. I was running late to meet a group for a ride.
That said, if I wasn't the person this happened to and someone else posted up a similar story, I'd likely be part of the "shoulda got her license plate number" lynch mob.
. The neighborhood is not the best in town. Between that and the behavior of the driver, personal safety was more of a concern at that moment.
. High likelihood that if I knocked on doors, I would not be able to effectively communicate with the residents (No hablo Espaņol).
. All the rational things that are going on here in the thread were definitely not going on in my head at the moment. I was more shocked than anything else.
. I was running late to meet a group for a ride.
That said, if I wasn't the person this happened to and someone else posted up a similar story, I'd likely be part of the "shoulda got her license plate number" lynch mob.
#21
wait did we establish the make and model of the said damaged parked truck?
cuz aside from ethical reasons, there's a difference between clipping a parked ferrari's mirror than if she did it to a dodge neon.
cuz aside from ethical reasons, there's a difference between clipping a parked ferrari's mirror than if she did it to a dodge neon.
#22
Thread Starter
You gonna eat that?
Joined: Sep 2008
Posts: 14,917
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From: Fort Worth, Texas Church of Hopeful Uncertainty
Bikes: 1966 Raleigh DL-1 Tourist, 1973 Schwinn Varsity, 1983 Raleigh Marathon, 1994 Nishiki Sport XRS
#24
Veteran Racer


Joined: Jul 2009
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From: Ciudad de Vacas, Tejas
Bikes: 34 frames + 80 wheels
I had the left mirror on my F150 knocked off while it was parked on the street outside Colonel's across from TCU, and it cost me $400 to get it fixed. Insurance is $500 deductible and the mirror is one of those fancy power remote adjustable, turn signal, heated deals that has to replaced as an assembly. Definitely a very costly trip that day to the bike shop.
#25
Thread Starter
You gonna eat that?
Joined: Sep 2008
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From: Fort Worth, Texas Church of Hopeful Uncertainty
Bikes: 1966 Raleigh DL-1 Tourist, 1973 Schwinn Varsity, 1983 Raleigh Marathon, 1994 Nishiki Sport XRS
Yep. What goes around comes around. I have no idea why I looked this thread back up, but a couple weeks ago, someone randomly smashed windshield and mirrors on cars parked on my street, and my son's car (he drives it, I own it) got hit. Because it was parked, the damage was covered by comprehensive and after deductible it was only $100 to fix. (I wonder if TejanoTrackie filed the claim under collision or comprehensive?)






