I officially loath bicycle riders!

[algs911]

Sorry, I just have to vent...

Background: I'm a former bicycle racer. I spent 15 years racing bicycles (road and off-road). I no longer race (too old, too fat, too many kids!). I've been hit head-on by are car while riding my bicycle before! Needless to say, I'm very bicycle conscious! I even still ride occasionally myself. So...

In downtown Felton, Ca, I was driving through town waiting for a road cyclist to move out of the lane (he was taking up quite a lot of space, and there's a big bike lane there!), I backed off so as to not even get close to him. When he moved over I went to pass (at about 20mph) and he spit to his left, RIGHT on the hood of my car (and '86 911)! I yelled out a "What the F*$%!" and he simply looked at me and waved with a smile.

Since I'm a little older now, much more wise, and have MUCH better control of my temper, I just drove on. I later had to wash the snot and spit off the hood.

Talk about one bad apple ruining the bunch. What a complete JERK WAD!

Sorry, had to vent to a community who would understand!

Honestly, I don't think I'll be as nice to bicycle riders any longer. I'll judiciously use my horn from now on.

Al

[HardDrive]

I would have gotten out of my car and knocked his teeth out.


EDIT: I talk a big game, but I probably would have driven on as well. Punching a guy in the mouth can cost you some $$$. Its simply not worth it.

[Brando]

It only takes one bad experience to ruin the rest. In 2005 I did the WCC with the 914 crew. Our ride through the mountains north of LA I had a similar incident: Entering a turn in towards the canyon a bicyclist decided he would cut across the turn... straight through my lane, almost through my car and into the oncoming traffic lane. To avoid him I put in both pedals and turned to the left. Having no swaybars in my 914 I did a 180 and left some rubber on the pavement. My passenger and I were livid.

I understand sharing the road and riding a motorcycle most days of the week teaches you to be alert, but some people are jackholes who deserve to get their f*^!(ing teeth knocked out.

[Flieger]

Give 'em the horn. I ride myself but don't associate with that crowd. I always try to stay out of the way of cars and motos.

[Superman]

Originally Posted by HardDrive

Its simply not worth it.

At times, it would be worth it. I didn't see the video of the judge beating his daughter, but he might have warranted a physical response. I did see the video of the ex-marine teaching the hoodlum a lesson on a public bus, and that was very satisfying. Might have been fun to hock that bike rider a nice loogey.

[HardDrive]

I grew in an environment where it was important to be tough. You had to be willing to fight. I take pride in not being that way. But I have slipped.

[Bill Douglas]

Hehe. You reminded me of a situation. Quite funny.

I was driving in town late one night and stopped at a traffic light when a Moari guy stopped in front of the 911 and when nuts at me calling me every name under the sun. My GF looked at me and said "Well?" I said "I'm alright with that, most of it is correct". Then he spat on my windshield. That was it. I was out the car door in about .5 of a second and was after him. I got him about 30 meters later. I got about 20 or 30 punches in then he managed to make a break and ran for cover in one of Wellington'ss best resturants. LOL, but I got him at the door and grabbed a handfull of hair to hang on to and started raining more puches down on him. My GF tried to break it up but ended up in a fist fight with the guys GF LOL. Some one from the resturant yelled he had called the police. Whoo, key word, stop. MY GF wouldn't stop fighting so I picked her up and carried her to the car and forced her into it. By that stage it was total chaos. Traffic backed up behind my car, a crowd of 30 outside the resturant... So I took off. Darn, about an hour later the police were on the phone. Usually in these situations no one thinks to get the rego, but someone did on this occassion. But... The cop asked me if I wanted to lay assault charges against the guy. Hehe. I hadn't been hit the whole time and had landed about 50 punches on him. I said to the cop that it was a very unfortunate incident and I'd like to forget about if I could. He said sure, that's OK but the guy had been involved in a fight 5 minutes earlier and the other guy was laying assult charges against him. I kept my poker faced voice on but felt like yelling "YES".

[Superman]

Originally Posted by HardDrive

I grew in an environment where it was important to be tough. You had to be willing to fight. I take pride in not being that way. But I have slipped.

I grew up in a small logging town in North Idaho. After the bowling alley burned down, fistfighting was the only recreation. There's a sign over one of the bars in town that says "Absolutely no fighting....don't even ask."

[Hugh R]

I raced in College, but almost got killed twice riding in Los Angeles and Boston. In Boston, I T-Boned a hit and run taxi that ran a stop sign. I remember hitting it but nothing after that. I woke up in a Catholic hospital associated with Harvard two days later, I was told I had been given the last rites. I spent a month in the hospital the summer of 1976. Lost my right nut, severe damage to the other one and lost several feet of intestine. I was told I'd never have kids, I have two. I won't ride a bicycle on city streets anymore.

[algs911]

Thanks for the humor, and I'm glad you survived Hugh R.! My wife (who was with me at the time) and I just sat and read all the responses. Thanks for the stories and laughs!

Al

[look 171]

Originally Posted by algs911

Sorry, I just have to vent...

Background: I'm a former bicycle racer. I spent 15 years racing bicycles (road and off-road). I no longer race (too old, too fat, too many kids!). I've been hit head-on by are car while riding my bicycle before! Needless to say, I'm very bicycle conscious! I even still ride occasionally myself. So...

In downtown Felton, Ca, I was driving through town waiting for a road cyclist to move out of the lane (he was taking up quite a lot of space, and there's a big bike lane there!), I backed off so as to not even get close to him. When he moved over I went to pass (at about 20mph) and he spit to his left, RIGHT on the hood of my car (and '86 911)! I yelled out a "What the F*$%!" and he simply looked at me and waved with a smile.

Since I'm a little older now, much more wise, and have MUCH better control of my temper, I just drove on. I later had to wash the snot and spit off the hood.

Talk about one bad apple ruining the bunch. What a complete JERK WAD!

Sorry, had to vent to a community who would understand!

Honestly, I don't think I'll be as nice to bicycle riders any longer. I'll judiciously use my horn from now on.

Al

Well, a lot of things have changed and not for the better IMO. I am a long time bike rider. Started riding Jr. USCF races in the 80s and continue doing it for the next 15 years logging in miles after miles in wonderful socal. Riders were never like that, and that they did not, ever, take a whole lane talking, taking their time looking pretty, doing 9 miles an hour holding up traffic on purpose. Yeah, we get into it with cars and city buses, only if they start first. I see it more and more. They hate drivers. Thanks for the net. A place to btich and spread their disapproval of cars. We never dislike cares, we just did it and dealt with it and train on.

[klm2500hd]

I was recently informed that bicyclists are "exempt from stop signs on city streets", Because "it's dangerous to ride a bike". Was making a right turn at a 4-way stop, 1/2 way through the turn I see him, passing cars on the right. He starts yelling at me. I'm one of those rare bike riders who still follow the rules of the road I guess. I do it for exercise, so I stop at stop signs/lights, use turn signals, pay attention, etc. I must not posses the correct self-righteous gene.

[widgeon13]

I think a modified pit maneuver would have been appropriate.

I ride a lot and I'm always amazed how bold and stupid cyclist are. A lot of them are just azzholes.

[911michael]

I was leading a fun run of about 6-7 cars on a country road. We came up behind a deputy sheriff. I could see 3 bicyclists in front of him, riding 3 abreast. He waited a minute and then turned on the light bar. All the guys behind me thought "Oh S**t, he's pulling over a line of Porsches". But I smiled a little since I knew what he was doing. I wonder what those cyclists were thinking, watching a line of Porsches drive by while they were being pulled over.

I used to be a bicyclist but gave up riding on the streets. It never occurred to me to do the ignorant things that I see today, the same crap as described above and more. I still encounter cyclists who properly share the road and I do the same but it seems as if there are a lot more knuckleheads on bicycles than there used to be. There are also a lot of knuckleheads in cars so there are plenty of stories from both groups.

[Por_sha911]

Don't to harsh. Not all of them are jerks. They're like lawyers: the 99% give the other 1% a bad reputation.
p.s. Any attorney on Pelican (other than if you are on my ignore list) would be in the 1%.

[vash]

he spit on your car on purpose? or the timing was perfect..you drove by, just as he spit.?

i would have driven ahead and thrown a stick into his spokes. (no i wouldnt)

[Dantilla]

I used to commute by bike.

While I didn't always obey traffic laws, my number one rule was/is:

Cars ALWAYS get the right-of-way!

The sticklers for the rules say bikes are to stay off sidewalks, but if there is a sidewalk, I'd rather be there than taking up any room in an active lane of traffic.

4000 lb mass of steel vs. my exposed knees on a bike that weighs less than 20 pounds?
Sorry, I'm not going to let that happen.

These days, I'm more likely to toss the mountain bike in the back of my truck and head to some of the primo trails around here, with the biggest danger being running through a pile of stinky horse poop.

[BeyGon]

There is a stretch of PCH between Dana Point and San Clemente along the beach, bike riders have been killed there in the past, a lot of money was spent with the concrete wall now so the bike riders can have a safe lane to ride in. Some still use the street and block lanes. Next time maybe they will just outlaw cars.

[Neilk]

3 words for the next time you encounter such a rider. Windshield washer sprayers... fire them up and let them get a face full.

[Don Ro]

Felton, CA? Ben Lomond, CA? The center of Slacker Country, USA...die-hard hippie haven.
WTF do you expect, man?
You had best keep yer responsible @ss outa there, boy.