Another bicycle versus cars rant.... WWYD, report them?

[Joe Bob]

Geez, had THREE incidents today with drivers. I'm helping my brother paint his house in Newport Beach and the ride is only 20 miles one way. It's been pretty uneventful for the last two weeks. Takes a little over an hour to get down there and I have a pair of Contour videos on the bike. Front and rear facing.

I monitor the rides for pace and speed to see how my seat of the pants training is doing. Anyways, it also has the added benefit of catching asshat drivers on video.

First one.....I was splitting stationary traffic passing to the left of the drivers. Before you give me guff, a Santa Ana motor officer was doing the same ahead of me and it IS legal.....

A space became open ahead due to a driver talking on a cell phone and not moving ahead to block the intersection like everyone else and a twit from the side street busted the stop sign.....coming within two inches of my butt....I swerved, she honked and tossed me the bird......crap.....

Reviewed the tape and it was as I remembered. Glad I was one lane in and not in the gutter side. Tape shows the plate and the busted stop......AND a How am I Driving placard....


Twenty minutes later.....some douche pulled up along side and shouts "Why don't ya ride on the sidewalk?"......Christ....I got a ten year old niece that come up with better lines.

He was driving a marked company car.....tape shows the contact info....

Coming home I crest a freeway overpass bridge and start accelerating on the downgrade. I'm in a marked bike lane. Traffic thins to zero and I have a left to make. Traffic light ahead is a stale green and the left lane has a red.

I look over my shoulder, only one vehicle in sight, a Limousine bus from the local Hilton. Prolly 100 yards back. I'm doing 30mph in a 35 zone, put out my left hand as a signal and move over two lanes. Asshat Limo lays on the horn.....the guy is still 80+ yards back.

I'm in the turn lane and he pulls along side and starts wanking on me.....

Yup, all on tape....

So.....the question.

Would you drop a dime on these idiots?

[Brando]

Absolutely.

#1 was stupid enough to put a "How am I driving?" sticker on their car.

#2 If in a company vehicle always conduct yourself and actions on the road in a professional manner.

#3 A limousine service is considered a professional trade by some. To act otherwise is not becoming of the role they are paid to fulfill.

[look 171]

I don't think there's anything they can do to the woman. the guy in the Co. car didn't do anything but yell. Idiot is all I can say. the fcuking limo driver is a butt head. Most of those guys left and camp, and go below the speed limit a lot of times. For him to come over yelling, screaming, and he was way back, I get him.

[Bill Douglas]

I'm generally on the side of the cyclist but one day driving around the bays doing 30mph in a 30mph (50kms actually ) I could see a group of about 30 cyclists in my rear view mirror gaining ground on me. They started riding a few inches off the sides of the car then a couple passed on the inside giving me dirty looks. One rode up along side the open drivers window and yelled at me to either speed up or slow down. I told him that road rules apply to him too and he replied with a fark you and passed me and the group sooner or later passed me some yelling at me. Around here they don't stop for stop signs and red traffic lights seem to just be an indication to slow down a bit.

[look 171]

Sorry, I wanted to type "Left lane camping"

[85eurocarrera]

either find some off road riding or get off the road. your threads convey you're way too stressed out and not having much enjoyment on the road imo.

how does a camera help in training?

[jyl]

Report them all. Why not?

[afterburn 549]

Can you do 55?
You pay road tax (On the bike?)
Just sayin.....Even a M/C does not mix with cars..much less a bike.
Really what you are doing is mixing brains !!!!...That right thee is the gamble !
If you loose you loose big time no matter how right you are.
There is Right and there is Dead Right.
Whats it worth to you?>?
Even if you have proof? (that you were right) with the last rites?)

[herr_oberst]

Anecdote. I was riding home the other day and this lady in a mommyvan decided to race out right in front of me - I had to stop short to avoid hitting her. A block later she did it again to another cyclist. I caught up with the cyclist, and told him that she had just done the same to me. I was kind of outraged, but he just said something like, 'hey, it's a nice day, I'm on my bike and this happens too frequently to let it get to me.'
This wasn't some helmetless hipster on a fixie wearing emo pants and carrying a u-lock in his back pocket - he was obviously a seasoned commuter, like myself.
I really needed that attitude adjustment right then, and the zeitgeist of that moment has actually stuck with me now for a few days. I know it'll wear off, but in the meanwhile, it really has taken the edge off that built up over the summer, because these little transgressions do happen all the time, even in a bike-savvy place like Portland. Can't imagine riding in Newport Beach traffic.....

Keep your head on a swivel and don't let the bad guys win.

[scottmandue]

Sure you can't find a more bike friendly route? The back bay or beach path?

Riding a bike in multi lane traffic is no bueno IMHO.

As far as dropping a dime on them... also IMHO the po-po are too busy to bother with such minor infractions... they were a$$es yes... but don't think you will get any satisfaction.

[Joe Bob]

The police are the last people I would call.

I would be calling the owners or the boss.

As to stress? Gimme a break. Type A personality bombing thru traffic is a stress release.

If I get kilt...BFD, I've had a full life. I've lost weight, I'm in shape, I'd be a good looking corpsesicle. Like Jim Fixx, he died while running IIRC.

[jyl]

Two of the three were driving company cars, I imagine the first was too as no-one puts a "how am I driving" placard on their personal car. Their employers may care about their driving habits enough to take action, be it counseling, reprimand, etc. Who knows, there may be other complaints about them, and yours may make the difference. Further, someday one of these drivers may injure someone (car, bike, walker) and having complaints in their file may make a difference then as well.

[sammyg2]

Originally Posted by scottmandue

Sure you can't find a more bike friendly route? The back bay or beach path?

Riding a bike in multi lane traffic is no bueno IMHO.
.

Agreed, my first impression would be to suggest taking the Santa Ana river trail where it's safe and to stop splitting lanes.

[intakexhaust]

As a former bike commuter, I guess I'm reading this thread mostly for entertainment but I've had countless conflicts with drivers, most were ignored but a few very serious. I'll skip to one where I was riding along with a few others that I knew, one a good friend and maybe you could try the same release, or maybe not.... waff along...

So we approach a busy Chicago intersection and the light goes green and we cross. But just ahead of us, an older man riding his bike was nearly hit by a car with some punks inside blowing thru and yelling at this guy. My riding bud always seemed to be in a serious work-out zone and with some andrenilin flowing, decided to take these punks on. So he takes off short-cutting the block and chasing them down, meanwhile I'm far behind as a back-up and yelling to him to let it go. That didn't stop him.

When I finally spotted him, now a few blocks from the initial scene, my bud has them stopped in a street with other drivers / witnesses around, he's in a manic rage to take these three punks on! Fearless and crazy. Taunting them to get out of the car, calling them pooosies, etc. and they just looked at him like WTF is up with Superlycra? So then he throws his bike down and starts kicking the schit out the car door, pounding with his fist, denting the hood!

The punks seemed stunned sort of moved, stopped, moved... undecided but then took off. I was unsure where this was going or worse but he re-grouped, laughed and we went back towards our route and catch up to the others. Some time had passed but a PO eventually came down on another street and questioned us if we had seen some incident and a biker damaging a car. I didn't say anything and my riding bud acted calm and shrudged like nothing was seen. Nutz.

[afterburn 549]

I have countless encounter with Brainless spandex folks !
Say I come over the hill with a 14 wide boat ..I will give a beeb beep or HOONK HONK from the Semi TRK HORN,.. asking them to move over. There is ONLY so much I can do....(I am all ready 1/2 in the other lane)
I have to come to a STOP even !
They usually never look ..just flip me off............
The surprised looks I see in the mirrors........as I go past them!
They ignore the pilot cars....Like they have a Agenda to proove They have the right of way and will kill themselves to prove it

[look 171]

Personally, I'd just go on with life and enjoy. Keep on doing what you are doing and don't allow idiots to ruin your day. You may be able to get one in trouble or make them lose their job, but there will be another one out there to ruin you day again. Where do you stop? I know all about type A personality.

I actually enjoy riding in traffic and have done it for many, many years. I deal with it and actually find it fun. You want to good work out, ride in traffic and you will be constantly sprinting out of the saddle to go around cars or shooting for lights. Do that without being an azz and slow drivers down and stay out of their way. I am usually going around 22-25 mph so I am just a little faster then the flow of traffic. Call me crazy, but its makes you strong. We would stay in our 52x18 (with straps and clips back then) and ride from Echo park to Santa Monica and back on Santa Monica Blvd. Only a few times we were able to complete the ride without pulling out foot out for the entire ride except at the turn around point. Track stands in traffic and lights will make you work. This was done right after school (High School) and be back in time before 6 for dinner.

[island911]

Geez, had THREE incidents today with drivers.

What were the damages?

[enzo1]

post video here and on Youtube? You haven't lived until ya have a Prevost bus pass you that you can reach out and touch with no where to go or a 1 ton dually pulling a camper and a boat pass where you can reach out and touch the prop as he's cutting in front of you.... LOL

[Zeke]

I only wish people on bikes would take it one way or the other. I've got them coming off sidewalks into the street and back on the sidewalk, in the cross walks, in the traffic lanes; they want it all. Unless it's a child, there's no reason for this. As a result, I spare no room for bikes.

You can be dead right under my truck any day if you choose to ride stupid. I also drive close to parked cars. One day someone is going to open their door right into my bumper. I have always wanted to see if it worked like in the movies.

[widebody911]

Originally Posted by Zeke

I only wish people on bikes would take it one way or the other. I've got them coming off sidewalks into the street and back on the sidewalk, in the cross walks, in the traffic lanes; they want it all. Unless it's a child, there's no reason for this. As a result, I spare no room for bikes.

You can be dead right under my truck any day if you choose to ride stupid. I also drive close to parked cars. One day someone is going to open their door right into my bumper. I have always wanted to see if it worked like in the movies.

This. All of this.