Odd interaction with a road rager - Cycling Mob: Road Cycling, Mountain Biking and More

08-31-2004, 05:47 PM

So here's an odd one for the books. I was cycling from work today along a
one-way street with enough clearance to avoid opening car doors. The
street was three lanes wide with one of the lanes reserved for buses at
rush hour. The middle lane was free.

A bus was slowing down to a stop in its lane and I was moving forward when
I heard the ubiquitous blare of a horn from a car in the (clear) middle
lane. Now the car had to pass between the bus and myself, but there was a
whole lane for him to do so, so I wasn't sure what was up.

I caught up to him at the next lights. The car was some souped-up muscle
car and the driver looked pretty tough so I debated whether or not to ask
him what was up. I thought "what the heck" and asked him if I could help
him with something.

He then yelled, very angrily I might add, that with me on one side and the
bus on the other side he barely had room to pass, and that I should have
been off to the side (riding over top of the parked cars I suppose). I was
about to tell him that his whole lane was clear but the light turned green
and he peeled rubber and took off like a bat out of hell.

I caught up two lights later and was going to ask him why he thought an
entire lane of traffic was not sufficient for him but he'd rolled up his
window and was staring straight ahead. That intersection has an advance
green for bikes and I left somewhat befuddled.

Basically, and I hate to say it, he was acting like a big baby. Taking a
fit when things weren't going his way and then sulking later. I doubt
that I intimidated him, I'm don't look that imposing, but if I didn't know
better I'd have thought he was scared.

How much room does someone need anyway? Is one lane not enough for some
people?

--
Ron McKinnon rmckin
spam > root@127.0.0.1 at sympatico
[Only registered and activated users can see links. ] dot ca

08-31-2004, 06:13 PM

On Tue, 31 Aug 2004 21:47:50 -0400, Ron McKinnon <[Only registered and activated users can see links. ]>
wrote:

>Basically, and I hate to say it, he was acting like a big baby. Taking a
>fit when things weren't going his way and then sulking later. I doubt
>that I intimidated him, I'm don't look that imposing, but if I didn't know
>better I'd have thought he was scared.
>
>How much room does someone need anyway? Is one lane not enough for some
>people?
>
>--
>Ron McKinnon rmckin

I had a guy yell at me 'to get the fsk on the bike trail'. I, of course
hollared back 'fsk ewe very much'.

Later I turn down into a residential area and he's stopped going the
opposite way, waving his cell phone, saying he's gonna call the cops b/c I
used 'profanity' with his daughter in the car.

Of course he failed to realize he did it first, in addition to teaching her
to drive erratically and yell out the window while driving.

The guy was such a wimp I almost started laughing, and advised him to go
ahead and call them, while reminding him that in Virginia, bikes have the
same right to be on the road as a car.

Go figure. ;-p

-B

08-31-2004, 06:13 PM

On Tue, 31 Aug 2004 21:47:50 -0400, Ron McKinnon <[Only registered and activated users can see links. ]>
wrote:

>Basically, and I hate to say it, he was acting like a big baby. Taking a
>fit when things weren't going his way and then sulking later. I doubt
>that I intimidated him, I'm don't look that imposing, but if I didn't know
>better I'd have thought he was scared.
>
>How much room does someone need anyway? Is one lane not enough for some
>people?
>
>--
>Ron McKinnon rmckin

I had a guy yell at me 'to get the fsk on the bike trail'. I, of course
hollared back 'fsk ewe very much'.

Later I turn down into a residential area and he's stopped going the
opposite way, waving his cell phone, saying he's gonna call the cops b/c I
used 'profanity' with his daughter in the car.

Of course he failed to realize he did it first, in addition to teaching her
to drive erratically and yell out the window while driving.

The guy was such a wimp I almost started laughing, and advised him to go
ahead and call them, while reminding him that in Virginia, bikes have the
same right to be on the road as a car.

Go figure. ;-p

-B

08-31-2004, 06:13 PM

On Tue, 31 Aug 2004 21:47:50 -0400, Ron McKinnon <[Only registered and activated users can see links. ]>
wrote:

>Basically, and I hate to say it, he was acting like a big baby. Taking a
>fit when things weren't going his way and then sulking later. I doubt
>that I intimidated him, I'm don't look that imposing, but if I didn't know
>better I'd have thought he was scared.
>
>How much room does someone need anyway? Is one lane not enough for some
>people?
>
>--
>Ron McKinnon rmckin

I had a guy yell at me 'to get the fsk on the bike trail'. I, of course
hollared back 'fsk ewe very much'.

Later I turn down into a residential area and he's stopped going the
opposite way, waving his cell phone, saying he's gonna call the cops b/c I
used 'profanity' with his daughter in the car.

Of course he failed to realize he did it first, in addition to teaching her
to drive erratically and yell out the window while driving.

The guy was such a wimp I almost started laughing, and advised him to go
ahead and call them, while reminding him that in Virginia, bikes have the
same right to be on the road as a car.

Go figure. ;-p

-B

08-31-2004, 06:13 PM

On Tue, 31 Aug 2004 21:47:50 -0400, Ron McKinnon <[Only registered and activated users can see links. ]>
wrote:

>Basically, and I hate to say it, he was acting like a big baby. Taking a
>fit when things weren't going his way and then sulking later. I doubt
>that I intimidated him, I'm don't look that imposing, but if I didn't know
>better I'd have thought he was scared.
>
>How much room does someone need anyway? Is one lane not enough for some
>people?
>
>--
>Ron McKinnon rmckin

I had a guy yell at me 'to get the fsk on the bike trail'. I, of course
hollared back 'fsk ewe very much'.

Later I turn down into a residential area and he's stopped going the
opposite way, waving his cell phone, saying he's gonna call the cops b/c I
used 'profanity' with his daughter in the car.

Of course he failed to realize he did it first, in addition to teaching her
to drive erratically and yell out the window while driving.

The guy was such a wimp I almost started laughing, and advised him to go
ahead and call them, while reminding him that in Virginia, bikes have the
same right to be on the road as a car.

Go figure. ;-p

-B

08-31-2004, 06:23 PM

"Ron McKinnon" <see_sig@for_email.ca> wrote

[snip]

> I caught up to him at the next lights. The car was some souped-up muscle
> car...
and
> I caught up two lights later...

That's what got to him...

Pete

08-31-2004, 06:23 PM

"Ron McKinnon" <see_sig@for_email.ca> wrote

[snip]

> I caught up to him at the next lights. The car was some souped-up muscle
> car...
and
> I caught up two lights later...

That's what got to him...

Pete

08-31-2004, 06:23 PM

"Ron McKinnon" <see_sig@for_email.ca> wrote

[snip]

> I caught up to him at the next lights. The car was some souped-up muscle
> car...
and
> I caught up two lights later...

That's what got to him...

Pete

08-31-2004, 06:23 PM

"Ron McKinnon" <see_sig@for_email.ca> wrote

[snip]

> I caught up to him at the next lights. The car was some souped-up muscle
> car...
and
> I caught up two lights later...

That's what got to him...

Pete

08-31-2004, 06:41 PM

"Ron McKinnon" <[Only registered and activated users can see links. ]> wrote: (clip) I thought "what the
heck" and asked him if I could help him with something.
^^^^^^^^^^^^^
See, you didn't play by his "rules." He thought he was protected from
confrontation, which made him very "brave." But you faced him, and forced
him to justify his irrational behavior--which he could not do. What would
it do to your self-image to declare that you can't drive your car down a
standard lane?

I'd say you won that bout.