I post the following in hopes it will help people remember to act better, than I, when their safety is at risk.
Just last Thursday, with the conditions I bicycle under you have to stand up for yourself and argue and it can get very unfriendly, I had a father, children and woman (I assume was his wife and mother of the children) honked at me and drove by me within just a foot or so, I yelled at them about learn to drive and I think 3-ft. rule. Then the same car and ?Family? came from behind me again, but this time the woman reached out and pushed on me, yelling at me to move over (even for being just 1-ft. from the edge of roads; I am legally allowed to ride around damaged road parts <since doing so avoided more flat tires and damage to my bicycle> and do so on this road, before this the safest route I take). I did not fall and it did not really affect me at all, luckily. Again I yelled at them and she yelled back and gave them the bird. Keep in mind I am trying to get home, to eat dinner and before it starts to get dark. I think they only drove by a total of three or two-times, before the father pulled his automobile into the grass, on the side of the road, about 100-miles ahead of me, but only the second last time was when she reached out and pushed me and gave them the bird in two-passes, I believe. Avoiding the damage in the road I start riding in the middle of the lane, seeing the father up ahead and knowing the other lane is busy, I decided to ride past him, I had no picture of all this and would have to go through my cellphone to call police; was not even thinking of all this, has been a decade since having any trouble on this road. Wall, when I get next to the father he pushes me into the left lane. When I stop in the middle of the left lane, he is over me and when I get to standing position, he is repeatedly telling me, you were seriously giving my children the bird and do seriously want to get in a fight with me. I was not giving his kids the bird, even though I could see them in the back seat of their car; I could have said that to him. Like stopping and taking pictures and then calling the police and feeling the pain of badly skinned up knee and elbow and badly jammed wrists, luckily, before riding next to him, I just never thought of it. Even though I am not a fighter, peaceful person, another lucky thing is I did not get in a fight with him with my wrists. Continuing with the not thinking thing, the only thing I told the father, do you know how many people honk behind me. Wow, that was what I said. With the woman yelling at him not to do anything, the whole time traffic is stopped and not a single driver or passenger gets out to help. The father finally said get your bicycle out of traffic. As some automobiles just drive by like nothing happened; ONLY ONE PERSON (woman) did stop, in the middle of the right lane and asked me if I was alright, told her nothing is broken and complained (sp?) about lack of police caring and heard other automobiles behind her honking, so I apologized for holding her up and as she started to drive by thanks her for stopping and she said no problem and you are welcome. Of course, at this time the ?family? was long gone and so I got back on my bicycle and rode home, luckily only feeling a little bite of pain then.
I am thinking of getting- pads for my knees and elbows, glasses (person had stole the last one I had), a super small video camera for my helmet and put both police departments on speed dial in my cellphone; but really I could have been a lot smarter and pulled over to the right lane's grass, many yards away, taken the pictures (of the father and license plate), road across the lanes and wait on the grass, of the left lane. Well, live and learn
Just last Thursday, with the conditions I bicycle under you have to stand up for yourself and argue and it can get very unfriendly, I had a father, children and woman (I assume was his wife and mother of the children) honked at me and drove by me within just a foot or so, I yelled at them about learn to drive and I think 3-ft. rule. Then the same car and ?Family? came from behind me again, but this time the woman reached out and pushed on me, yelling at me to move over (even for being just 1-ft. from the edge of roads; I am legally allowed to ride around damaged road parts <since doing so avoided more flat tires and damage to my bicycle> and do so on this road, before this the safest route I take). I did not fall and it did not really affect me at all, luckily. Again I yelled at them and she yelled back and gave them the bird. Keep in mind I am trying to get home, to eat dinner and before it starts to get dark. I think they only drove by a total of three or two-times, before the father pulled his automobile into the grass, on the side of the road, about 100-miles ahead of me, but only the second last time was when she reached out and pushed me and gave them the bird in two-passes, I believe. Avoiding the damage in the road I start riding in the middle of the lane, seeing the father up ahead and knowing the other lane is busy, I decided to ride past him, I had no picture of all this and would have to go through my cellphone to call police; was not even thinking of all this, has been a decade since having any trouble on this road. Wall, when I get next to the father he pushes me into the left lane. When I stop in the middle of the left lane, he is over me and when I get to standing position, he is repeatedly telling me, you were seriously giving my children the bird and do seriously want to get in a fight with me. I was not giving his kids the bird, even though I could see them in the back seat of their car; I could have said that to him. Like stopping and taking pictures and then calling the police and feeling the pain of badly skinned up knee and elbow and badly jammed wrists, luckily, before riding next to him, I just never thought of it. Even though I am not a fighter, peaceful person, another lucky thing is I did not get in a fight with him with my wrists. Continuing with the not thinking thing, the only thing I told the father, do you know how many people honk behind me. Wow, that was what I said. With the woman yelling at him not to do anything, the whole time traffic is stopped and not a single driver or passenger gets out to help. The father finally said get your bicycle out of traffic. As some automobiles just drive by like nothing happened; ONLY ONE PERSON (woman) did stop, in the middle of the right lane and asked me if I was alright, told her nothing is broken and complained (sp?) about lack of police caring and heard other automobiles behind her honking, so I apologized for holding her up and as she started to drive by thanks her for stopping and she said no problem and you are welcome. Of course, at this time the ?family? was long gone and so I got back on my bicycle and rode home, luckily only feeling a little bite of pain then.
I am thinking of getting- pads for my knees and elbows, glasses (person had stole the last one I had), a super small video camera for my helmet and put both police departments on speed dial in my cellphone; but really I could have been a lot smarter and pulled over to the right lane's grass, many yards away, taken the pictures (of the father and license plate), road across the lanes and wait on the grass, of the left lane. Well, live and learn
