Drive by shoutings and snappy comebacks.

[EOrlandoRider]

Taser!

 

[igxqrrl]

If you have to say something, just wave (whole hand, not middle finger) and say thanks.

A 'snappy comeback' just escalates. A wave says, "I'm de-escalating, and you didn't get to me anyway. I win."

 

[utah cyclist]

 

[rxter]

Yea, lots of anger out there. A week ago another biker, with his girl friend in tow really gave me the business because of the way I was stopped on the side of the road. Geez. I thought - come on man, are we going to do road rage on a Sunday morning - on bikes? I just mumbled some stuff and moved along. Now if I'd had that taser - no point really is there?

 

[Mark George]

I have 2 rules to follow in these situations:

1) People can be a--holes.
2) When in doubt, refer to rule number one! /img/vbsmilies/smilies/duck.gif

 

[goodbyecycle]

In my experience... smile and wave.

I have tried this and everything else and this seems to really disarm these jerks... they don't know how to respond.

 

[Tobz]

In my experience... smile and wave.
I have tried this and everything else and this seems to really disarm these jerks... they don't know how to respond.

I did this once and the gentleman proceeded to get out his car at a red light and try to punch me! I ended banking the curb on the other side of the road swerving around him! --- I am here: http://maps.google.com/maps?ll=51.444165,-3.175525

 

[danrche]

wow, can't believe someone would throw things at you. That's never happened to me, and if it did I could see taking some joy in revenge! For the most part I just get a lot of honks and people trying to tell me to get off the road. I tend not to listen to them and they're short with their words b/c they usually have to slam on the breaks as I ride by through traffic.

There's not much for bike lanes where I live, so I try to follow buses as most drivers tend to avoid being stuck behind one of them anyway. But even then there's the motorist who has to pass me to stop behind a bus, and then give me a dirty look as i pass them again and when I'm feeling frisky, i even pass the bus. the bus's here don't do more then 20-25 mph as they make a lot of stops along the way. I find keeping a steady 20-22 mph keeps my right along the tail end and I usually catch up with them right as their leaving for the next stop.

 

[cyclist54]

I ask them to check the Cal. Vehicle Code. Then I say, just have someone read it to you you stupid asshole.

 

[alienator]

Originally Posted by cyclist54 .

I ask them to check the Cal. Vehicle Code. Then I say, just have someone read it to you you stupid asshole.

How enlightened. Truly, that shows them...........or not.

 

[BadWolf]

There's more idiots out there than there are numbers to count them by. I simply laugh at them. One of my concerns is that if I flip them off or something they may run over the next rider they come across. I let losers exist in their own little world and hope they don't intrude any further into mine.

 

[cyclist54]

Doesn't help to yell at the jerks at all. It's just fun to blow off the tension. Of course my wife says that I'm going to get shot doing this. Hmm, is she encouraging me to do this?

 

[cyclist54]

BadWolf, what you say reminds me of something my Grandpa used to say. "There are more horse's assholes than horses ises".

 

[BadWolf]

Yes, in the most recent census of north ends of north bound horses versus south ends of north bound horses there was a huge discrepancy. There's many more sounth ends. I've met a lot of them as well.

 

[bigbang3]

I agree with those who responded with a "don't say anything" truth is cyclists are wrong as often as they are right and just the fact that we are on a bike doesn't automatically give us the moral high ground. Regardless, getting into with with someone in a cage ( car to you non motorcycle riders) it's too easy to provoke someone who could point a two ton missle at you or perhaps the next cyclist they encounter- I remember what I was told when I first started riding a motorcycle- you could be right- dead right- hey we are the ones on bikes and they are stuck in a car so the nice smile is probably the the best response-

 

[cyclist54]

Too right. I reminded a guy in a big Bubba pick-up that he was too close to me along the waterfront in Sausalito CA, passing too closely. He swerved his truck at me (reckless endangerment & assault with a deadly weapon in CA) and thought he took the moral high ground when he yelled to me that he was a fireman! That gives him the right? Just days ago a lady backed out of her driveway along the same street and nearly hit me an one other. I asked her what the heck she was thinking and her answer? "We live here". And they breed and vote. Frightening.

 

[BadWolf]

Instead of thinking of them as idiots and annoyingly stupid just consider them to be free entertainment. (while trying to stay away from their poorly driven vehicles)

 

[Rych]

I get this quite a lot, have had bottles thrown, insults, bunch of girls just screaming out their window. Usually I just give a big cheesy thumbs up, hang ten or devil horns and they just look back in confusion.

If I end up riding back passed the girls that just screamed I just scream back haha. Did that once and they got all pissy and started swearing at me as though I wasn't allowed to scream at them because I'm on a bike and they are in the car..

 

[greysocks]

i got one over on a car that passed me on my commute home. It was childish but it made me feel good at the time.
The yound guys in a car obviously thought it would be good to annoy me as they passed, so they opened the passenger window as they passed and scream something very loud as they passed, causing me to nearly jump out of my skin. Luckily a feww 100 yds later there was a trafic jam so as i passed them on the inside, and realising their window was still open, i screamed into the car at the top of my voice.
I then did a little detour in case they tried to knock me off my bike , but i felt the sweet taste of revenge all the way home!

 

[Bigbananabike]

[SIZE= medium]We get this here in New Zealand too (possibly not so much and it’s got better in recent years with more riders on the roads). [/SIZE]

[SIZE= medium]I’ve been yelled at and had things thrown at me; orange juice, ice cream (all over my helmet) and worst – a beer bottle that hit me in the head (cut and blood) and the guy went to court. [/SIZE]
[SIZE= medium]I’ve been driven at too. [/SIZE]

[SIZE= medium]I have a helmet mirror and so have a good idea of most of the vehicles coming towards me from behind and so less frightened by them etc. [/SIZE]

[SIZE= medium]If I can – if someone is too close etc I get their number and do a Police complaint (we have an internet system here for minor infringements. [/SIZE]

[SIZE= medium]I’m not perfect and sometimes yell or use the middle finger (occasionally I’ve punched the car!) but I try to; [/SIZE]
[SIZE= medium]SMILE AND WAVE if yelled at etc. [/SIZE]

[SIZE= medium]Because; [/SIZE]
[SIZE= medium]1/ I think of the next rider they come across[/SIZE]
[SIZE= medium]2/ they’ve got less good reason (not that they need a reason) to get back at me[/SIZE]
[SIZE= medium]3/ it seems to aggravate them more[/SIZE]
[SIZE= medium]4/ it shows they’ve not got at me[/SIZE]
[SIZE= medium]5/ it seems that what they did was friendly and not annoying (that even their insults are useless – like them).[/SIZE]

[SIZE= medium]I often work at a school for 13 – 16 year olds who have behaviour issues that keep them out of normal schools. They’re assholes too! I get sworn at, insulted, I’ve been punched, they’ll jump in front of my bike, my cars been jumped on while I’ve been driving it…[/SIZE]

[SIZE= medium]With them if we retaliate or aim for a comeback (that isn’t funny) or show they’ve offended us….we’ve lost and they’ve won. [/SIZE]

[SIZE= medium]Read “The 48 Laws of Power” by R. Greene (I think). [/SIZE]

[SIZE= medium]BBB/img/vbsmilies/smilies/smile.gif[/SIZE]