s2cuts said:In life, **** happens. When, as in my situation, someone purposely puts your life at risk, you have a choice to make. Stand up for yourself, or take in the ass. Some of you have made your position entirely too clear.
s2cuts said:I wish some of you cowards would have the balls to stand up to drivers, with the same vigor you've rebutted me. But alas, a keyboard is safe. I think much of the backlash stems from a fundamental fear of drivers, and the possibility of having to confront them.
s2cuts said:How dare I stand up for myself. How dare I spit at a person who could have easily ran me off the road, killed me, and still made it home in time to catch the end of the game. Your outrage at my actions is ridiculous.
s2cuts said:Edit: Re-read the title of this thread. Now, resist your temptation to call me an "idiot" or "****wad", and contribute to the conversation.
(snipped for brevity)alienator said:Unlike you, realistic and thoughtful people realize that there is nothing to be gained from your cartoonish, melodramatic, yet effeminate flailing at the roadside. The majority of other riders know that in such cases nothing gets accomplished except for someone looking like a peevish prat.....that would be you. You might want to read up on this thing called "road rage." See, your actions fall under that term. Then you should read about all the social benefits that road rage has brought to our society.
You are correct, but we need to step back and take a look at all risk on the road. The driver of the car faces a risk each time he leaves the house. For cyclists, this is especially true and if you don't realize that you face a greater risk by being on a bike, then you need to park it.s2cuts said:alienator...
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I think Pendejo makes a good point. There is an inherent amount of risk any time you confront a driver on the road. And I'm starting to think this whole conversation should revolve around risk.
Crankyfeet said:Well. I wouldn't have done what you did I don't think. Most of the problem is motorist ignorance of the law. However the law can be irrelevant when it comes to irritation caused to motorists. Let's assume hypothetically that the law says you can ride in the middle of the lane whenever you feel like it. You're are still going to run into a lot of angry motorists. The guy was definitely in the wrong endangering your life. But why do I get the impression you like to ride down narrow lanes and pull out into the middle... to assert your legal rights as a cyclist?
The issue I have with law-waving cyclists and their assertions of vehicular rights, is that they will spit into a driver's window who doesn't respect that they were within the law... then career down a short hill half a mile later and breeze straight through a stop sign at 20 mph. Now some States in the US regard stop signs as yield signs for cyclists (Idaho for example), but most treat bicycles like any other vehicle, and by law, require them to stop. Now being a cyclist myself, I realize that stopping at stop signs, especially on downhill sections when there are no other vehicles in sight, is a pain, and I have careened through many. But it still isn't technically legal.
My point is that the relationship between cyclists and other motorists is an ongoing problem (but only for the minority of motorists). You are going to run into one in a hundred motorists who believes you shouldn't even be allowed on the road, let alone in the middle of the lane impeding his vehicle. Next time someone nearly kills you, as you point out, maybe try to get his registration number and report it to the police. You even had another cyclist witness. I am sure that a call from the police explaining the law, or even taking more action than that, will have a chance of changing the views of the motorist far better than getting into a puerile "spat" which only puts your life at risk.
Hey, who let this guy in here? Take your "reason" and "logic" and go back to France, commie.Powerful Pete said:Ok guys, let us sum this all up. Riding can be risky, so please keep your wits about you and stay safe. Always assume the car driver has not seen you/assumes you are approaching at tricycle speeds/is moronic. Always remember you will lose in a close encounter with a car.
Keep your calm in close misses. If you can, approach the driver and explain what they did wrong. If they become aggressive and/or threatening call the police (does anyone ride without a cell phone these days) and make it obvious you are using your camera phone to take pics of the driver and his vehicle (this works even without a camera on your phone - pretend).
Do not lose your calm and assault the driver.
LOL, ok for accusing me of using logic and reason. But at least send me back to Italy...Chavez said:Hey, who let this guy in here? Take your "reason" and "logic" and go back to France, commie.
Yeah... good sensible post PP. But I think the OP was asking whether he should kick the guy in the fight or just box with his fists...Powerful Pete said:Ok guys, let us sum this all up. Riding can be risky, so please keep your wits about you and stay safe. Always assume the car driver has not seen you/assumes you are approaching at tricycle speeds/is moronic. Always remember you will lose in a close encounter with a car.
Keep your calm in close misses. If you can, approach the driver and explain what they did wrong. If they become aggressive and/or threatening call the police (does anyone ride without a cell phone these days) and make it obvious you are using your camera phone to take pics of the driver and his vehicle (this works even without a camera on your phone - pretend).
Do not lose your calm and assault the driver.
Interestingly, in the one relatively aggressive confrontation I have had in the last couple of years pretending to take camera phone pics resulted in the car driver high tailing out of range.Crankyfeet said:Yeah... good sensible post PP. But I think the OP was asking whether he should kick the guy in the fight or just box with his fists...
Powerful Pete said:LOL, ok for accusing me of using logic and reason. But at least send me back to Italy...
Powerful Pete said:LOL. You just have a way with words...
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