Hey Jackhole, it is a BICYCLE lane.
Those that have ridden much with me know me to be a non-sufferer of people that would abuse our rights and safety as cyclists. Yesterday as we were wrapping up our second research ride for Lincoln Square and heading back a little before 6 we experienced two seperate incidents of the type I am talking about.
The first was when a huge-truck guy started tailing me after my bag hit his side mirror while I was in the bike lane. He wanted very badly to engage in some verbal back and forth but I don't really speak all-cuss, so it was kind of hard. In essence, his point was that I was bad because I hit his truck. My counter point was that I wouldn't have touched his truck if he had given me the required 3 feet of space, particularly since I was in the center of the bike lane. I mentioned to him as part of this repartir that he was right then and there riding right over the painted cyclist in the bike lane. I also mentioned to him that I was glad he had missed his turn and Happy Tuesday.
The next incident actually began before this incident, but finished after it.
We were all in single file on the Lawrence avenue bike lane heading west from Lincoln Square. A moped/scooter dude is weaving in between the bike lane and the regular lanes right in front of me. I hit my brakes on two occassions while he was doing this and was of course being extra cautious recognizing his complete recklessness and obliviousness to my presence. As we pulled up to the light. The conversation went something like this:
ahem - I may be removing certain exchanges in light of obeying forum rules -
Me: "You know this is a bicyle lane. There are no motorized vehicles allowed in the bike lane."
Jackhole: "This is a bike."
Me: "It is a motorized vehicle. It is illegal for you to be here."
Jackhole: "Why don't you let me worry about that."
Me: "I see. You are more important than anyone you don't need to obey the law."
Jackhole: "Well I feel perfectly safe in the bike lane. Why don't you mind your own *$&* business?"
Me: "It isn't your safety that I was worried about and it is my business since you are in my lane"
Light: I become green.
Jackhole: "&*! You"
He speeds off, only using the bike lane. We stop at the next light, and engage in a little more....debate. Then the first incident occurs as described above with big-truck dude. This is during the point where the jackhole, trying to gain advantage pulls right just at the intersection before my bag "hit" the truck's mirror. He ends up stuck behind cars jammed up before the turn onto Pulaski, which we are able to navigate around.
Later, he catches up, while pretending to pedal his moped/dickmobile/whatever and pulls right in front of me again. I hit the brakes pretty hard that time and got out the camera. He also starts cruising in the parking lane to the right of the bike lane and weaving into the bike lane as he sees me getting closer. I slowed up and he continued to do this, but also gave some nice shots of his license plate/person. Here he is:
I only wish I had grabbed the camera quicker to show more of him in the bike lane. I thought I had it on video sooner than I did, because it was during a time when he was weaving between the car lane, bike lane and parking lane. In this video, he is way off in the distance, but he is doing more of the same, though at this point just between the parking and bike lane. This was shortly after he re-passed us while calling me a loser.
So the practical question now....what do you do when confronted with such unmitigated douche-baggery? The photo evidence doesn't show his infractions and even if they did, the cops are unlikely to care.
How do you all handle this kind of nonsense? What is the appropriate response for this type of action by motorists?
Also, how do you look at the bigger picture......inherrent safety concerns of confronting idiots vs. standing up for your rights?
Cheers - Lee Diamond
The first was when a huge-truck guy started tailing me after my bag hit his side mirror while I was in the bike lane. He wanted very badly to engage in some verbal back and forth but I don't really speak all-cuss, so it was kind of hard. In essence, his point was that I was bad because I hit his truck. My counter point was that I wouldn't have touched his truck if he had given me the required 3 feet of space, particularly since I was in the center of the bike lane. I mentioned to him as part of this repartir that he was right then and there riding right over the painted cyclist in the bike lane. I also mentioned to him that I was glad he had missed his turn and Happy Tuesday.
The next incident actually began before this incident, but finished after it.
We were all in single file on the Lawrence avenue bike lane heading west from Lincoln Square. A moped/scooter dude is weaving in between the bike lane and the regular lanes right in front of me. I hit my brakes on two occassions while he was doing this and was of course being extra cautious recognizing his complete recklessness and obliviousness to my presence. As we pulled up to the light. The conversation went something like this:
ahem - I may be removing certain exchanges in light of obeying forum rules -
Me: "You know this is a bicyle lane. There are no motorized vehicles allowed in the bike lane."
Jackhole: "This is a bike."
Me: "It is a motorized vehicle. It is illegal for you to be here."
Jackhole: "Why don't you let me worry about that."
Me: "I see. You are more important than anyone you don't need to obey the law."
Jackhole: "Well I feel perfectly safe in the bike lane. Why don't you mind your own *$&* business?"
Me: "It isn't your safety that I was worried about and it is my business since you are in my lane"
Light: I become green.
Jackhole: "&*! You"
He speeds off, only using the bike lane. We stop at the next light, and engage in a little more....debate. Then the first incident occurs as described above with big-truck dude. This is during the point where the jackhole, trying to gain advantage pulls right just at the intersection before my bag "hit" the truck's mirror. He ends up stuck behind cars jammed up before the turn onto Pulaski, which we are able to navigate around.
Later, he catches up, while pretending to pedal his moped/dickmobile/whatever and pulls right in front of me again. I hit the brakes pretty hard that time and got out the camera. He also starts cruising in the parking lane to the right of the bike lane and weaving into the bike lane as he sees me getting closer. I slowed up and he continued to do this, but also gave some nice shots of his license plate/person. Here he is:
I only wish I had grabbed the camera quicker to show more of him in the bike lane. I thought I had it on video sooner than I did, because it was during a time when he was weaving between the car lane, bike lane and parking lane. In this video, he is way off in the distance, but he is doing more of the same, though at this point just between the parking and bike lane. This was shortly after he re-passed us while calling me a loser.
So the practical question now....what do you do when confronted with such unmitigated douche-baggery? The photo evidence doesn't show his infractions and even if they did, the cops are unlikely to care.
How do you all handle this kind of nonsense? What is the appropriate response for this type of action by motorists?
Also, how do you look at the bigger picture......inherrent safety concerns of confronting idiots vs. standing up for your rights?
Cheers - Lee Diamond
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Replies to This Discussion
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Permalink Reply by Lee Diamond on
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I think it is a great line personally.....
Tank-Ridin' Ryan said:HAHAHA! How do you respond to something like that?
Brian Kennedy said:"Why don't you just go fill up your tank." Isn't that the worst line ever? Well, he had nothing back for me and got really pissed and started swearing up a storm.
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Permalink Reply by jen on
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Ska-douche! This is what we commonly refer to as "entitlement" , aka I'm more important than you or any rules. Not sure what can be done to prevent or douche this douche, but defensive riding is the best tactic within your control. I feel your pain, fellow roadie....
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Permalink Reply by Shay on
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I'm always amazed at how other, non-bike riders abuse the bike lane. I've seen cars double park there with their hazards on (might I add, while there was a perfectly good parking spot there) - necessitating me having to swerve around them and into the traffic lane. I've also seen people get out of their cars and literally just stand in the bike lane, God knows why, and then have the audacity to give ME a dirty look when I try to go around them, as if I'm in THEIR way, and not the other way around.
Argh.
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Permalink Reply by Mrs Buddaa 38 on
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Brian, I know this was very frustrating and I do hope you got home safely and without another incident after the NSCM. Unfortunately it is idiots like that who make it unsafe for bicylists. Be Safe and good riding. :-)
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Permalink Reply by Erin on
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And then, apparently, there are the joggers. A woman was jogging in the northbound bike lane of Wells (just south of Division) last night and, as a bike passed her on the left, actually indicated with a forward motion of her arms that she had the space in front of her. Of course, the space she was taking up required cyclists to swerve into traffic to go around her. Entitlement is the right word for such self-centered behavior, but it's not strong enough. Maybe arrogantitlement?
Shay said:I'm always amazed at how other, non-bike riders abuse the bike lane. I've seen cars double park there with their hazards on (might I add, while there was a perfectly good parking spot there) - necessitating me having to swerve around them and into the traffic lane. I've also seen people get out of their cars and literally just stand in the bike lane, God knows why, and then have the audacity to give ME a dirty look when I try to go around them, as if I'm in THEIR way, and not the other way around.
Argh.
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Permalink Reply by cutifly on
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Our best weapon is our mind and once everyone gets that the city revolves around cars, oil and taxes the sooner we will just drive around the temporary blockage and not get too upset about all of it.
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Wait, someone called me a troll at NSM. A nice compliment I thought.
Brian Kennedy said:For anybody new to chainlink, Video Drome is a known troll. Please do not take the bait.
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Permalink Reply by Patrick M on
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If I know the motorist is too scared to bludgeon me with their vehicle, the phrase "get out of the car" normally ends such confrontations. The motorist is then unable to ignore how much a cyclist is put at risk and how uncomfortable they would be shouting insults with out their metal and glass enclosure to keep them safe.
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Permalink Reply by GabeW (not the other Gabe) on
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Video_Drome said:So what if an SUV has a single occupant.
This is just some whiney ass bullshit up in here. This whole thread=whiney ass bullshit.
Right on...ever drive your car and get in a fender bender?; those jerkwad drivers. Or ever get in an accident with another cyclist?; man we all know about them and where they can go stick stuff. Or walking down a crowded sidewalk and some idiot has the nerve to bump into you...don't they see I'm walkin' there? the nerve of some people. Or this one time...working in the garage this damn f-ing screwdriver leaps out of my hand and the handle hit that soft part on top of my foot. How dare that handle do that, so selfish.
I had an encounter with some cyclists when I was on a drive this summer with my car club on back roads in WI. It was awful, we all drove by smiling and waving at them, they rode by smiling and waving at us....just awfull. I hope that level of disrespect never enters thechainlink. Good thing we're far from it.
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