Replies to This Discussion

Permalink Reply by Juan 2-3 or more mi. on August 24, 2015 at 11:06am

Seeing the whole video this time explains the drivers rage much better.

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Permalink Reply by Tom A.K. on August 24, 2015 at 1:35pm

My God ! Was that rage worth it for that driver? NO ! Oh, the humanity !

"Are you a car? Why are you in the middle of the road? How big is that bicycle?
Your a F'n little bicycle ! Go F... yourself !"

Real nice mister(spoiler alert)s--ersaulter Enjoy the fall !

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Permalink Reply by Jim Reho on August 24, 2015 at 2:03pm

The driver is an angry idiot, but the cyclist is an insufferably self-righteous prig.  I wouldn't want either one on my side.

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Permalink Reply by Dave Jacque on August 25, 2015 at 3:15am

OK, I did laugh out loud at the Karma. But I'm afraid I agree with you, Jim. The cyclist should have just reported the license number to the local constabulary instead of chasing the driver down and confronting him.

Of course, in merrie olde England the driver's not likely to have a gun and shoot you in the face, so a confrontation isn't going to end in death or a lifetime of disability.

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Permalink Reply by Tom A.K. on August 25, 2015 at 3:22am

So then why didn't the driver just go ahead and run over the f'n little bicyclist and just get it over with?

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Permalink Reply by Yasmeen on August 25, 2015 at 6:01am

Yes, the driver has a bad temper and is violent. Do I think the cyclist handled it well? No. Not at all. 

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Permalink Reply by Tom A.K. on August 25, 2015 at 6:24am

So is it wrong to catch up to a driver who just dangerously & deliberately buzzed you and ask him to PLEASE try to share the road with us little bicyclists? Is that too hostile if we plea for our shared rights to the road? The driver crossed way over the line of civility in this incident and brought on his own 'downfall'.
Oh, and let's not talk about the driver (at least twice) threatening (in words) to kill the cyclist if he posted any video or went to the police with his license plate number to make a report!

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Permalink Reply by Yasmeen on August 25, 2015 at 6:45am

The cyclist was understandably upset but I'm going to ask you - what do you think the cyclist was going to get out of the situation by running the motorist down and yelling at him? An apology? That wasn't a calm plea so it escalated the situation. And the cyclist didn't let up. After knowing the motorist was hostile, he kept telling him off. I hate that we are in this situation to begin with but it's not helpful and potentially dangerous to yell at every bad driver we come into contact with. 

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Permalink Reply by Fran Kondorf on August 25, 2015 at 7:28am

I agree- I'll always let someone know when they've endangered my life but you also have to know when to pick your battles. Live to bike another day, and all that.

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Permalink Reply by Tom A.K. on August 25, 2015 at 7:31am

First of all, if you watch the video closely, he accelerates as he does his cowardly warning buzz, (which has happened to most of us way too many times). Then the cyclist says "you passed me too close mate, way too close".
An apology? It was a reasonable assertive plea for this cyclists rights to the road. He didn't start off with hostility, yelling at the driver, (rewatch the video) but it did go off from there.
I know it's not a desirable situation, but if cowardly drivers are going to continue to try and push us off the road, cycling will not survive anyways.
If we have a chance to assert ourselves safely, (and yes, i've done this) and within reason, why not?

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Permalink Reply by Tom A.K. on August 25, 2015 at 8:24am

https://youtu.be/Sla845GW9YM

"It IS a mad, MAD, . . . world!"

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