Cyclists: Ever have weird encounters with motorists?

[Codym42]

So, I'm riding my bike back to my dorm from school tonight and I come to a 4 way stop. I'm riding on the sidewalk and cross the 4 way using the crosswalk. A driver turning right isn't paying attention and quickly stops after seeing me coming. I proceed to cross and ride along the street he is driving on. I turn onto another street (still on the sidewalk) a little later. Then, as I'm riding and minding my own business, a car comes along and the passenger shouts something at me and I hear a pop. It sounded like an air soft gun or nerf gun or something. Then they keep driving. I'm just like wtf was that. I have no idea whether it was the same car from the other intersection.

Does anyone who rides have things like this happen to them? The only other time something like this happened was when someone shouted something vulgar at me. Maybe I should just expect this but it really pisses me off sometimes.

/rant

[Joe G]

Well you really shouldn't be riding on the sidewalk. Bicycles are a vehicle and as such they are required to obey traffic laws.

With that said, I have encountered assholes while riding. People just like to mess with cyclists, not really sure why.

[jalopi]

riding a bicycle where teens can also drive 4k+ pound SUVs while blasting Iggy Azaela and texting is like bringing a knife to a gunfight... just learn to deal with it.

*i deal with similar shit, only on motorcycles, though at least i can keep up with traffic and outrun most of the assholes in cars :D

[packratbimmer]

Rogue riding rules! I've had McDonald's bags throw at me. I had someone swerve at me in oncoming traffic. My friend had a gun pulled on him out on a road ride - then the car sped off. Stay your ground and ride on the road when it is safe to>>>

[Codym42]

Well you really shouldn't be riding on the sidewalk. Bicycles are a vehicle and as such they are required to obey traffic laws.

With that said, I have encountered assholes while riding. People just like to mess with cyclists, not really sure why.

Yeah, that's what I figured. And I'm definitely not the only one on the sidewalk. Its a lot safer than riding on the street with these maniacs.

riding a bicycle where teens can also drive 4k+ pound SUVs while blasting Iggy Azaela and texting is like bringing a knife to a gunfight... just learn to deal with it.

*i deal with similar shit, only on motorcycles, though at least i can keep up with traffic and outrun most of the assholes in cars :D

I don't mind people yelling shit at me but when someone shoots something at me, that's where I draw the line. I feel like parking the bike and riding the bus/e30. Only issue is the bus is slow and parking on campus is terrible.

[rzerob]

I was riding my Specialized road bike and a pickup truck was driving right next to me. They were yelling about how fast I was going and how cool that was. It was obvious they had been drinking. And to confirm this, one of them hands a can of beer out the window to me and asks if I want one. So I crack open the beer, tip it back and chug it empty. I got some on my chin and shirt but that was inevitable.

They were yelling even more as I chugged the beer. When I was done I crushed the can in my hand and threw it in the back of their pickup truck. I was praised once more as they were laughing and drove away. That is the only time I have ever had an experience like that.

[AndrewBird]

Just carry an AK on your back. Nobody'll say shit.

[ttrousdell]

Just carry an AK on your back. Nobody'll say shit.

Police might. When we were younger a water bottle was thrown out of a car going 40 in the opposite direction of my friend and i. Potentially dangerous. Drivers really dont give a shit about cyclists.

[LateFan]

Yeah, that's what I figured. And I'm definitely not the only one on the sidewalk. Its a lot safer than riding on the street with these maniacs.

Just make sure you aren't trying to be both a car and a ped and piss them off. "I'm a vehicle on the street so treat me like a car." "Now I'm a pedestrian on the sidewalk so I can do whatever I want."

I do a lot of urban commuting, and you have to be on guard, on edge, and aggressively act like a vehicle in traffic. Be consistent, be clear about your intentions, and look them in the eye to see that they see you. I don't bother with silly little hand signals - I have sometimes looked in the windshield, yelled "I'm turning THAT way" and pointed with my arm. I've come through an intersection looking right at some woman waiting in an suv, and sure enuf she turns almost right into me - never even saw me. "What the hell are you doing?!" is my usual reaction, through their side window. She looked freaked.

All of that is good for normal drivers who just don't pay attention - yayhoos with an attitude are another matter. I'm with you - there's a reasonable limit where it's just not worth it. Angry drunks in trucks are no match for a puny bike and a guy in lycra. Riding alone on the highway makes me pretty nervous now - strength in numbers helps. Even then, I remember an idiot plowed into the back of a big group ride in Seattle and killed the last guy. He was riding at the back to help the newbies and slow riders, and that's what he gets for being the good guy.

My son's university club team goes out on the 2-lanes with maybe 8 to 12 guys. They get buzzed once in a while by a redneck blowing diesel smoke all over them, but so far nothing worse than that.

[Navarone]

When I was about 10 some guys in a white mustang foxbody pulled up to me asking for directions to aosdfiasdmf and then hit me with a super soaker. That's as bad as it's been for me.

I don't take shit from cars, I ride hard knowing I'll potentially be killed by some idiot not paying attention, or some asshole trying to hit me. I stay as far away as possible.

Some asshats at Bike Party like to cause shit and breed a stupid mob mentality where they block cars and shit. Having the right of way and standing up for it is one thing, I support that, but they also pound on hoods and rid off like little bitches when they were blocking cars to begin with.

Fuck being right if it means you become a pancake.

[Dozyproductions]

I always yell out to bikers how fast they're going when it looks like they're hoonin. I dunno if you guys like that or not.

[cwatt]

I was involved in a situation while skateboarding home from university. I was on University Ave in a small city, skating in the lane with parked cars. There was an open lane to my left. I had my earbuds in and heard someone honk. I turned around and saw a car about two feet behind me - straddling both lanes. They then pulled out into the open lane beside me, rolled down the passenger side window, shouted at me, and then flicked a cigarette at me. I hadn't even said anything until this point. I didn't even know what was going on.

The car then accelerated, pulled ahead of me, and slammed on the brakes. I managed to avoid them, and then they accelerated off. I met up to them at a traffic light and I'm going to stop writing. I will say, it's useful to have a skateboard.

[jdt10768]

lived in Alabama a while back, and some redneck arse-hole threw a beer bottle at me while I was riding alone out in the middle of nowhere. It hit the pavement just below my bottom bracket, but could have been bad if it had hit me

people who don't ride just have no clue. be careful out there

[DEV0 E30]

The longer you ride a bicycle or motorcycle the more situations, potentially bad or other will happen. There isn't always a good outcome, you just have to be extremely aggressive and be aware of everything. People make mistakes but yes, the people who go out of their way to be a dick to bike riders are the ones that should be castrated.

I used to ride bicycle to work, and yeah plenty of drivers do stupid things that could be bad for someone on a bike. Honking or yelling at 5AM at you when you don't have a sidewalk, and the road is a 45MPH road (which means people go 60+) is definitely a hair raising time, especially when they do it right at a bridge. Normally it's dumb teenagers, but adults can be just as bad. Having someone shoot something at you, or in my opinion even show any aggression to someone on a bike is one of the most cowardice things to do. In a situation like that, I'd be sure to get the make, model, and license plate of the car. Then file a police report, hell, I'd say I thought I saw a real gun. They'll never do that again.

[Navarone]

Cyclists: Ever have weird encounters with motorists?

I was involved in a situation while skateboarding...

What the fuck is wrong with people?!

I was skating home on my dead end residential street in the right half of my lane where it was recently paved for a water main install and it was the only smooth part. No sidewalks. Some asshat in a dark blue MKIV mustang pulls up on my ass honking and shit instead of just going around like a normal person, and since I'm about 14 and innocent I stop to see what's up. He's all pissed I'm in the lane and starts asking where I live to tell my parents etc and I tell him go around, this is the only smooth part to skate on. He's all "oh show me where you were skating, go ride like you were" then goes to get in his car like he's going to run me down. This is a neighbor that I know where he lives!! What the actual fuck?!