Dealing with hecklers while cycling

Eric said:

I hate to have a wonderful, fulfilling, serene ride spoiled by some
yelling [censored] that feels I'm blocking traffic and belong on the
sidewalk or bike trail (if I was holding them up, maybe they lost at
most three seconds).

I started carrying mace since one driver threatened me. I take a
perverse delight in knowing I ruined their day, but it also ruins mine.
Another small pleasure is having them blast around me, and then I pedal
up next to them at successive red lights.

Over the years I've noted that I've never been hassled by a person of
any color, and lately it's been more by women than men. Twice last month
I had female passengers leaning out the window, red-faced, foaming at
the mouth in anger, when I was clear to the right and no impediment to
traffic... go figure?

I'd appreciate any suggestions on how to keep this from ruining my ride;
I don't want to start a fight, just maybe get some mental pointers to
arrive home feeling good.
Eric

1) Find some empty roads or start cycling at dawn
2) Move to France or Spain. They're the worst drivers in the world but
they love cyclists
3) Develop a superiority complex - drivers are polluting the planet and
clearly have a pathetic quality of life, otherwise they wouldn't be
performing crazy overtaking manouevers or shouting at cyclists. You on
the other hand are at one with nature and yourself. Become impervious
to insults and actually take pleasure in slowing the traffic as much as
possible.
4) Ram them, claim off their insurance and get a new bike. Only to be
used occasionally :0)
5) Use an airhorn instead of mace. Judiciously applied through an open
window, it can scare the living daylights out of a driver or passenger.
6) Get even. Not a fan of this myself, particularly as you
subsequently have to cycle like mad to escape, but have several friends
who do a lot of urban cycling and have various tricks ranging from
simply banging on the car windows or roof as you go past to opening the
rear passenger door (if a solitary driver) or swiping the cigarette
from a driver foolish enough to smoke out the window. Not advised,
probably illegal, almost certain to make you finish your ride more
stressed than when you started, but apparently extremely satisfying.

Eric said:

I hate to have a wonderful, fulfilling, serene ride spoiled by some
yelling [censored] that feels I'm blocking traffic and belong on the
sidewalk or bike trail (if I was holding them up, maybe they lost at
most three seconds).

I started carrying mace since one driver threatened me. I take a
perverse delight in knowing I ruined their day, but it also ruins mine.
Another small pleasure is having them blast around me, and then I pedal
up next to them at successive red lights.

Over the years I've noted that I've never been hassled by a person of
any color, and lately it's been more by women than men. Twice last month
I had female passengers leaning out the window, red-faced, foaming at
the mouth in anger, when I was clear to the right and no impediment to
traffic... go figure?

I'd appreciate any suggestions on how to keep this from ruining my ride;
I don't want to start a fight, just maybe get some mental pointers to
arrive home feeling good.
Eric

* Never retaliate or escalate; you are a superior lifeform, with more
to lose.
* Avoid making cars pass you twice. This means waiting your turn at
traffic lights.
* Ignore - - or when they start yelling at you, start giving them
directions to some point of interest, as if you had simply
misunderstood, "Three lights, then left; it's behind Denny's!"

rsquared

Eric said:

I hate to have a wonderful, fulfilling, serene ride spoiled by some
yelling [censored] that feels I'm blocking traffic and belong on the
sidewalk or bike trail (if I was holding them up, maybe they lost at
most three seconds).

I started carrying mace since one driver threatened me. I take a
perverse delight in knowing I ruined their day, but it also ruins mine.
Another small pleasure is having them blast around me, and then I pedal
up next to them at successive red lights.

Over the years I've noted that I've never been hassled by a person of
any color, and lately it's been more by women than men. Twice last month
I had female passengers leaning out the window, red-faced, foaming at
the mouth in anger, when I was clear to the right and no impediment to
traffic... go figure?

I'd appreciate any suggestions on how to keep this from ruining my ride;
I don't want to start a fight, just maybe get some mental pointers to
arrive home feeling good.
Eric

* Never retaliate or escalate; you are a superior lifeform, with more
to lose.
* Avoid making cars pass you twice. This means waiting your turn at
traffic lights.
* Ignore - - or when they start yelling at you, start giving them
directions to some point of interest, as if you had simply
misunderstood, "Three lights, then left; it's behind Denny's!"

rsquared

You should not be riding a bike on a sidewalk.

Other than that, what are you really going to do if they are yelling at you
from a passing car? Flip them off?
"Eric" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

I hate to have a wonderful, fulfilling, serene ride spoiled by some yelling
[censored] that feels I'm blocking traffic and belong on the sidewalk or bike
trail (if I was holding them up, maybe they lost at most three seconds).

I started carrying mace since one driver threatened me. I take a perverse
delight in knowing I ruined their day, but it also ruins mine. Another
small pleasure is having them blast around me, and then I pedal up next to
them at successive red lights.

Over the years I've noted that I've never been hassled by a person of any
color, and lately it's been more by women than men. Twice last month I had
female passengers leaning out the window, red-faced, foaming at the mouth
in anger, when I was clear to the right and no impediment to traffic... go
figure?

I'd appreciate any suggestions on how to keep this from ruining my ride; I
don't want to start a fight, just maybe get some mental pointers to arrive
home feeling good.
Eric

Eric said:

I'd appreciate any suggestions on how to keep this from ruining my ride;
I don't want to start a fight, just maybe get some mental pointers to
arrive home feeling good.
Eric

This is probably the only time it's nice to be almost deaf.

I don't wear my hearing aids when I ride, and I can't hear a
semi-trailer until it's next to me without them. So I don't hear
comments directed at me, if they are.

It probably befuddles the drivers when I'm totally oblivious to them,
so in the long run, that's your best bet. Ignore them completely.

Do not escalate the situation. You may be right, but you'll lose any
battle with a 4,000 lb car.

Mike Tennent
"IronPenguin"

Eric wrote:

snip

Quoted message said:

I'd appreciate any suggestions on how to keep this from ruining my ride;
I don't want to start a fight, just maybe get some mental pointers to
arrive home feeling good.
Eric

Hi Eric,

I try to smile and wave at drivers that yell at me, but I'm not always
successful.

It's amazing to me to listen to what otherwise intelligent and nice
people say about bikers. It seems that no one wants to be
inconvenienced at all, and if they have to slow down to avoid running
over a biker it makes them angry.

I try to educate people whenever I have the opportunity. People who
haven't ridden a bike since childhood don't seem to know that a
skinny-tired bike doesn't fare well on broken-up shoulders covered with
gravel and debris.

I agree with the others about following traffic laws when on your bike
(except speeding, that's just too cool not to do when the opportunity
arises 🙂 ). I think it must irritate drivers to see bikes run stop
signs and pass on the shoulder. Who knows, maybe that's why they're so
angry. 🙂

I also agree with the others who've said to try to ignore the rude
people. After the encounter, let it be them who are so upset that it
ruins their day, while you pedal away feeling sorry for such a pitiful
creature.

Bob

Bob Haase said:

Eric wrote:

snip

Quoted message said:

I'd appreciate any suggestions on how to keep this from ruining my
ride; I don't want to start a fight, just maybe get some mental
pointers to arrive home feeling good.
Eric

Hi Eric,

I try to smile and wave at drivers that yell at me, but I'm not always
successful.

It's amazing to me to listen to what otherwise intelligent and nice
people say about bikers. It seems that no one wants to be
inconvenienced at all, and if they have to slow down to avoid running
over a biker it makes them angry.

I try to educate people whenever I have the opportunity. People who
haven't ridden a bike since childhood don't seem to know that a
skinny-tired bike doesn't fare well on broken-up shoulders covered with
gravel and debris.

I agree with the others about following traffic laws when on your bike
(except speeding, that's just too cool not to do when the opportunity
arises 🙂 ). I think it must irritate drivers to see bikes run stop
signs and pass on the shoulder. Who knows, maybe that's why they're so
angry. 🙂

I also agree with the others who've said to try to ignore the rude
people. After the encounter, let it be them who are so upset that it
ruins their day, while you pedal away feeling sorry for such a pitiful
creature.

Bob

I'm the same, just give them a wave and a big smile and pretend you
never heard them.

Excellent!

-CF

In article <[email hidden]>,

Rookie said:

6) Get even. Not a fan of this myself, particularly as you
subsequently have to cycle like mad to escape, but have several friends
who do a lot of urban cycling and have various tricks ranging from
simply banging on the car windows or roof as you go past to opening the
rear passenger door (if a solitary driver) or swiping the cigarette
from a driver foolish enough to smoke out the window. Not advised,
probably illegal, almost certain to make you finish your ride more
stressed than when you started, but apparently extremely satisfying.

Geez, if you're going to take that risk, why don't you just slash the
tires and mace the guy so you don't have to worry about being pursued.
Well, not by that guy, anyway; maybe by the cops. :-)

--Harold Buck

"I used to rock and roll all night,
and party every day.
Then it was every other day. . . ."
-Homer J. Simpson

I've only had one bad instance with a driver. I was pulling my daughter in
the Burley and riding on a residential street next to the bike trail on my
tri bike. We just had a large rainfall so I couldn't ride on the trail
because it was flooded and covered with debris. Some jerk in his late 20's,
pulled up next to me and said "BIKE TRAIL [censored]". He matched my speed and
nearly drove right into my daughter and I. At this point I didn't think
smiling was an option, so I swerved over to hit his car with my fist and I
shouted "FLOODED [censored]!". I slammed on the brakes and he stopped. I
jumped off of my bike prepared to exchange blows. He jumped out of his Jeep
Grand Cherokee and acted like he was going to try and fight me. I'm
screaming at the idiot and telling him that he almost just crashed into my 3
year old daughter. He has 2 girls in the car screaming at him and telling
him to get back in. He gets back into his Jeep and drives off after I read
his license plate to him out loud.

Recording the license plate is the best thing you can do. After contacting
my local PD, I was informed that I can ride down the middle of the road if I
want and that I have the same rights as a car. I'm sure this guy was told
the same thing when they contacted him.

Regards,

Aaron

Yep I think yer right, and if I can muster a big grinning smile it will
really [censored] them off
Eric

Kimba said:

Bob Haase said:

Eric wrote:

snip

Quoted message said:

I'd appreciate any suggestions on how to keep this from ruining my
ride; I don't want to start a fight, just maybe get some mental
pointers to arrive home feeling good.
Eric

Hi Eric,

I try to smile and wave at drivers that yell at me, but I'm not always
successful.

It's amazing to me to listen to what otherwise intelligent and nice
people say about bikers. It seems that no one wants to be
inconvenienced at all, and if they have to slow down to avoid running
over a biker it makes them angry.

I try to educate people whenever I have the opportunity. People who
haven't ridden a bike since childhood don't seem to know that a
skinny-tired bike doesn't fare well on broken-up shoulders covered
with gravel and debris.

I agree with the others about following traffic laws when on your bike
(except speeding, that's just too cool not to do when the opportunity
arises 🙂 ). I think it must irritate drivers to see bikes run stop
signs and pass on the shoulder. Who knows, maybe that's why they're
so angry. 🙂

I also agree with the others who've said to try to ignore the rude
people. After the encounter, let it be them who are so upset that it
ruins their day, while you pedal away feeling sorry for such a pitiful
creature.

Bob

I'm the same, just give them a wave and a big smile and pretend you
never heard them.

Harold Buck said:

In article <[email hidden]>,

Rookie said:

6) Get even. Not a fan of this myself, particularly as you
subsequently have to cycle like mad to escape, but have several friends
who do a lot of urban cycling and have various tricks ranging from
simply banging on the car windows or roof as you go past to opening the
rear passenger door (if a solitary driver) or swiping the cigarette
from a driver foolish enough to smoke out the window. Not advised,
probably illegal, almost certain to make you finish your ride more
stressed than when you started, but apparently extremely satisfying.

Geez, if you're going to take that risk, why don't you just slash the
tires and mace the guy so you don't have to worry about being pursued.
Well, not by that guy, anyway; maybe by the cops. :-)

Wrong way round - you have to mace the guy first so that he doesn't
come to get you while you slash his tires :0)

I was biking with a friend last year, who happens to be a monk, when a
woman driver came up to us and started yelling at us to get off the
road.

She was yelling at us so vehemently that she missed a turn and drove
off the road in front of us and got stuck in the mud. She was
apparently going to some formal affair and was dressed to the nines.
She continued to yell at us from her car and my friend walked out to
her through the mud and picked her up on his back and carried her back
to the road so that she wouldn't get her clothes dirty. He then used
his cell phone to call her a tow truck, and we went on our way.

A few hours latter we stopped for water and I was still so mad I
couldn't concentrate on the ride. I said, "How can you be so cool?
You carried that woman on your back and she never even said thank
you!" He just said calmly, "I put that woman down hours ago, why
are you still carrying her?"

Eric said:

I hate to have a wonderful, fulfilling, serene ride spoiled by some
yelling [censored] that feels I'm blocking traffic and belong on the
sidewalk or bike trail (if I was holding them up, maybe they lost at
most three seconds).

I started carrying mace since one driver threatened me. I take a
perverse delight in knowing I ruined their day, but it also ruins mine.
Another small pleasure is having them blast around me, and then I pedal
up next to them at successive red lights.

Over the years I've noted that I've never been hassled by a person of
any color, and lately it's been more by women than men. Twice last month
I had female passengers leaning out the window, red-faced, foaming at
the mouth in anger, when I was clear to the right and no impediment to
traffic... go figure?

I'd appreciate any suggestions on how to keep this from ruining my ride;
I don't want to start a fight, just maybe get some mental pointers to
arrive home feeling good.
Eric