Abuse from cars...any revenge stories?

Chris516

YAHOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Christopher

riptide

Stinker that I am, my measures go all the way from the official to the unofficial.
Usually I try to remember the license plate number to report to the authorities,
on a few occasions I pay tribute to the 12.5% of my ancestry that is British
and pull a commando on the malefactors. I leave the details to your imaginations.

Chris516

I did that a couple months ago and, the idiot was, a motorist that, happened to also ride bikes. The guy certainly hadn't read the state 'Drivers Manual'.

To make it worse, a busy road in the western section of the city, has been reduced to two-way on one side of the road. As a result of this, regardless of, going to the farthest right-hand side of the road, it is too risky because of the traffic behind me. Since this is the case, I have to 'take the lane', to avoid getting killed by someone who thinks they can pass me in the 'construction zone'.

Christopher

Iron Man

if you think Adelaide and Newcastle are bad try cycling in Sydney, it's a mobile obstacle course.

This one day i was out for a long ride in preparation for an upcoming triathlon, so i had my bike pump and all the repair kit because i would be a long way from any help.

I was grinding up a particularly long hill and as i approached the top T junction some Yuppie in a massive 4WD sped past me doing way more than the speed limit, his wife leans out and said "we can’t wait all day we have places to be" and they "left hooked" me. i almost went ass over the handle bars but managed to recover from the death wobbles.

I was so fired up i gave chase and caught up at a set of traffic lights, i was not sure what i was going to do but almost instinctively i unclipped the bike pump from my frame and drove it through both passenger side windows followed by the remark "life is way more enjoyable when you don’t rush" and i hit the aero position for the next 15K's which was covered in 20 mins!



p.s this is very illegal and dangerous im not proud but when the adrenalin from a near death expierence hits.......make sure you can ride real fast because they only stay stunned for a while!

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Why Do I hit my hand with a hammer? Because it feels so good when I stop.

willida

OK, so I didn't get revenge but I came up with a great come-back line.

A teen-ager hung out his car and shouted "f***ing idiot" The next time it happens I'll let them know that I have 3 planned children and my wife achieves orgasm more often than the national average. I am no f***ing idiot.

Ryanotokyo

Why go telling them about your private life? Forget it. These kinds of people are not worth talking with. They are agro about something, you are their victim, and you do not have the power to talk them around - certainly not there and then.

You know what though, prevention is the best cure. A good mirror and whistle can prevent many incidents. You can often tell a mile away when agressive drivers are coming up behind you. I will stick out my arm before they come up on me, which usually makes them move a further yard away. If they don't, the whistle makes them think twice about doing anything stupid, by which time they have already blown past you (just to stop at the lights a little way up ahead. - Naturally! Couldn't think of a more rational way to get around...&#%& fools, the lot of em...).

Have you noticed that many agressive drivers in the city REALLY hate it when they discover that even though you are "slower" than them (i.e. max speed), you are actually moving along just as quickly as them in terms of actually getting places (i.e. point to point), because you can walk your bike over the crossing at the lights, or take a back street they can't etc? Usually drivers don't notice, but when they do, some blokes (it's always men) drive themselves hopping mad over it (pun intended). Almost as if they are thinking, way down in the depths of their brain: "This guy/girl is a freak anomaly. No cyclist should be able to get anywhere faster than me in my BMW. Perhaps he/she is trying to make fun of me. If I run him/her over, then things will be back to normal again, and we cars will be the undisputed leaders again... HAHA.")

Jokes aside, there sure are some strange people around, so don't mess with them, especially when they are operating a heavy machine. Ride on. Ride safe. Just ride. Don't seek revenge. Seek justice.

Ryano

gclark8

This one is priceless, check it out: http://www.cyclingforums.com/t292721-.html

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Cheers,
George.

Ryanotokyo

This is really dumb. Remember, you ride that route every day also. If a driver has done something extremely dangerous, then by all means stop them (if you can) and call the police. If you can't or it is dangerous to do so, get their number and call the police. Stupid games will just make the person more antagonistic towards you and other cyclists. It's important to bring the police in whenever possible.

Had an incident a while back with a taxi driver who tried to overtake me on a one lane road and I scratched the side of his vehicle. My light also broke. We swore at each other for 10 minutes while waiting for the police. The police took our details and statements and then immediately started berating the guy and his feeble arguments until he admitted what a wanker he had been. It was fabulous. Take the time to call for back up in these situations. It is worth it, for everyone's sake.

willida

Thanks! I already have and use a mirror, but the whistle is just the thing I was missing. And, DUH, I never thought of using the crosswalk. Covering distance faster and healthier is sweet "revenge" indeed.

John Knees

Some years back, before my wife's health forced me off the bike (she has Parkinson's and autonomic neuropathy, I'm close to my 72nd birthday) a group of us were chopped up by an old prat who objected to cyclists riding (legally) two abreast on a two-lane road.

I followed him until he parked his car, and we had "words", when he warned me he was friends with the local police chief, so I'd better watch my step.

After dark that evening, I did the 12 mile trip back with a pack of fast-setting Araldite in my saddle bag. I'd planned to plug all his locks up, but unfortunately he'd put his nice Hillman car to bed.

Wouldn't work to-day, now that so many cars have electronic central locking.

Thou shalt not get found out - No. 11.

John Knees.

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John Knees

Originally Posted by Ryanotokyo
You know what though, prevention is the best cure. A good mirror and whistle can prevent many incidents. ...

...because you can walk your bike over the crossing at the lights, or take a back street they can't etc? ...

Jokes aside, there sure are some strange people around, so don't mess with them, especially when they are operating a heavy machine. Ride on. Ride safe. Just ride. Don't seek revenge. Seek justice.

Ryano

I wouldn't recommend this in Great Britain - even if you dismount, the bike is still legally defined as a carriage, and you can be "done" for disobeying a traffic sign.

Similarly a cyclist can be prosecuted for "drunk in charge" so be careful out there!
John.

blue_paul

I have a great revenge story.



I live in the UK, in Liverpool. I’m a racing cyclist, and used to do a lot of road racing (now I just do time trials). About 13 years ago I met up with around 60 other club cyclists for a ‘chaingang’ on a still light Thursday evening. A chaingang is a very fast, race pace bunch training ride usually along a dual carriage way, or some road with no stops etc.



Anyway, whilst riding in a big bunch (2 abreast) towards the dual carriage way, a ‘yoof’ in a red Ford Fiesta cut up the head of the group, and shouted some abuse. I was in the middle of the bunch, but the head riders sprinted up the road chasing after the idiot in the Fiesta. Unfortunately (for him) the Fiesta had to stop at a roundabout about 500 metres up the road. The head riders quickly caught up with him, shortly followed by the rest of us who had all upped our pace to follow.



There were some seriously ‘hard’ guys in the bunch (I was just a kid at the time), and when they caught the Fiesta Driver up, they parted like the Red Sea around both sides of, and in front of, his car. The 20 riders or so then proceeded to bash their fists on the bonnet and roof of this twit’s car, and shout abuse at him. The kid was obviously cr*pping himself!!



It was really great to see this idiot get his comeuppance. However, this was 10+ years ago, and traffic levels have risen ridiculously since then. Also car drivers attitudes to cyclists have gotten so much worse since then. It was a risky thing to do, and wouldn’t be wise to do today as there are so many nutters driving around here these days. Nutters who would literally run a bunch of cyclists down and make off, if they felt that their precious car was being ‘attacked’.



Cyclist death rates per 1 million miles ridden in the UK are surpassed only by motorcyclists (which I am also). However, because I ride a motorcycle safely (these days!) I actually feel so much more vulnerable on a bicycle. Cyclists are despised in the UK, more so now than ever. and I find that thoroughly depressing. As a kid I never picked up on it (I grew up near the Yorkshire dales) and would cycle miles and mile with no trouble. These days, I try and avoid cities, stick to quiet country lanes and avoid the rush hours. I try not to ride at night, and do a lot of turbo training (indoor training device). When I do go for a training ride in Liverpool, I pick the quietist time I can (midday) and expect to get cut up, abused or threatened. My tactic now is simply to stop, and let the culprit ‘win’ because I know that I can’t. Groups of yobs are annoying, because you dare not stop, and I will occasionally flick them the ‘V’ and sprint off. I used to get so worked up, say at traffic lights etc., and indignant because I was in the ‘right’, but it’s a waste of energy trying to do anything about it.



I would think very hard about commuting as a cyclist. You just cannot ‘beat’ a lazy, selfish and aggressive gimp in a 2 ton piece of metal. Don’t forget that the pseudo ‘return to womb’ experience of being in a car as a driver, can bring out the absolute worst in people, even mild mannered people. Add to that the fact that the law ‘system’ is against you as a cyclist (whatever anyone might try and tell you) you’re on a loser. With the planet choking it is truly depressing that cyclists aren’t encouraged, respected and embraced instead of being vilified and detested.



I will add that I am a car driver too, and always look out for bikers and cyclists when I’m in a car.

Ryanotokyo

Blue Paul - you are right about letting the yobbos "win". Revenge is short lived. If the incident is serious, get their details and call the police. If not, let them "win" and get your own back in other ways (advocacy groups etc). These groups are gaining momentum around the world. Just being a member makes a difference. Dedicated cycle lanes - away from the crazy world of cars, is the sweetest revenge.

Traffic Jammer

Well having been a courier in one of the hairiest cities to one I have many war stories of battles and revenge. Trying to remain calm in light of the "incident" is certainly the wiser act. Now you're all adrenalined up, heart rate trough the roof as this 'yabo' is having his go at you. He's cut you off and you;ve caught up to him. Words exchanged, through the window....the heat tightens your chest. .....

Unless you are experienced in taking on cars, don't. Racers, club riders, recreationals the slightest twitch can send you to a world of hurt. Reading a pack in a corner can become second nature to a seasoned racer, just as reading the steel moving obstacles is a messenger forte. I relish the bike/car dance. I take my lane when it's time for me to do so. Other times you'll see me on the yellow line in the middle of road where it's safer. I 've been doored, parked on, turn into T BOned and stopped on, still here.

Two things ( I do not condone nor recommend these applications, but it's a revenge thread )
**NOTE** If you are in a less densly pop'd area you may see him again so fore warned is fore armed.

1.. A second water bottle of fresh coke for carving your tag into asshole's paint, especially good on the hood in the summer. Chances are he won't even notice it's coke til later.

2..Always always always carry your U lock on your hip. A well timed one way street light leaves a side view mirror hanging by servos just lovely.

Know your streets like the back of your hand, and ride it like it's hot.
I'm a tax payer, home owner too, the bike lanes are too narrow and too damed slow for an experienced rider. I'll take my lane thanks you take the path.

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Messengers....the other Pros
Professional Rider, Closed course, DO NOT attempt this yourself.