Abuse from cars...any revenge stories?

Originally Posted by 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.

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I thought that in the UK especially with the Green movement and traffic congestion that bikes would've been encouraged. This is very sad to read
Paul (Auckland, New Zealand)
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I will add that I am a car driver too, and always look out for bikers and cyclists when I’m in a car.

Originally Posted by John Knees

This isn't strictly on-thread, but it's a come-uppance story very like one or two of the earlier stories here. It was told me by a (sadly now deceased) uncle of mine, who'd served with the 8th Army throughout the WWII desert campaign in Libya and Egypt. It dates to about 1945

Under the 1936 Anglo-Egyptian treaty, British military traffic was permitted on the Treaty Road, but on the bit between Cairo and the Suez Canal, "soft" vehicles were being attacked and forced off the road by a heavy wrecker-type vehicle, driven by fellahin, who wanted the British out of Egypt.

Their technique was to drive quite normally, then at the last moment swerve and drive head-on at the army vehicle. Faced with a bloody collision, the British lorry crew chose the only other option - a night spent digging the vehicle out under sporadic sniper fire.

Enough was enough, so one day Royal Armoured Corps workshops staff set about turning a Sherman tank into a "soft" vehicle. They whacked on false panels, correctly-configured head and side lights, then a quick coat of sand and brown, and from 50 yards away in half-light you wouldn't know it from a Chevvy, Dodge or Bedford truck.

First twilight trip out on the Treaty Road, sure enough, along comes Abdul, ready to stick another hated Brit into the soft stuff. Foot down, swerve across the road - KERDOING!! - and Abdule was crawling out of the wreckage of his beloved truck.

I think there were a couple of slight scratches on the Sherman, but a bit of sand-coloured touch-up paint did the job.

Not relevant at all, was it!

Originally Posted by danaarazi

I am an advocate of not doing battle with a 2 ton vehicle while on my bike. meaning most of the time I just smile an nod at all the near misses. however if I am actually struck or tapped by a vehicle or assulted by a passanger then i persue the issue to the very end, under the law.

one such situation came up while I was living in washington DC. that city demands a very aggressive biking style if you want to stay alive. as I was going down a city street there was no gutter and about 6 inches between the cars and the curb. I was moving with traffic at their speed when a city bus pulled up behind me and layed in on the horn. I waved at him in a friendly manner hoping he would stop trying to give me a heart attack and make me deaf all at once. finally the lane on my right cleared enough for the buss to pass me. As the driver (still honking) pulled up next to me he gave me the finger through the glass doors. then he slowly changed lanes into me pinning me at 20+mph between a 2 foot curb and a very large bus. I rolled from the bike onto the sidewalk and into a street light as the bike died a slow horible death under the buss tires. And the bus drove off no long blairing the horn.

Adrenaline going and my heart puming hard I sprang to my feet and sprinted after bus writing down the number and license number. I called 911 and reported the incident. Then I contacted a lawyer that evening. I spent a lot of time sending letters to the city bus company getting the drivers information and making sure action was taken.

In the end I recieved a sizable settlement from the City. The driver, because of his actions, was convited of felnoy hit and run. originally he was charged with assult with a deadly weapon, attempted murder and some ither stuff that sonded impressive to me. I am just happy to know onemore dangerous driver is off the road for good now.

Basicaly if anything touches me while on my bike I persure it under the law aggresivly. I never take matters into my own hands. I realy would rather just dent their car and move on but with my luck i would kick the car of a person like me and end up in jail and sore from an a accident.

Dana

Originally Posted by riverfever

Once I had a car drive by and throw a damn cheese burger at me. Hit me too.

The worst was when I was a kid though (probably 12ish). I was riding my BMX bike on the sidewalk but heading against traffic. We were riding along a busy 2 lane road. Some car threw a Big Gulp out the window and it clocked me right in the chest. I lost it and crashed hard. Luckily I fell to the left and not into the street. My buddy that was in front of me said the sound was unreal. The Gulp was only full of ice. To this day I can't visit a 7-11.

Originally Posted by Snelvis

Yesterday I had my worst case of abuse from a car. I couldn't make out any words - it was just yelling in order to scare the s*#t out of me. Normally when this happens, I just ignore it but this group of approx 18 year olds (4 of them) decided to go around the block and repeat their yelling tactics not just one more time but 4 times in total. Twice I nearly caught up with them at the lights but to avoid me they would reverse and take off down a side street (which was extemely bad/dangerous driving)

By this stage I was fuming and after the 4th I actually armed myself with a rock and intended doing some damage to the paintwork or window. I sat in the gutter and waited for the 5th round and when they came down the street to see me waiting they did a U-Turn. The fact that 4 guys in a car were too scared to face 1 guy on a bike is evidence of their cowardice. I guess I won considering that the ran away but afterwards I was concerned at how angry it made me and how excessive my intentions were.

Doe it get anyone else this angry? Does anyone have any other ways/stories of getting back at these idiots?

I live in Newcastle, Australia which I think may be the capital of the world for this sort of behaviour. I once even had it come from a national company removalist truck (brightly coloured vehicle with logo on the side) - I took the plate number and reported this one to the head office and even received a follow up letter apologising and saying it had been dealt with.

Cheers,
Mark

Originally Posted by securityman_77@

yes i had the same thing happen to me the other night.Rideing along and here comes a car 1 foot away banging on the car doors,they thought i would jump or wreck ,but not me.I chased after them and got close enough to them so they could see my shiney badge. They left real quick.

Originally Posted by Bigbananabike

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I was riding home from work one night when a crappy car went past full of young people. They shouted something and I felt something hit my head - softly.
It wasn't until a few days later that I noticed some white stuff in my helmet. I put my nose to it(dangerous I know). It was ice cream - that's what had hit me!

I was told of a guy who was out training on the open road and got hit in the head by a disposable nappy that was full of shit - literally. Yuk, imagine putting up with and trying to get rid of the smell.