Odd interaction with a road rager

So here's an odd one for the books. I was cycling from work today along a
one-way street with enough clearance to avoid opening car doors. The
street was three lanes wide with one of the lanes reserved for buses at
rush hour. The middle lane was free.

A bus was slowing down to a stop in its lane and I was moving forward when
I heard the ubiquitous blare of a horn from a car in the (clear) middle
lane. Now the car had to pass between the bus and myself, but there was a
whole lane for him to do so, so I wasn't sure what was up.

I caught up to him at the next lights. The car was some souped-up muscle
car and the driver looked pretty tough so I debated whether or not to ask
him what was up. I thought "what the heck" and asked him if I could help
him with something.

He then yelled, very angrily I might add, that with me on one side and the
bus on the other side he barely had room to pass, and that I should have
been off to the side (riding over top of the parked cars I suppose). I was
about to tell him that his whole lane was clear but the light turned green
and he peeled rubber and took off like a bat out of hell.

I caught up two lights later and was going to ask him why he thought an
entire lane of traffic was not sufficient for him but he'd rolled up his
window and was staring straight ahead. That intersection has an advance
green for bikes and I left somewhat befuddled.

Basically, and I hate to say it, he was acting like a big baby. Taking a
fit when things weren't going his way and then sulking later. I doubt
that I intimidated him, I'm don't look that imposing, but if I didn't know
better I'd have thought he was scared.

How much room does someone need anyway? Is one lane not enough for some
people?

--
Ron McKinnon rmckin
spam at sympatico
http://www.magma.ca/~ronmck dot ca

On Tue, 31 Aug 2004 21:47:50 -0400, Ron McKinnon
wrote:

Basically, and I hate to say it, he was acting like a big baby. Taking a
fit when things weren't going his way and then sulking later. I doubt
that I intimidated him, I'm don't look that imposing, but if I didn't know
better I'd have thought he was scared.

How much room does someone need anyway? Is one lane not enough for some
people?

--
Ron McKinnon rmckin

I had a guy yell at me 'to get the fsk on the bike trail'. I, of course
hollared back 'fsk ewe very much'.

Later I turn down into a residential area and he's stopped going the
opposite way, waving his cell phone, saying he's gonna call the cops b/c I
used 'profanity' with his daughter in the car.

Of course he failed to realize he did it first, in addition to teaching her
to drive erratically and yell out the window while driving.

The guy was such a wimp I almost started laughing, and advised him to go
ahead and call them, while reminding him that in Virginia, bikes have the
same right to be on the road as a car.

Go figure. ;-p

-B

"Ron McKinnon" wrote

[snip]

I caught up to him at the next lights. The car was some souped-up muscle
car...
and
I caught up two lights later...

That's what got to him...

Pete

"Ron McKinnon" wrote: (clip) I thought "what the
heck" and asked him if I could help him with something.
^^^^^^^^^^^^^
See, you didn't play by his "rules." He thought he was protected from
confrontation, which made him very "brave." But you faced him, and forced
him to justify his irrational behavior--which he could not do. What would
it do to your self-image to declare that you can't drive your car down a
standard lane?

I'd say you won that bout.

Ron McKinnon wrote:
road rage incident snipped

Basically, and I hate to say it, he was acting like a big baby. Taking a
fit when things weren't going his way and then sulking later.

All road ragers are acting like babies. "I don't want things the way they
are, and I'm going to blame you!" is written into each road rager's
personality. Things like forgiveness and flexibility are not there.

I doubt
that I intimidated him, I'm don't look that imposing, but if I didn't know
better I'd have thought he was scared.

An immature person having a temper tantrum may in fact rely on him
intimidating you. When that didn't work, he may have felt like his "big
one" was taken away.

How much room does someone need anyway? Is one lane not enough for some
people?

Judging by the number of cars I see in the ditch, especially in winter, I'd
say entire roads aren't enough for some people.

Austin
--
I'm pedaling as fast as I durn well please!
There are no X characters in my address

Ron McKinnon wrote:

|| Basically, and I hate to say it, he was acting like a big baby.
|| Taking a fit when things weren't going his way and then sulking
|| later. I doubt that I intimidated him, I'm don't look that
|| imposing, but if I didn't know better I'd have thought he was scared.
||
|| How much room does someone need anyway? Is one lane not enough for
|| some people?

I suggest that, in the future, you do your best to avoid second encounters
with stupid people driving cars (assuming the first encounter was forced
upon you). It can't be good policy for a cyclist.

The car was some souped-up muscle car ...
I caught up two lights later ...

You should have asked him, if his car is so powerful how come you were able
to catch up to him? If that's too subtle for him just tell him he has a
small penis.

"Roger Zoul" wrote in message
...

I suggest that, in the future, you do your best to avoid second encounters
with stupid people driving cars (assuming the first encounter was forced
upon you). It can't be good policy for a cyclist.

I think this is REALLY good advice. Stupid people only get stupider and
possibly violent. Not worth it.

Dave

Ron McKinnon wrote:

Basically, and I hate to say it, he was acting like a big baby.

Indeed. I prefer the term "traffic tantrum" to "road rage" as it more
accurately reflects the degree of maturity exhibited...

Guy
--
May contain traces of irony. Contents liable to settle after posting.
http://www.chapmancentral.co.uk

88% of helmet statistics are made up, 65% of them at Washington
University

"Roger Zoul" wrote in message ...
Ron McKinnon wrote:

[...]
I suggest that, in the future, you do your best to avoid second encounters
with stupid people driving cars (assuming the first encounter was forced
upon you). It can't be good policy for a cyclist.



I agree. People are crazy. Its not even worth it (and not effective)
to assert your rights to someone who is enraged about something else
in their life and is taking it out on you with road rage.

The fact that the guy had plenty of room to pass or at worst was
slowed down for a couple of seconds demonstrates that this is not
about traffic with the road-rager. He has something else going on, and
it is best not to get involved in his problems. You won't "teach" him
anything and risk more than you than expect.


-H.