What would be your response?

"bcps" wrote in message
...
This is almost too stupid to be legal...

It was a beautiful day. I was riding my beloved Penninger on the sidewalk
in Delray Beach, Florida (no, the police don't bother me because I'm a
traffic hazard if I ride in the street and, besides, riding in the street
down here would be suicide). Anyway, I'm stopped for traffic at an
intersection (totally on the sidewalk, mind you) because I have to be
really carefull in this area - ride slowly, watch every driveway and
intersection - this trike is inherently dangerous, many tourists, people
who think it is illegal to use turn signals, and blind drivers (read - old
farts). So here comes this guy in his late 50's or early 60's driving an
SUV (I hate those things...). Remember, I'm still on the sidewalk and
totally out of the street. Out of the blue, as he is stopped right in the
middle of the crosswalk of the street I want to cross, he shouts to me in
a nasty tone, "Why don't you get a f---ing car!?".

I was stunned... All I could do was say "why?" then shrug him off. So I
peddled on down the sidewalk to the beach as I thought of other responses.

Here are some of the things I thought of so far:

I don't want to be like you...

There are too many assholes in SUVs on the road...

As long as you are on the road, I want to be on the sidewalk...

Your SUV sucked up all the gas...

My Beemer is in the shop... (that's a lie - it is sitting in my driveway
collecting dust and bird poop)

I don't have room on this thing for my cooler AND a car...

Cars are really hard to pedal...

My mother drives on these roads...

I'm afraid of heights...

(hold up a little matchbox car found by the road) got one ...butt...
thanks for asking...


I'm sure there are much more creative responses and I would really
appreciate it if someone would add to the list because, judging from my
experiences with people in this area (I just moved here 3 months ago),
someone else is bound to make a similar comment in the future and I want
to be ready for it ;-)




By now you realize there is NO response that would make any difference. If
you use acerbic wit to issue a scathing sarcastic reply, the person you are
wasting your breath on is such a dullard that the carefully crafted badenage
would be wasted. A nasty or threatening reply may exacerbate the situation
and if the driver is borderline road rage the consequences could escalate
and the result might be unpleasent or dangerous to you. I've come to realize
the futility of the situation and in similar situations now I just smile and
wave (with MORE than one finger) and think to myself that at least I'm
exercising more than just my mouth.

Cretins who yell epithets from moving cars are probably suffering from tiny
dick syndrome, including the soccer moms. They are trapped by their
impotence and you riding a bike are a symbol of the freedom they lack. They
feel compelled to lash out as if the effort at making themselves a bit more
important than someone else will change their miserable plight. Others are
just fools and one can only hope that late at night with their belly full of
cheap beer they will drive solo at high speed into a large and immoveable
object, removiing themselves from the gene pool.

If, OTOH they do something like swerve at you or throw something, try to get
their license number call the police on your cell and report a road rage or
intoxicated driver incident.

Above all, relax and enjoy the rest of your ride.



--
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On Fri, 16 Mar 2007 17:59:22 -0400, "bcps" wrote:

he shouts to me in a nasty tone,
"Why don't you get a f---ing car!?".


Excellent response. It is not good for an individual, on something as
fragile a pedal vehicle, to get tight with a nutcase, a motor, and 2 or more
tons of metal.

But still... what would you have liked to say?

Pretty much whaat I think whenever I see a SUV driver alone in a SUV:

"Why don't you get a f---ing car!?".
Why don't you?

Curtis L. Russell
Odenton, MD (USA)
Just someone on two wheels...