rude stupid people

Ah, the old open the door trick. Don't look to see if anyone is coming, just open the door no matter where they are, Yep, on the cell and mostly middle age. We ride to the left we get rear ended, We ride to far to the right we get nailed by a moron in a cage. Happened a while back to me. Woman was real rude. She said I should be more aware of cars. I agreed She left. Some how some vandal squirted a tube of super glue in her cars door locks. Older car, no remote button thingy,

I used to enjoy that kind of person,,,
mind you, I was driving a tow-truck with a very large push bumper at the time !!!
now, I watch every parked car for signs of the dreaded door-opener

the old body-on-frame cars didn't suffer much damage beyond the door and jam, but,
any unibody car was usually a write-off

yesterday i was riding in traffic in a 40mph zone, keeping up no problem, riding in the right lane like a motorcycle.

some grumpy old man decided i shouldn't be there, so he passed me, more in my lane than the next, trying to brush me over to the side.

didn't faze me much, other than p155ing me off, so when he was in front of me, i hugged the tank with my knees and flipped him off with both hands.

then he brake-checked me.

i almost ran into the back of his car, but still handled it smooth, and i was starting to think of what other options i had to mess with this guy, when two motorcycles pulled around me.

one guy on a full dresser and another on an all black bobber, full beards, leathers, the whole deal. they saw the whole thing, so they pretty much rode up and started menacing this guy pretty good, one guy in front of him and the other on the left, right near his window.

looked like some words were exchanged, but i couldn't hear them, then the old man slowed and turned left, obviously getting the he11 outta there.

the two bikers backwards waved at me and roared off.

feels pretty cool to be part of the "brotherhood," even if i am just riding a glorified moped...

When I started serious cycling back in the late'60's, it had been run over by the automobile for most of the century, and it was really hairy out there- it's gotten better for bikes,

but I do notice this more now on the motor bike- I think it's something that some people know they can't easily do themselves and are jealous- and it's also still anything that threatens big time motoring.

I think I've detected a particular disdain out of women more lately, who have become quite offensive in many ways- I wish they'd take it to the source and not dump on those they can. Anyway, the female population seems to judge our bikes more harshly-

another factor is that people really DON'T know how fast you may be travelling- they see "bicycle' and their internal computer translates that to a certain speed- whether they intend to be offensive or not- and when they do they may underestimate the level their offense may take- they may think they're being cute by opening a car door, or just want to intimidate a bit- but not realizing you are gonna be there even faster than they think-

they should give some of us a medal after a lifetime if we haven't put a grocery cart up some offensive things big fat rear- I'm SOOO tired of that grocery store thing too!

anyway it's always been that way on a motorcycle too. You just have to anticipate- people are gonna pull out, and even doo things on purpose.

I've posted this before but when I was able to ride a motorcycle it was common practise to have a small bag hanging down in front of us with 2 or 3 beer bottles full of sand and capped.
Riding a chopped bike was an open invitation for the upright citizens to run us off the road or just run us over. I accounted for more than one windshield and a couple of cars off the road in the ditch.

Steve.

Talk about kismet!

I was out on the road bike today for a short ride. I have BMX bars on it because I'm ancient and have back trouble.

I came up on an intersection with several cars backed up- there was this stupid PT cruiser there right next to where an apex of curb was too-

I thought twice about it but it seemed like I could clear the mirror, so I kept rolling along- (Big stupid mirror- probably $300 to replace or something!)

I cleared the mirror alright, but my extra-wide new bear trap pedals caught the curb, and before I knew it I was down. Luckily I was barely moving, but it sure made me pissed that I'd taken that chance to get past another two cars at a redlight. Nothing damaged- knee a little stiff from banging it.

Of course, after writing that yesterday, I sorta wondered if the guy driving had purposely pulled way over- probably not, but he sure didn't leave any extra room!

I got to thinking about it- I don't think I'd fallen since about 1980, before I retired in '84. I had a really bad wreck in a USCF race in '78 and then decided that I wasn't going to take any chancesand fall anymore- after that I only fell once when I blew a sew-up right in the middle of a corner in a criterium.

No more chances- and watch those wider pedals! in fact I've scaped them turning sharply on the ground, which the '67 Peugeot never did with the original Lyotard pedals. I like them otherwise because they are the same top and bottom, and with no straps they seem to give you an extra long fulcrum and forward fall, when I stand up and over the bars. But today they were my downfall.

here's my '67 Peugeot PX10, on better days, next to St. John's river- Jacksonville.

My story isn't about whats happened on the road,I think alot of us have gone through this,my deal was today when I went looking for a gas hose at the local lawn mower shop as I pulled in,I guess the guy that owns the place was standing out side,I asked him if he had a gas line he just went off and said "NO I don't deal with those jap piece of ****" and that the hose was too big,I don't understand people these days.
I went to another place and found the hose and the guy was really friendly and we even talked about bikes.

H

Only deals in Briggs and Statten Island Ferries, eh?

Nashville Kat said:

Only deals in Briggs and Statten Island Ferries, eh?

Click to expand...

Probably,I never even got to walk in the place to see what he sold,I found out later talking to a neighbor,he didn't have any good words about the guy either.

i must admitt its scary out there and there have been a few times i wish i had my pistol on me i think ill make a handle bar mount for it

a couple days ago i was riding in the right lane at night with a bright d.o.t approved running light and a safety vest and some a hole passed me on the left opened his window and proceeded to yell profanities at me if i was able to catch up with that pip sqeek i would let him know not to mess with motor bicyclists

most of the time the close calls are cagers who arent paying attention but once in a while ill get that person who needs an ass woopin

I had problems for years with drivers, that after they hit me on my cycle, would pull the old excuse "I didn't see him coming" so I went to a boat supply shop and bought one of those air horns in a can, and put it on my handle bars in a drink cup holder and when I see someone that cares not for the wicked world or is on a cell phone, I can almost tell what they are going to possibly do, so I warn them with a blast that sounds like a truck or bigger is nearby.I always try to go slower than the traffic just in case. Car doors? I haven't had that experience yet, knock on wood.