My first run-in with a Road-Rager tonight...

[BiggJawn]

So I'm heading down the road and a a truck passes me, signalling a left turn at the "Tee".

Sitting at the "T" is an old beater that I swear looked like an old Pinto. They wait for the truck to turn, then start into the inersection. Right at the same moment I enter it. I have the RoW.

"Hey! Hey!" I bellow, in way of warning...

"FUCK YOU, YOU FAG!!!!" shouts the skinheaded passenger.

I shake my head.

Passenger goes stone-fucking BESERK! Guess a head-shake creates "issues" for him. He's hanging out the window now, all his torso hanging out, a lot of $$$$ worth of ink showing on his arms and shoulders, screaming, flipping me off with one hand, shaking his beer with the other. the driver's flipping me off out the other side.

I shake my head again.

They THROW their beer bottles down. Glass and suds EVERYWHERE!

"Self" I say to myself, "Those boys got some SERIOUS problems, wasting beer on a fat guy on a bicycle like that..." I easily guide "La Velo Rouge" around the spilled Budweiser. Budweiser. Figures....

They speed off. A quarter mile up the road, I find more beer bottles. then another pair. and ANOTHER pair of empties. the empties didn't break, they're just rolling around in the road.

I figure our Aryan Warriors are heading into the same town i was heading for to get a "reload", so I modify the route.

Had a deer cross in front of me, spent a mile under a nice tree canopy, went down a creek valley at 38MPH and climbed the other side WITHOUT having to get off and walk...

No further sign of the assholes. Maybe they found an old man on a rascal scooter to terrorize...

[Longhorn]

1. Idiots in my birth state.

Who would have thunk it?

I'm glad you weren't hurt and it sounds like you were wise to avoid further confrontation. Your alternate route sounds lovely.

I've been lucky so far -- just waves and a couple of toots on the horn. :hi:

[BiggJawn]

2. Yeah, I get waves, mostly.

I can't figure out what these fellows were doing out there. Seemed more than a little out of place, know whauttamean? kind of like seeing Amish in the Luxor in LV...

The deer was cool. Saw her from about 100' away, she crossed the road and melted into the woods.
And the tree-canopied road is probably the SMOOTHEST strip of asphalt in 5 counties...

Now that I've master "The CLIMB", I intend to ride that route more...

[dean_dem]

3. Unbelievable

At least a bunch of yelling was the worst you got. I've only gotten a couple of revved engines and a "get the fuck out of the way!" from some heffer in a Suburban. Though a couple of construction workers whistled at me once (whatever works for ya, buddy!).

Though I just thought I'd point out that a bike lock makes a very nice self-defense weapon. Those Kryptonite U-Locks can do some damage, and a chain lock works beautifully wrapped around your knuckles. Just saying, might be a good riding accessory in the future. ;-)

[Kolesar]

5. How about some cayenne pepper spray?

Buy the big Grizzly-Bear-Size and tell them you keep it for the dogs.

[dean_dem]

6. I like the way you think, my man!

[BiggJawn]

7. Like "HALT!"?

It's like American Express....

I knew a few Tourist-types who belonged to the Club when I lived South a million years ago. They carried Walther PPK's....I USED to carry a .25 Bauer.

[seemunkee]

4. mount a flare gun on your handlebars

I serioulsy thought about it back in my college days when I commuted 20 miles every damn day.

[welshTerrier2]

8. cell phone safety

don't know whether you have a cell phone or not but it's not a bad idea for situations like this ... even if you don't have a cell phone plan, just having one for emergencies seems like a good idea ...

just pretending to make a call could put the bad guys on notice that the police have their license plate should any nasty stuff occur ...

the bottom line is: don't get into it with motorists if there's any way to avoid it ...

[BiggJawn]

9. I have one.

I don't get into it with cage drivers, anyway. It's like trying to give a Ditto-Monkey a Civics lesson, it's a waste of time and only pisses off the FReeper...

Besides, a 28-pound bicycle against a 3,000 pound Hoopdy?

[loveable liberal]

10. In Minnesota, cyclists can call in traffic complaints.

We get license plates and call them in. Its a great law.

[BiggJawn]

11. Yeh, but this is Indiana.

"So what were you doing off the posted Bike Path?" would have proibably been the cop's response...

I don't see well enough to get a tag number off a speeding car while I'm dodging the "Flak" they're throwing out, either...