My first run-in with ass&^#(s who drive gas-guzzlers and harass cyclists yesterday:
I was by the Metrodome and every intersection was packed with pedestrians going to the Vikings game. This passenger in a big-ass SUV was behind me at the light, and kept yelling, "get out of the f%$^*ing road!" I thought he meant the pedestrians, because the traffic was REALLY slow as the cops were stopping everyone to let them cross.
But then, "roads aren't for 10-speeds, get out of the f&$%ing road!" Classy, huh? I was in the BIKE LANE on 11th, preventing him from using it to pull up tight and jackrabbit around the right side of the queue at the green (in order to zoom up to the next red light).
When the light turned green I left him in the dust, three signals behind me, to be precise. I wanted to say something, but 1) couldn't think of anything that didn't involve profanity; and 2) cyclists really shouldn't argue with foul-mouthed idiots behind the wheels of mega-ton killer vehicles. I wanted to say, "we'll see who owns the road when gas is $7 a gallon, asshole." But I pedaled on in silence.
Posted by otto0114 at August 27, 2005 12:17 PMWow...scary! I think every SUV driver should have to spend a couple days on a bicycle in traffic, just to get that perspective. It sounds like you handled a tough situation smoothly! Way to go!
Posted by: Winter in the Cities at August 27, 2005 02:58 PMI would have antagonized the bastard, most likely with full use of profanity. Given that he was tied up in traffic with police presence around, he would have been powerless to do anything but explode in his prison cell SUV. Best/worse case scenario is that he gets out of the car to start something, then you get to slap his fat ass around and pull down his trousers exposing his miniscule penis to the world. That's my dream anyway.
Posted by: Jim at August 27, 2005 08:58 PM