Good ending to an experience with an aggressive driver [Archive]

Walter

08-11-2011, 06:42 PM

There have been some posts on dealing with aggressive drivers of late. I just had my first experience with one and wanted to share how it turned out.

Three buddies and I were single file down a road in Tucson on a fine Sunday morning. The road had no bike lane or shoulder for a short section and we were hugging the edge of the pavement. All of a sudden there is a horn blaring and a car less than a foot from me moving me over off of the road. The car pulled back only because the front bumper almost struck the rear wheel of the bike in front of me. The driver then sped off. There were no oncoming cars and a long sight distance.

I got the plate and called the police who later called me back. They had spoken with the driver who told a wildly different tale. He was an elderly gentleman going to church. The police decided not to go forward with citing him (3' violation) in the main because no one even fell over. I was OK with that, although a bit disappointed, as they have enough to do.

I had my investigator get the fellow's name and address and wrote a fairly scathing, yet professional letter to him that ended by advising him of the plight of the good Dr. Thompson in LA.

Much to my surprise, I had a voicemail at my office a couple of days later that was a profound apology. The fellow admitted he was impatient and acted like a child. He felt badly about what he had done, thanked me for the letter, and promised to do better in the future.

Maybe...just maybe...a driver who will change his behavior and not hurt somebody in the future.

killacks

08-11-2011, 06:51 PM

Can't ask for much more than that, I suppose. It seems like everyone took the time to follow up your situation, you, the driver, even the police.

Maybe there's hope for humankind after all. :o

zmudshark

08-11-2011, 06:55 PM

Great outcome, Walter. You educated an old guy, and being old, I know how difficult that can be.

I must ask, how did you get his address from the plate? I had a bike stolen in PHX, and though I have been made whole, I sure would like to take a ride by a guys house. All I have is a plate, not positive it's the thief, but sure would like to check it out, in a lawful manner.

rustychisel

08-11-2011, 06:56 PM

So why'd he do it in the first place? A repentent asshat is still an ass.

Glad the ending was good.

eddief

08-11-2011, 07:10 PM

sounds like you are giving the big benefit of the doubt to an old fart with a screw loose.

glad it turned out ok.

sjbraun

08-11-2011, 07:32 PM

Where were you riding? Fortunately, I have very few bad experiences with drivers in Tucson. Maybe once or twice a year, I encounter some d*ckhead who thinks he needs to school me on where/how to ride.

Louis

08-11-2011, 07:56 PM

Going to church, of all things. I hope he saw the irony of that.

"Get the hell out of my way, looser, so I can go worship."

gdw

08-11-2011, 08:08 PM

I'm glad it worked out but you're lucky he's not a fellow attorney or employed in law enforcement because your investigator and/or the person who ran the plates misused the registry database. If he were a real prick your letter could have come back to haunt you big time.

Elefantino

08-11-2011, 08:53 PM

Rainy Sunday. Three of us riding. Woman in white pickup truck has to slow, then passes us, honking, yelling, "Get the pluck out of the road, basspoles!!!"

Round a corner. Truck in parking lot of church. Woman, elderly, shuffling on in.

This is not meant to be anti-church, anti-woman, anti-elderly or even anti-truck. It's just weird that it happens.

*-Sorry. It is indeed meant to be anti-pickup truck. I hate white pickup trucks in NEFla.

rustychisel

08-11-2011, 09:27 PM

I envisage you waiting until the service has begun, then springing a 'Dirty Dozen' on them.

SLAM: the church door is thrown back as hard as possible; congregation swings around in alarm...

A dozen sinewy cyclists filter into the church, looking ready for action, and the leader says [in a voice laden with irony]

"I'd like a word with the Christian woman driving the white pickup who thinks it's charitable to swear and act aggressively towards other road users."

Karin Kirk

08-11-2011, 11:53 PM

I was enjoying a Sunday morning ride on a quite backroad, when I heard a car tiptoeing very slowly behind me. The driver waited behind me until a runner passed in the oncoming direction, and once the other lane was completely clear the car passed slowly while giving a nice wide berth. The car then pulled into the church parking lot.

I was so pleased to see the 'late for church' stereotype broken. This person was well ahead of time and was perfectly considerate. Hallelujah!

Louis

08-12-2011, 12:01 AM

My worst "how in the world could you do that?" situation was when I was passed way, way closer than the driver had to by a car with a bike on the roof rack.

I couldn't believe it.

jimcav

08-12-2011, 12:36 AM

My worst "how in the world could you do that?" situation was when I was passed way, way closer than the driver had to by a car with a bike on the roof rack.

I couldn't believe it.

and who had the nicer bike? my 2nd stereotype is it was a bmw

Louis

08-12-2011, 12:47 AM

and who had the nicer bike? my 2nd stereotype is it was a bmw

;)

Can't remember what he was driving, but I think the bike was something generic like a Trek...

Walter

08-12-2011, 07:52 AM

Some of you have raised some questions and let me respond...

I'm glad it worked out but you're lucky he's not a fellow attorney or employed in law enforcement because your investigator and/or the person who ran the plates misused the registry database. If he were a real prick your letter could have come back to haunt you big time.

You are incorrect on that. There was no "misuse" of any "registry database." Rather a legal pubic records inquiry through proper channels made of the state agency involved. They responded to our request and once one has a name, addresses are easy to locate through a plethora of databases.

It happened on Skyline just West of Swan Road.

It was pretty ironic that the fellow was on his way to church. I pointed out the irony of his lying about what he did to law enforcement while on the way to worship in my letter to him. It seemed to strike a chord with him.

Some are you are quite right...the guy was still an arrogant, dangerous driver for what he did. My point was that perhaps he will think about the negative consequences to him of repeating the behavior and will avoid doing so...all to the benefit of the next cyclist he passes.

veloduffer

08-12-2011, 08:30 AM

From my off-the-cuff census, I seemed to only get rants (and they are rare) from the elderly, and they are usually in full rage. The latest was from a driver who was going the opposite way. :confused: He was so angry that I couldn't understand a word that he said.

Charles M

08-12-2011, 09:00 AM

Some are you are quite right...the guy was still an arrogant, dangerous driver for what he did. My point was that perhaps he will think about the negative consequences to him of repeating the behavior and will avoid doing so...all to the benefit of the next cyclist he passes.

Cyclists can be arrogant a$$holes too... They're the type that feel so self important that no appology will ever be good enough and the fact that a driver might now respect cycists long term is no place near as important as they are as individuals...

rugbysecondrow

08-12-2011, 09:21 AM

Fivethumbs

08-12-2011, 04:39 PM

The sad part is I usually come across more arrogant cyclist jerks on my rides than bad drivers.

dhoff

08-12-2011, 04:49 PM

Cyclists can be arrogant a$$holes too... They're the type that feel so self important that no appology will ever be good enough and the fact that a driver might now respect cycists long term is no place near as important as they are as individuals...

I am so glad you said that. I was looking for a way. I do see, regularly on the road, groups of cyclists riding with no sense of their impact on the other people who use the road.

It is in our interests that we are great citizens. I too had an experience this week where I took the time to educate a driver. At the end, he thanked me. I thanked him for being a gentleman about it. He will give riders the room they require in the future.

Great work to the OP!

biker72

08-12-2011, 05:03 PM

ultraman6970

08-12-2011, 05:55 PM

One of the things I have not seen here is apples or veggies thrown to cyclist only because is funny?? Probably happens in the US too but that's a common one in other countries.

In a training session an old truck was passing us suddenly the sucker at the passenger side roll down the window and a couple of fruits (apples I believe)come out flying to us, One hit spokes and disintegrate and the second one pass just between two riders... The truck was old and slow so he just pass us around 50 KM/h... we were 6 guys so two of us just got pissed off... stayed in the back blind side of the truck, took the pumps off the frames and hit the back lights big time. Probably the guy until today can't figure it out how all his back lights were smashed when he got home.

In another opportunity those bunch of kids riding daddy's BMW tried to run us off the road in a climb twice, the second time noticed one of the kids took his arm off the window who knows why so i just stopped pedaling, basically i got dead weight when the kid pad me in the saddle, we heard "my arm, my arm" while the car was getting away from us. Sure they did not have more desire of messing up people riding no more. What I think is that the kid messed up his collarbone or something because they were passing like 40 km/h and probably felt like hitting a pole when he hit my saddle.

Some people think it is funny and I really think that they should be forced to ride a bike in a interstate all by them self to learn and see how dangerous is when they try to be funny or try to make the cyclist to learn a lesson. Personally I'm pretty aggressive driving but since i'm a cyclist since im 13 y/o i always cyclists have my preference.

Some people is just plain dumb.

Fixed

08-12-2011, 06:55 PM

sorry after is too late
imho
cheers

ask the family of the woman from n.h.

SamIAm

08-13-2011, 05:58 AM

I had a very similar experience here in Texas very near a church. Much younger woman in a Mercedes trying to force me to the curb so she could make the turn into the church parking lot.

Hmmm, I think you guys are on to something. So we have women involved in both instances, one young, one not so much, a truck vs a mercedes, one in Fl. one in TX both going to church. So at this point do we conclude that women are a menace, church goers are a menace or women church goers are the toxic combination?

Oops reread the original post, a man, looks like its church goers alright.

SamIAm

08-13-2011, 06:00 AM

sorry after is too late
imho
cheers

sorry after is not too late, after is where all whose behavior is less than perfect live.

ultraman6970

08-13-2011, 09:59 AM

All of this make me wonder when we are going to get light in one of the crosses by the WOD, the one that is before arriving to the slate, never seen an accident in there but the trucks and cars just go down hill super fast, nobody stops, is a real headache.

rugbysecondrow

08-13-2011, 10:06 AM

sorry after is too late
imho
cheers

ask the family of the woman from n.h.

This is not a reasonable response.

rugbysecondrow

08-13-2011, 10:07 AM

I am so glad you said that. I was looking for a way. I do see, regularly on the road, groups of cyclists riding with no sense of their impact on the other people who use the road.

It is in our interests that we are great citizens. I too had an experience this week where I took the time to educate a driver. At the end, he thanked me. I thanked him for being a gentleman about it. He will give riders the room they require in the future.

Great work to the OP!

Agreed. We are our the best teachers and our own PR department as well. Don't fail at your job lest the lesson and message not get through.

Also, don't be a douche bag at the expense of my wife, my friends or me.

Fixed

08-13-2011, 10:19 AM

This is not a reasonable response.
sorry
cheers

witcombusa

08-13-2011, 11:55 AM

This is not a reasonable response.

one man's opinion that likes to speak for all

Waldo

08-13-2011, 05:05 PM

I am so glad you said that. I was looking for a way. I do see, regularly on the road, groups of cyclists riding with no sense of their impact on the other people who use the road.

It is in our interests that we are great citizens. I too had an experience this week where I took the time to educate a driver. At the end, he thanked me. I thanked him for being a gentleman about it. He will give riders the room they require in the future.

Great work to the OP!

There's one important distinction: Cyclists acting stupidly on the road endanger only themselves. Aggressive drivers seriously endanger other people.

gdw

08-13-2011, 05:50 PM

"Cyclists acting stupidly on the road endanger only themselves."

Unfortunately that's not true. Think about it.

Wilkinson4

08-13-2011, 05:56 PM

First ride after 5 blizzards in a row. Riding home and out of the corner of my eye I see something flying at my head and it hits me, smells like food.

Give chase but he disappears. Fellow motorist flags me down and gives me a license plate. Call cops, they go to the scene and come back with the weapon.

"A home made jobber", he says of the Egg McMuffin assault weapon.

Flash forward, a 19 yr old kids gets convicted on 4 counts. Menacing, littering, and a couple of others I can't remember. He served 90 days!

mIKE

Louis

08-13-2011, 10:24 PM

Flash forward, a 19 yr old kids gets convicted on 4 counts. Menacing, littering, and a couple of others I can't remember. He served 90 days!

Incredible. Where was this?

I wonder if that taught him a lesson and improved his behavior? We can only hope.

learningtoride

08-14-2011, 05:28 AM

I see many self important early morning drivers out in the Ina and Oracle area too. Sometimes I think heading way out East on Speedway is even safer in the early mornings. Especially on the weekends. My latest favorite is early morning out to Gates Pass. (Except for that still in fear of the Javalina thing lol) Glad you were able to take the steps to really put someone into an accountable mindset. Kudos for going that extra step to enforce the correct point yet done in a very classy way. :beer:

Z3c

08-14-2011, 11:12 AM

This is not a reasonable response.

+1; see Pez's response. At the end of the day, the vast majority of road users will be in a car; we can work towards getting along or we can punch the brick wall.

Walter gets big kudo's in my mind. He reasonably worked the issue and the result is a driver who hopefully will drive a bit better. In the very least the driver is aware of the ability of cyclists to ID him. Bravo Walter!

kestrel

08-14-2011, 12:42 PM

Nice work Walter!

I was hit purposely a few years ago by an arrogant teenage driver. Bike and I were thrown on top of his car. He proceeds to speed off with me on the car roof. I release my grip before he hits terminal velocity. Bike and I slide off roof and tumble down asphalt and onto shoulder. Riding buddy gets the tag number.
Skip ahead to court case:
Judge assess him my hospital bill, bike, helmet, and jersey replacement cost. I find out from a friend in the school system the kid never graduated high school. The judge is about to sentence a few days jail time (suspended)/probation for the hit and run. I ask that it be waved if the kid begins working toward and acquires his GED. Judge likes the idea and waves all sentencing if GED is awarded.

The crying Mother thanks me for small favors and apologizes for her son's behavior. Kid walks away with a chip still on his shoulder for all bikers. No lesson's learned, but I felt like the adults did the right thing.

rugbysecondrow

08-14-2011, 12:55 PM

one man's opinion that likes to speak for all

Nope, I speak for myself, others can disagree or agree at will.

biker72

08-14-2011, 01:20 PM

Stopping and trying to reason with a motorist here in Dallas is generally not a good idea.
Scenario 1: The motorist would pull a gun and start shooting.
Scenario 2: (Most likely) Motorist gives you the finger and drives off.
Scenario 3: (I've seen this one) The motorist gets out of the vehicle and starts a fight.
Scenario 4: (Seen this one too) The motorist trys to run you over.

We are the Rodney Dangerfields of cycling.
(We don't get no respect)..... :D

Charles M

08-14-2011, 05:24 PM

It surprises me when people are as ignorant to a pretty good outcome as some of you are in this thread... Sure things are not good with a lot of drivers, but in the case something does go good, are you so short and narrow that you cant see it?

Narrow minded folks can get as far off topic as we like making up scenario's and bashing cars all day long. I get it... some drivers make easy targets because they are jerks... I've been driven into by em. Ive had a freind nailed next to me by a guy that doubled back after screaming "single file!" at a group I was in. I've seen cops coach a driver on what to say happened after hitting a cyclist. I get it...

But that's not what this thread is about...

This is a situation where no head to head pissing contest between a self important a$$hat motorist and his counterpart self impotrnat a$$hat cyclist needed to take place.

The OP wrote the guy and he responded very well.

What happened here turned out very well, but the fact that there are people that want to make a ***** situation out of a good ending doesnt shock me any more than some of the complete d!ckheads I ride with who go out of there way to cause their own miniature "critical mass"...

I like to call that scenario "critical a$$" and it does nothing but piss people off and push motorists that may not have been negative toward cyclists to be negative...

There's no correcting crap drivers that are already predisposed to being jerks toward us... That doesnt mean we shouldnt try and foster better relations when we have a chance.

You're either part of the problem or part of the solution in driver-rider relations. Frankly I've been both in the past but try to be the latter now.