What is the difference between a red neck &...

[William]

What's the difference between...

A red neck and a swamp yankee?

Really, is there a difference?

I have had my share of run-ins with red-necks on the back roads of Oregon, but I think I just had my first encounter with a truck load of swamp yankees (I believe that's what you call rednecks in New England...please correct me if I'm wrong). Luckily for me they didn't hit me with their truck. Luckily for them they didn't stop. I just got cursed, spit at and had a half full bottle of Ya-hoo or what ever you call that chocolate stuff thrown at me. After a run in with a couple of red neck loggers (and they are a different breed) on the back side of the Lewis burg saddle, I always make sure I'm covered.

Ahhh, the joys of cycling.

Anyway, other then that, it was a great ride!

William

[Sandy]

From your description of yourself, if I remember correctly, better luck for the truck, and super better luck for those in the truck, since they did not come out and discuss the incident with you.


Sandy

[Tom]

I wonder if it was the same bunch that threw a bottle of chocolate drink at my wife about two or three weeks ago. She was out for a morning run in Old Dorp and a bunch of geniuses from (we suspect) the local college pegged one that didn't miss by much. It shattered against the wall next to her. They sped away.

I'm paying particular attention to squarish silver SUV/Jeep style vehicles with no spare tire on the back.

This is the typical scenario: I'm 200 yards from the stop sign, headed slightly downhill and doing about 22-25 MPH. I hear a horn behind me. I don't move out of the lane, because a) I'm doing the speed limit, and b) I'm now about 175 yards from the stop sign. Is this jerk planning on racing me to the stop sign?

Step two: said jerk, invariably driving some ludicrously-high-center-of-gravity SUV (I keep typing 'SUC' which might be more accurate anyway), pulls ahead of me, and immediately cuts me off, forcing me to brake hard to avoid creating a bicyclist-shaped dent in his rear quarter panel.

Step 3: said jerk now has to brake hard to avoid running the light. He is now in my way, and slows my progress through the intersection.

Do they give prizes out for this kind of behavior?

And who did that song, "And That's When I Reached for My Revolver"?

Originally Posted by ericmurphy

This is the typical scenario: I'm 200 yards from the stop sign, headed slightly downhill and doing about 22-25 MPH. I hear a horn behind me. I don't move out of the lane, because a) I'm doing the speed limit, and b) I'm now about 175 yards from the stop sign. Is this jerk planning on racing me to the stop sign?

Step two: said jerk, invariably driving some ludicrously-high-center-of-gravity SUV (I keep typing 'SUC' which might be more accurate anyway), pulls ahead of me, and immediately cuts me off, forcing me to brake hard to avoid creating a bicyclist-shaped dent in his rear quarter panel.

Step 3: said jerk now has to brake hard to avoid running the light. He is now in my way, and slows my progress through the intersection.

Do they give prizes out for this kind of behavior?

And who did that song, "And That's When I Reached for My Revolver"?

My tale is similar: coming to a red light just past a fork in the road, I take enough of the lane so that I don't get cut off. Suburban honks at me as it squeezes by to get to the light. At said light, the driver yells something like "why don't you act like a man and get off your bike?" I reply, "why don't you act like a man and get out of your car?". Guy slams it into park, and moves like he's gonna open the door. For some reason, I knew he was bluffing, and started laughing. Light turns green, and I ride away.

[William]

From your description of yourself, if I remember correctly, better luck for the truck

I guess that would be about the equivellent of hitting a moose. I'd make them sorry they ever tried hitting me! TAKE THAT!!!

As far as them stopping, You would be surprised. Because of my other line of work, I've developed many uses for the tools/gear that a cyclist will generally carry that can be utilized for self-defense. Unfortunaltly they don't work to well against the truck.

I wonder if it was the same bunch that threw a bottle of chocolate drink at my wife about two or three weeks ago.

Sorry to hear that. And I'm glad she didn't get hurt. These nuts were driving an old red Ford F-250 pick-up. Like you, I'll be watching for that truck when I'm out and about. The town I live in isn't that big.

ericmurphy & Ken Lehner, I know what you mean.

I had a similar scenario in Oregon City a few years ago. A guy in a T-top Vette (instead of the usual SUV) decided that he needed to be in front of me coming up to a light. With about 30 yards to go, he guns it and fishtails around me. I swear the nose of his car looked like it was only a foot or so away from my pedals when I looked to my left. He screeches to a stop in front of me at the light. I guess this idiot just thought I would sit in back of him in awe of his driving skills. Now, I look a lot smaller than I really am on my bike, I unclip as I pull up on his driver side and stop right next to his door. He actually acted surprised to see me. As I stood up, I leaned directly over the top of his car looking straight down on him through his T-top and and started going off, " what the F.. is your F'n problem you mo-fo... The guy looked like he was about to wet himself before he gunned it when the light changed. Not the smartest thing I've ever done but I was pissed.


William

maine: main-E-acs (southern maine: mass-holes)
massachusetts (my home state): mass-holes
vermont: uttersuckers, lost hippies
new hampshire: flems
rhode island: junior (dwarf) connecti-cu_t-ians
connecticut: connecti-c_nt-ians

[Dekonick]

lots of times Ill flash a badge. Works wonders.

They dont look close enough to see fire department hehe.

1. I'm riding in Marin, heading up the hill at the beginning of an overpass. To my right is the on-ramp to Highway 101. 20 yards or so before the on-ramp, I see the right front fender of a Volvo station wagon, about three feet off my left brake lever. I can tell the driver is trying to decide whether to cut me off and cross in front of me to get onto the on-ramp, or just slow down and slip in behind me. Evidently the driver decides it makes more sense to wait, and pulls in behind me. As the Volvo heads up the on-ramp, a passenger (gender indeterminate) in the back seat rolls down the window and yells, "Don't you know how to signal?!" I yell back, "What's the signal for going straight? Or did you think I was taking my bike onto the freeway?"

2. Same overpass, different day. There's a stoplight about 50 feet in front of me. I'm heading uphill, so I'm probably doing 10-15 MPH. The light's red, but some jerk in an Accord is leaning on his horn directly behind me. I stop, plant, turn around, and yell, "What the #$% is your problem? Were you planning on running the light?" Said jerk opens driver side door, begins to get out, realizes car is still in gear, puts car in park, exits car, yells, "Oh, yeah? You want me to kick your ass?" I dismount, reach over my shoulder, pull my U-lock out of my Camelback, stand there. Jerk gets back in car.

3. Riding with a friend from San Francisco to Santa Cruz. We're coming through downtown Santa Cruz, she's riding to my left. Some jerk (fat gray-haired white boy in wife-beater and cowboy hat, driving a Toyota 4X4 pickup) blows past us, leaning on horn. She gives him the finger. He fishtails to a stop in the next driveway, gets out of his truck (beer-belly hiding beltloops on shorts), and yells to me (because, like, I'm the guy, or something), "I'm gonna kick your ass." As I ride by him, maybe six feet away, I say quietly but audibly, "Get back in your truck, round boy."

(get back in your truck) round boy ha ha!!

[shinomaster]

Trust me I was hit with a basketball in Lexington MA. and have been almost run off the road " out west" here is Oregon by lowly vermin. Is there a superior vermin? No..

Weather it's a hockey playing New England jock from Arlington or a Lumberjack from the woods of Oregon if they choose to wage war on cyclists then are probably not my friend.

so sad,

Loving Sad shino

[victoryfactory]

True...
Last summer as I rode by a deli here in Queens, NY a bunch of local morons
were yelling at me - "get off the road, queer", etc. The next day as I
rode by the same spot, same guys, it was "Hey Lance! go for it! "etc.

The difference?
That was the day after the tour ended, and these beef-wits apparently
saw our boy winning the race on their TeeVees.

VF, who would never be mistaken for Lance by sober individuals...

I've been meaning to ask this: why don't bikers who've encountered nutty drivers wear a hidden camera?

MTBers mount them on their helmets to record their exploits on the trails, so they're small enough. You can take the video to the cops who should easily be able to write up driving to endanger charges (felony in MA) or at least scare the half wits so they don't do it again. They also seem to be prosecuting road rage more now too, so you have an even better chance.

This thread reminds of an incident I had 10 years ago. A VW bug with 4 young men drove me into a ditch by coming straight at me in the car and drove off laughing hysterically. I was, to say the least, angry. An hour later, I look up a long straight away and see the same car headed my way. By coincidence, I spied a long necked wine bottle on the road side. I snatched up the bottle but kept it to my side. When the car was about 50 yards away, I brought it up with the full intention of putting it through the windshield. Amazingly 4 guys in a car decided to retreat from one guy on a bicycle by stopping suddenly and turning in the opposite direction. I pedaled furiously after them with wine bottle and not so kind words waving in the air. Since then I have often had 2 thoughts: 1) it must have been a funny sight with a solo biker brandishing a wine bottle chasing after a VW bug; and 2) thank goodness the car turned, as my actions were foolish.

[Sandy]

I would never be mistaken for Lance by drunk individuals.....

Still Sober STill Serotta Sandy