Harassing driver, need advice.

GWashington1732

GWashington1732

Joined
Jun 20, 2009
Messages
13,240
I'm trying to get back into biking after finally getting my bike working right again. Trying to lose the gut, you know? However, the last two or three times I've gone out, I've had one guy drive uncomfortably close to me and lay on the horn. Same person both times plus he's done it at least once before, and this is not the only person that has done this. I follow all of the rules I'm supposed to and I give everyone else plenty of room wherever possible, so there's no reason for this crap. I don't carry a phone, and I'm annoyed about the concept of having to bring one, but I'm sick of this. I'm not even sure calling the cops will do any good since I'm usually too busy avoiding getting hurt to catch the plate number, and that's if they even bother to make a report of it, and even if they do, I can't prove that it even happened. Any suggestions?
 
Anachro12 said:
Contour HD camera or go pro. Then turn in liscnce plate number with video to the police.
Click to expand...

That is the best idea, yes.

But, if you can't afford that, then use your cell phone to take video or still photographs. Or just any camera you have to take a picture.
 
Gollnick said:
That is the best idea, yes.

But, if you can't afford that, then use your cell phone to take video or still photographs. Or just any camera you have to take a picture.
Click to expand...

That's kind of the problem, they're gone before I would be able to get a picture of them.
 
Unless you want to crash into him (leaving some of your bike paint on his car) and call the cops, I say change your route. Idiots are best avoided.
 
I think I'd ask the local police department to step up their patrols of the route you are taking. If you give them a description of the vehicle, they might be able to put a stop to the harrassment.

I think I'd also contact the Mayor's office and level a complaint with them.

The driver is breaking the law.
 
Last edited:
Don't give them all the room they need. You are entitled to the lane you are in.

I would suggest riding in the section of road where the right side tire is.

This way you are much more visible and it forces drivers to go around you vs. forcing you into the curb.

Look up the league of american bicyclists and see if they offer a training course in your area. There is so much more to riding a bicycle than just getting on and peddling.

Good luck, be safe and please wear a helmet.
 
cncpro11 said:
Don't give them all the room they need. You are entitled to the lane you are in.

I would suggest riding in the section of road where the right side tire is.
Click to expand...

"He was right, dead right, as he rode along, but he's just as dead as if he'd been wrong"

Burma-Shave
 
More like a series of signs.

Dicing with road-rage nut cases does not increase your life expectancy. Any decent total stranger, much less anyone who cares for you, would advise you to avoid this crazy as much as possible.
 
PGeo00 said:
Unless you want to crash into him (leaving some of your bike paint on his car) and call the cops, I say change your route. Idiots are best avoided.
Click to expand...

First of all, I shouldn't have to. Second, it's happening less than five miles from my house, at some point I have to go through that area.

Tahts-a-dats-ago said:
I think I'd ask the local police department to step up their patrols of the route you are taking. If you give them a description of the vehicle, they might be able to put a stop to the harrassment.
Click to expand...

I plan to report it every time that it happens from now on, but unfortunately, we don't have local police, we have the NJ State Police, and when discussing the NJ State Police the term, "fart in a hurricane," is the first thing that pops into my head. Hopefully someone else has been reporting this, because I doubt I'm the only one they've been doing this to, and something will come out of it, but I'm not holding my breath.
 
GWashington1732 said:
I plan to report it every time that it happens from now on, but unfortunately, we don't have local police, we have the NJ State Police, and when discussing the NJ State Police the term, "fart in a hurricane," is the first thing that pops into my head. Hopefully someone else has been reporting this, because I doubt I'm the only one they've been doing this to, and something will come out of it, but I'm not holding my breath.
Click to expand...

Ask if they'll let you sign a complaint so you can take the driver to court, on the grounds that you can ID the driver and the vehicle

Have someone follow you in a car some time so they can follow this person if it happens more times

Spark plugs do wonders to car windows
 
Thomas Linton said:
More like a series of signs.

Dicing with road-rage nut cases does not increase your life expectancy. Any decent total stranger, much less anyone who cares for you, would advise you to avoid this crazy as much as possible.
Click to expand...

I didn't say anything about dicing with road rage nuts. I simply said to take up more of the lane so he is more visible to drivers, and make them move over to go around.
3 feet from the curb on a bicycle is recommended, that is common sense bicycling.

I can't imagine anyone in this thread is seriously telling the OP to resort to violence or do anything stupid, and I have no idea how you got that out of my post.
 
Are you one of these special snowflakes that passes cars waiting at a red light so that the same car has to pass you twice (or maybe more times) in medium to heavy traffic?
Do you go through red lights?
If not, then you have every right to be upset, and should report a repeat offender.

I drive in the city every week day, and the few bikes I see, almost without exception, do the above two things. I always give plenty of room when passing a cyclist, but if they pass me in the 2 feet between my car and the curb when I am at a light, then that is all the room they get when I go back by them after the light changes.
It's not right to have to deal with the same bike again and again in traffic.
 
Last edited:
What you need to do is go kick all the bike riders in the testes that you see running stop signs and generally making rectums out of themselves, because it's ones like that, that gave bikers such a bad rep and cause all the pent up road rage to be taken out on you.
 
Last edited:
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top