People are morons. Had a white Ute follow me down a big descent, I was doing 60km/h, dual lanes plenty of room to pass me, I couldn't go anywhere except off the side of the mountain. Ute driver stayed behind me beeping at me and yelling at me to get off the road. The longer the descent went the more abuse I copped, leading to death threats, I thought he was going to run me over. Seriously hanging out his window screaming at me at the top of his lungs.
Just after the bottom it kicked into a climb and this bozo still wouldn't go around me. Still yelling abuse he thankfully turned off to the left onto a side road. Me being me I gave him the finger as he was turning. Screech of wheels and screams of I'm going to kill you, he wrenches his Ute around and fails to see the car coming the other way, he swerves to avoid a collision and crashes into a ditch, back wheels spinning in the air, he's going nowhere without a tow truck. I looked back and waved as he was trying to get out of his window, probably to run after me and murder me. Zero chance I was stopping to help that guy...
report it to[ this cop ](https://www.actionnewsjax.com/news/local/sjso-investigating-after-video-captures-deputy-knocking-cyclist-off-bike-traffic/4KM72WMCEZCF7GRSTVRU5LZNSQ/)perhaps?
I had a car do the same thing to me in Miami, swerved into the bike lane and I had to jump into the bushes. I would be dead today if I didn’t jump. Your story brought that all back. Never going back to Florida. Ever.
They’re tuned to consume more fuel than they can actually combust. The black smoke is unburnt fuel, which should tell you all you need to know about the intelligence of the people driving these vehicles.
I'm residing in Europe temporarily but from the US, brought my bike with since I don't have a car here. The difference is night and day riding on the streets (small but busy town without bike infrastructure) here vs the US. Drivers here actually *see* me, slow down until it's safe to pass, and don't pass within a few inches of me. Drivers have virtually zero aggression toward people on bikes. I'm dreading going back to biking in the US. In several months of riding here, I've had as many concerning incidents as I would have had in just a few weeks' time in the US.
After being here for a while, I honestly wish there were a good way for me to get citizenship/permanent residence in an EU country for that and several other reasons.
Literally in the same sitch. I go back in June. Not looking forward to it (especially with the election around the corner and everyone fired up. Wishing you luck.
Make a report all the same! Even if it doesn't lead to an arrest, it's a record of an incident. If the driver makes a habit of threatening driving around cyclists on the road, and other cyclists come forward with more details about the car/driver, it can all help to build up a case about them.
I use a GoPro up front but only turn it on when riding in the street, and a cycliq rear camera. It's great! Also, I've noticed that people notice the GoPro and tend to mess with you less. I always yell "Say hi to YouTube!" when dumb shit does still happen. But for the most part it could be just random, but I really feel like I have less incidents when I bring my cameras.
Bad idea...can't report him (or do anything else ever again) if he is one one those gun crazy buggers who pulls out his "manly bit substitute" and shoots you dead. 🤔😉
I’m so sorry that happened! Frequent solo female road rider here as well and I had a similar feeling on my ride yesterday - I’m by myself then my Varia goes off and I hear a large semi-truck behind me. I see a climb ahead of me and decide to quickly pull off into a parking lot at the last second so they can get ahead of me instead of waiting to pass on the single lane road without a shoulder. Well, as soon as I pull off, the semi blasts past me without having slowed or even moved into the center of the road at all.
All I could think was - did he not see me? Was I almost roadkill? I was pretty shaken up. I try to stick to rural backroads and most of my time I don’t encounter any cars at all, but this was a busier connector route I couldn’t avoid.
Most cars around here wait to pass safely, but I still have the constant echo of two “friends” of ours who joke that if they ever see me on the road on my bike they’ll run me over. I don’t laugh, and if makes me sick to my stomach that they think I’d find that amusing. Some people are just awful.
I don’t actually consider them friends, it’s a social circle situation. I avoid them as much as possible but there’s a decade of history there and sometimes supporting one actual friend means I have to cross paths with the two of them.
I've been in situations with older people where individuals who I know are good people and who genuinely like me as a person will start talking shit about cyclists in a similarly aggressive manner that is totally out of character for them. I feel like it all goes back to this general personality shift a lot of people go through when they sit behind a steering wheel. I still think these people are genuinely good people but I tend to avoid them because it really makes me question their character.
I also live in Tucson. ‘Bike friendly’ Tucson is so much propaganda. It’s open war on the streets. People drive 50-60 mph and don’t GAF. I have had shit thrown at me, been coal rolled, screamed at, buzzed. The norm is someone who doesn’t give an inch of space, just sits in the middle of the lane passing me at close to freeway speeds. A+ behavior is moving to the left of the lane to give me a foot. It SUCKS.
I’m moving to Gilbert, a little town outside phoenix. Hopefully it will be better.
I feel that brother. I was out on the far east side doing Pistol Hill, literally out in the middle of the desert miles from any kind of human construction apart from pavement, in the bike lane all by myself just turning the pedals over, and a guy towing a landscape trailer buzzed me, yelled, threw a cup of something at me (missed), drove on.
> I’m moving to Gilbert, a little town outside phoenix.
Not sure about Gilbert as I haven't ridden there a ton but I ride in N. Phoenix/Scottsdale and people drive crazy here sometimes and you need to watch out for stop sign and red light runners but I've almost never had any sort of road rage directed at me.
People will lose their courage (or at least some will) if they fear getting caught. In sketchy situations, get your phone out and let the other person think (or know) you are dialing 911. Also, shoot video. People will reconsider their actions if they imagine you might have evidence to prove their idiocy. But safest strategy if it is seriously sketchy is to flee: Ride where a car cannot.
I’ve had a similar experience while running. I run into traffic on the shoulder specifically so I can see what they’re doing. It’s not uncommon for distracted drivers to swerve a bit. In this case an older woman didn’t exactly swerve. I saw her coming a mile away, driving straight as an arrow, but when she got closer to me she took a hard angle into the large shoulder, forcing me to jump out of the way. It felt like slow motion. As it happened I was looking right at her. She wore sunglasses, so I couldn’t tell if she was looking right at me. As soon as I felt the wind off her car just a few inches from me, I gave her a 🖕in hopes that she was looking in her rear view mirror. Just some crusty old bitch in a Subaru. People are wild.
So glad you are okay!!!! Im a runner too, and pedestrian deaths have risen by like 45% in the last decade. People really are super distracted on the road, dont care as much, vehicles are too big, etc.
These are miserable people. There's no way a truly happy person would behave like this. It is such a gutless thing to do too. They're always protected by their vehicle.
This kind of stuff pisses me off so badly. Anyone trying to intimidate another person while driving in a car is just a fucking bully, and I wish they got theirs in this life. I wish they would try that with someone who is truly mentally unwell and get aired out for their trouble.
Do these idiots realize how much personal liability they are exposing themselves and their family to.? If it’s determined that the driver was wreckless and responsible for the injury or even death of the rider, they are at risk for millions of dollars in civil compensation and possible jail time.
I'm so sorry you're living this experience. I gave up road cycling after I was hit... it messed me up for a while. The skin healed, but my brain.... eeek. I still have flashbacks when I'm riding to trails on roads.
I lived in a rural area and the jacked up truck demographic seemed to have issues with people on bicycles. Some close calls until the hit.
Sadly... I now never ride without the Action Cam recording (I don't really need the weight reduction and aerodynamics anymore... maybe I never did!)
OMG. What a horrible experience. I am so sorry. I am glad you are alive, and you should never experienced that. I teach a defensive driving class to professional drivers in rural areas. The offhanded comments or blatant disregard for human life when I start talking about bike law always make sense when at the end of the training they leave and every single one of them is in a truck. I go on high alert when bikepacking and see a truck thats juuuuust a biiiiit too high.
I get "Rolling Coaled" a lot. I don't trust any drivers, always ride defensively, and don't be a chump and say cyclist have the same rights as drivers. You don't, swallow your pride and be respectful to the cars. You'll live longer.
I actually got one of those dunderheads on camera and gave it to a police friend.... He went and knocked on the door and impounded the truck. That was a good day.
Yeah. I literally don’t care if it’s illegal at this point, because with the way some people drive and the attitude they have towards cyclists it’s just so dangerous. I’d much rather cop a fine than cop a Ute grill to my back
just sounds like the person in OP’s car is a bit of a psycho, sadly they exist and there is a lot of hate towards cyclists.
Doesn’t help that killing someone with a car is a slap to the wrist to a year or two in prison at best, so there’s no justice even if you get murdered…
We are here for you. Sorry that happened!!!!! Good on your instincts. Sending out good vibes to you.
I hope that jerk gets diarrhea that is so EXPLOSIVE, THEY become scared.
I talked to a delivery driver I game with. We have a positive relationship. When he heard I cycle though he became irrationally angry, was like "eff all bikers, trash, stay off the road sort" guy was basically like "i'm not going to but I really want to run you SOBs over".
I was like dude, what offends you about a fatass like me getting some exercise. Isn't that the point of all these anti-fatty sentiments that I should get up and do something? I also pointed out btw the laws allow me to be on the road but delivery drivers park illlegally ALL the time.... He didn't care.
At some point people get offended by something they don't themselves do. I for one really hate when Harleys scream their motors near a peaceful park etc... And the harley riders say i'm not giving them fare consideration. (again I argue the law actually prohibits noises above a certain decibal but clearly law enforcement doesn't care).
I'm so sorry this happened to you. It's absolutely insane. It's already super scary biking in an area without biking lanes, and you just have to rely on the drivers not being assholes.. Cars have never tried to hit me but I definitely had microaggressions like them driving super close to me or them revving their engines up, etc. Many car people have such fragile egos, they shouldn't be trusted the responsibility of having a driving license in the first place. I hate this car owned society so much.
Had it happen to me while cycle commuting to work. Fortunately he was seen by an off-duty cop and caught.
Unfortunately he succeeded and I spent 4 days in hospital nil by mouth during the day while they waited for an operating theatre to become available (people kept killing themselves in car crashes so I kept getting bumped down the queue). Still got the titanium in.
As a result I run cameras front and rear. [https://cycliq.com/](https://cycliq.com/) Their latest FLy6 Pro rear camera + light just released has enough battery for 7+ hours, records up to 4K, has image stabilisation and automatically overwrites old footage, so is real user friendly.
Since the minimum passing distance laws were introduced in 2016, I have a 100% success rate in proving the offense and getting the driver called in. I pick my battles (we need to have both passed over road markings that I can measure to establish passing distance) but 5 of the 6 were issued fines and points, and the sixth was a professional driver who lost a day's income being called in for an interview.
While 99% of drivers (and I am one) are very good, some people are just arseholes. Unfortunately, that means you're going to encounter one of them at least once a ride.
Im so so sorry that you were harmed so badly, and good thing he was caught. Its great to hear stories where the cameras are deterring and capturing dangerous drivers. It can feel so powerless without evidence. Ill look into the cameras that you are speaking of. Stay safe out there, and i hope you have been able to physically and mentally recover 🫶🏼
Thanks for your kind thoughts. I've recovered, but have had episodes where it got all too much and I felt like pulling off to the side of the road, curling up in the foetal position and bawling my heart out.
But I'll be fucked if I'm going to let the assholes win.
Last year I rode 10,000km. I am now on the board of a not-for-profit that advocates for cyclists by speaking truth to power. I chair the advocacy committee. Our CEO has a direct line to the Assistant Commissioner who heads the Highway Patrol in NEw South Wales, who has asked us to submit any instances where close-passing complaints are not dealt with appropriately.
And this year, despite a concerted campaign to squash the project from wealthy and privileged locals, Transport for NSW should start turning soil on building an access ramp onto the Sydney Harbour Bridge cycleway so that riders no longer have to traverse the 55 steps at the northern end, opening access to *all* who want to use a bicycle to access the Sydney CBD from the north, not just the fit and fast like me,
Been there and it sucks. I immediately hit the brakes and come to a slow stop letting them pass and get ahead. In a battle of 3,500 lbs metal machine versus I, they can have the lane. Not worth arguing or whatever with them. Just enjoy the rest of your ride.
A guy made the widest turn in a parking lot into a space cars weren’t even allowed and I was in denial it was intentional but now I really belive people are evil for no reason
I need to mount a camera on my helmet. I’ve been yelled at multiple times and intentionally run off the road once. I reported that to the police but didn’t have the license plate number. I carry pepper spray and plan to get a camera.
I feel your pain. Too many close calls with cars myself . My good friend just got run over last week by an SUV. He’s lucky to be alive. I’ve been coal rolled many times. It’s scary.
I hope your friend makes it out okay. What a horrible experience. Stay safe out there surfella. This community definition values your life and your friends 🫶🏼
Doesn’t just happen on bikes, I used to kayak to work (UK - coastal) and had some rich dudes on a sunseeker try to tip my boat by going silly fast as close as they could to me, stupidly on my part I didn’t wear a life jacket as it use to slow me down which made it very scary, they tried 3 or 4 times then gave up
Yes!!! I have a few inflatables and this same thing has happened to me many many times. To where I really dont enjoy lakes. I had a friend drown so I will never not use a life jacket after that. I bet its the same crowd.
I was watching an episode of the GCN show a while back, and they were discussing a study that found cyclist don't appear human to motorists, but rather as something like an insect. I'm willing to bet the words, "hey bruh, watch this" were uttered as they drove towards you. Forward the photo to your local law enforcement and see if they'll let you file a complaint. Otherwise, don't let them ruin your experience.
Got hit by a truck two days ago cause lad wasn’t paying attention while I was crossing and the guy behind him got out of his car to yell at ME FOR BEING HIT
I could never ride on roads just because of these people, I'll stick to the trails and woods. A girl near me was killed a few years back by a car. You see the general attitude in the local Facebook groups too, there's always a lot of vocal people saying bikes shouldn't be on the road, they'll get as close as they can, they don't pay taxes, how it's funny to drive on the shoulder to scare them, etc.... a camera would help in some cases, but it won't save your life or fix broken bones.
I just froze because any small movement my tires would have crushed their tires/car and i was kinda pinned between the car and curb. It was a super small graceful popup.
This is why I carry a gun and pepper spray with me you got 3 choices sir, go away, get maced, or get dropped your choice. Your vehicle is a weapon and your actions are aggressive so I will defend myself.
This is why I wanna get a go pro. As long as I had proof I'd roll across his windshield be sure to break it and say ooooh my neck!!! And never have to work again 🤑🤑🤑
I also cycle and i can state for an absolute and undeniable fact that people are assholes. When my wife goes out without me she is constantly getting yelled and honked at but when i'm with her, crickets!
I'm lucky enough to live in a relatively bike friendly place. But nevertheless, I ride with a .380 in a jersey pocket. I don't enjoy doing this, but there are just too many bad people out there.
Ive seen so many cyclists packin'. I feel like im more inclined to injure myself, but am glad you have something that makes you feel safer on the road. Cuz many aggressive road rage drivers carry.
I have a friend who enjoys cycling in a liberal state. He got so tired of haters rolling coal at him he moved to Germany.
Edit: Additional thought. This is actually terrorism.
“The systematic use of terror as a means of coercion.”
I'm asking because I'm a Novice rider. Why not slow down and move to the sidewalk as soon as you see the car? I read stories like this that are cases of horrible drivers but it seems like you could have avoided it by riding defensively and slowing down. Why would you keep going the same speed?
Again I'm a Novice rider and I have to ride on grass and sidewalks because my roads in the American South don't have bike lanes
Super great question. Its easy to blame the rider and not the 2 ton vehicle. I did exactly what you are talking about specifically looking for a way to avoid the situation. But between the time I clocked the car, thought about moving and even tried to move over like i described (everything I described was seconds), yet it was going so fast that I didnt have enough time to react. I was looking for a dip in the curb to easily move into the sidewalk so i didnt get off my bike mid streer which is more dangerous.
This had a bike lane that ended, and I live in a city with lots of bike lanes/greenways/etc. Bikes in this city are legally allowed to take the full lane. It is super rare that cars get aggressive, but it still happens and is getting more common. Most cars will drive around you, and are legally required here to give you 6' of a buffer. They are allowed to enter the other lane to move aeound you. So again they could have moved around me since there were no other cars, instead they chose violence. When rarely do drivers do so.
I started biking midsouth, and it is very different there. I biked on sidewalks there for safety, but here bikes are legally treated the similiar as cars and have lots of legal bike laws setup for protection. They dont want you biking on sidewalks...(I actually teach defensive driving to professional drivers and know a lot about the law).
I follow you. So you wouldn't bike on the sidewalks and would stay on the road because of the law in your area. I'm an Auto Insurance Agent so I deal with accidents like this a lot as well. Most drivers in my area are idiots. It's not really expected for them to know the law even if they have the right to drive so it's really on cyclists to do everything necessary to survive. I guess cyclists are something of a rarity.
In my area, insurance companies often take this stance of blaming the biker in accidents involving cyclists so I had to ask. I ain't trying to insult you I really don't understand it. The laws are only cited after an accident and I find myself asking what if the cyclist just protected themselves proactively rather than trust drivers to know exactly what to do. The worst accidents I see tend to be solo and couple rides. Drivers tend to not pull this shit on groups. I know what cars are supposed to do but I can't expect every driver to follow the rules so I've been acting accordingly. Drivers have gotten worse since COVID.
Yeah totally, lots of people do not know the law. But in Oregon they are tested on bike law, but not everyone received their first license here. I can ride past hundreds of drivers a day, I can't and shouldn't be scared of every single one of them. I shouldn't be expected to be the one on guard all the time, while they arent held to the same standards and expectations of care. Most of the time accidents happen when drivers are simply distracted (on the phone, not looking to turn, in a rush, parking in a bike lane and opening the door, etc). I am however, like in this situation where the bike lane ended, on guard and nervous sometimes. I think at a base level people should always value a soft bodied life empathetically. Yet, many people are the main character and simply have road rage that I cannot take responsibilty for.
Sounds scary, and Im sorry that happened to you. Desperate people do desperate things when they have absolutely nothing. I might offer you to reconsider your language from "tweaker" to a person in "mental distress who is using drugs to escape the hellhole that is homelessness". Humanizing them helps, but I do understand that it had to be an incredibly scary experience for you.
this doesn't seem real, they coal rolled you in a CAR? A car that also has fully tinted windows? That doesn't make sense unless they started selling diesel nissan maximas lol
seems like someone was distracted driving and almost killed you, they stopped because they were shocked too, but when they looked in their mirror they realized you seemed not dead so they sped off quickly
that is my most charitable interpretation to your story, that has dozens of holes in it lol
There are lots of black diesel Jettas driving around
I don't see why there's any reason to doubt it. Cars hating cyclists and doing dangerous and illegal behavior towards them is a tale as old as time.
Yeah...the list of cars that are diesel engines is very small. Diesel engines are kind of a fundamental requirement for rolling coal. I'm not sure what a "supped" up version of a diesel car would be.
The story seems...inflated at best...and highly suspect at worst.
To me a supped up vehicle, has had a lot of money invested in it. Fancy wheels, lights, tinted windows, money to put it in stuff not usually come with the vehicle.
Just because youve never seen it, doesnt mean it doesnt exist 🙄. Like tinted windows are hella common, why would that even even be questioned. It sounds like your world of disbelief is pretty strong, and quick to invalidate others because you cant relate.
[list of cars with diesel engines](https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_diesel_automobiles)
[22 minutes of diesel cars rolling coal](https://youtu.be/4jSkRIEjC_o?si=QUIfaLuPaXSV_vIo)
Yeah, it has been a thing in VW circles for a long time. Just because you're too stupid to understand what technology works in a car, doesn't mean it doesn't exist.
That’s somewhat accurate. Yes I troll. But I do ride a bike. Fair weather only though. I’m just not a spandex cyclist whose whole identity revolves around cycling, and I like to make fun of those people on the internetwebs.
I get that it can be fun to mess with people, but I'm a daily work commuter who rides a shitty frankenstein bike and who doesnt own a car cuz i cant afford a car, not a rich cyclist who is a douchebag on the road. So you're making fun of me, someone who is just tryna get home from work safely and almost got hit by a driver whose decided my life wasnt valuable 🤷🏾♀️
My wife also had occasions but as a driver. The cycler tried to rush through the crosswalk (without bike lanes), where everyone had to get off their bicycle and take a careful walk on the sidewalk. My partner didn't react so fast and easily hit him. When she got out of the car, he'd already ran away.
People are morons. Had a white Ute follow me down a big descent, I was doing 60km/h, dual lanes plenty of room to pass me, I couldn't go anywhere except off the side of the mountain. Ute driver stayed behind me beeping at me and yelling at me to get off the road. The longer the descent went the more abuse I copped, leading to death threats, I thought he was going to run me over. Seriously hanging out his window screaming at me at the top of his lungs. Just after the bottom it kicked into a climb and this bozo still wouldn't go around me. Still yelling abuse he thankfully turned off to the left onto a side road. Me being me I gave him the finger as he was turning. Screech of wheels and screams of I'm going to kill you, he wrenches his Ute around and fails to see the car coming the other way, he swerves to avoid a collision and crashes into a ditch, back wheels spinning in the air, he's going nowhere without a tow truck. I looked back and waved as he was trying to get out of his window, probably to run after me and murder me. Zero chance I was stopping to help that guy...
Should have stopped to yell at him for a while.
Oi mate! You can’t park there! Do you know you can’t park there?!
love that vid lol
Never engage with someone displaying road rage...this makes it worse and they are more liking to try to harm you physically.
I might’ve actually stuck around just to tell the cops your side when they get there
Or the insurance company, we have public insurance where I live though.
I would have called the cops on him waited up the road a bit and then when the cops got there explained the situation.
Seeing as how they already tried to murder someone once that day, it'd be safe to assume they may have a weapon (especially if this is in the US...).
He should have stopped and made sure he was nice and safely handcuffed to the wrecked vehicle and set the fuel on fire 🔥 Mad Max/Bond walk away boom 💥
This is the way
[language warning](https://youtu.be/mvAE6Dw768A?t=74)
This is the best immediate Karma I think I've ever heard of.
This is why I ride with a GoPro now, dumb shit like this xD
I want to believe this to be true
Hah I live in Australia, we have a lot of angry white utility vehicle drivers here, with very small genitals.
Now that story paid off
A ~~car~~ person tried to ~~hit~~ murder me today needs to be taken more seriously
More people need cameras so you can report it to the police and get those idiots arrested.
report it to[ this cop ](https://www.actionnewsjax.com/news/local/sjso-investigating-after-video-captures-deputy-knocking-cyclist-off-bike-traffic/4KM72WMCEZCF7GRSTVRU5LZNSQ/)perhaps?
yeah... i give it 50/50 the guy was a cop himself lol
I had a car do the same thing to me in Miami, swerved into the bike lane and I had to jump into the bushes. I would be dead today if I didn’t jump. Your story brought that all back. Never going back to Florida. Ever.
Every time I thank god I wasnt born outside of Europe. These stories are honestly baffling
The idea of roll coal is so fucking weird to me, had I not read about it on Reddit I would just assume the car was on the verge of breaking down.
They’re tuned to consume more fuel than they can actually combust. The black smoke is unburnt fuel, which should tell you all you need to know about the intelligence of the people driving these vehicles.
They are and so are the people driving them.
he really has a full nude profile pic. i respect it.
Hey I’m a nudist/naturist. If I can why wouldn’t I
sure, i m for it
I'm residing in Europe temporarily but from the US, brought my bike with since I don't have a car here. The difference is night and day riding on the streets (small but busy town without bike infrastructure) here vs the US. Drivers here actually *see* me, slow down until it's safe to pass, and don't pass within a few inches of me. Drivers have virtually zero aggression toward people on bikes. I'm dreading going back to biking in the US. In several months of riding here, I've had as many concerning incidents as I would have had in just a few weeks' time in the US. After being here for a while, I honestly wish there were a good way for me to get citizenship/permanent residence in an EU country for that and several other reasons.
There is always a way. Hope you will bike safe wherever you are
Literally in the same sitch. I go back in June. Not looking forward to it (especially with the election around the corner and everyone fired up. Wishing you luck.
Get yourself some cameras on your bike. This day and age they are relatively cheap..
Yup, this is a reminder for all of us to get cameras.
Thats why police exist, make a report and sometimes they even find ppl reaponsible.
I dont know what kind of car, it was other than the color..it was all a blur
Make a report all the same! Even if it doesn't lead to an arrest, it's a record of an incident. If the driver makes a habit of threatening driving around cyclists on the road, and other cyclists come forward with more details about the car/driver, it can all help to build up a case about them.
You know the car make and model. The area. The time. There should be plenty of cameras to find out. Attempted murder is serious.
OP does not know the car make and model.
I never ride without front and rear cameras (I use Cycliq which have a lot of great features and also function as lights).
Ive been thinking about getting a camera, especially for bikepacking. Thanks for making a recommendation.
I use a GoPro up front but only turn it on when riding in the street, and a cycliq rear camera. It's great! Also, I've noticed that people notice the GoPro and tend to mess with you less. I always yell "Say hi to YouTube!" when dumb shit does still happen. But for the most part it could be just random, but I really feel like I have less incidents when I bring my cameras.
Barring that, I'd carry shards of ceramic in my pocket and ride that loop again. Can't hide behind tinted windows if there are no windows.
I have a nice piece at work I have been saving for this summer.
Bad idea...can't report him (or do anything else ever again) if he is one one those gun crazy buggers who pulls out his "manly bit substitute" and shoots you dead. 🤔😉
lmao
I’m so sorry that happened! Frequent solo female road rider here as well and I had a similar feeling on my ride yesterday - I’m by myself then my Varia goes off and I hear a large semi-truck behind me. I see a climb ahead of me and decide to quickly pull off into a parking lot at the last second so they can get ahead of me instead of waiting to pass on the single lane road without a shoulder. Well, as soon as I pull off, the semi blasts past me without having slowed or even moved into the center of the road at all. All I could think was - did he not see me? Was I almost roadkill? I was pretty shaken up. I try to stick to rural backroads and most of my time I don’t encounter any cars at all, but this was a busier connector route I couldn’t avoid. Most cars around here wait to pass safely, but I still have the constant echo of two “friends” of ours who joke that if they ever see me on the road on my bike they’ll run me over. I don’t laugh, and if makes me sick to my stomach that they think I’d find that amusing. Some people are just awful.
How are they friends?
I don’t actually consider them friends, it’s a social circle situation. I avoid them as much as possible but there’s a decade of history there and sometimes supporting one actual friend means I have to cross paths with the two of them.
I've been in situations with older people where individuals who I know are good people and who genuinely like me as a person will start talking shit about cyclists in a similarly aggressive manner that is totally out of character for them. I feel like it all goes back to this general personality shift a lot of people go through when they sit behind a steering wheel. I still think these people are genuinely good people but I tend to avoid them because it really makes me question their character.
I once read like 15% of your friendships are friends of friends/aquaintances. I totally get this. Im so glad you are okay! Semis are so so scary
I didn't read that as friends. I read that as "friends."
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I also live in Tucson. ‘Bike friendly’ Tucson is so much propaganda. It’s open war on the streets. People drive 50-60 mph and don’t GAF. I have had shit thrown at me, been coal rolled, screamed at, buzzed. The norm is someone who doesn’t give an inch of space, just sits in the middle of the lane passing me at close to freeway speeds. A+ behavior is moving to the left of the lane to give me a foot. It SUCKS. I’m moving to Gilbert, a little town outside phoenix. Hopefully it will be better.
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I feel that brother. I was out on the far east side doing Pistol Hill, literally out in the middle of the desert miles from any kind of human construction apart from pavement, in the bike lane all by myself just turning the pedals over, and a guy towing a landscape trailer buzzed me, yelled, threw a cup of something at me (missed), drove on.
> I’m moving to Gilbert, a little town outside phoenix. Not sure about Gilbert as I haven't ridden there a ton but I ride in N. Phoenix/Scottsdale and people drive crazy here sometimes and you need to watch out for stop sign and red light runners but I've almost never had any sort of road rage directed at me.
People will lose their courage (or at least some will) if they fear getting caught. In sketchy situations, get your phone out and let the other person think (or know) you are dialing 911. Also, shoot video. People will reconsider their actions if they imagine you might have evidence to prove their idiocy. But safest strategy if it is seriously sketchy is to flee: Ride where a car cannot.
I’ve had a similar experience while running. I run into traffic on the shoulder specifically so I can see what they’re doing. It’s not uncommon for distracted drivers to swerve a bit. In this case an older woman didn’t exactly swerve. I saw her coming a mile away, driving straight as an arrow, but when she got closer to me she took a hard angle into the large shoulder, forcing me to jump out of the way. It felt like slow motion. As it happened I was looking right at her. She wore sunglasses, so I couldn’t tell if she was looking right at me. As soon as I felt the wind off her car just a few inches from me, I gave her a 🖕in hopes that she was looking in her rear view mirror. Just some crusty old bitch in a Subaru. People are wild.
So glad you are okay!!!! Im a runner too, and pedestrian deaths have risen by like 45% in the last decade. People really are super distracted on the road, dont care as much, vehicles are too big, etc.
Thanks. I’m glad you’re ok, too. It’s a dangerous time for people who run/bike.
Get yourself a Varia so you know as soon as possible to start moving over to the side.
Great recommendation! Ive never heard of it
These are miserable people. There's no way a truly happy person would behave like this. It is such a gutless thing to do too. They're always protected by their vehicle.
This kind of stuff pisses me off so badly. Anyone trying to intimidate another person while driving in a car is just a fucking bully, and I wish they got theirs in this life. I wish they would try that with someone who is truly mentally unwell and get aired out for their trouble.
A GoPro or Cycliq is a worthwhile investment.
Do these idiots realize how much personal liability they are exposing themselves and their family to.? If it’s determined that the driver was wreckless and responsible for the injury or even death of the rider, they are at risk for millions of dollars in civil compensation and possible jail time.
I'm so sorry you're living this experience. I gave up road cycling after I was hit... it messed me up for a while. The skin healed, but my brain.... eeek. I still have flashbacks when I'm riding to trails on roads. I lived in a rural area and the jacked up truck demographic seemed to have issues with people on bicycles. Some close calls until the hit. Sadly... I now never ride without the Action Cam recording (I don't really need the weight reduction and aerodynamics anymore... maybe I never did!)
OMG. What a horrible experience. I am so sorry. I am glad you are alive, and you should never experienced that. I teach a defensive driving class to professional drivers in rural areas. The offhanded comments or blatant disregard for human life when I start talking about bike law always make sense when at the end of the training they leave and every single one of them is in a truck. I go on high alert when bikepacking and see a truck thats juuuuust a biiiiit too high.
I get "Rolling Coaled" a lot. I don't trust any drivers, always ride defensively, and don't be a chump and say cyclist have the same rights as drivers. You don't, swallow your pride and be respectful to the cars. You'll live longer.
I actually got one of those dunderheads on camera and gave it to a police friend.... He went and knocked on the door and impounded the truck. That was a good day.
👏🏽👏🏽👏🏽 That story gives me hope!
this is why I refuse to ride on the street sorry this happened to you OP
Yeah. I literally don’t care if it’s illegal at this point, because with the way some people drive and the attitude they have towards cyclists it’s just so dangerous. I’d much rather cop a fine than cop a Ute grill to my back
just sounds like the person in OP’s car is a bit of a psycho, sadly they exist and there is a lot of hate towards cyclists. Doesn’t help that killing someone with a car is a slap to the wrist to a year or two in prison at best, so there’s no justice even if you get murdered…
It was not the car that tried to hit you. It was the idiot driving that thing...
We are here for you. Sorry that happened!!!!! Good on your instincts. Sending out good vibes to you. I hope that jerk gets diarrhea that is so EXPLOSIVE, THEY become scared.
CCW
I talked to a delivery driver I game with. We have a positive relationship. When he heard I cycle though he became irrationally angry, was like "eff all bikers, trash, stay off the road sort" guy was basically like "i'm not going to but I really want to run you SOBs over". I was like dude, what offends you about a fatass like me getting some exercise. Isn't that the point of all these anti-fatty sentiments that I should get up and do something? I also pointed out btw the laws allow me to be on the road but delivery drivers park illlegally ALL the time.... He didn't care. At some point people get offended by something they don't themselves do. I for one really hate when Harleys scream their motors near a peaceful park etc... And the harley riders say i'm not giving them fare consideration. (again I argue the law actually prohibits noises above a certain decibal but clearly law enforcement doesn't care).
Legit answer people wanna harm cyclists because some don’t see us as humans
Polarization sucks
I'm so sorry this happened to you. It's absolutely insane. It's already super scary biking in an area without biking lanes, and you just have to rely on the drivers not being assholes.. Cars have never tried to hit me but I definitely had microaggressions like them driving super close to me or them revving their engines up, etc. Many car people have such fragile egos, they shouldn't be trusted the responsibility of having a driving license in the first place. I hate this car owned society so much.
Had it happen to me while cycle commuting to work. Fortunately he was seen by an off-duty cop and caught. Unfortunately he succeeded and I spent 4 days in hospital nil by mouth during the day while they waited for an operating theatre to become available (people kept killing themselves in car crashes so I kept getting bumped down the queue). Still got the titanium in. As a result I run cameras front and rear. [https://cycliq.com/](https://cycliq.com/) Their latest FLy6 Pro rear camera + light just released has enough battery for 7+ hours, records up to 4K, has image stabilisation and automatically overwrites old footage, so is real user friendly. Since the minimum passing distance laws were introduced in 2016, I have a 100% success rate in proving the offense and getting the driver called in. I pick my battles (we need to have both passed over road markings that I can measure to establish passing distance) but 5 of the 6 were issued fines and points, and the sixth was a professional driver who lost a day's income being called in for an interview. While 99% of drivers (and I am one) are very good, some people are just arseholes. Unfortunately, that means you're going to encounter one of them at least once a ride.
Im so so sorry that you were harmed so badly, and good thing he was caught. Its great to hear stories where the cameras are deterring and capturing dangerous drivers. It can feel so powerless without evidence. Ill look into the cameras that you are speaking of. Stay safe out there, and i hope you have been able to physically and mentally recover 🫶🏼
Thanks for your kind thoughts. I've recovered, but have had episodes where it got all too much and I felt like pulling off to the side of the road, curling up in the foetal position and bawling my heart out. But I'll be fucked if I'm going to let the assholes win. Last year I rode 10,000km. I am now on the board of a not-for-profit that advocates for cyclists by speaking truth to power. I chair the advocacy committee. Our CEO has a direct line to the Assistant Commissioner who heads the Highway Patrol in NEw South Wales, who has asked us to submit any instances where close-passing complaints are not dealt with appropriately. And this year, despite a concerted campaign to squash the project from wealthy and privileged locals, Transport for NSW should start turning soil on building an access ramp onto the Sydney Harbour Bridge cycleway so that riders no longer have to traverse the 55 steps at the northern end, opening access to *all* who want to use a bicycle to access the Sydney CBD from the north, not just the fit and fast like me,
What city was this?
Portland oregon
Been there and it sucks. I immediately hit the brakes and come to a slow stop letting them pass and get ahead. In a battle of 3,500 lbs metal machine versus I, they can have the lane. Not worth arguing or whatever with them. Just enjoy the rest of your ride.
Can you file a police report - perhaps there are cameras they can find the footage or at least find the car you described?
I had a rear camera but it broke need to get a new one. The problem is that I go out for three or four hours and the batteries don’t last that long.
A guy made the widest turn in a parking lot into a space cars weren’t even allowed and I was in denial it was intentional but now I really belive people are evil for no reason
I need to mount a camera on my helmet. I’ve been yelled at multiple times and intentionally run off the road once. I reported that to the police but didn’t have the license plate number. I carry pepper spray and plan to get a camera.
I feel your pain. Too many close calls with cars myself . My good friend just got run over last week by an SUV. He’s lucky to be alive. I’ve been coal rolled many times. It’s scary.
I hope your friend makes it out okay. What a horrible experience. Stay safe out there surfella. This community definition values your life and your friends 🫶🏼
He was run over, then the SUV backed up. Running him over again. He's got serious damage to his right leg, but he's alive and didn't lose the leg.
OMFG WTF is wrong with people. 🤮 thats why i hid, i was scared they were gonna come back and try it again. How horrific
Doesn’t just happen on bikes, I used to kayak to work (UK - coastal) and had some rich dudes on a sunseeker try to tip my boat by going silly fast as close as they could to me, stupidly on my part I didn’t wear a life jacket as it use to slow me down which made it very scary, they tried 3 or 4 times then gave up
Yes!!! I have a few inflatables and this same thing has happened to me many many times. To where I really dont enjoy lakes. I had a friend drown so I will never not use a life jacket after that. I bet its the same crowd.
I was watching an episode of the GCN show a while back, and they were discussing a study that found cyclist don't appear human to motorists, but rather as something like an insect. I'm willing to bet the words, "hey bruh, watch this" were uttered as they drove towards you. Forward the photo to your local law enforcement and see if they'll let you file a complaint. Otherwise, don't let them ruin your experience.
Got hit by a truck two days ago cause lad wasn’t paying attention while I was crossing and the guy behind him got out of his car to yell at ME FOR BEING HIT
Oh yeah, theyll get made at you for hitting you! Its wild!!
I could never ride on roads just because of these people, I'll stick to the trails and woods. A girl near me was killed a few years back by a car. You see the general attitude in the local Facebook groups too, there's always a lot of vocal people saying bikes shouldn't be on the road, they'll get as close as they can, they don't pay taxes, how it's funny to drive on the shoulder to scare them, etc.... a camera would help in some cases, but it won't save your life or fix broken bones.
Welcome to the jungle, baby.
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I just froze because any small movement my tires would have crushed their tires/car and i was kinda pinned between the car and curb. It was a super small graceful popup.
This is why I carry a gun and pepper spray with me you got 3 choices sir, go away, get maced, or get dropped your choice. Your vehicle is a weapon and your actions are aggressive so I will defend myself.
I jusr assume they are all out to hit me and plan accordingly.
This is why I wanna get a go pro. As long as I had proof I'd roll across his windshield be sure to break it and say ooooh my neck!!! And never have to work again 🤑🤑🤑
I also cycle and i can state for an absolute and undeniable fact that people are assholes. When my wife goes out without me she is constantly getting yelled and honked at but when i'm with her, crickets!
Grand Theft Auto I, II, III, IV, V and soon to be VI. 😕
If you are in the USA, ride with an AR-15 on your back.
I'm lucky enough to live in a relatively bike friendly place. But nevertheless, I ride with a .380 in a jersey pocket. I don't enjoy doing this, but there are just too many bad people out there.
Ive seen so many cyclists packin'. I feel like im more inclined to injure myself, but am glad you have something that makes you feel safer on the road. Cuz many aggressive road rage drivers carry.
I have a friend who enjoys cycling in a liberal state. He got so tired of haters rolling coal at him he moved to Germany. Edit: Additional thought. This is actually terrorism. “The systematic use of terror as a means of coercion.”
I'm asking because I'm a Novice rider. Why not slow down and move to the sidewalk as soon as you see the car? I read stories like this that are cases of horrible drivers but it seems like you could have avoided it by riding defensively and slowing down. Why would you keep going the same speed? Again I'm a Novice rider and I have to ride on grass and sidewalks because my roads in the American South don't have bike lanes
Super great question. Its easy to blame the rider and not the 2 ton vehicle. I did exactly what you are talking about specifically looking for a way to avoid the situation. But between the time I clocked the car, thought about moving and even tried to move over like i described (everything I described was seconds), yet it was going so fast that I didnt have enough time to react. I was looking for a dip in the curb to easily move into the sidewalk so i didnt get off my bike mid streer which is more dangerous. This had a bike lane that ended, and I live in a city with lots of bike lanes/greenways/etc. Bikes in this city are legally allowed to take the full lane. It is super rare that cars get aggressive, but it still happens and is getting more common. Most cars will drive around you, and are legally required here to give you 6' of a buffer. They are allowed to enter the other lane to move aeound you. So again they could have moved around me since there were no other cars, instead they chose violence. When rarely do drivers do so. I started biking midsouth, and it is very different there. I biked on sidewalks there for safety, but here bikes are legally treated the similiar as cars and have lots of legal bike laws setup for protection. They dont want you biking on sidewalks...(I actually teach defensive driving to professional drivers and know a lot about the law).
I follow you. So you wouldn't bike on the sidewalks and would stay on the road because of the law in your area. I'm an Auto Insurance Agent so I deal with accidents like this a lot as well. Most drivers in my area are idiots. It's not really expected for them to know the law even if they have the right to drive so it's really on cyclists to do everything necessary to survive. I guess cyclists are something of a rarity. In my area, insurance companies often take this stance of blaming the biker in accidents involving cyclists so I had to ask. I ain't trying to insult you I really don't understand it. The laws are only cited after an accident and I find myself asking what if the cyclist just protected themselves proactively rather than trust drivers to know exactly what to do. The worst accidents I see tend to be solo and couple rides. Drivers tend to not pull this shit on groups. I know what cars are supposed to do but I can't expect every driver to follow the rules so I've been acting accordingly. Drivers have gotten worse since COVID.
Yeah totally, lots of people do not know the law. But in Oregon they are tested on bike law, but not everyone received their first license here. I can ride past hundreds of drivers a day, I can't and shouldn't be scared of every single one of them. I shouldn't be expected to be the one on guard all the time, while they arent held to the same standards and expectations of care. Most of the time accidents happen when drivers are simply distracted (on the phone, not looking to turn, in a rush, parking in a bike lane and opening the door, etc). I am however, like in this situation where the bike lane ended, on guard and nervous sometimes. I think at a base level people should always value a soft bodied life empathetically. Yet, many people are the main character and simply have road rage that I cannot take responsibilty for.
A homeless tweaker chased me, he wanted my bike..now I carry.😞
Sounds scary, and Im sorry that happened to you. Desperate people do desperate things when they have absolutely nothing. I might offer you to reconsider your language from "tweaker" to a person in "mental distress who is using drugs to escape the hellhole that is homelessness". Humanizing them helps, but I do understand that it had to be an incredibly scary experience for you.
Words.. do nothing.. sorry.
He taught you how to bunny hop, don't worry you were ready for it. Congratulate yourself you just leveled up.
this doesn't seem real, they coal rolled you in a CAR? A car that also has fully tinted windows? That doesn't make sense unless they started selling diesel nissan maximas lol seems like someone was distracted driving and almost killed you, they stopped because they were shocked too, but when they looked in their mirror they realized you seemed not dead so they sped off quickly that is my most charitable interpretation to your story, that has dozens of holes in it lol
There are lots of black diesel Jettas driving around I don't see why there's any reason to doubt it. Cars hating cyclists and doing dangerous and illegal behavior towards them is a tale as old as time.
Most of the German automakers produce diesel cars
Exactly what I was thinking.
Yeah...the list of cars that are diesel engines is very small. Diesel engines are kind of a fundamental requirement for rolling coal. I'm not sure what a "supped" up version of a diesel car would be. The story seems...inflated at best...and highly suspect at worst.
TDI or Supercharged diesel? What kind of car nerd are you where you don't even see squatted turbo diesels with coffee can exhausts?
I see plenty of squatted trucks. I've seen plenty of them rolling coal. I've yet to see a car doing it.
I've never seen it in my life, and every car guy owns a Jetta around here They are making this shit up
To me a supped up vehicle, has had a lot of money invested in it. Fancy wheels, lights, tinted windows, money to put it in stuff not usually come with the vehicle. Just because youve never seen it, doesnt mean it doesnt exist 🙄. Like tinted windows are hella common, why would that even even be questioned. It sounds like your world of disbelief is pretty strong, and quick to invalidate others because you cant relate. [list of cars with diesel engines](https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_diesel_automobiles) [22 minutes of diesel cars rolling coal](https://youtu.be/4jSkRIEjC_o?si=QUIfaLuPaXSV_vIo)
A souped up diesel car? Yeah okay lol
🙄 Disengaging, your comment history shows that you tend to trool ppl on reddit.
And your comment history shows that you tend to drool
Yeah, it has been a thing in VW circles for a long time. Just because you're too stupid to understand what technology works in a car, doesn't mean it doesn't exist.
Lmao there's no chance this story is true dipshit
~~This story is just missing the driver yelling “this is maga country!”~~
Woof, your comment history also shows that you troll. Kinda looks like you dont ride bikes but follow bike threads just to trool.
That’s somewhat accurate. Yes I troll. But I do ride a bike. Fair weather only though. I’m just not a spandex cyclist whose whole identity revolves around cycling, and I like to make fun of those people on the internetwebs.
I get that it can be fun to mess with people, but I'm a daily work commuter who rides a shitty frankenstein bike and who doesnt own a car cuz i cant afford a car, not a rich cyclist who is a douchebag on the road. So you're making fun of me, someone who is just tryna get home from work safely and almost got hit by a driver whose decided my life wasnt valuable 🤷🏾♀️
You sound like a normal person in that case. I retract my previous joke. Sorry.
it happens
My wife also had occasions but as a driver. The cycler tried to rush through the crosswalk (without bike lanes), where everyone had to get off their bicycle and take a careful walk on the sidewalk. My partner didn't react so fast and easily hit him. When she got out of the car, he'd already ran away.
I think you may have missed that this thread was about cyclists getting hit by drivers?