"He just wanted to..."

So my husband and I bike commute together to his office, and then I continue on for the rest of the journey to my office. Usually I lead and he follows (otherwise he spends too much time checking over his shoulder to make sure I'm still ok).

One recent morning, there was some weird old guy weaving all over the bike lane. Knees out, going slow... frankly, I thought he was drunk.

When traffic is clear, I move out into the lane and pass weird guy. Husband does the same.

We continue biking, and on the ground I can see shadows of what is happening behind me. Instead of just my husband's shadow, there are two!

I glance back to see weird guy very close behind me and husband close behind him! Since this worried me, I sped up, leaving weird guy in my dust. Husband speeds up too and passes weird guy.

I'm stuck slowing down due to traffic lights, and suddenly there are two shadows again - weird guy is back!

We turn off the street and weird guy goes his own way.

We get to husband's office and I ask (at bit bluntly since I was unnerved by this guy's insistance at being directly behind me), "what the F was that?!?"

Husband, very matter-of-factly responds, "he just wanted to stare at your @ss."

Husband explained further that weird guy struggled like crazy to catch up with us each time - huffing and puffing, etc, etc, and then would cut husband off. Just force his front tire infront of husband's front tire with every intend of side-swipping him unless husband backed off to let him in. The guy would then just try to stay directly behind me - as close as possible. Husband's only possible conclusion from this behavior is that the weird guy wanted to stare at my rear.

I reply, "I know it's clothed in spandex, but it's drapped over a saddle - it can't be *that* good!"

Husband shrugs. :rolleyes:

Truly scary. Thank goodness he didn't wipe out your hubby or who knows what might have happened! Makes me scared to ride alone!!!

Did your husband consider pushing him over? I'm pretty sure that's what mine would have done. ;)

He thought about knocking the guy away, but opted instead to stay close to he could be there immediately if something did happen.
I made a point of riding home with him (instead of alone) for a while after that!

That is really frightening. If a guy is willing to be that inappropriate and downright dangerous when there are witnesses (ie your husband) what would he have done if you were alone? I know some consider me ridiculous, but I never ride alone. I'm way too chicken. Gives me the chills.

Where I live, there are a fair amount of the halfway house types that hang around the rail-trail, b/c it runs thru the downtown city park.

I'm not sure they are entirely harmless, but most I think are just old alcoholics and half-brain-fried vagrants who have lost their sense of what is socially appropriate. (Like staring directly at you, or broaching the personal space bubble -- or staring at your a$$) I think that lack of social awareness and propriety is what makes them seem even scarier than they are. There are also a few old guys who ride the trail on old bikes with their knees stuck out like you describe - maybe even with their groceries stuffed in a sack - cause it's the best way to get across town.

The guy you had a problem with may indeed have been a drunk -- lost his license and his car over the years, so a bike or his feet are his options. So a guy with no social awareness .. on a BIKE... in TRAFFIC..... near YOU.... and WITH your husband.... has got to be a REAL freak-out!

I sympathize - he'd have given me the creeps too.

Actually, I wasn't all that far away from a rehab facility!

I do wonder, if more people *saw* the end result of drug useage, if they would ever start. Maybe the drug education in schools needs to include a tour of a rehab facility....

After seeing a few friends on 'highs' that was enough to turn me away.
Im not sure, but as freaky as that draft was, he may have been out just to look and nothing more. Its still good to keep track of it. When I am alone (eventually I'll get a husband)I always let people pass me, or maintain really high speeds. If there is drafting it is me in the back.
It would have been interesting to know what he would have responded if husband said anything.

yikes! I ride alone all the time out here... never had an experience like that so far... but I carry a cell phone and pepper spray at all times now... just in case. I've been chased by dogs a couple times and have the pepper spray out with my right foot unclipped... cleats can be very effective at deterring dogs if need be!

pepper spray is also good at deterring the 2 legged dogs... ;)

glad the nutto didn't try anything stupid and that you are OK...