Cyclist splashing brake fluid on cars?

Just had to ask: Has anyone ever heard of an incident where a cyclist has kept brake fluid in a bottle, to splash on a car for retaliation??

I hear of cyclists being splashed on purpose with windshield-wiper fluid all the time, but I've never heard of this, and I would expect a story like that to circulate. I stumbled over a bike-hating group on FB, where somebody thought they'd heard their husband's aunt's neighbour's dog say something like this... sounds absolutely ridiculous to me, but I wanted to check.

The rest of the group went ballistic, of course. Them d@mn cyclists!

Never heard of it - what's it supposed to do - take the paint off?

Perhaps we should all go out and do it and say we got the idea from their group :P

If the brake fluid is stored in a bottle, how does one quickly reach for it? Seems there could be a risk of accidently drinking from the bottle..

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Originally Posted by bmccasland

If the brake fluid is stored in a bottle, how does one quickly reach for it? Seems there could be a risk of accidently drinking from the bottle..

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That would be my fear, too.

Appears that brake fluid is VERY bad for car paint.

Perhaps this needs to spread like an urban legend...let some drivers fear retaliation for their misdeeds. Don't F with a cyclist--you never know if he/she could be packing brake fluid. Heck, I know of a guy who rides with a gun. He's not particularly popular for obvious reasons, but if more motorists thought that THEIR lives or property could be at risk if they mess with the wrong cyclist, then maybe they'd be a bit better behaved while navigating their multi-ton weapons.

Great! One more reason for crazy people to use their cars as weapons in the ongoing war between cyclists and drivers

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Originally Posted by zoom-zoom

Perhaps this needs to spread like an urban legend...let some drivers fear retaliation for their misdeeds.

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I'm afraid quite the opposite is true. There has been a fair bunch of cyclists on that group trying to turn stupid random comments into sane discussions about about where exactly cyclists should be in traffic and how they should behave, with some success, but once the brake fluid thing came up some drivers just went crazy and started threatening with baseball bats, dooring, making cyclists drink the brake fluid... It's really easy to "hate" someone you think as being just a random, arrogant b@stard, not someone who can talk and reason with you.

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Originally Posted by lph

I'm afraid quite the opposite is true. There has been a fair bunch of cyclists on that group trying to turn stupid random comments into sane discussions about about where exactly cyclists should be in traffic and how they should behave, with some success, but once the brake fluid thing came up some drivers just went crazy and started threatening with baseball bats, dooring, making cyclists drink the brake fluid... It's really easy to "hate" someone you think as being just a random, arrogant b@stard, not someone who can talk and reason with you.

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Sounds like these violent types are simply looking for an excuse. I hope they're not using their real names online. Someone should mention the reality of making threats and hate crime laws.

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Originally Posted by zoom-zoom

Appears that brake fluid is VERY bad for car paint.

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It's very bad for bike paint too.....which is why my MTBs use hydraulic brakes that require mineral oil, rather than DOT brake fluid :eek:

That's why it seems like an urban legend to me. There are so many things a cyclist could use to retaliate that don't put their own bikes at risk.



[hijack] Does anyone know why only Harleys use DOT5 brake fluid (which is not corrosive, unlike DOT4)? There must be something inferior about its performance or durability, or all vehicles would use it, right? [/hijack]

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Originally Posted by OakLeaf

[hijack] Does anyone know why only Harleys use DOT5 brake fluid (which is not corrosive, unlike DOT4)? There must be something inferior about its performance or durability, or all vehicles would use it, right? [/hijack]

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Here's a quote from this website:
"On the disadvantage side however, silicone fluid [DOT5] aerates easily. Harley-Davison, one of the sole current OEM users of silicone fluid, warns buyers to let the fluid sit at least an hour before using it. The trip home in the saddlebag is enough to aerate silicone brake fluid until it looks like a freshly poured soft drink. Silicone fluid is also slightly more compressible than glycol fluid, does not change color to tip the user to its moisture content, and worst of all, neither accepts or disperses moisture, making systems using it more corrosion prone, and requiring much more frequent fluid changes. Silicone brake fluid also lacks glycol fluid's naturally occuring lubricity, making it incompatible with the mechanical valving in some antilock braking systems."

Sorry if that was more than you wanted to know. I get all research-y when someone asks an intriguing question I don't know the answer to.