Grrrrrr

[Technotart]

You know - I really prefer to take the non-confrontational route but....a very large SUV swerved at me DELIBERATELY (we were in 2 seperate lanes and he swerved over into mine!!! - there was no other traffic) This was on a side street in an industrial area...(Mind you I am VERY careful to follow traffic laws)

I pull up next to him at the light and mouth "Reckless endangerment at him - his window was rolled up) I got his plate, he rolled down his window and yelled a few choice slimy words at me, I yelled his license plate back at him and I rode my bike to the police station and filed a police report. I was given the option of filing criminal charges but without witnesses that would be difficult to make stick.

So they have the report on file, I know who he is and I have his address and Im going to send him a nice letter about Texas traffic laws and bicycles (I suppose it beats the letter from his "girlfriend" his wife could have gotten instead)

I think I am going to start carrying a few small gumball machine type rubber balls to throw and an air horn as well as a mace canister....

[snapdragen]

Oh I don't know, the girlfriend letter is just evil enough for me........

[CorsairMac]

I'm just glad to hear you're OK. Let me guess - a Black SUV?? we had another thread here once before about the type and colour of vehicles that seem to have it in for cyclists. Kids et al aside, yet another reason I'm glad I ride a bike path every day. NM has the dumbest drivers around - the thought of being on the street with them scares me just sitting here at my desk!
and good for you in filing the report. maybe you can include the police report file # when you mail him his Law and Regulations packet??

[singletrackmind]

Check with your local bike advocacy group. The one in our area (St. Louis, MO) just mailed a letter to an offender that threw a salad dressing container at a cyclist and broke his glasses.

Gosh, that's really scary that someone is willing to use their vehicle as a weapon like that. I wonder what's so wrong in their life? So glad you weren't hurt!!

[shewhobikes]

Heard a similar scary story tonight while riding with the local club. A few folks were out riding Saturday when an SUV actually clipped a rider with its right side mirror, apparently intentionally (according to one of the riders who was looking back and saw the car swerve TOWARD the rider!!!) Good for the rider, she bobbled but did not fall and....wouldn't you know, they caught up with the driver about a mile up the road when a train came down the tracks. They all pulled up, got his tag number and tried to talk but he wouldn't roll the window down. A police car happened by a few miles later and they waved him down and gave him the tag #. Met him at the station 30 minutes later and they find out the guy has a revoked license! So now he's got a warrant sworn out for driving w/out a license...and for assault.

[Dogmama]

I'm glad you are OK! I had a motorist cut me off (I was going downhill at about 30 mph!) and I followed him into the parking lot. I said, "You could have killed me!" His response: "You could have scratched my car!" and he went into the store. I called 911 and within a few minutes a cop was there. Imagine his surprise when he emerged from the store to find me and a cop standing by his car! The cop made me leave (I was a a little angry) so I don't know what happened. Made me feel better, though.

[Technotart]

This was a silver infiniti QX5 - a 2004 model according to my lookup owned by a remodeling and construction company.

I still can't believe I was stupid enough to chase him to the light and pull up next to his dirvers side window and stare him right in the face! What was I thinking? In Texas people can carry guns you know!

(PublicData.com is a fee based service - about 20 bucks a year - that provides a LOT of info for some states - Texas is one it covers pretty well - I have an account so if you ever need a tag number looked up, let me know - I think it's well worth the 20 dollars as you can look up criminal records and stuff too which is great for you single ladies who are dating!)

Michelle

[Technotart]

Oh and the only other vehicles that have almost sideswiped me were Lexus's - in the same area of town as the Infiniti yesterday.

Bunch of North Dallas creepy car snobs....(I can say that - I live north of Dallas and I drive an SUV!)

[bikerchick68]

dang... I'm glad you are OK! I've only ever had one person do that to me... he swerved into my lane, then back out, I could see him looking back and laughing in his rearview mirror... then he swerved into me again! I smacked his truck with my pump... but his truck was a POS so he just kept going... light ahead was red, so I geared down, got outta the saddle to chase and he cut thru a 7-11 parking lot and went right, skipping the stop light. Not sure WHAT I would've done if I caught him...

I always carry pepper spray, mostly for dogs, but ya just never know...

[spazzdog]

That one you definitely needed to report... what an ***!

be careful out there grrls

spazz

[Trek420]

bikerchick68 "I always carry pepper spray, mostly for dogs, but ya just never know..."

I'm thinking handlebar mounted paintball gun, nice splat of some color like puke green, something that doesn't go with any car.

[Technotart]

I actually was going to call a police officer friend and find out if this would be legal in my state...

Walmart sells paintballs and guns ya know...

[Technotart]

No dice - leaves the paintball shooter open to charges of vandalism or assault

He suggested a jersey that reads on the back "Warning - PAINTBALL GUN ON BOARD"

It's all asking for trouble - isn't it

[nuthatch]

Yep, it's all asking for trouble. No matter how mad we are, cars are big and bikes are little. And the law usually smiles upon the motorists, not the cyclists. I'm dreaming of a day when all the roads are completely free of cars and I can ride anywhere I want - but this would take a super-virus that ate out all their electrical wiring or something!! Well, I can dream, can't I?

[cruziegirl]

It's very important to remember that the cars that try to make hood ornaments of us are (generally) driven by agressive and cranky men and we're women on light-weight bicycles. Some jerk in an SUV practically takes my left arm off and I find myself yelling invective as he speeds away. Irritates the hell out of me but I try to remind myself that I'm a 100lb woman on a 18lb bike and I'm just never going to win that argument. First order of business: keep yourself safe.