The Princess gets Confrontational

[Veronica]

I don't often have problems with motorists. Usually I assume their poor driving is a lack of attention or carelessness, not meanly intended.

Five minutes into my ride today an SUV passes me, a kid leans out the passenger window and laughs through a megaphone. I don't know what came over me, but I gave him the bird. Maybe becuase there was no way this was not meanly intended. He hollers, "F... you!" through the megaphone. I yelled back a bit of anatomy.

Then I decide I'm going to catch the little turkey. I shift into my big ring and I'm flying down the road at 27 miles an hour. And I'm not warmed up, my poor knees. I caught up to them at the second light. There are a couple of teenagers in the car. And I get their attention.

"Yo, dude! What's up with the horn?" I hollered across the car between us.

The kid leans out, "Ahhh... it's my megaphone."

'So, why did you yell at me through it?"

He mutters something.

"I'm sorry, I didn't hear that."

He says, "I like to be loud."

I tell him, "Well that's great, but yelling at a cyclist like that could really freak them out."

"I'm sorry." he replies.

The light turns green and they drive off.

I'll probably be known as the b*tch who yelled at him at the light now.

V.

[SouthernBelle]

Grief. There must have been something in the air today. I was doing a lovely track stand at a 4 way stop. When It came my turn to go, I started and the van to my right starts going too. I start yelling, "Hey, Hey" which usually gets their attention if they didn't see me. That happens. She just looks at me and keeps going. And her window was down too.

So what do I yell at her?

STOOPID PERSON! Wasn't really effective.

So I take out after her. What I was going to do if I caught her, I don't know. But she saw me chasing and got the hell outta Dodge.

Funny now. Not so much, then.

[mimitabby]

Grief. There must have been something in the air today. I was doing a lovely track stand at a 4 way stop. When It came my turn to go, I started and the van to my right starts going too. I start yelling, "Hey, Hey" which usually gets their attention if they didn't see me. That happens. She just looks at me and keeps going. And her window was down too.

So what do I yell at her?

STOOPID PERSON! Wasn't really effective.

So I take out after her. What I was going to do if I caught her, I don't know. But she saw me chasing and got the hell outta Dodge.

Funny now. Not so much, then.

and SouthernBelle, you did good too! that person might just REGISTER that a bike is there next time.

[Duck on Wheels]

All these wise women saying you did right, so I guess you did. But one stoopid woman would like to know why. So: What is a track stand? And ... oh, right, you're in the US, so the guy on the right doesn't have the right of way if you were there first. If you're ever on your bike here in Europe, remember that the vehicle on the right ALWAYS has the right of way, unless they have a yield sign telling them otherwise.

[Kimmyt]

Right-of-way is largely subjective in the fast n' furious USA.

Cars have gotten so ridiculously big over here that many people feel like they are driving in an armored tank and drive accordingly.

[SouthernBelle]

All these wise women saying you did right, so I guess you did. But one stoopid woman would like to know why. So: What is a track stand? And ... oh, right, you're in the US, so the guy on the right doesn't have the right of way if you were there first. If you're ever on your bike here in Europe, remember that the vehicle on the right ALWAYS has the right of way, unless they have a yield sign telling them otherwise.

At a 4 way stop each driver takes turn about, going in a counter-clockwise direction.

A trackstand is a little balancing act you do, when you ALMOST at a complete stop and don't unclip. Pretty much looks stopped.

V and I really don't think we were right to chase. But we were right to be angry.

HTH,

[Dianyla]

Veronica - good for you for pointing this kid's misbehavior out to him in an assertive yet respectful way. As much as I always have the thought in the back of my mind that some drivers might have a gun on them, I think this kind of respectful feedback is a good reminder to those drivers that think they are not responsible for their actions while inside their rolling box.

At a 4 way stop each driver takes turn about, going in a counter-clockwise direction.

Surely you meant to say clockwise!? Counter-clockwise would mean that whoever's on your left goes before you. It should be whoever's on your right.

Though my understanding is that the right of way rule is only invoked when you need to break a tie. If you arrive first to the intersection and someone on your right arrives afterwards, it's your turn regardless of position.

[BleeckerSt_Girl]

He may have realized you could get his license plate and report him and he'd get into trouble.
What you did was very good, because you removed his cloak of anonymity and introduced him to some reality. I bet he won't do anything like that again.
Good for you!

[Trek420]

.... and he may have realized "oh c*&^, she can keep up with a car on her bike "

[Thistle]

i love it... bike catches car bet you scared the living daylights out of them..... that's really funny!

[light_sabe_r]

Well that B*tch that yelled at him at the lights probably gave him a lesson his mother should have given him a long time ago. GOOD ON YA VERONICA!!!!

You'd probably stopped him from doing it to other cyclists/pedestrians that day you know. He'd be all embarrassed and the driver of the car would've been annoyed that he was CAUGHT by a bike! Not a car but a BIKE!!! LOL

I can see him getting dissed by his mates already MWAHAHA!!

Sorry is it so wrong that I absolutley admire you for doing this and can't help but feel SMUG about this story.

[Dogmama]

Part of me says "right on!" and the other part says - oh sh*t - lots of people carry guns these days...