ALMOST tagged.

[kenyonchris]

I rode 35 yesterday. Granted, I did not pick the most traffic free roadway. Another officer and I (both of us on our road bikes, out of uniform, off duty) often ride together and we set out for a nice, steady recovery ride. We ride single file, most the roads are 30 mph, so we are not holding traffic up too much, we coast along at 22-25 mph. I had my one ipod bud in.
SO I am pedaling along in my zen state, pulling while my partner drafts, when a big pickup truck pulling a speedboat roars past, so close to me that the side mirror nearly grazed my ear (he had plenty of room, and it was a no passing zone, and I had no shoulder). He then pulled ahead of me and swerved so that his boat moved quickly into me. I was able to brake hard (yes, back brake) and luck was that my partner had dropped off my wheel...there was no place to go to the right and avoid a potentially disasterous wreck (and on my new bike!!!). It barely, barely missed me.
I seldom lose my temper. My patience, yes. My temper, no. But I lost it here. I yelled, loudly, with a shake of my fist, "WHAT THE F*$*K!!!" and stood up and pedaled hard. I swear, if he had had a stop sign in sight or a light, I would have caught him. I am not sure what I would have done had I caught him. At least gotten his LP, and gotten a ticket mailed to him. It would have meant going to court, but I would gladly go for it.
I have been yelled at, I have been not seen and nearly run over, I have been brake checked, but never, never, so genuinely threatened. Agh. I was so, so angry.
IDIOT.
Rant over.

[Mr. Bloom]

KC: You and I are very alike in our demeanor and temperament on this stuff. The story is told in some of my Garmin charts

I'm glad the thread is called ALMOST tagged. Consider this one "practice" for the next time.

[spazzdog]

(with tongue in cheek) 2 off duty cops and neither of you got the plate #!


ANd in Texas!


Seriously now.... am SO glad the idiot missed you.

spazz (a born Texan, now living on the left coast )

[lph]

oooo kenyonchris. I feel your pain. Your rage, rather. Better luck catching the mongrels next time.

[OakLeaf]

I've never been able to get a plate when that happens. It's that stupid adrenaline rush that just shuts my brain down.

Is there anyone here who has been able to get a plate number on someone who buzzed them? If so, is there some technique you use to keep your brain working when you've been terrorized? And did the police do anything?

[kenyonchris]

The boat obscured the truck tag, and the boat trailer didn't have one....it is habit to look!
I only know that I ride that route quite a bit, and with any luck I will encounter that driver again. And next time he won't be so lucky.

[PscyclePath]

I've never been able to get a plate when that happens. It's that stupid adrenaline rush that just shuts my brain down.

Is there anyone here who has been able to get a plate number on someone who buzzed them? If so, is there some technique you use to keep your brain working when you've been terrorized? And did the police do anything?

Sort of like one of the old Yehuda Moon comics, I started practicing getting plate numbers, and as soon as it's safe I pull over and call them in to our local "311" non-emergency cop & city services line. But as Chris noted, it's a lot tougher when they're pulling those big trailers.

(And for the cell-phoning lady driving the gold Honda 4-door, Arkansas PAULSIS, I hope you got wherever you were going a whole lot safer than you were acting while you were getting there.)