I've been thinking about this in spare moments when I'm not getting mad/upset/freaked out about losing-my-fellowship situation (and I've completely forgotten about the For Sale sign in front of my [rented] house). Here's what I finally came up with.

There's a big difference between how you respond to someone who has harrassed you on the road and is now long gone, and someone who has actually come after you to confront you. The first is frustrating because you don't get a chance to respond, but definitely the best course is ignore it, not react, at the most get a picture or report it, but certainly do not try to chase them down or bother responding at all. I used to have certain responses rehearsed like yelling "cager" or "I love you" just to let out my anger (they can't understand my words any more than I can make out theirs), but now I just flat out ignore everything and make a mental note of a license number. This is as important a skill to develop as, say, coordination or taking the lane. And it doesn't come as easily.

The second is just downright scary. Now, I do want to be an ambassador for cycling. I want these people to ride bikes. Maybe Bubba will never touch a bike (other than to violate someone with it), but I have a suspicion that my former friend, who did grow up in rural Missouri, might have had a touch of Bubba in him, because he kind of dropped a hint once that he may, in a former life, have done his share of cyclist harrassing. So it is possible that Bubba may one day ride a bicycle.

Is there anything we can do to make that day come sooner without risking ourselves? Staying calm would help a lot, if possible. I'm not sure I could. Taking steps to protect ourselves--such as taking pictures--is a priority. After that, using our best judgment, we might consider calmly responding to specific complaints by, for example, pointing out that on page X of the [State] Driver's Handbook, cyclists have the same rights and responsibilities as drivers of motor vehicles. (That's page 16 of the Missouri Driver's Handbook.)

So, that's my 2 cents.