This is nuts!

[OakLeaf]

No, I didn't mean anything against firefighters generally, I was just responding to the poster who said she didn't expect firefighters to do stuff like that.

Need I say it? It's a tough, dangerous, necessary job and I respect the office. But there are no character tests and few background checks, is all.

[kenyonchris]

Need I say it? It's a tough, dangerous, necessary job and I respect the office. But there are no character tests and few background checks, is all.

I think some departments do...
Depending on your state, you should consider that every vehicle potentially has a gun and a driver having a bad day. Road rage is VERY, VERY common, take my word for it, we have at least one incident per shift, on nights many, many more. Sometimes it is aggressive driving, sometimes it is waving a gun around, on occasion shots are fired (the shooter generally says he shot AT the person, as if that makes it better).
I am not about to start the pro or anti gun argument with anyone, but cyclists, pedestrians, and motorists need to be aware that (at least in a lot of states now) anyone, regardless of whether they have a CHL license, can carry a gun in their car. Thanks to this legislation, my job is made way more difficult and dangerous...CHL holders now are subject to way more regulations than the average Joe Guncarrier....I'm not so much worried about CHL holders. Not all, by far, but a lot are trained, spend time at the range, and are aware of what will happen to them if they go waving the thing around...and I know that the person is a CHL carrier from the get-go because a) they are required to tell me, and b) dispatch tells me before I go waltzing up to the window.
The point of all that is that cycling in traffic is dangerous on MANY levels. Don't hide in your house and not do it, just be very, very aware. I AM.

[bmccasland]

Had an X-BF that spent some time in the pokey because of road rage. Pointed his pistol at a driver that cut him off - didn't matter that he was doing 55 in a 25 (if he wasn't speeding the incident wouldn't have happened). I happened to be out of town for a training class several states away at the time. There's nothing quite like being pulled out of a training class for a call from my local sheriff's department wanting to know where I was, and am I OK? Um, "yes, why?". Seemed BF had a histroy of domestic violence. Lovely the things that crop up when the police run priors along with wants and warrents.

Crazy thing was BF would try to justify why he did what he did. It was very twisted and demented. Basically he would not take responsibility for his actions. Thus very quickly becoming my X, with the help of the Sheriff's deparment.

People are not in their right mind when they get to the state of road rage, and they are rationalizing their behavior, so it makes perfect sense to them. Or they know exactly what they're doing and they don't care. Both of which are scary.


I hope the gentleman and his child that started this thread are still able to enjoy cycling.