Today while on a training ride, a passing car threw several soft drink cans (red bull type of can) at me. They missed, but it does bring up the question... What should I do next time this or a similar incident occurs?
2007-06-28 14:59:18 · 16 answers · asked by jellybeanmom 5 in Sports ➔ Cycling
If you can identify the plate number or call 911 and make an assult report,*and* follow it up with a complaint, you can strike a blow for all cyclists and teach the jerks a lesson.
Some jerks throw their iced drinks at my son on a charity ride two years ago, raising a big welt and almost forcing him off the road. The sag wagon was right behind them and got plate numbers, type of car, and discriptions of the assailants. The police took the three teenage girls to the station by the end of the afternoon. They had to appear in court (as did I).
Girl 1: "I didn't know it was a charity ride"
Girl 2: "It was just a joke." (My son needed first aid and was too shaken to continue the multi-day ride.)
Girl 3: "I was just the driver."
Judge: (after a lecture) "$500 a piece."
(I don't recommend trying to catch them. They might be *violent* jerks.)
If we let it go, it won't stop.
2007-06-29 07:26:35 · answer #1 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
The reasoning on this depends. If you were within a reasonable distance to the side of the street they were just being a jerk. But if you were in the middle of the street like many un educated cyclists i see these days You were in fact interefering with the flow of traffic which is illegal in some states (Mine included) Now granted the person still was not justfied But he was fustrated in the fact the police would take as little notice as cyclists interfering with traffic as they would to him throwing a can at you. I find common curtesy on both ends avoids things like this. IE Cyclists for no reason belong in the middle of the road ever, It's a hazard to motorists to swerve around you into the next lane. Motorists need to slow down a bit when they see a cyclist and use caution. Lord knows when my sisters asked me to teach them how to ride the first two things i taught them were..
1. Do not ride in the middle of the road.
2. Your usually best riding in groups or pairs for safety reasons .
2007-06-28 16:05:41 · answer #2 · answered by psxsage2 2 · 0⤊ 1⤋
Getting a plate number on a bike is impossible so you need to go for broke. Chase them down and break the window with your elbow. Seriously. My friend's brother rides cross-country for fun and did that in a populated downhill stretch in Vermont where he could overtake the car. I'd do the same in his shoes....
It's scary enough when they honk for no reason because the 20+mph wind in your ear hides the ambient car noise. The worst thing to happen to me was a Super Soaker. I flipped them the bird but couldn't do much else. Anyone throwing cans is a pretty awful human being.
2007-06-28 15:52:59 · answer #3 · answered by Anonymous · 2⤊ 0⤋
One other thing you can do is alert other cyclists to the situation. Contact your local bicycle clubs with a description of the car and the license plate if you have it so they can report them also to the police and get bubba off the streets/roads. In Texas that's what we call this type of person. You just had a Bubba encounter!
2007-06-28 16:23:26 · answer #4 · answered by B S 4 · 1⤊ 0⤋
In my state, you can dial *CSP on a cell phone and report them to the Colorado State Patrol. Giving them the license plate and description of the vehicle, and the cops will hunt them down and issue a ticket for endangering a cyclist.
Check your local state government for simething similar, or just call the cops where you live and report it anyway. these douchebags need to be smacked down before they hurt someone.
2007-06-29 02:53:14 · answer #5 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
Write down the license plate number, call the police, and file a complaint for attempted battery.
2007-06-28 15:06:44 · answer #6 · answered by Anonymous · 3⤊ 0⤋
Get a license plate # and file a report is what I would do... They could have caused a serious accident!
Good luck with whatever race you are training for!
2007-06-28 15:07:30 · answer #7 · answered by JQ 4 · 1⤊ 0⤋
The same thing and dont get hit, maybe try to get the license plate and type of car, but I dought anything will be done!
2007-06-28 15:07:02 · answer #8 · answered by afqt4816 3 · 1⤊ 0⤋
Get the license plate number and call the police!
2007-06-28 15:07:03 · answer #9 · answered by Anonymous · 3⤊ 0⤋
Try to get a license number then call the police. Other than duck there isn't much else you can do.
2007-06-28 15:07:05 · answer #10 · answered by shipwreck 7 · 3⤊ 0⤋