Thread started by trickmilla at 12.4.09 - 1:55 am

Coming home on Franklin
westbound between normandie and harvard
Pretty much an empty road
No I had to go around double parked car
so I get out in the middle of the road
then im about a block and a half from my turn
so get into the middle lane
its cold, the streets are empty so i am riding iwth may hands in my pockets
a sporty black SUV approaches from th eoppisite direction.. t
he speed is fast and i just get a weird feeling
i drop down to my bars and
just as the truck passes
the driver does a little swerve in my direction.
it is far away from swerving into me
or even near me in a way that would be threatening to me
but swerves into the lane i was riding in by 4 of 5 feet.

it was weird.
Not scary at all.
Yet the intent was clearly intimidation
driving recklessly
and swerving into the the middle lane
for no reason but to remind me
that he has the power to plow me over.






reply

that's an eerie feeling many of us know all too well. the tranquil bliss of riding jolted abruptly by fear and helplessness.



tfunk408
12.4.09 - 3:11 am

reply

why are so people in SUVs SO inane?



adrian
12.4.09 - 9:18 am

reply

i meant to say so many



adrian
12.4.09 - 9:19 am

reply

"get a job."

"stay on the sidewalk!"

*throws soda can at cyclist*

*accelerates off with wheels squealing*





Joe Borfo
12.4.09 - 9:29 am

reply

Someone did that to me the other night in the same area. Wasn't an suv though. Are you angry yet?



Roadblock
12.4.09 - 9:38 am

reply

This type of situation happens a lot to many of my friends and to myself.

It is like the driver is sending a message, "I could kill you."

Does it border on a hate crime? Yes, some think that might be a ridiculous assumption, but it seems to happen a lot to bicyclists. As if they are the primary targets of these actions. If you ride a bike, are you more likely to be harassed, threatened or even killed just because of your mode of transportation?



urbanpedal
12.4.09 - 9:38 am

reply

i've heard that drunk drivers can be attracted/distracted by flashing lights. was your light flashing? although i believe what i read about this was that it's amber or red lights, and they're drawn to it while travelling in the same direction as you...so maybe not.

i'm really not playing devil's advocate here, but it may seem like it. Are you certain the person did intentionally, or could they have gotten distracted and then swerved back?

either way, i know it's scary and i don't envy that feeling you probably got it your stomach.




cassidy
12.4.09 - 11:43 am

reply

just to be clear. i never actually felt scared or threatened.
just the same the swerving that was done sort of close to me did some how seem to be intended to get my attention.

not really one of those infuriating or life threatening situations
just something really odd.

I did read it as some sort of attempt to say:
"if i wanted to i could cream you"

the message i received was:
"I want you to be scared of me but I'm too much of a pussy to actually try and scare you."



trickmilla
12.4.09 - 6:12 pm

reply