Some people are just jerks

[stealthbike]

Mrs Stealthbike was riding along Mill Point Rd in South Perth on Saturday morning. Heading west the cycle lane ended and she felt unsafe contining along the road due to the amount of traffic, so she moved onto the footpath near the zoo. Unfortunately the path is uneven due to it being partially concrete and partially brick paved. Her wheel tracked along the ridge join and she fell off, landing in the steel zoo fence. She suffered cuts, bruises and is unable to walk but fortunately nothing broken. Apart from the frustration of believing this accident would not have occurred had there been appropriate cycling infrastructure in place. She and I were saddened and dismayed that a motorist who saw the incident slowed and wound down his window and proceeded to laugh at her and then drove off.

This incident follwed on from me being run off the road at a roundabout in Bull Creek last week. When I asked the driver (at the next traffic light) if he had seen my indication, he replied "there is a foot path over there, get on it!"

[Lizzy]

Gah! Commiserations. According to BookFace I know a little over a hundred people and I don't believe that a single one among them would respond that way to someone coming off a bike in front of them.

The second I unfortunately can believe, not much better really. Hope you have some better days for a while.

[MyNameIsNoone]

Yeah, I reckon we've all got examples of that mutual respect and affection.

I was at Gidgegannup on Sunday for a race meet there. Just after the finish as the riders were coming back to the event village, a group of kids (maybe 6 or 7 under 15s), were encouraged by by a passing chap in a ute. He hit the horn and his wife (or his heeler - difficult to tell) gave the standard cry "Get off the f*****g road!!" as she lurched out of the passenger window like some B-movie zombie hungering for a bite of fresh brain. She did well not to spill her bourbon and coke.

No reaction from the kids, which I can't decide if that's a good thing they rose above it, or a bad thing that they're resigned to being treated like this. But really, what kind of half-wit inbred neanderthal takes their frustrations at their life's failings out on children this way??

[HappyHumber]

No reaction from the kids, which I can't decide if that's a good thing they rose above it, or a bad thing that they're resigned to being treated like this.

I know it can be hard under different circumstances - especially where those near & dear to you are endangered - but I try my best to resist temptation to react. Bullies are just wanting reactions often they're just wanting an excuse to escalate, huff & puff et cetera. Rise and stay above their level if you can.

As for the OP. Sorry to hear about your wife and the laughing drongo. One can only hope karma will come back & bite him on the ar5e in the near future. Not that that sort will likely connect the incidents through their conscience.

[im_no_pro]

I know it can be hard under different circumstances - especially where those near & dear to you are endangered - but I try my best to resist temptation to react. Bullies are just wanting reactions often they're just wanting an excuse to escalate, huff & puff et cetera. Rise and stay above their level if you can.

Agree entirely, although I must admit I lowered my colours once. Got buzzed by a p-plater who also felt the need to lean shout out the window his attempt to equate my wearing of lycra to my sexual orientation. Guess he forgot that he was driving a hyundai excel with frangipani stickers and purple seat covers. Without really thinking I kindly pointed that out to him. The resulting embarassment heaped on him by his mate in the passenger seat made it all worth it

[stealthbike]

Hope you have some better days for a while.

Thanks for the sentiment. Fortunately the good days far outnumber the bad. Even though we experienced two bad incidents last week, that was balanced by the absolutely superb ride last Thursday morning. The river was like glass and all was right in the world.

[hooman]

I was in LA a few years ago and witnessed something that horrified me and made me laugh at the same time.

A bunch of "rednecks" (American bogan yabos) in a beat up camaro were giving a bit of attitude to a guy in a black brand new RollsRoyce with the darkest tint. This was on Wilshire Blvd in Beverly Hills. Every traffic light they would yell out obscenities at this fellow. Sadly for the rednecks, at the next traffic light the passenger window of the RR dropped a couple of inches and a chromed shiney pistol appears aimed straight at the idiots!! Point blank!!

You never saw anyone apologize faster and take off so quickly!!

Man, I wish I could do that at the traffic lights after being abused by a local bogan! How cool would that be?

dude, sorry to hear about you and your wife. Good news is she will recover. The idiot in the car will not.

Regards,

Hooman

[Evo6point5]

Was riding two abreast but still not taking up much of the lane near Deep Water Point a couple of weeks ago to protect the wife (new to riding and bit wobbly) only to be beeped and abused by a twat and his partner in a 4wd towing a boat. Must have really disrupted his day being 20 seconds late to launch his boat.

Had a few words at the boat ramp.. claimed to be a cyclist himself.. makes you wonder

When it's me I can ignore it but when it's family it's different and very tempting to take souvenir wing mirrors home

[HappyHumber]

Had some twonk in the passenger seat of a BMW Coupe up behind me this morning coming back from Freo along Melville Beach Road in Applecross. "Get on the bike path!" he says as they rev past - only then to have brake heavily for the next speed hump.

Get on the bike path, eh? So I can bowl over your frail little old Grandma talking a nice walk instead?

I just try and channel the agro into the next climb.

[HappyHumber]

Oh... AND... on the way to Freo, earlier. I had a taxi honk me for NOT running a red light. Can't win, can we?

[Phil]

Yeah well worst part of the three dams yesterday - the gauntlet along Armadale Road getting buzzed by Bogan Neanderthals in Falcodores Utes twice - apparently its a challenge to see how close they can get their wingmirrors to you.

[just4tehhalibut]

Actually I experienced some bad behaviour by 3 Dams riders right before that, as they came down the hill on the Albany Hwy to the traffic lights riders went left, right and everywhere to pass cars waiting at the lights. There was an L-plater trying to turn left onto the South West Hwy who couldn't because of the bikes cutting the inside. And as I crossed the lights I moved over to the left to take the first left, a ramp almost immediately after the lights, couldn't do it either as I had a line of cyclist decide to cut in on the left. I had to eventually pull up to the kerb and retrace my steps using a footpath, while I was doing that I watched the big mass of riders wash down Armadale Rd over the rail line and heard the honking of horns from drivers dealing with bikes going everywhere. I'd guess that once the riders got past the rail line they'd form up proper 2-abreast formations and the traffic would thin out a little, just that first bit through Armadale got a bit ugly. The road thins after Forrestdale and sometimes has traffic standstills before the freeway, I wondered how popular these groups would be there.

The groups and pairs that I met from Safety Bay Rd heading north were a lot more in control and courteous, streaming along and calling their approach, better than the panicky shoaling effect that I saw on Armadale.

[Phil]

Actually I experienced some bad behaviour by 3 Dams riders right before that, as they came down the hill on the Albany Hwy to the traffic lights riders went left, right and everywhere to pass cars waiting at the lights. There was an L-plater trying to turn left onto the South West Hwy who couldn't because of the bikes cutting the inside. And as I crossed the lights I moved over to the left to take the first left, a ramp almost immediately after the lights, couldn't do it either as I had a line of cyclist decide to cut in on the left. I had to eventually pull up to the kerb and retrace my steps using a footpath, while I was doing that I watched the big mass of riders wash down Armadale Rd over the rail line and heard the honking of horns from drivers dealing with bikes going everywhere. I'd guess that once the riders got past the rail line they'd form up proper 2-abreast formations and the traffic would thin out a little, just that first bit through Armadale got a bit ugly. The road thins after Forrestdale and sometimes has traffic standstills before the freeway, I wondered how popular these groups would be there.

The groups and pairs that I met from Safety Bay Rd heading north were a lot more in control and courteous, streaming along and calling their approach, better than the panicky shoaling effect that I saw on Armadale.

Pretty bad. I am sure you were through there a long time before i got there