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I do not know what the hell is going on, but recently I have had people throw coke cans and beer bottles at me while I cycle.
Should I keep a camera on me and take tag numbers or not bother?

We were doing a training ride a couple of weeks ago here in So. California which took us through a rough part of Pasadena,CA.
We got jeers from people, some yelled at us asking for money, and a couple of guys were on the street corner. One almost jumped in front of me and the other tried to spit on me.
I'd say a response to this is to RIDE FASTER,lol

This sort of thing really sucks, and needs to stop. It's happened to me, too - kids chucking pebbles (at me) from a footbridge over a canal, along which I was cycling. In a lot of cases, if you respond to their taunts the situation will probably only inflame, unless you can act with substantial authority and know what you're doing. If you are injured, then it may be wise to seek witnesses, perhaps confront them - but do it calmly! - and call the police, I guess.

If I get any better advice, I'll pass it on.

More than 30 years ago I was cranking down a farm road here in NM, probably doing about 25 mph, when a truck passed in the opposite direction, doing maybe 30-40 mph. Just as they passed me, a little shit-bag kid in the back pitched a rock the size of a quarter, which hit me right in the middle of the sternum. I thought I'd been shot. I had a dent there for months. There's no protection from random acts like that.

What's wrong these people? Sorry to hear it.

This is Horrible to hear!
What do those object throwers think?

Maybe they are feeling they are in "Easy Rider" and you are outlaw bikers?

Seriously, is this a common occurrence?

From my experience, no, throwing things is not the norm. I've had two vehicles try to run me off the road and and some tool throw an empty pop can at me. Several years ago, my folks and I rode the TOSRV and some crusty old guy went on and on about how his property extended out to the center line and this was trespassing etc. etc. Some people just don't like cyclists.(or maybe we're just easy to screw with)

When I was in high school, I had a bunch of people in my car and one girl threw a can at someone on a bike. I was disgusted. I didnt want to be associated with people like that. I honestly wanted to stop my car and apologize.

I was walking down the street one day by a bus full of high school kids. I heard something whip by my head... and smelled the faint scent of blueberries. Looking down, I saw a half-eaten blueberry muffin.

Blueberry muffins are delicious; what kind of sick, twisted, depraved person would throw one away?

LutherGooch saidI do not know what the hell is going on, but recently I have had people throw coke cans and beer bottles at me while I cycle.
Should I keep a camera on me and take tag numbers or not bother?

... Carry a camera??? How about a Smith and Wesson?*







*I think that's a brand of gun

I get beads and cups thrown at me every Mardi Gras. Won't even go into the lethal missles during St Patrick's day parades. Or what gets thrown at you from Bourbon Street balconies if you flash anything..

When bicycling or running, I don't feel safe on public streets. It seems certain members of the unintelligentsia find it necessary to harass, taunt, and even harm those of us who engage in physical activities. I've noticed two things about such people: (1) they are almost always unkempt and out-of-shape, and (2) they only harass from the safety of their vehicles. So, apparently, these people are resentful cowards. Fortunately, there are miles of bicycle trails where I live, so I don't have to ride on the streets. When running, I stay in my own neighborhood which is high on a hill and apparently inaccessible to people who like to harass and harm physically fit people.

I run and I get jeered at, screamed at, and I get people who swerve like they want to hit me. I also often get a car load fulla of girls that yell out "Yeah, BABY! Yer so sexy!" and the like. It's never a carload fulla guys though.

I think it's because people are jealous; they see you doing something good for yourself and something that elevates you above them and it pisses them off. Or maybe it's because it's been a long commute and they are bored. I guess I make a pretty arousing target with my reflective belt on and I can attest, cyclist are awful pretty and more importantly, shiny!

dean_pdx saidWhen bicycling or running, I don't feel safe on public streets. It seems certain members of the unintelligentsia find it necessary to harass, taunt, and even harm those of us who engage in physical activities. I've noticed two things about such people: (1) they are almost always unkempt and out-of-shape, and (2) they only harass from the safety of their vehicles. So, apparently, these people are resentful cowards. Fortunately, there are miles of bicycle trails where I live, so I don't have to ride on the streets. When running, I stay in my own neighborhood which is high on a hill and apparently inaccessible to people who like to harass and harm physically fit people.

That's it exactly! These people resent us for our fitness lifestyle. I have had only a couple of situations where objects were thrown at me (this is the rural midwest afterall) but those people fit the description precisely! We have to remember that we are living in a country where the vast majority of people are out of shape slugs

Hmmmmm,never thought of it that way.

I just posted about this topic the other day in the thread, "ROAD RAGE!!!" And I don't get it either, I'm almost afraid to go out on my bike anymore.

Let it be known that I consider myself a misanthrope, but it's still hard for me to imagine how someone can rationalize such careless, outward violence towards complete strangers.

But if you are one of us that uses a bike to get from point A to point B, do what I am now putting into practice and just wrap your bike lock around your forearm and use your imagination to fill in the blanks if you're ever threatened. I hear stories about bikers (motorcyclists) using ball bearings and other various paraphernalia to protect themselves on the road, so why not us?

[quote I hear stories about bikers (motorcyclists) using ball bearings and other various paraphernalia to protect themselves on the road, so why not us?[/quote]

Pepper spay/mace just dosen't pack enough whaloop any more.Sad.

I know a guy who keeps dead batteries within easy reach while cycling for just such occasions...

There needs to be some sort of cyclist harassment network in every city, done through a web site. The cyclist reports what happened, describes the perpetrator, and others take note. Of course a handful of vigilante cyclists might take matters into their own hands. Still, with a little publicity, at least the word is out that cyclists are watching, organized, and ready for the next prick to fuck with them. Can't hurt, eh?

Yeah, I had a brick chucked at me whilst riding in Cleveland. Basically, avoid St Clair; stick to Shaker Heights. I guess I should have known that, though.

I swear the past couple days have been "let's hit the cyclist on the side of the road" in the Denver metro area. Denver is usually a good place to ride too, unless you are being passed by a truck from Texas, then expect something to be thrown at you.

Caslon4000 said[quote][cite]LutherGooch said[/cite]I do not know what the hell is going on, but recently I have had people throw coke cans and beer bottles at me while I cycle.
Should I keep a camera on me and take tag numbers or not bother?

... Carry a camera??? How about a Smith and Wesson?*







*I think that's a brand of gun[/quote]LOL, my friends say no to the gun. I have one of those pop rocket tempers and would most likely unload a clip on the automoblie, reload, unload another...reload...you see what I mean?
Now the guy that mentioned that someone threw a "blueberry muffin" that is just anti-american man!

If people are going to throw objects, I want them to throw me 100 dollar bills. ...no change please.

The only things that have been hurled at me are " Get off the road" followed by honking.. to which I quicky produce my middle finger.

Dunno how so many assholes are unaware of the rules of the road pertaining to bicycles.

Lapinblanc said Dunno how so many assholes are unaware of the rules of the road pertaining to bicycles.

Probably because they don't require a class or a license before they let people take bicycles out on the road.

Actually, while riding in Michigan, there were two times when some induhvidual crossed the center line and opened the door of his vehicle to force me off the road. The pick-up door I could dodge, but that damned Oldsmobile door was about seven feet long and there was no chance.

There is one spot on my road where there's a view point on a cliff that's directly above the roadway on the next switchback down. Induhviduals like to drop beer bottles, rocks, and other objects over the rail, but they don't seem to care whether it's a cyclist or a car going past.

Yes, I've also had the problem with guys purposely pulling in through puddles and making jeering comments out their windows.


The problem is easily solved with a common everyday set of house keys at the next intersection. It only works in slow moving traffic with a lot of one way and pedestrian walkways

When I lived in the suburbs people would throw things at me all the freakin time, whether I was on a bike, jogging, or walking. Now that I am a city dweller I have no problems ever.

"Have you had problems with people throwing items at you?"

Only during roleplay with my partner. We do this thing where he's a furrier and I play a baby seal. He throws live fish at me and I'm supposed to catch them in my mouth and eat them. The problem, of course, is lobster hurts when it hits you in the mouth.

For many years now, I have carried a bullwhip on me, everywhere. The one time I didn't have my whip or my handgun was the ONE night where a kid from The Vineland Boyz gang tried to kill me with a baseball bat to my face. No longer do I go out unarmed. Unfortunately I lost the gun a few years ago (got forgotten in the trunk of the car, and the car got impounded! Figures) but I still carry the bullwhip everywhere, and I'm at an expert level with it. If any assailant has anytheng less than a gun, I have a good 8 feet of reach on him, and I'm fast and accurate enough to land the fall of that whip on a target one inch square.
You'd be amazed at how people step back when I pop that whip anywhere in the area. There are still a few weapons we can legally carry, and thankfully our Supreme Court will allow the recent gun-bearing descision to inform our laws once again. Also, whips are perfectly legal, so far.
If we allow others to victimize us, it's our own fault. I've had numerous occasions to need to fight for my life or the life of a loved-one. I'm no scapper by any means, but if we back-down from such threats we only further enable those who would hurt us, and maybe another person down the line.
What if those who have just thrown a bottle at you are allowed to get away to do it to the next cyclist? And what if that cyclist is just a young kid?
I say, if they assault you when you're innocently riding, open fire on them in their cars, ride up close and grab one of them from the car and beat him into the pavement, hell carry a sword if you need to.
Just let such assholes know that the next time they think it would be fun to do a drive-by, one says to the other... "Would be fun, if the last time I hadn't lost an eye, as well as my ability to grip a steering wheel."

gymguy1 saidWhen I was in high school, I had a bunch of people in my car and one girl threw a can at someone on a bike. I was disgusted. I didnt want to be associated with people like that. I honestly wanted to stop my car and apologize.

But did you tell her to get out?

I've not had anything yet,perhaps cyclists are more accepted in the UK, but a friend in South Africa was training with his club when one of them was shot at.

I think this type of behavior is disgusting. Throwing things at cyclists and yelling obscenities at them are outstanding examples of juvenile behavior. It is not just teenagers doing this, many 30 something and 40 something adults also do some of these hostile, immature things. If only some of these motorists would accept the fact that cyclists have as much legal right to the road as they have. I have never had anything thrown at me yet but I have been yelled at frequently to ride on the sidewalk. I yell back at them to drive their car or SUV on the sidewalk.

analyticalbrewer said...unless you are being passed by a truck from Texas, then expect something to be thrown at you.

Hey!

McGay said"Have you had problems with people throwing items at you?"

Only during roleplay with my partner. We do this thing where he's a furrier and I play a baby seal. He throws live fish at me and I'm supposed to catch them in my mouth and eat them. The problem, of course, is lobster hurts when it hits you in the mouth.

Holy crap that's awesome! I have several friends here in SF who ride the streets and I've never heard them speak of anything like what you've written here (not to say that it doesn't happen). Taking pictures and reporting them to the proper authorities, I'm not quite sure what they would do with that info. You could always call your local department of CHP and ask if it's even worth it. I'm sure they'll be more than happy to give you suggestions on how to combat this.

Yeah, I have fists flying at me when I spar five days a week, so I throw mine right back and they land quite nice on their face, I may add.

I've been spit on and heckled before while riding my bike to work. More dangerous I find though, are the people who come barreling down the road way, honking and knocking you off the road. I was run off the road and into a ditch full of glass by a crazy woman in a minivan, resulting in a blown tire, some scratched knees and hands, and me walking eight miles to work and back.

Here in KY we just run you down with our SUV's, just ask the former Miss America, Heather French Henry.

Seriously, no one has ever thrown anything at me when I'm biking. I tend to yell at people if they try to run me over and I get in their face.

Maybe its that damn spandex that does it....haha just kidding trying to lighten up a dark conversation.

When I first moved to SoCal (1997) I had someone throw a piece of pizza at my back. Luckily, it wasn't hot.

I took chase and squeezed a whole water bottle of purple cytomax in their window at the next red light ... then rode like hell to get out of there.

good times!!

when i was at the high school. a kid in a school bus threw me a plastic bottle. spoiled brat!

YngHungSFSD saidMaybe its that damn spandex that does it....haha just kidding trying to lighten up a dark conversation.

If it's you in the spanxed, SFSD, it could be they're disoriented from staring at what I'm sure is a beautiful butt.
I've never had anyone deliberately throw anything at me, yell at me or try to force me off the road - and I ride my bike on the streets of Chicago all the time. If a car turns in front of me or does some other boneheaded move, I just brush it off, because I don't want to get someone in a car mad at me while I'm on my bike.

Lapinblanc said......

Dunno how so many assholes are unaware of the rules of the road pertaining to bicycles.

So true. They don't think that stop signs or traffic lights pertain to them; then after sailing through the intersection they spread out laterally and block faster traffic instead of riding single file, etc.

I was at a four way stop and next to a lady in her SUV who seems to think I was not there. She made a right turn and I just wanted to go through to the other side.
I thought (I was there first) that I had the right of way. The poor woman ignored me and started her turn. From that day I simply take the lane.