Bicyclists: BIGTIME beware of the car with license plate 6LHR371
Had a run-in with a real prize of a cager this morning. I was riding up 14th Street towards Broadway when I heard a honk, pretty far back, and then with increasing volume the sound of a revving engine, clearly coming up on me at speed. Before I knew it, this scheisskopf had moved to the right, into the empty row of parking spaces, and had zoomed past me on the right before veering abruptly left back into the traffic lane in front of me:
Of course, since I was able to catch up to him at the next light (which is where I snapped this picture), it didn't do him a whole lot of good.
I truly do not understand cagers. It's downtown Oakland. It's a business district. There are pedestrians - many of them from the senior center and healthcare facility located across the street from where this idiot pulled this little maneuver - and delivery vehicles all over the place. And this self-entitled asshole decides it's perfectly fine for him to go playing Dukes of Hazzard on 14th Street because he's offended at the presumption of a bicyclist taking the lane.
One of these days, something like this is going to happen when I'm not on my way to something scheduled (like work), and I'm going to be able to shadow the asshole (from a safe distance back) until they park and leave their vehicle... at which point I'll leave a UBC leaflet on their windshield:
Most cagers are cowards. Last week some guy in a pickup truck honked at me and gestured angrily get over to the right! get out of the lane! I pulled up next to him at the next stop light and gestured roll down your window, I want to talk to you. The driver shook his head alarmedly at me and looked away. I scooted over a step and knocked on his window. Roll. Down. Your. Damn. Window. I. Want. To. Talk. To. You. He shot a nervous glance at me then seemed to become utterly engrossed in something on the passenger window. So I stood there, glaring at him and gesturing roll your damn window down! any time he even glanced toward me. As soon as the light turned green, *screech!* he was outta there.
Typical. Big tough cager when behind the wheel and with the windows rolled up turns out to be a spineless, gutless wonder when confronted by (ooh, scary!) a skinny middle-aged woman on a bicycle armed only with knowledge of the vehicle code and an attitude of "I am not going to take this shit from you, asshole."
Of course, since I was able to catch up to him at the next light (which is where I snapped this picture), it didn't do him a whole lot of good.
I truly do not understand cagers. It's downtown Oakland. It's a business district. There are pedestrians - many of them from the senior center and healthcare facility located across the street from where this idiot pulled this little maneuver - and delivery vehicles all over the place. And this self-entitled asshole decides it's perfectly fine for him to go playing Dukes of Hazzard on 14th Street because he's offended at the presumption of a bicyclist taking the lane.
One of these days, something like this is going to happen when I'm not on my way to something scheduled (like work), and I'm going to be able to shadow the asshole (from a safe distance back) until they park and leave their vehicle... at which point I'll leave a UBC leaflet on their windshield:
Most cagers are cowards. Last week some guy in a pickup truck honked at me and gestured angrily get over to the right! get out of the lane! I pulled up next to him at the next stop light and gestured roll down your window, I want to talk to you. The driver shook his head alarmedly at me and looked away. I scooted over a step and knocked on his window. Roll. Down. Your. Damn. Window. I. Want. To. Talk. To. You. He shot a nervous glance at me then seemed to become utterly engrossed in something on the passenger window. So I stood there, glaring at him and gesturing roll your damn window down! any time he even glanced toward me. As soon as the light turned green, *screech!* he was outta there.
Typical. Big tough cager when behind the wheel and with the windows rolled up turns out to be a spineless, gutless wonder when confronted by (ooh, scary!) a skinny middle-aged woman on a bicycle armed only with knowledge of the vehicle code and an attitude of "I am not going to take this shit from you, asshole."