I had a run-in with the cager from hell yesterday.

[JulesMaximus]

So, I'm out in Palm Springs for the weekend with my wife and son and I took my carbon fiber road bike (bicycle) along so that I could get in a couple rides in during the early morning before it got oppressively hot. I rode 20 miles on Friday and another 20 miles yesterday. I was about 15 miles into my ride yesterday riding down Rt 111 in Rancho Mirage towards Palm Springs when some jackass in a Toyota Tundra buzzed me. I threw my left hand into the air to express my displeasure at how close he passed me (traffic was very very light and I was on a road with 3 lanes in each direction).

Anyway, right after my hand gesture he slows to a stop not far ahead of me. I immediately tried to determine if he had a passenger in his truck but couldn't tell right away so I decided to try to go around his stopped truck on the left. As I rode up along side him he accelerated to stay with me and started confronting me. He said something about another cyclist who was killed riding on this particular road to which I responded that I have every right to be riding on this road as he does (I actually yelled that at him since he was yelling at me).

Meanwhile, he's matching my speed and forcing me out into the next lane at the same time. Then he accused me of flipping him off, which I absolutely did not do, and he took a swing at me just brushing my right arm. Traffic is coming up behind us now and I'm all the way into the third lane with people honking at us. He proceeds to drive off and I'm left wondering what the fsck this guy's problem is.

I just shrugged the whole experience off and continue on my ride trying not to be pissed off about it since I'm okay. Then about a 1/2 mile up the road I see someone standing at a corner and quickly realize it's the same fsckwit who I just had the confrontation with. He's waiting for me and pointing to the intersection and as I ride by he's screaming that this is where that other cyclist was killed and that he was killed because he was a "fscking prick, just like you are."

I rode by him veering out into the roadway to avoid getting into a physical confrontation with this guy who is obviously unstable...not to mention he was about 100lbs heavier than me. So, I got a pretty good description of his vehicle and of him so I phoned it in to the Riverside county sheriff's office. Hopefully, they'll pick this asshole up at some point before he kills someone (a long shot but I remain hopeful).

Sh!t like this makes me want to carry a gun on my rides. At the very least I wished I had my cell phone...which I did not. I really wish I took note of his license plate number. I'd press charges against that dirty motherfscker in a heartbeat.

 

[jagec]

You should have gotten that license plate.

One of the nice things about riding a motorcycle is that you have the option to out-accelerate them if need be. So far I've been lucky, but you always hear stories. You guys on bikes have it even worse. Don't let it get to you...most of them aren't dicks, but you always notice the ones that are.

 

[Alone]

Originally posted by: JulesMaximus
Sh!t like this makes me want to carry a gun on my rides.

Because that would have made the situation much better. :roll:

 

[JulesMaximus]

Originally posted by: Alone

Originally posted by: JulesMaximus
Sh!t like this makes me want to carry a gun on my rides.

Because that would have made the situation much better. :roll:

That statement was more of a way of me expressing what I would have liked to do to that idiot. Not what I would have done if I actually had a gun in that situation. :roll:

And I do actually own guns but I've never felt the need or desire to carry a weapon with me when I ride.

Edit-I did absolutely nothing to provoke this jackass. His actions bordered on assault and this idiot should be taught a lesson. :|

 

[Whoozyerdaddy]

Wow... Some people can be total idiots.

WTH is a cager?

 

[dotcom173]

for some reason i was picturing u on a carbon-fiber mountain bike or racing bike thing, not a motorcycle. i dont know why i thought this, but it messed up the whole story. that guy is dumb.

 

[JulesMaximus]

Originally posted by: jagec
You should have gotten that license plate.

One of the nice things about riding a motorcycle is that you have the option to out-accelerate them if need be. So far I've been lucky, but you always hear stories. You guys on bikes have it even worse. Don't let it get to you...most of them aren't dicks, but you always notice the ones that are.

I know. If there's one thing I wish I could do over it would have been to make a note of that guy's license plate number. He is in desperate need of a visit from the cops. :|

Still, I had a pretty good description of the truck. It was a grey Toyota Tundra access cab with tools in the bed. He also had a busted rear window. It was a rear window with sliding glass and the half on the driver's side was busted out. I also gave the deputy I spoke to a pretty good description of the driver. I'm glad I called it in.

 

[SKORPI0]

Originally posted by: Whoozyerdaddy
Wow... Some people can be total idiots.

WTH is a cager?

Cager - Urban Dictionary

 

[JulesMaximus]

Originally posted by: dotcom173
for some reason i was picturing u on a carbon-fiber mountain bike or racing bike thing, not a motorcycle. i dont know why i thought this, but it messed up the whole story. that guy is dumb.

I was on a carbon fiber racing bicycle.

This is what I was riding.

 

[d33pt]

he was on a road bicycle, not a motorcycle. a cager is a person driving a car...it's a "cage" compared to the open air of a bike.

 

[dotcom173]

oh ok, so i DID have it right all along. someone said something about a motorcycle, so i figured i was just reading it wrong.

 

[everman]

A good reason to carry a phone with built in camera. The guy is obviously crazy.

 

[Number1]

Be carefull out there. You don't want to end up dead right.

 

[JulesMaximus]

Bump for the morning crew.

 

[Roguestar]

I hate inconsiderate drivers so much. The problem with them is it only takes an idiot in a car one bad judgement or one not-checking-the-mirror to kill a cyclist, whereas if he had crashed into another car it'd just be a case of claiming the insurance for a duffed up fender. People don't realise how dangerous the things they drive are.

 

[deerslayer]

Crazy Toyota drivers

 

[MisterJackson]

I'd really like to hear the other side to this story. Something tells me there's a lot more to it.

 

[Roguestar]

Originally posted by: MisterJackson
I'd really like to hear the other side to this story. Something tells me there's a lot more to it.

You're not one of these people that says "oh well you must have done something to deserve it, what did you say to him?" when someone gets beaten up in the street, are you?

 

[Capt Caveman]

Had an incident once while riding my bike into Downtown Crossing in Boston. Some guy in a car didn't signal and cut me off. I yelled at him. He stops his car(was dropping his lawyer girlfriend off), jumps out and runs up to punch me in the face in front of hundreds of people. I turned my head when he threw his punch and only knocked off my glasses then he jumps in his car and takes off.

I grab his girlfriend, call the cops and have a number of witnesses come up. Long story short, he gets arrested. His explanation is that he had just gotten into a fight with his girlfriend and has anger issues. No shit.

 

[broon]

If he was coming into your lane you should have punched his car and stopped. Carry a hand pump...that works for smacking a car that doesn't pay attention.

 

[MisterJackson]

Originally posted by: Roguestar
<div class="FTQUOTE"><begin quote>Originally posted by: MisterJackson
I'd really like to hear the other side to this story. Something tells me there's a lot more to it.</end quote></div>

You're not one of these people that says "oh well you must have done something to deserve it, what did you say to him?" when someone gets beaten up in the street, are you?

No, I'm the kind of person who never believes one side of the story. But thanks for making assumtions.

No one has a right to beat another person unless they're defending themselves or defending another who can't defend themselves.

What I'm saying is that if the OP instigated this thing then either A) He did something wrong and maybe didn't even realize it, or B) Did something wrong and isn't going to admit it when he tells his side of the story.

Don't read into my words and think I'm justifying the actions of someone who threatens anothers life.

 

[jackace]

I totally agree with the OP in his anger at this situation, but where I live there are specific bike lanes for bikers and they refuse to ride in them or they ride with their wheels on the line between the bike lane and the car lane. On the 35 mph rodes if a bike rider is riding in the car lane or riding on the line the entire lane of traffic gets backed up because no one can pass them till the left lane clears up.

Moral of the story. There are jerks on both sides. Sorry you had to deal with one that drives a car. Personally I notice how bad people are at driving. Especially with all the cellphones and such. I would never ride a bicycle on the rode for fear of getting run over. Not sure I would ride a motorcycle on main roads either. Just way to risky. Like an above poster said, all it takes is 1 driver to not pay attention and you are dead.

 

[JulesMaximus]

Originally posted by: MisterJackson
<div class="FTQUOTE"><begin quote>Originally posted by: Roguestar
<div class="FTQUOTE"><begin quote>Originally posted by: MisterJackson
I'd really like to hear the other side to this story. Something tells me there's a lot more to it.</end quote></div>

You're not one of these people that says "oh well you must have done something to deserve it, what did you say to him?" when someone gets beaten up in the street, are you?</end quote></div>

No, I'm the kind of person who never believes one side of the story. But thanks for making assumtions.

No one has a right to beat another person unless they're defending themselves or defending another who can't defend themselves.

What I'm saying is that if the OP instigated this thing then either A) He did something wrong and maybe didn't even realize it, or B) Did something wrong and isn't going to admit it when he tells his side of the story.

Don't read into my words and think I'm justifying the actions of someone who threatens anothers life.

How could I have done anything wrong? I was riding on a divided 6 lane road (3 in each direction) and I was occupying the right shoulder of the road, where I was supposed to be and completely within my right to be. I ride my bike thousands of miles a year on public roads and rarely have this type of interaction with motorists.

I'm not the type of person to start sh!t with someone but I will not back down when confronted either. Do you think that if I was the instigator that I would have called the Sheriff's office to report it? After the second incident I actually pulled into a business parking lot down the road to see if I could find someone with a phone so I could call the Police right there but nothing was open.

Are you in the habit of buzzing cyclists when you drive? Especially when traffic is extremely light and you could easily have gone around me?

I did nothing to instigate this. Thanks for making assumptions though...:|

 

[GasX]

Originally posted by: JulesMaximus
<div class="FTQUOTE"><begin quote>Originally posted by: dotcom173
for some reason i was picturing u on a carbon-fiber mountain bike or racing bike thing, not a motorcycle. i dont know why i thought this, but it messed up the whole story. that guy is dumb.</end quote></div>

I was on a carbon fiber racing bicycle.

This is what I was riding.

nice bike!

 

[JulesMaximus]

Originally posted by: jackace
I totally agree with the OP in his anger at this situation, but where I live there are specific bike lanes for bikers and they refuse to ride in them or they ride with their wheels on the line between the bike lane and the car lane. On the 35 mph rodes if a bike rider is riding in the car lane or riding on the line the entire lane of traffic gets backed up because no one can pass them till the left lane clears up.

Moral of the story. There are jerks on both sides. Sorry you had to deal with one that drives a car. Personally I notice how bad people are at driving. Especially with all the cellphones and such. I would never ride a bicycle on the rode for fear of getting run over. Not sure I would ride a motorcycle on main roads either. Just way to risky. Like an above poster said, all it takes is 1 driver to not pay attention and you are dead.

I actually ride both and 99% of the time I never have any trouble at all. The other 1% of the time I've been able to anticipate and avoid trouble.

Most of the roads here in SoCal have dedicated bike lanes and I actually prefer riding in them to riding on roads without bike lanes but sometimes you have no choice. I try to be courteous to motorists and keep as far to the right as possible when I'm on roads without bike lanes.

I don't know how it is where you live but the cities here do sweep the bike lanes periodically to keep debris levels down. Otherwise, they quickly become a real mess and a hazard with broken glass, rocks, and whatever else falls out of/off of vehicles.