Do you think its time for me to quit workin in the city?

[AF_Bill]

The ball bearing idea is great but only if I'm moving. Again, I was stopped at a red light. Hell, I even had the reflective orange patch sticking out the back of my jacket. Anyway, I was thinking about taking an idea from Batman. Carry a small pouch full of spike balls or something. You can use your imagination.

[tkent02]

When I dump my bike after hitting a bunch of used spike balls I will know who to blame.

[MikeJ]

Background info: I work part time at a comedy club in downtown Baltimore.

I'm in Columbia, 20 minutes away. Be happy to ride with ya some Sunday, Bill.

So this past friday night, its around 1am as I'm leaving the club. I'm sitting at a red light with a car in front of me, and another beside me. A van full of people come up behind me a few sec later. The light is still red and they honk the horn at me. I ignore it because there's no where for me to go. The driver then proceedes to gun his engine a few times

They were acting like jerkwads but I've seen that kind of showing off lots of times before, not only in cities, and not only against bikers. Don't you think teens cruising the strip in some small Midwestern town on Friday night with 3 or 4 of 'em in a vehicle (and trying to prove their manhood to each other) would pull the same kind of idiot stunt when they ease up behind somebody at a stoplight? You did the right thing not to confront them and escalate the situation from one of them engaging in harmless posing (to compensate for the size of their genitalia most likely - but we won't go there) into possibly coming to blows (or worse) with or without them still armored inside their 2-ton deadly weapon. And, they outnumbered you, and you had no idea what kind of offensive weapons they were carrying (besides the blunt instrument they were driving).

which causes me to turn around and look at him, letting him know I see, hear, and ain't moving. When the lights turns green, the car in front of me doesn't move due to the cab stopped in the middle of the intersection. The driver of the van decides this ins't acceptable to him, so he honks the horn again and starts moving towards me.

Scary? Yes, because on a bike you're so vulnerable to collisions with cagers even at low speeds. But I still think they were just being bully jerks and playing with you, not intending to really run into you. What good would that do them? Too many forms to fill out afterwards. Not that they seemed like the type who would think that far ahead...

At this point, I turn around again and notice that the lane to my right is open and clear for a block. I grap the bars and swing into the right lane to avoid the idiot and (against my better judgement and MD laws) proceded to slowly ride between lanes to get away.

Smart move. I doubt a cop would ticket you for lane splitting if you explained the situation after he stopped you, if you even ever got stopped for doing that. It's not like you were doing it for blocks on end, right? You just were getting past the blocked intersection with the gridlocked cab stuck in it, huh?

Made it a few blocks away and pulled over infront of a bar I usually stop at on my nights off, and light up a cigarette. It freaked me out because this is the only time I've ever had someone deliberatly try and hit me.

As I said before, I don't think they were deliberately trying to run into you. But they were getting too close for your comfort zone, and _were_ deliberately trying to annoy you, which is a different thing, common to your garden variety schoolyard bully as well. The best way to frustrate them is not to agree to play their game.

So you think I need to quit my job or start bringing my gun with me?

Oh, don't do either of those things. Just keep your head on full swivel when on your bike, assume _all_ cagers are out to kill you even if they are innocent old ladies, don't engage the aggressive ones to challenge them into even more aggressive behavior, and use the maneuverability and speed of your bike to get away from them as soon as possible.

[raistian77]

You did the right thing.
Dropping the kickstand and getting off might have been a real bad idea.
The driver was behind the wheel and in a better position to attack.

You never know
how many were in the vehicle
the mental state of the driver
he might have caught his S.O. cheating
he might have been drunk or high
he might have been just fired
or he might be plain old crazy.

Or getting off the bike might have been mistaken as a act of aggression and running you down as an act of self defense.

Anytime you can escape a situation or defuse it safely, you should. I have been known to stop in parking lots to let idiot agresive drivers get on down the road.

[earlfor]

I probably would not commute regularly on a motorcycle in Baltimore traffic in the first place. For that, my choice of vehicle would be an old F-150 with six foot lengths of thick wall, 8" diameter steel pipe welded to each bumper.

In answer to your question. Yes.

Earl

[DanTheMan]

YES! Quit working in the city. Do like so many of us here have done (especially us vets), move to the country, chill out, de-stress and live the good life where twisty roads abound........and four legged vermin called deer keep you on your toes instead of insane city dwellers with murderous thoughts in their mind as they sit behind the wheel of the 7k lb weapons.

[AF_Bill]

Unfortunatly Dan, I can't retire, yet. I'm still a "young buck" as some of the older guys tell me at work. I've got a while to go before I retire from the Air Force. The job I have in the city is just part time and only Thurs and Friday nights. It helps pay for the drinkin on Sat and Sun, as well as the parts I buy for the bikes.

[82Shafty]

The unfortunate part is most people are cowards...they most likely would have shot you if you got off of your bike and got away with self defense.

[tkent02]

For that, my choice of vehicle would be an old F-150 with six foot lengths of thick wall, 8" diameter steel pipe welded to each bumper.

Fill the pipes with concrete, like my brother's Wagoneer. Then you can ram dipsh:ts to your heart's content, no matter what they are driving.

[Wallowgreen]

You never know
how many were in the vehicle
the mental state of the driver
he might have caught his S.O. cheating
he might have been drunk or high
he might have been just fired
or he might be plain old crazy.

It's also possible he's just a d1ckhead in need of a good smack in the teeth!

Just sayin'

[GabrielGoes]

this is the only time I've ever had someone deliberatly try and hit me. So you think I need to quit my job or start bringing my gun with me?

Dont quit your job man, I understand 100% where your comming from im in new york, Dont let that kind of act get to your head man, What i do when i encounter those people, is think to myself "i am never going to see this person again, and if i loose it im the one going to jail and this guy is probably going to get away unharmed" do things with God is my best advice... Get over it the second after or that day! good luck!

[Detroit Diesel Man]

Ive been in something close to that same situation..and did as you did...but also after stopping and calming down I called the police and reported the incident..I make it a habit now to get license plate numbers of vehicles. Thing is..back in my youth I wouldve lost it..you never know what you'd run into these days...things have changed in the last 15 years..what may have been a fist fight now has become a gun battle...you did the right thing.

DDM

[AF_Bill]

Thanks. I would have gotten the plate but there was no front tag on the van. And I sure as hell wasn't gonna wait around.