This incident occurred January 19th at approximately 3 PM in Madison in the state of Wisconsin. The driver can be seen driving from a side road and it appears he didn’t see the cyclist as he started to make the left turn before the cyclist had passed.
Once the turn was made the driver, despite the road being clear ahead and the center line being broken, didn’t overtake the cyclist. Instead, he drove up behind the cyclist and then dangerously close alongside the cyclist, winding his window down and shouting “I wanna smash your f**kin’ face in!” at the cyclist. At this point, the car is driving on the wrong side of the road and the driver is driving without due care and attention while he shouts at the cyclist through the open window.
After numerous attempts to use his car to ram the cyclist to get him to stop he finally manages to squeeze the rider so close to a parked car that he had no choice but to stop. The irate driver then gets out of his car and comes charging with clenched fists towards the cyclist. It would appear from the video that at this point the driver notices that the cyclist is using a camera and his body language changes and he retreats back to his car. That doesn’t stop him cutting the cyclist off one more time, overtaking him just before the next stop sign and then turning right.
The cyclist has sent the video to his local police and is waiting to hear if they are going to charge the car driver with any offenses.
My bike would of been parked through his back window.
Serious questions now…
At what point would it be considered that you can defend yourself by chinning the fuckin prick?
Would threatening you with the car be enough?
Getting out and storming towards you?
Or is it only when they made physical contact?
Legally, I think they have to make physical contact first. Although in many places there is no more self defense laws. You will be charged with assault just like your assailant.
I don’t know what’s legal, but as soon as he opens his door he’s fair game right?
There’s no doubt in my mind that bloke was in for the fight until he noticed the camera.
He meant it up til that point, so has the bloke on the bike REALLY got to wait to be hit first before defending himself?
I’m with you, if they’re out the car and storming towards you, then the threat is real at that point.
I’m not waiting until he hits me first, how do you know you will be able to get back up ? And if you can’t get back up, how many more times will he hit/kick you in the head when you are down ? No thanks, i’ll get my punch in 1st & if he goes down, at least I know i’m not the type of person to keep hitting him.
I’m actually really surprised at how patient cyclists are with arse holes like this. Seeing as a lot of cyclists are in fairly good shape, I would expect to see lots of these videos ending up with a flabby car driver lying unconscious at the roadside.
If you’re skilled enough, the left side of rear axle could take him down real quick.
If you’re skilled enough, the left side of rear axle could take him down real quick.
It was the US, is he armed? I wouldn’t hesitate long enough to find out. Switch him off, park the car on his hand and toss the keys. It’s called survival.
I prefer not to fight anyway, but wearing bike shoes is a handicap. Ever see bikers scrap in a pro race? Rare but the ones I’ve seen tend to be a bit mincey. And that’s with world class athletes – albeit weighing 125lbs often 🙂
We all prefer not to fight, but what happens in this situation if you defend yourself after the previous threats?
What an entitled arsehole!
Honest to God, he gets close enough you throat punch him than answer questions later from the cops.
On his first approach out of the car I would switch his day off.
Right there with you. I always carry a hand pump that if i have to has and will again be used as a baton.
Kick him in the nuts!
Typical cheesehead
All good comments, but in reality, not very easy to do with a saddle between your legs and bike shoes on your feet. I’ve responded just as this cyclist has done, which was a little provoking. In many locales, simply “giving the bird” is considered aggressive….
You have to make sure there are witnesses on the road/sidewalk when you confront the driver for cutting you off/passing too close/etc. You have to make sure you are ready to go too – both feet on the ground, ready to get the bike out of the way. Not a lot of defensive weapons besides a water bottle, take off a shoe if you have time.
Asshole !
Luke Pepper
Quite obvious that the cyclist is in the wrong….he’s on his bicycle on the road ffs
High and mighty fuck (car driver)
What a surprise it’s a middle-aged white male. They think they can get away with ANYTHING
Most places if someone charges you and you feel threatened you can throw the first punch.
Early in the video there are painted signs on the road that indicate the cyclist may share the lane with cars…..at least here in Oregon that is the case. Usually means the road is too narrow to provide the required 3 feet clearance to the cyclist, or a proper bike lane……not that the cyclist must legally use said bike lane (again here in Oregon). The guy in the car obviously has anger issues……and maybe is carrying.
You are dead right Don Amedo…. He had ample time to pass but decided to be a dick!
Sadly at least he was aware and stopped at the turn ,wow no excuse for that go home beat your wife or kick the dog like a normal abusive jerk ,really wasn’t even argument worthy maybe he had just been fired from his job for cutting someone off at the cubicle…cock..
Sadly at least he was aware and stopped at the turn ,wow no excuse for that go home beat your wife or kick the dog like a normal abusive jerk ,really wasn’t even argument worthy maybe he had just been fired from his job for cutting someone off at the cubicle…cock..
What a time to be alive. I hate seeing this shit. But thankfully video makes it possible for the world to see what once would have sounded more like a tall tale.- that driver is Sooooo foul!
Yes it is terrible to see but thanks to technology people can see what actually happened opposed to what someone said happened. Fingers crossed this driver gets what is coming to him.
the guy in the girly car suddenly realized he might not be in the right kind of shape to be that tough
He called him a “faggot” too. Share with the LGTBQ community in on it. That guy is a fuck. I hate how I can relate to the intensity. Pepper spra him (carry pepper spray) and then turn off the camera and use the used “D” battery from under your seat on his hood.
Quick right hand take his head off his pencil neck
That is why I carry mace. The second he got out of the car, my 12 foot spray mace wod made it in his face..
Some drivers are really not the sharpest knives in the drawer.
The driver is lucky it wasn’t me on the bike, the last guy who tried this with me ended up with my bike through his windscreen and in hospital. Prick will meet someone like me one day if he carries on like this
What is it with American motorists that they hate cyclists so much? I don’t get it…
Deborah Armstrong : true that. I’ve seen just as many British videos like the one above. Here in Belgium things are much better. It’s not all sunshine and puppy dogs, there is some animosity towards cyclists here too, but it’s mostly aimed at the middle-aged, spandex-wearing, Venge-riding cyclists cruising around in packs.
If only we could all behave like our brethren of the North, AKA the Dutch..
Katherine Debusscher – Exactly! I am Canadian but vacationed in Netherlands years ago. Rented a bike & couldn’t believe how bike friendly that country is, from the attitude of drivers to the actual bike path articulation. I’ve heard Copenhagen is also excellent in that regard.
Rick Taylor The bike paths there are awesome eh? 😉
Copenhagen is every cyclist’s wet dream. I guess that’s what you get when the amount of bikes on the road vastly outnumbers the cars. As they should.
We are in Adelaide where the annual Tour Down Under is just finishing. We have spent a few nights here and we agree with Phil Liggett; this city is set up so well for cyclists. So much road sharing that works so well.