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Watch this insane bike hating driver harass cyclists

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There’s nothing worse than being harassed by passing drivers while trying to enjoy a beautiful day cycling with friends. We’ve all had it happen. Whether in the city in a bike lane or on a mountain road, some drivers just hate bikers. These two bikers had the misfortune of encountering this irritable driver. According to the first cyclist:

Here is what was supposed to be my relaxing Sunday morning ride with my teammate until things became a bit unsettling when an older male driver came up behind us in his Ford Explorer (license plate Colorado 893 EKG). This guy obviously doesn’t like seeing bikes for some reason since he sat behind us for more than five minutes blaring his horn. What’s even worse is we saw him approaching from behind and to be polite we ride single file to give him as much road as possible, as we did with every other car we encountered on this road east of Longmont, CO. This guy was so intent of bugging us that he backed up traffic behind him and cars had to pass him on a double yellow line. It seems he was the one obstructing traffic, not us. We ended up slowing up in order to force him to pass us and go on with his day. Insane. Hopefully this is the worste thing this guy does to cyclists.

Update from original poster  —

I appreciate everyone’s input on this matter and I have since spoken to Trooper Donahue of CHP. There have been other reports of this same driver it seems and if anyone else has information about this person please give Trooper Donahue a call at 303-239-4501. We need to centralize all information about this person please. Thank you!

 

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Rodolfo
Rodolfo
11 years ago

This guy is just lunatic…

DCKC
DCKC
11 years ago

I am afraid I would have stopped after about 10 seconds of that. I would have invited him to stop discuss his problem. I hope the police will get in touch with him…

MissedThePoint
MissedThePoint
11 years ago

That’s awesome! That’s like having a crowd of noise making spectators cheering you own, as they follow! These guys obviously don’t feel the love.

Canucklehead
Canucklehead
11 years ago

@MissedThePoint

A++++, excellent commenter, would read again

MEM
MEM
11 years ago

When you find out his identity please post it here and on YouTube!

MaLóL
MaLóL
11 years ago

I don’t get this at all. You find a stupid guy with a car, why not stopping for just a moment, let the stupid go away with his/her car and continue the sunday ride with no claxon? perhaps these cyclist were masochists?
Learning to deal with stupid people is something usual, no big deal. I don’t get this.

Dan E
Dan E
11 years ago

Sadly, this is the type of driver who will eventually cause harm, not just to other cyclists but to all other drivers through their actions.

Hopefully, it doesn’t take a more serious incident for some action to be taken by law enforcement.

John
11 years ago

That is nothing. A friend and I had a guy brake check us after going around a corner. 10 seconds later a cop drove by us & I flagged him down. I told the cop what happened & the cop simply said “ok” and just drove away.

Mark
11 years ago

Hi, My name is Mark Ackerman and I’m a producer with CBS4 in Denver. I’d love to speak with the cyclists in this video. Please contact me at meackerman@cbs.com .

PaulCJr
PaulCJr
11 years ago

This guy is lucky he’s in Colorado. In some towns and cities the cyclist would have smashed his lights or pulled him from the car.

Katy
Katy
11 years ago

To the poster who says just pull over…there is a potential danger there, as well. I have pulled over to get out of the way of a driver who was harassing my group, and he chose to drive by at speed as close as he could. A few more inches and there would have been bikes and people flying everywhere. On the plus side, when we called the cops, they took it seriously and came looking for the guy.

David
David
11 years ago

Haters Gonna Hate, you’re always subject to the worst driver on the road. Hopefully, this video is the first step in the guy losing his license.

MarkB
MarkB
11 years ago

After about 30 seconds of horn, and ignoring the signals to ‘come on around’, I’d have just taken my spot in the lane, the right-tire track, then called 911. The dispatcher would have heard all that.

Don’t think I’d have felt bad, either, if that fool would’ve awakened to something steely and heavy sticking out of his destroyed windshield…but I digress.

Enrique
Enrique
11 years ago

@MaLól I agree with you I’d have just stopped after the third claxon, let the idiot go and leave me alone. Although I feel for the my fellow cyclist since i’d have been so pissed that a jerk like that would ruin my sunday ride. I wouldn’t have stopped and provoked him since you never how much of a red neck he might be a pull a gun on you, there is no need. I’d talk to the police and try to get his ass into court to get license removed as many would agree he posts a threat to other cyclist and drivers and some 500 hours of community service as well court mandated anger therapy. No big deal just some ego punishment!

Adam12
Adam12
11 years ago

@MaLóL I am a Law Enforcement officer and avid cyclist. I can vouch that the recording of this incident that the two cyclists made is wonderful. It will help to stop the subject before he gets out of control. These type of people only escalate and become more dangerous and if everyone just ignored it, someone would eventually pay dearly, possibly with there life.

MG
MG
11 years ago

I think you can feel safe in the knowledge that this guy will get his…

MG
MG
11 years ago

… Maybe not today, or tomorrow, but some day.

Mark
11 years ago

Does anyone have info on the original post? Or, the cyclists? I’d love to interview them to draw more attention to this. Please contact me: meackerman@cbs.com

Steve
Steve
11 years ago

The Twitter handle of the guy who posted the video is https://twitter.com/DirkFriel

Coloradocyclist rider
Coloradocyclist rider
11 years ago

Everyone CALL *277 (hit star then 277) and report this guys license plate. Highway patrol will have to go to his house after 3 calls on the same license plate. Lets get this guy off the road!!!!!

CALL NOW….(*277) AND REPORT THIS GUY.

http://www.colorado.gov/cs/Satellite/StatePatrol-Main/CBON/1251594510991

Eric
Eric
11 years ago

Hard carbon soles and cleats make wonderful imprints on a 1/4 panel. I got pissed just watching this, I wouldn’t have handled it as well as these guys did.

Paul Smith
Paul Smith
11 years ago

Kudos to the cyclists for just riding calmly and not giving the driver anything legitimate to complain about. A little cellphone footage and a plate number is exactly the right response.

Ben
Ben
11 years ago

I can understand/support people’s pacifist impulse to just let him pass. Heck, I’ve done it in a car!
But I have to admit I’d do the same thing these riders did. As a cyclist I face a lot of disrespect from motorists while using the road within my legal rights, and even riding as considerately as possible. I find that the more time I spend on the road, the more right I feel to it, and the more resistant I am to back down. Giving into the drivers mania would have made me feel even worse, hating myself for giving him the satisfaction. As decision fueled by pride? Sure. Potentially self destructive? Yep. A good idea? Probably not, all possibilities considered.
But, that’s what I would have done.
For the sake of justice. *For. the. justice* haha

Capt Kirk's Nipples
Capt Kirk's Nipples
11 years ago

I’m sure his horn was just sticky and the fuel injectors were dirty. That’s why the vehicle couldn’t accelerate past the cyclists.

dale
dale
11 years ago

I live and ride in a busy area with twisty roads and this happens a lot but without the honking. We get a lot of yelling “fuckin faggot” is the usual line. It’s normally some out of work douche in a pickup on his way to buy scratch tickets and beer. Drivers get all kinds of balls when they are in their little bubble, especially trucks and SUVs. Then that all goes away when you get back with them at a stop light. Suddenly they don’t even see you or hear you asking what’s up.

ws
ws
11 years ago

I support these guys decision to continue riding respectfully. Document the incident and hope that it can be used as evidence to remove the motorist of his license. If he’s that angry and he’s not using his truck to run them over, he might have a gun or other weapon and see the cyclists stopping and looking at him (waiting for him to pass) as a threat. Ignore the bully, he’s trying to get a reaction out of you.

dan
dan
11 years ago

I hope he gets seriously bad karma, which is inevitable when you are a huge asshole. I respect that you as a cyclist did not resort to physical confrontation (that would make all cyclists look bad and reinforce the driver’s actions.)

frank
frank
11 years ago

This is why more cyclists should carry guns.

Sark
Sark
11 years ago

This guy should visit the Netherlands,

He would get a heartattack!
What an idiot!
…but idiots are everywhere sadly..

Mr Bojangles
Mr Bojangles
11 years ago

this just illustrates the serious reform needed in the US towards cycling. The earth continues to decay, and yet fat SUV driving people are still angry at cyclists? I simply cannot understand the ignorance in these people?

people from many countries

this guy is a idiot. I know, cyclist people dont want to fight people. I dont know whats happen with the driver. Drugs or another problem? call the police is the best one i thing. Of course take the number of the car and if you can take the face of this gentleman idiot person are wellcome to be famous in cicling homepages in the world. We running with people of many countries and its my first time we see this idiot people.
I listen in russia and china you have a same people sometimes, but dont worry about that, its only a idiot people who want to fight with somebody but they dont can. See ya.

JP Chovar
JP Chovar
11 years ago

Problem is, the USA is such a dangerous country due to millions of firearms in the hands of lunatics / grannies / even the housecat has a Desert Eagle 5.0.

Try to argue against that on the road

John
John
11 years ago

Geez. That’s blatant harassment, and there you have the car’s description (on video no less), license plate, can easily get the day and time, I strongly suspect the driver’s description wouldn’t be much of a problem, AND this driver seems to have a history of such behavior, yet Trooper Donahue wants more information? What more do you need? What more are you waiting for before you take action, someone to get killed?

germanflea
germanflea
11 years ago

I lived in Minnesota growing up, this has happend to me but not that extreme , live in germany now, that shit does not happen here. This is so disgusting! (deleted) Sorry for the language but I would not have survived 10 seconds of this.

bart
bart
11 years ago
MattS
MattS
11 years ago

Really glad you guys took the high road and didn’t allow the situation to escalate. I’m crossing my fingers that this driver is called to answer for his behaviour, and penalized.

MaLóL
MaLóL
11 years ago

this american paternalism it’s so funny. so a guy is pressing the claxon all the time, and you get scared as hell? My god. Hope you never have to live in a truly dangerous neighborhood. Come on, stop the bike and let the car go, don’t push a stupid person, that’s not a good thing, that is bad. Also; that road is not a safe place for cycling, there is virtually no space at the right of the right line. Do your sunday ride on a decent road for cycling, don’t risk your life like that. And please;

Stop whining!!!!!!!

@MaLóL
@MaLóL
11 years ago

WTF, virtually no space?! If you can’t get past cyclists on this road, you should either learn to drive or buy a smaller car (or stop driving at all)

Typee
Typee
11 years ago

yup, he’s OBVIOUSLY trying to make a point. You pull over and let him pass, you’re giving him the message that he’s right in his actions and validate/enforce this awful behavior. I would have given him room to pass, but would have held my claim to the road as these cyclist did.. and as @missedthepoint said pedaled harder with my new found strength from the awesome cheering gallery! hahah!

at MaLoL.. where the hell are you from?? no disrespect, but with comments like.. “the road is not a safe place for cycling”, “learn to deal with it”, etc etc… I’m starting to think YOU were the A-Hole in the car “pressing his claxon” ( I assume the means horn???)

Where I’m from, you can sue anyone for this kind of behavior in civil court.. and for a good chunk of change too. This guy would have already been served, and would be well advised to bring his checkbook to court!

MaLóL
MaLóL
11 years ago

please, read properly what I wrote, not what you think I wrote, it’s easy; “THAT road”. That road these two guys are riding, it’s really unsafe for cycling. As you can see in the video, there is absolutely no space to cycle at the right side of the right line. I think demanding to this driver it’s a nice thing to do, but first things first, look after your life yourself, and don’t cry that much.

I live in the Netherlands (a model for cycling infrastructure), and here, if you are riding in a road that is unsafe to YOU, the car drivers will be using the horn, ALL THE TIME. You can call the police too, and most likely, the fine will go to YOU, not the driver with the horn.

Again; stop crying for no reason.

MaLóL
MaLóL
11 years ago

I don’t know about the rules in USA, but in most european countries, a car has to be separated from a cyclist ALWAYS, at least 1,5meters. That means that in this road, which has a continuous line in the middle, the car would have to enter into the opposite direction way in order to respect that 1.5m separation, and could crash with a car coming in the opposite direction. This driver could have just passed the cyclists, not respecting that separation, with the possibility of risking the life of these cyslists. Fortunately, the driver, took the safe decision; not to pass the cyclist. Sure he f*d them up with the horn. Uhhhhh the horn, what a deadly weapon, eh?

Johnny C
Johnny C
11 years ago

why i love my “i ride with a gun” jersey.

Jamey
Jamey
11 years ago

I was honking in support. I mean, they were wearing their costumes, so I thought they were racing….

Jeez, you cyclists are so touchy!

Art
Art
11 years ago

Jamey your comment was idiotic, and if you try this BS in Texas you may end up getting shot!

Psi Squared
Psi Squared
11 years ago

MaLoL, you clearly don’t know U.S. cycling laws.

Coloradocyclist rider
Coloradocyclist rider
11 years ago

And just a reminder that CARS CAN PASS with a double yellow line when obeying the 3 ft to pass law. Its legal to do this in order to give the cyclist 3 ft when passing. My experience is that the age superiority group tend to have the hardest time crossing the double yellow in order to give me my 3 ft….just sayin…

Come on guys give the guy from CBS4 an interview!!!!!!!!! GET THIS OUT IN THE PUBLIC…

Nick
Nick
11 years ago

MaLoL. The laws in the USA differ from state to state. In Colorado, where this incident occured, since May 2009 the law is that you have to pass cyclists by 3 feet . See this site: http://bicyclecolo.org/page.cfm?PageID=988

The law that was passed in 2009 also allows cars to cross a solid centerline to pass cyclists when it is safe. It was obviously safe to pass as another car passes the honking car and the cyclists without incident.

I envy the cycling infrastructure and respect that motorists have for cyclists in most of Europe!

A
A
11 years ago

+10 for the cyclists’ patience displayed. My bottles would’ve been through his window after 10 seconds of that. Hope the police have a word with this moron.

Craig
Craig
11 years ago

Maybe he was trying to get your attention to ask why Natural Grocers (team sponsor) doesn’t carry low fat pork rinds. It’s an important issue to this driver.

Seriously, glad nothing escalated.

bart
bart
11 years ago

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