Did You Finger Me?

[SilvrT]

Nina & I were out for an enjoyable afternoon ride yesterday and decided to head up the mountain to where one of the local ski hills is. Very nice ride, warm and sunny and not a lot of traffic. It's 2-lane up, 1 coming down. The left lane going up is designed for passing slower vehicles and there's signs along the way that say "Keep right except to pass".

 

So, up ahead of us is a "slower" moving car in the right lane. In the left lane is a van (plumber's van) going about the same speed as the car but appx 2 car lengths back.... I got up behind the van and follow for a bit, waiting to see if he's actually going faster and passing or if not, is he going to move over so I can pass .... NOPE... neither!

 

I get into his side-view mirrors and flick my high beams. Still he doesn't move over so I blast the horn ... still doesn't move over. Now, I don't like passing people on the right coz sometimes they suddenly decide to move over and not realize you're there... but I did anyway and as I got passed him and moved over to the left lane to pass the car, I raised my left arm and made a finger motion over my head pointing to the right (used the index finger) and off we went up the road.

 

Got to the parking lot and got off the bike and next thing I know, this guy in the van pulls up and says "did you finger me?" in what I felt was an aggressive and threatening tone.

 

So I said NO and explained the motion I made and why I made it. He repeated "you fingered me" and I repeated NO, it was a motion to move over.

 

Well anyway, to make the long story short, I thought for a few minutes there I would have a scrap to deal with; however, he backed off, backed up and left but it was obvious as he was backing up, turning around and driving off he was cussing me out.

 

From my perspective, the guy was itching for a fight over nothing IMO. Not sure how I would have handled it had he gotten out of his van, me being 65 and him appx 35 but me at 165lbs, wiry and quick to get my dander up .... Nina later reminded me that I shouldn't go getting into such things as I'm not 35 anymore (which I guess I still think I am LOL)

 

Anyhoo... nothing more came of it and I'm not really sure why I'm posting this other than to just VENT a bit LOL

[Sailor]

Like they say rick " It aint the size of the dog in the fight, it's the size of the fight in the dog":no-no-no: No, I am not giving you the finger.

[Yammer Dan]

24 inch breaker bar taped to rack comes in handy.

[Pam]

Not to offend anyone but Old age and trechery in many cases over comes youth and exurberance (spelling ??? )

[Marcarl]

Bull**** baffles brains,,,, just don't let them even think that you have either!

[hunter 1500]

I would have said do you want trouble A....... and when he got out I would have whipped out my 380 and put four in his chest and rode off into the sunset.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Just kidding. I ride for fun and so I would have done the same as you did.

[rickardracing]

Leave your helmet on. It hurts their hands IF they make contact.

[CaptainJoe]

Even though he was being uncourteous driving in the passing lane, and, not passing, the rules of the ocean apply. Remember you're the ones on the bike.

He could just as easily run you and your wife off of the road.

With all of the hot heads on the roads these days, when they do smething i dont like, i just pass, or get away from them... period.

 

After moving over in his mirror view and flashing your lights, then blasting your horn, Did you really think signaling for him to get over would work?

He was in his own little La La world ... Best to leave him in it.

 

On the other hand had a woman pass me coupla years ago, (guess i didnt pass fast enough for her passenger boyfriend) I was in the right lane and he put his middle and index finger together and was shooting imaginary bullets at me. I turned too my wife and remarked ' Do you think he would be doing that if he knew I what was in my glove box' (loaded Smith and Wesson 9mm)... It pays to be prepared. Just in case things turn ugly.

[Sliver]

Leave your helmet on. It hurts their hands IF they make contact.

 

Thanks for that. I haven't had a laugh like that in a long time.

[SilvrT]

Leave your helmet on. It hurts their hands IF they make contact.

 

heh ... back when I was around 28 or so I got into it with a guy who almost caused me to dump the scoot and that's exactly what happened! I chewed him out when I caught up with him. Before I had a chance to get off the bike he came over and threw a punch at my face ... I ducked and he hit my helmet and that was the end of it!

[Drkngas]

I would like to think my fighting days are over and so I try to ride bikes fast enough to leave my problems behind. Besides, the punches to my kidneys from my wife riding with me reminds me of that when I do show a little road rage.

[Eck]

All in all SilvrT..is sounds like your just an ol-trouble maker .............

 

Road rage comes on quite rapidly most of the time, and in most all cases, with unjust cause. It may last for several minutes, depending on how quickly the addrenaline subsiudes, to where one can think calmly and rationally....

ask me how I know...

[SilvrT]

All in all SilvrT..is sounds like your just an ol-trouble maker .............

 

 

Yup!

[Dragonslayer]

Good opportunity to use the line in your best Deniro impersonation,

"Are you Talking to me....Are YOU talking to me"

[oldgoat]

i like to just put my hands on the side of my head like i have a bad headache. and say dont listen to the voices dont listen to the voices. remember the last time you listend to them? the cops are still are looking for the body of that last person who tried to fight me.

[MikeWa]

A good reply to "did you finger me?" is "did you deserve to be fingered?" either way he answers you just say "Well there you go."

 

Mike

[uncledj]

If someone ever approaches me in such a threatening manner, I just start sobbing and pee myself.

No self respecting person would continue to threaten or hurt such a pathetic figure.

Works for me.

[SilvrT]

If someone ever approaches me in such a threatening manner, I just start sobbing and pee myself.

No self respecting person would continue to threaten or hurt such a pathetic figure.

Works for me.

 

 

[LilBeaver]

If someone ever approaches me in such a threatening manner, I just start sobbing and pee myself.

No self respecting person would continue to threaten or hurt such a pathetic figure.

Works for me.

 

That or take your pants off. After all, who is going to beat a guy that doesn't have pants on?

 

 

By the way Rick, props to you for holding Nina back and not letting her whoop that guy...

[SilvrT]

 

By the way Rick, props to you for holding Nina back and not letting her whoop that guy...

 

heh ... I think mabbe behind my back Nina was doing something (such as making gestures indicating he'd have to deal with her first) that scared the poor jerk away.

[rickardracing]

I would like to think my fighting days are over and so I try to ride bikes fast enough to leave my problems behind. Besides, the punches to my kidneys from my wife riding with me reminds me of that when I do show a little road rage.

 

 

I would like to think those days are over me also, I am 48. But, I did have to reach in through a window about two months ago and have a hands on "discussion" with a young man. Sometimes my temper gets away from me.

[SilvrT]

I would like to think those days are over me also, I am 48. But, I did have to reach in through a window about two months ago and have a hands on "discussion" with a young man. Sometimes my temper gets away from me.

 

See... that's my problem... I still think I'm half my age .... and back in those days, I've done that too.

 

Young guy in a VW beetle was crossing thru and intersection just when I was crossing (walking) ... he damned near didn't stop and when he did, I was at the middle of his front bumper... touching. I walked around and backhanded him 2 or 3 times thru his window and educated him on the rules of "the pedestrian has the right of way" LOL

[Venturous Randy]

The one thing you always have to keep in mind is there are some real crazy people out there. There are people right on the edge looking for a fight and would not think anything about blowing someone away, especially if they thought they could get away with it.

Also, with some of the drugs on the street right now, such as meth and bath salts and other stuff, these people don't care who is right or wrong. They are already crazy and don't care who they attack. And, even if you carry, you may still not have much of an opportunity to evaluate the situation before everything goes wrong. As hard as it is for me to do it, I just try to tell myself that the best thing thing to do is to get away from them as sooner or later they will run into someone just like them and they will take care of it.

RandyA

[OB-1]

The one thing you always have to keep in mind is there are some real crazy people out there. There are people right on the edge looking for a fight and would not think anything about blowing someone away, especially if they thought they could get away with it.

Also, with some of the drugs on the street right now, such as meth and bath salts and other stuff, these people don't care who is right or wrong. They are already crazy and don't care who they attack. And, even if you carry, you may still not have much of an opportunity to evaluate the situation before everything goes wrong. As hard as it is for me to do it, I just try to tell myself that the best thing thing to do is to get away from them as sooner or later they will run into someone just like them and they will take care of it.

RandyA

 

Excellent advice!

 

I often ask myself if the perceived wrong is worth killing someone over. I have no desire to harm anyone, but as Randy stated above, we usually don't know who we are dealing with or how they will react. It would be my luck that the guy I decided to educate would escalate the situation to the point where lethal force was required for me to survive the encounter and that's not something I want to happen. Just my opinion...

[saddlebum]

Leave your helmet on. It hurts their hands IF they make contact.

Or if you take it off it makes a great CLUB