Beautiful Fall day, I am headed out on a easy 50 mile bicycle ride. Headed up Gateway Blvd (Cottage Grove), four lane road. I am in my lane. You pass in your filthy tan Toyota P/U, yell out the window, pull in front of me and try to right hook me. You missed. You said something and I gave you the finger. Three minutes later you pass me again on Row River Road. You park on side of road (no parking) get out and try to grab me as I go by. You missed again. I keep riding, see you coming again so I turn left on Palmer Ave, see a warehouse door open, haul ass inside and yell “call the police” You pull in the lot and tell me that I cannot drive in the lane on Gateway because “i have no licence or pay taxes” What can I say to you but “go suck a bag of dicks” You tell me ” I remember your face and next time you will be in my territory” I file police report and hope to see you in court

32 replies on “I’ve Got Your Number, Asshole”

  1. That’s a pretty bike-hostile area to be riding in in the first place. In fact, when trying to ride your bike outside of Portland or Bend I’ve noticed this type of ignorant hostility becomes all too common.

    I had someone throw a metal 25′ Stanley tape measure at my head once for daring to ride on the road in Medford, OR. It was far better than the usual Big Gulp cups full of piss and chew spit that normally rains down on cyclists in that town. Plus, you know, free tape measure.

  3. OMG, terrifying! This is why I’m a pussy cyclist – I ride to work, go the long route to stay in the bike lanes (avoid cars on streets with no bike lanes) or stay on the Spring Water Trail/Corridor. Assholes like that p/u driver don’t realize how much he endangered your life.

  4. I’ve been riding 14 years in Portland and never once had anything remotely hostile like this happen. Not doubting your story, but don’t be discouraged. I think the most hostile thing I’ve ever experienced while riding is a group of teens driving by, hanging out the window yelling “YOURE NOT WEARING GREEEEEEEEN” (was st patricks day), about as tame as it gets.

  5. I live in Florida, where cyclists and pedestrians are pretty much road kill. But we also have the Stand Your Ground law, which means you can lkegally shoot people who threaten your life. Or is that too much for the meek and mild heart of Portland?

  6. ORS 814.430 Improper use of lanes; exceptions; penalty. (1) A person commits the offense of improper use of lanes by a bicycle if the person is operating a bicycle on a roadway at less than the normal speed of traffic using the roadway at that time and place under the existing conditions and the person does not ride as close as practicable to the right curb or edge of the roadway.

    I don’t support anyone going agro and endangering someone else, but I’ve been seeing a whole lot of cyclists lately who don’t seem to understand this law. This I,A was likely going near traffic velocity, but I’ve seen plenty of spandex clad “serious” cyclists meandering down the street like Pee Wee Herman on a sunday ride. Not to mention hipster idiots riding uphill on Sandy or MLK at about 12 mph.

  7. To ORS 814
    I have the right to ride on the portion of the road that I consider safe. There is not bike lane on Gateway and there are loads of fast food joints and a gas station. No police has ever given me a ticket for taking the lane for safety reasons. Also I ridek over 6000 per year and have not had an experience like this before. All in all the drivers down here are pretty decent. Except for some of the log trucks.

  8. Conveniently left out the second half of ORS 814.430 there, Blabby.

    (2) A person is not in violation of the offense under this section if the person is not operating a bicycle as close as practicable to the right curb or edge of the roadway under any of the following circumstances:

    (a) When overtaking and passing another bicycle or vehicle that is proceeding in the same direction.
    (b) When preparing to execute a left turn.
    (c) When reasonably necessary to avoid hazardous conditions including, but not limited to, fixed or moving objects, parked or moving vehicles, bicycles, pedestrians, animals, surface hazards or other conditions that make continued operation along the right curb or edge unsafe or to avoid unsafe operation in a lane on the roadway that is too narrow for a bicycle and vehicle to travel safely side by side. Nothing in this paragraph excuses the operator of a bicycle from the requirements under ORS 811.425 or from the penalties for failure to comply with those requirements.
    (d) When operating within a city as near as practicable to the left curb or edge of a roadway that is designated to allow traffic to move in only one direction along the roadway. A bicycle that is operated under this paragraph is subject to the same requirements and exceptions when operating along the left curb or edge as are applicable when a bicycle is operating along the right curb or edge of the roadway.
    (e) When operating a bicycle alongside not more than one other bicycle as long as the bicycles are both being operated within a single lane and in a manner that does not impede the normal and reasonable movement of traffic.
    (f) When operating on a bicycle lane or bicycle path.

    Here’s a fun little quiz for all you drivers and cyclists out there: http://www.stc-law.com/bikelawcards.html

  11. I understood it all. I’m just pointing out how slow, entitled cyclists are a pain in the ass.

    Disastronaut, the second part of the law doesn’t really change my point. It is incumbent upon the cyclist to keep up with traffic and not be a hindrance.

    I’m not really talking about this I,A anyway. He clearly encountered a psycho. Just talking about a lot of the road biking I see these days as a driver and cyclist myself.

  12. Hello Blabby
    Speed limit on Gateway is 25mph. I was doing 18-22 so was not impeding traffic. So what if someone in a wheelchair was on the road, being there is no sidewalk. Would you feel entitled to run them down also?

  13. Really glad you came away from that encounter physically unharmed anonymous, and might I express a desire that any and all drivers who have pulled and will pull shit similar to this get forced into a winner gets to live battle royale scenario. Specific rules can be determined later.

  14. The law clearly states if no bicycle lane is available then bicyclists must either proceed at the lawful speed of traffic, OR ride as far to the right (or to the left on a one-way) as practicable. I don’t see any ambiguity here. The OP obviously encountered a whack job on the road through no fault of his own.

  17. “I’m just pointing out how slow, entitled cyclists are a pain in the ass.”

    Well that’s just tough shit for you. Most of what you’re saying is merely stupid, but this “entitled” thing is off the charts.

    How the fuck do you know what the biker in front of you thinks?

    I don’t know have the ability to know what random people on the road are thinking –but I feel pretty confident that none of them have even a small portion of the sense of roadway “entitlement” that drivers like you have.

  18. I was as far to the right in the lane as I was going to get. There are a lot of trees and bushes at the exits of the gas station and fast food joints, making it difficult for the cagers, anxious to get back on the freeway, to see a smaller object.

    I ride this street all the time and never have any problems with taking a lane. Even the semi’s getting back on the freeway give me the space I need. This guy was just a total ass.

  19. call. the. cops.

    Even if there’s not enough for them to take action this time, file a report. If they give you shit, insist on it– it’s your right. When the driver does it again (and it sounds like he will), it helps to have a record of this shit. Cops very well may look at these incidents prior to arresting him, and the legal system will very likely consider a backlog of reported incidents when charging or convicting him. Your case might be the tipping point a jury needs to send this guy to prison when he crosses the line and kills someone. Sounds like he’s damned close.

  21. First, let me make clear I am a daily cyclist and have been for about 13 years. I don’t even own a car, and my bike is my main mode of transportation. In addition, I have had more frightening and unpleasant interactions with drivers over those years than I care to remember. These have ranged from near fights to being hit by a car. I don’t by any means think any cyclist deserves the type of response you received from this seemingly deranged individual.

    However, I took a look at the area you described in your post on Google Maps. Despite my tendency to show solidarity with other cyclists, I must sincerely ask, especially since you claim to ride this route frequently, if you honestly believe it is a good idea to be riding your bike on that stretch of four-lane road. I invite others to take a look at this road as well. If any rational person looks at that and concludes that it would be a good idea to ride a bike through there, we’re in more trouble than I thought.

    In addition to the law, there are also concepts such as good judgment and common sense, ones which you obviously do not exercise in your decision to ride this road again and again. Furthermore, I was unable to find any speed limit signs indicating 25 mph, but did see several along that road showing 35. Perhaps the worst of my discoveries, though, was that there was a sidewalk along the section of road where you claim the incident initiated that appeared perfectly suitable, that is smooth, wide, and free of debris, for riding a bike. Pray tell, why don’t you just utilize the sidewalk there? Does it have anything to do with the reason you were compelled to mention you were out on an “easy 50 mile bicycle ride?”

  22. Hello you’re_a_douche
    How do you judge by looking at Google Earth that this road is unsafe to ride a bicycle? It is a road, just like any other. None are really safe. You have to judge by experience which ones to ride on or not.

    As for the sidewalk: going north on Gateway on that particular stretch there are at least seven driveways breaking up the “sidewalk” Do you think it is safer to ride on a sidewalk with all those driveways that it is on the road? You can ride where you want, I will stay on the road, thank you.

    35mph or 25, my error.; I rarely drive this stretch in a motorized vehicle, sorry. But again, any road you ride a bicycle on has a speed limit faster than most people can ride. Out in the country the speed limit is 55 with only a fog line for a bike lane. Bicyclists ride these roads every day.

    Yes, I mentioned the “easy 50 mile ride” trying to set the tone of the post. I was relaxed, it was a beautiful day and no matter which road I use, I should not have to be assaulted by an insane person in a pick up.

  24. So you were going 18 mph in a 35 mph zone. And you have a “right” to ride where you’re safe. In other words you believe you are “entitled” to do that. Thanks.

  25. 1) taking the lane is for fucking assholes. as a cyclist I stay on the right, as far as I can when a car comes. And occasionally– DARE I SAY IT– I move out of the way for faster moving traffic.

    I don’t care what you are riding– bike, moped, scooter, snowmobile, wtf ever- WHY BALL UP PEOPLE BEHIND YOU? this strident pro-bike entitlement = annoying, stupid, and dangerous.

    And check your speed limit facts BEFORE someone has to call bullshit on your post.

    2) Also, fuck that driver, try to get him in court.

  27. A. Since when do only drivers pay taxes? Is there some cyclist’s tax break that I’ve been missing out on?

    B. I’ve been noticing a lot of “why do cyclists feel so entitled to our streets” and “we didn’t pave the roads for YOU!” sentiment here lately. Can I just point out that bikes existed long before cars? My great-grandmother was a bike riding Portland “hipster” (i.e. person between the ages of 21 and 35 who isn’t completely lacking in a sense of style, usually used as an accusation – not an actual subculture) around 1900. So… GIT OFF MY ROAD, ENTITLED ASSHOLE DRIVERS!

  28. Nobody is more or less entitled, some traffic just moves faster. So why not let others pass?

    Sounds like 2 poorly raised, impotent, repressed assholes met on the road, that fine day.

  29. It looks like drivers in Cottage Grove should be drinking a fuck of a lot less decaf. Even if the cyclist had been in the wrong, there was no excuse for what Toyota Guy did there. And “SoBoredWithThis” is right…Toyota Guy had no reason to accuse Anon of not paying taxes.

    You don’t get to go Joe Pesci on someone just because they aren’t using a car, for God’s sake.

  30. And Toyota Guy had been able to pass Anon on his bike with no difficulty, so what reason did he have to go psycho at all?

    I’m guessing TG was driving drunk, and will probably kill somebody while doing that within the next month. That’s the only thing that explains that kind of response as far as I can see.

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