Wednesday, November 01, 2006

Hey!

Out for a ride the other day; enjoying the beautiful weather and the peace and tranquility of the countryside, when car full of young guys drove slowly by.

Through the open passenger side window someone yells “Hey” right in my ear. I just about jumped out of my anti-bacterial padded shorts.

I wondered; what was the purpose of that? And had I been riding a Harley Davidson and sporting a lot of tattoos would he have yelled in my ear?

Probably not.


3 comments:

Howard said...

He probably just wanted a squirt from your water bottle.

VintageSpin said...

Personal opinion, but I think they want to see someone lose it and crash, thus the yelling to scare a rider.
The better the rider, the less the reaction, ruining it for the culprits.
I just returned from Moab and had a semi purposely drive within inches of my as I was strapping in (I still ride with toe clips/straps) to see if I’d be able to handle the pressure. I acted like nothing happened.
Maybe it’s best left that way, at least for us.

Gordon said...

I have often wondered why people do this. I think it may have something to do with unresolved anger and/or ignorance. I have had quite a few experiences like yours, the worst one I remember was when a group of high school kids slowed down, yelled at me and threw out an open can of Coke at me. It was a perfect shot; it hit me in the butt and spilled all over my rear wheel and drive train. Braking with the rear wheel was out and shifting really suffered. In the end my bike was happier for it as it got one of the best cleanings it had ever received when I got home.

Luckily I have never been injured by one of these jerks, and that is really the most important thing.