Was I in the wrong?

michelle_7728 · Post by **michelle_7728** » Sat Sep 08, 2012 11:57 pm

Luckily it is very rare that I run into someone who is a complete jerk when I'm riding, but the other day I had something happen that seemed so out of the blue that I was just dumbfounded.

I was leaving one parking lot (referring to the picture below, I came from the area where the Firestone and the bank were), and heading across a two lane side street to go to a gas station.

There were a line of cars (pictured in red) waiting for a red light, and a car waiting to join them (pictured in purple). I saw this guy in a truck (indicated in black, as he had a black truck

) turn down the street so I knew I couldn't cross yet. I pulled behind the cars and was sitting there waiting for him to go by so I could go all the way across.

Well, when he got right in front of me and started making his turn, his face contorted with rage, and he started yelling at me. I have no idea what he said, as I had my earplugs in (

), but I could tell he was really pissed.

He passed me (I was not in his way in the slightest), made his turn, then I went ahead and went straight and got my gas.

What would you have done? I don't think I did anything wrong. I didn't start crossing, then stop so he had to slam on his brakes or something. I was sitting there before he drove up, looking at him as he drove up to make his turn, so it should have been plainly obvious to him that I saw him.

People!

Dooglas · Post by **Dooglas** » Sun Sep 09, 2012 12:05 am

Some people just seem to be wrapped a little too tightly and blow their cork at the slightest provocation - or no provocation. All you can do is play by the rules and try to ignore them. (sounds to me like you did nothing inappropriate here and this fellow was just having another of many bad days)

charlie55 · Post by **charlie55** » Sun Sep 09, 2012 12:09 am

My guess is that he was probably paying attention to the purple car as he was preparing to enter the intersection and turn, so he never noticed that you were already stopped behind the line of cars. When he shifted his attention to complete the turn, he was startled by a scooter "that wasn't there a second ago". So, in his mind, you were trying to beat him through the intersection.

Either that, or you were riding naked and he was pissed that he left his glasses at home.

michelle_7728 · Post by **michelle_7728** » Sun Sep 09, 2012 12:18 am

LOL. The day I ride naked through the streets is the day there would be lots of wrecks....from people trying to shield their eyes.

Yeah, as hard as it seems to me to believe, with my neon yellow helmet and jacket, maybe he really just didn't see me until right then.

gr8dog · Post by **gr8dog** » Sun Sep 09, 2012 2:30 am

Sometimes people try to be the last vehicle to "make" the light (even though it is turning red) and they end up stopped in the middle of the intersection blocking cross traffic. He may have associated you with one of those people.

So to answer your question, yes, obviously you did something wrong or he would not have been so angry,

Know what I mean.

michelle_7728 · Post by **michelle_7728** » Sun Sep 09, 2012 3:09 am

I think I understand what you are saying...though there was no signal light I had to wait for--just common sense and waiting for cross traffic to clear before I crossed.

Keys · Post by **Keys** » Sun Sep 09, 2012 1:32 pm

Ah, just smile and wave.

TVB · Post by **TVB** » Sun Sep 09, 2012 1:38 pm

Just guessing: He may have thought that he had room to cut the turn a little (taking it at a smoother angle), then noticed that you were "in the way" and he'd have to steer around you and take the turn more widely (i.e. by the book). I know I get annoyed with people who get in my way, even if they aren't doing anything wrong.

persephonelily · Post by **persephonelily** » Wed Sep 12, 2012 11:28 pm

^^ exactly what I was thinking ^^

I get that a lot; I'll be sitting at a red light and have inched up close to the line so that the car behind me will trip the sensor if I don't. I've gotten glares and finger-waves on several occasions simply because I am forcing them to take the corner in their own lane instead of cutting it tight across the opposite lane. So sorry for making you follow the rules, dude.