Thursday, August 13, 2009

Ass on the roadway! defines the word ass as follows:

n. pl. ass·es (sz)
2. A vain, self-important, silly, or aggressively stupid person.

In this post, I am referring to the kind in definition # 2 above!

Well, I ran into (figuratively) one of them yesterday. Rather it almost ran into (literally) me.

Here is what happened :

So, yesterday morning, I am headed to work. At the intersection of Cimmaron and MacArthur, I am stopped behind 2 cars in the left turn / straight lane. The right lane is a Right Only lane at this intersection. Once the light turns green, I start rolling and so do the other cars, and I hear someone honk.

Well, I usually ignore honks.

Next this guy in a Lexus (I thought it was a Jeep at first) cuts me off from the right lane and travels 100 feel ahead of me, all that just to pull into the parking lot on the left, by the Irving Public Library.

Normally, I would say "Heck with it" and move on but this morning I was particularly tired and didn't feel like putting up the rudeness (I thought it was).

So, I rode up to about 50 feet from where this "gent" was parked and took a picture of him and his car.

All I really wanted to do at this point was to take a picture of his vehicle so as to let him know I am not taking his balderdash lightly.

So, the professionally dressed jerk goes, "Why are you taking a picture of my car?".

I am not good at altercations and hoping he would not ask anything more, I simply reply, "I wasn't taking a picture of your car...".

Then, he goes, "I am just curious. What were you taking a picture of?".

I say, "None of your business. It is a free country. BTW, you cut me off at the intersection".

He tries to justify it by saying, "I did not cut you off! I was driving properly". I said, "Yeah, Right", and moved on.

What an ass!

I am sure y'all have come across these types and I am looking for y'all wisdom :)


1. Did I break the law by taking a picture of this jerk?
2. Should I mace these jerks next time? (J/K).

Suggestions please, my comrades!

Thanks a bunch in advance!!

Peace Smile (I mean it but I too get worked up at times).


  1. My vote - no & no. Call the police. You were endangered.. Go to and read good advice about drivers like your Lexus. Usually they won't conveniently wait, however.

  2. Thanks, Steve. The article you have pointed out is quite useful. I read and I need to read it a couple more times in order to fully commit it to memory!

  3. I had a similar altercation a year or two ago, although not cycling related. A cable company truck was parked right outside my window at midnight with his blinker light on top going.

    I went out and asked him to turn his lights off, move forward, something, but he got all belligerent on me. I went back in, got my camera and took a pic of the truck. He and his buddy jumped out and demanded that I give them the camera and I replied that if they touched me they'd end up in jail. I turned around and went into the house and called the 1-800 "How's my drving?" number and reported him.

    A few minutes later, the doorbell rings and it's the cops! Apparently boneheadman called them. I told him what happened and the cop just kind of rolled his eyes and told me I did nothing wrong.

    So.... long story but the point is, I was okay taking a picture of the guy.

    After the cops left, I called the 800 number again and told them about the guy calling the cops on me for nothing. The next day the guy's boss called me. He said that he wasn't even supposed to be in my neighborhood that night, and that he was supposed to be alone (there were two guys in the truck). He basically said, "Say the word and I'll fire him." I told him that was up to him. He gave me his cell phone number and said if anything else happened, give him a call.

    So.... -1 for the cable company worker, but +1 on his boss.

  4. Thanks, Doohickie.
    There seems to be no shortage of rude people!
    Glad your situation did not result in anything bad!
    Peace :)

  5. Road rage is never appropriate. That jerk could have had a gun!
    On the other hand, you are brave for calling his attention to the fact that he forced you into peril. Perhaps you saved someone else from another peril.
    I hope that you enlightened him.
    Some people have no consciousness that the road is to be SHARED.

  6. I like that I am most often running my video camera. I doesn't always have the right perspective to catch stuff, but it will usually catch the plate of anybody who nearly runs me over... I have yet to use that kind of info.

    I have also noticed drivers who are about to pull out of side streets in front of me pause instead when they see the camera... I like that.

  7. Thanks, Rantwick.

    So, do you run the camera for longer durations? How much memory do these "clips" take?

    Peace :)

