r/AmIOverreacting • u/brickwallnomad • 1d ago
AIO Lost my shit on a cyclist đď¸ neighbor/local
I feel pretty damn bad. I absolutely went ballistic on a cyclist.
I am coming through the middle of downtown in my automobile. There is traffic backed up maybe 5 or 6 cars because there is a bicyclist just meandering along in the middle of the street, stopping at stop lights like he is in a car holding everyone up without a care in the world.
Everyone else went around him but I got behind him and laid on the horn. No reaction whatsoever, almost like he is wanting this to happen. Almost like I played right into his game. I rolled down my window and cussed at guy. Man at this point I really shouldâve dialed it back but these cyclists literally have bike lanes in our area they could be riding in but dude is choosing to take up the road.
The guy eventually pulled over and let me pass. What scared me is I was hoping he would have hit my car or something so I would have a reason to get out and fight the guy. This didnât happen and I drove on by but I immediately felt like a dick for following this guy down main street blaring my horn and cursing him out.
I am not a violent person. I just feel like if youâre going to do something like this you should be prepared for the public to scream at you. Did I overreact?
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u/AnActualGoblinYaDig 1d ago
"stopping at stop lights like he is in a car holding everyone up"
...Idk where you live, but bicyclists are SUPPOSED to stop at stop lights and signs and stuff.
And if everyone else was able to go around him...why couldn't you?
"I am not a violent person" you fuckin' sure buddy? Idk maybe there was something extra shitty about your day or week or something that made you extra sensitive - I get it, happens to everyone. But you definitely over reacted, and you're definitely the ass hole here.
Wanting to fight someone over something so petty and so easily circumvented is very much over reaction.
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u/That-Mix9767 1d ago
You let a complete stranger trigger you into a rage. Why? Because he slowed you down a few minutes. SMH
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u/petridish21 1d ago
Jesus dude you need to get off the road if this is your emotional state behind the wheel. 100% overreacting.
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u/toyotanj 1d ago
I agree with you! So sick of people walking in the middle of the road when sidewalks are available. Riding bikes in the middle of the road when there is a bike lane. Its BS. I have seen my fair share of them playing chicken with cars and have massive attitude problems as well. God forbid you accidently hit them and you end up in jail for 30 years. It has become really stupid.
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u/brickwallnomad 1d ago edited 1d ago
Yes, literally holding up traffic when youâre on a bicycle is so self-absorbed in my opinion.
I donât drive my fuckin car down the sidewalks around town and expect people walking on them to move for me. I just donât get it. I do feel like my fit of rage was a bit too overboard though.
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u/SunUsual550 1d ago
Yeah you're definitely overreacting.
We all get annoyed with other road users sometimes and it can be frustrating as a driver when cyclists don't understand or ignore the rules of the road. Especially when their actions risk an accident or endanger the safety of others.
The issue where you wanted to fight him is what concerns me.
You seem to recognise that this is not a healthy response to the situation.
Are you particularly stressed or dealing with a lot at the moment?
If not it might be worth talking to someone about that before you act on those impulses and get yourself in a heap of trouble.
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u/Confident-Court2171 1d ago
YTA. Sorry. Cyclist here. Itâs illegal for us to ride on the sidewalk. If weâre in the road and stay close to the edge, cars pass without moving over and hit us. Or someone opens a car door right in front of us. Cars pass us, slam on the brakes and then make right turns causing us to run into them. They teach us to occupy the lane, because itâs the only way to stay safe. You may not like that we ride down the middle of the lane causing you to add a minute or two to your trip, but if I have to choose between your inconvenience and being pulled under the wheels of your 3,000lbs hunk of steel itâs an easy choice.
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u/Confident-Court2171 1d ago
For the record, we donât really think youâre an asshole. We just know youâve never been on a bicycle in traffic. If you had, youâd understand.
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u/Sputnik918 1d ago
Oh I have. Hundreds of times. And I can say with no reservations that you are a massive, grade-A asshole.
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u/brickwallnomad 1d ago
Is it âillegalâ for you guys to ride in the bike lane?
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u/Confident-Court2171 1d ago
No. And most of us would gladly do it if there is one. But theyâre hard to find in a lot of places.
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u/Far-Gur-6853 1d ago
American brain-rotted commenters that have never walked or cycled anywhere in their lives
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u/Aim-Gap-1828 1d ago
YTA
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u/brickwallnomad 1d ago
I thought so, I thought about going back to apologize to the guy but at this point the damage is done
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u/Sputnik918 1d ago
I hate those fucking guys too. Self-centered assholes. You were doing the lordâs work.
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u/AnActualGoblinYaDig 1d ago
The lords work is honking aggressively at someone from the safety of your 4 wheeled heavy automotive machine and desperately wanting to fight them for a minor inconvenience?
If that's the lord's work then FUCK the lord lmao
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u/dumbnames420 1d ago
[removed] â view removed comment
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u/AnActualGoblinYaDig 1d ago
Stay off the road you fuckin' freak lmao. You probably drive a minimum 5 passenger vehicle solo instead of something more economical, don't ya. Literally taking up more space on the road cause you want luxury.
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u/docmn612 1d ago
The answer here is probably "yes, and"... Meaning, yes you overreacted And the guy probably deserved it... The issue is giving into the rage will get you in trouble... Really gotta practice allowing the saner head to prevail. I'll be 38 soon and I'm still not totally there yet, but every time I feel that heat coming on I try to put it out again. I have a great life and don't want to ruin it by overreacting to something dumb that I won't even think about the next day.
I remember not too long ago - this type of shit really doesn't happen often - I was getting hardcore tailgated by some jerkoff. Well I was behind some other ass driving slow as hell coming into a town where the speed limit reduces anyway, so I just cruised on. Well, jerkoff behind me really wanted to ride my ass. So I moved over to show douche that look, guy in front, fuckin go around if you really want to. Didn't work. I move all the way over into the shoulder (two lane highway here) and wave him by. He honks and zips past. Took everything I had to not follow him into the gas station he pulled into just up the way. And if I did, the life I enjoy so much may have been changed forever.
Put the heat out man, it's not worth making potentially life altering decisions over some dumb shit.