This morning at 6:30am I was riding my bike with three friends down 30-a heading west. There were absolutely no cars on the road and we were passing through WaterSound where they have the medians in the middle of the road. A mid-sized pick-up truck honked and then violently swerved around us passing us very closely.
My friend gestured for the driver to come back and talk with us. There was no reason for his aggression so early in the morning. The driver of the metallic orange pickup truck hit his breaks and pulled a black handgun out of his drivers side window and started waving it at us. He then sped away.
I immediately called 911 and we met with two very nice Walton County Police Officers and filed a complaint. The officers were very nice and took the situation very serious and said they have all officers in the area looking for the car.
If anyone sees a mid-sized metallic orange pickup truck with a male driver, please notify the police.
In all of my years riding I have been yelled at, honked at, spit at, had things thrown at me, been run off the road into a ditch, been intentionally hit with a car's mirror, had a Harley sneak up on me and rev his engine to scare me and then laugh at me, two weeks ago had a driver laugh and cheer when we had a cyclist crash...but I have NEVER EVER had a gun pulled on me for riding a bicycle on a Sunday morning.
I am from the west coast and stilll learning about Southern culture...I am still trying to figure out this whole aggression thing towards cyclists...but I am sure this was not a friendly southern gesture.
I could be wrong...maybe it was his way of cheering in awe as he witnessed a life changing athletic performance by some local cyclists. Or maybe it was his way of showing support for our cyclist in Bejing and his reaction at Sammy Sanchez from Spain winning Olympic Gold in the Men's Cycling Road Race yesterday over Americans Levi Leipheimer, George Hincape and Christian Vandevelde! Maybe he was saying, "I am with you brother and I solute you and your athletic acheivements on this beautiful Sunday morning...ride safe and I will lead the way!"
Replies
380
needs to get out more
So if the guy was having a bad day, that justifies his pulling a gun on cyclists. I can't follow that logic.
btw we've gone over this before:
OVERTAKING AND PASSING A VEHICLE
[??316.083, 316.085, & 366.0875]
The driver of a vehicle overtaking another vehicle
proceeding in the same direction shall pass to the
left thereof at a safe distance and shall not again
drive to the right side of the roadway until safely
clear of the overtaken vehicle. A driver overtaking a
bicycle must maintain a horizontal clearance of at
least 3 feet [?316.083]. Three feet is a minimum
"safe distance" for passing a cyclist under typical
urban conditions; when the passing vehicle is large,
towing a trailer, or traveling at much higher speed,
greater lateral clearance is needed.
btw we've gone over this before:
OVERTAKING AND PASSING A VEHICLE
[??316.083, 316.085, & 366.0875]
The driver of a vehicle overtaking another vehicle
proceeding in the same direction shall pass to the
left thereof at a safe distance and shall not again
drive to the right side of the roadway until safely
clear of the overtaken vehicle. A driver overtaking a
bicycle must maintain a horizontal clearance of at
least 3 feet [?316.083]. Three feet is a minimum
"safe distance" for passing a cyclist under typical
urban conditions; when the passing vehicle is large,
towing a trailer, or traveling at much higher speed,
greater lateral clearance is needed.
Beach Fanatic
Please stop, Florida Girl. You are getting unreasonably angry. The truck driver was wrong, you were wrong to defend him, and now you are lashing out over silly things like the fact that some people like to exercise early. Give it up already.
I'm not angry at all. If I was I wouldn't be on the computer! What I'm trying to present is you don't know what was going on in his life. Sometimes you run into people that are going through trials that are very difficult. To call those trials silly is rather facetious and very uncaring.
Beach Fanatic
You win. I quit. I am going to go kayaking on my expensive boat now:wave:
Wow, I didn't know Kayaks were that expensive! Must be a nice one!
SoWal Expert
Wow, I didn't know Kayaks were that expensive! Must be a nice one!
He is contributing to the local economy.
Much like the tourists that buy your framed pictures at a local gallery. I bet if they knew how much you hated them, they would reconsider their purchases and not support you at all.
Beach ComberAuthor
Much like the tourists that buy your framed pictures at a local gallery. I bet if they knew how much you hated them, they would reconsider their purchases and not support you at all.
Florida Girls comments are scarier than the driver with the gun. This is the one time I really did not want to know the truth.
needs to get out more
Sometimes you run into people that are going through trials that are very difficult.
Thank goodness some of them have guns with them to settle things quickly...
hmmmm......can't remember
Florida Girls comments are scarier than the driver with the gun. This is the one time I really did not want to know the truth.
Ciclismo, Florida Girl's comments do not represent the views of anyone else on this board. I hope you're getting that. (And I am a legitimate American Indian who worked very happily in the service industry for more than a decade, I ride a bike, and I'm not local!)
Wow, somebody needs to pull a gun on this thread :floor:
:blink:
Thank goodness some of them have guns with them to settle things quickly...
:popcorn:
Where's that thread about how more people die at the hands of doctors than from guns? I think if we gave somebody a gun right now we could complicate that statistic! :bicycle:
hmmmm......can't remember
ciclismo, did anyone get a tag number?
Did it have Georgia plates? My neighbors may have taken a vacation in SoWal...
bean
I'm not angry at all. If I was I wouldn't be on the computer! What I'm trying to present is you don't know what was going on in his life. Sometimes you run into people that are going through trials that are very difficult. To call those trials silly is rather facetious and very uncaring.
Sad. Obviously you just don't get it. No matter what a person is dealing with at the time, there's no excuse for this behavior. Especially at 6am in the morning.... WTH, we're all very caring people here or we wouldn't be posting on this thread. I'm very sorry this happened to the original poster.
Beach Lover
Love Thy Neighbor! Share the road with a bicyclist!
Tourist, local or whomever...............Be Nice or Leave!!!
Tourist, local or whomever...............Be Nice or Leave!!!
Banned
Actually, I live in South Walton, and have all my life. I was here before you were. The main problem with that would be if you could carry on without the locals that have to travel across the bay to serve you, and believe me, many wish they didn't.
You sound like a trashy low-rent elitist.
Beach Fanatic
Florida Girls comments are scarier than the driver with the gun. This is the one time I really did not want to know the truth.
My point exactly, words are more powerful than any other weapons! Not wanting to know the truth is the problem. May as well put a bag over your head!
Beach Fanatic
Hmmm, let's see. Gun-wielding idiots or early morning recreational cyclists? Let me think about it and get back with you. ;-)
Beach Fanatic
Love Thy Neighbor! Share the road with a bicyclist!
Tourist, local or whomever...............Be Nice or Leave!!!
How exactly is that "love"?
Beach Fanatic
Ciclismo, Florida Girl's comments do not represent the views of anyone else on this board. I hope you're getting that. (And I am a legitimate American Indian who worked very happily in the service industry for more than a decade, I ride a bike, and I'm not local!)
I don't see 8,360 members posting to this thread, kind of difficult to believe that statement! What I find difficult is the lack of concern for a fellow human being that may not be of your social status, or belief. I have friends that are legitimate American Indians also that do not like to see other people mistreated.
Banned
On a Sunday morning, what leisure would he be engaging in at 6:30 am? Particularly by himself?
It sounds to me like intimidating cyclists and being an a-hole is a favorite leisure time activity.
Beach Fanatic
He is contributing to the local economy.
Much like the tourists that buy your framed pictures at a local gallery. I bet if they knew how much you hated them, they would reconsider their purchases and not support you at all.
So we're making Kayaks in Walton County now? From those tourists I've met, most do not have this uncaring attitude. I don't believe that you represent the majority.
hmmmm......can't remember
I don't see 8,360 members posting to this thread, kind of difficult to believe that statement! What I find difficult is the lack of concern for a fellow human being that may not be of your social status, or belief. I have friends that are legitimate American Indians also that do not like to see other people mistreated.
You have no idea what my social status is, so you have no say in whether or not I'm concerned with them.
So here's a freebie: I have a complete lack of concern for folks who 1) pull a gun on a cyclist for any reason, and 2) think that it's okay to pull a gun on a "fellow human being." If those are the fellow human beings (sociopaths) who are not of my social status or belief (non-sociopathic,) then you're absolutely right.
As for the other 8,360, I'm sure that we could set up a poll. SWGB?
It's time to edit my ignore list. Crazy gives me a headache.
Edited
Beach Fanatic
Scary! I am glad you weren't injured.
SoWal Insider
Back the truck up! Sodomized? Insulting comments are not conducive to good mediation! A truce will never be between tourists and locals as long as there isn?t mutual respect enough to keep from insulting the other!
Let me guess. :scratch: You were captain of the debate team in college. You are so eloquent in the way you express your views, and win the opposition over to your side.
You may want to consider a career change and run for public office. With your winning personality, you're a shoo in.
SoWal Insider
This morning at 6:30am I was riding my bike with three friends down 30-a heading west. There were absolutely no cars on the road and we were passing through WaterSound where they have the medians in the middle of the road. A mid-sized pick-up truck honked and then violently swerved around us passing us very closely.
My friend gestured for the driver to come back and talk with us. There was no reason for his aggression so early in the morning. The driver of the metallic orange pickup truck hit his breaks and pulled a black handgun out of his drivers side window and started waving it at us. He then sped away.
I immediately called 911 and we met with two very nice Walton County Police Officers and filed a complaint. The officers were very nice and took the situation very serious and said they have all officers in the area looking for the car.
If anyone sees a mid-sized metallic orange pickup truck with a male driver, please notify the police.
In all of my years riding I have been yelled at, honked at, spit at, had things thrown at me, been run off the road into a ditch, been intentionally hit with a car's mirror, had a Harley sneak up on me and rev his engine to scare me and then laugh at me, two weeks ago had a driver laugh and cheer when we had a cyclist crash...but I have NEVER EVER had a gun pulled on me for riding a bicycle on a Sunday morning.
I am from the west coast and stilll learning about Southern culture...I am still trying to figure out this whole aggression thing towards cyclists...but I am sure this was not a friendly southern gesture.
I could be wrong...maybe it was his way of cheering in awe as he witnessed a life changing athletic performance by some local cyclists. Or maybe it was his way of showing support for our cyclist in Bejing and his reaction at Sammy Sanchez from Spain winning Olympic Gold in the Men's Cycling Road Race yesterday over Americans Levi Leipheimer, George Hincape and Christian Vandevelde! Maybe he was saying, "I am with you brother and I solute you and your athletic acheivements on this beautiful Sunday morning...ride safe and I will lead the way!"
Judging from the description of the vehicle and what he did, this is what in the South is considered a redneck. Sorry this happened to you. I would expect that up here but not there.
Beach Crab
So, Florida Girl: It's pretty obvious that you're the only one defending the down-trodden- redneck-going-through-a-rough-time-in-his-life-so-it's-ok-to-pull-a-gun-because-he-has-no-balls in a metallic orange small chevy pick-up. If you do know who it is, tell him to get it over with and own up!
fartblossom
wow, i'm gone for one afternoon, and this thread has gone downhill faster than the john edwards thread.
as an aside, i find myself wondering a lot if the other drivers i see have guns, i have a fear of getting shot if i accidentally cut someone off, or turn in front of someone etc. the world is a scary place. i'm not sure which scares me more, guns or attitudes...
as an aside, i find myself wondering a lot if the other drivers i see have guns, i have a fear of getting shot if i accidentally cut someone off, or turn in front of someone etc. the world is a scary place. i'm not sure which scares me more, guns or attitudes...
SoWal Insider
I once had a beer bottle thrown at me by an oncoming vehicle while I was out for a run. I should have understood the thrower was having a bad day.
picky
I once had a beer bottle thrown at me by an oncoming vehicle while I was out for a run. I should have understood the thrower was having a bad day.
I bet it wasn't filled or chilled, either. Talk about insult to injury!!! :yikes:
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