Biker on Biker violence

Someone sent me a link to this discussion about an incident on the CCT,

Witnessed a biker on biker assault this morning. I was riding up the Capital Crescent Trail (Washington DC) this morning when a saw a fellow commuter approaching me. Then from behind him I saw two riders in racing gear swing out from behind him. The first rider pulls up along side, reaches out, and gives the commuter a hard shove with his hand.

This pushes the commuter off the trail and sends him sprawling down over a 6 foot embankment. I stopped and checked. Fortunately he was all right. Apparently there had been something going on that I hadn't seen, but to deliberately push someone over a 6 foot embankment is just out an out bullying.

I've never seen anything like that. Not even close. It's kind of surprising. Usually these incidents involve a car. I know that I have at times - when cars invade my space (gunning it past me by inches to make it to a red light) - confronted someone driving a car. I quit though. It doesn't do any good, and eventually I was going to confront the wrong person. Plus it just left me angry for hours.

Comments

[Chris]

I've made a similiar comment to this on my team's blog (www.racingunion.com), but it's worth repeating here.

I obviously wasn't there, but I can't imagine anything that would justify such violence.

But what’s interesting to me beyond the actual incident (and thankfully, the person is apparently OK) is an underlying tone to this entry and what is definitely clear in the original discussion that’s linked, is the notion of commuter versus racer (or commuters versus riders in racing gear, as it’s called here).

I like to ride fast at Hains Point. I’ve only done a few races, and I want to do more. I wear a team kit. So, I’m guessing I’d be labeled a racer. But I’m also a commuter. So are a lot of us.

It's just sad to see the two groups pitted against each other as if they are opposites. They shouldn't be.

[Chris]

... and more to the point, they aren't opposites. Whether the cyclists in question were wearing racing gear or something else has nothing to do with the incident. I think there's some other agendas at work here.

[Graham]

I think Chris makes a great point. It's kind of like when people describe everyday events and begin the story with a description of the race or ethnicity of another person involved. If a physical description is used to tell a story it should be backed up with some relevance to the overall point and not left to interpretation. I'm not saying that you were deliberately doing that, but it is worth thinking about. We all probably do that to some extent.

[gwadzilla]

I feel like that all the time
but acting on it is a different thing

biker rage
it happens

mountain biking is my therapy

as I say to my sons
just as every dad says to their sons
two wrongs do not make a right

yes...
there was a level of escalation
the push may have been intentional
not sure if anyone is intending on pushing someone off the embankment

[Contrarian]

I'm not at all surprised this happened on a path. While I've never even heard of a biker bullying another biker on a road, the local paths get busy, and when they get busy the behavior gets attrocious, much worse than you'll ever see on the road. I've given up riding on the Capital Crescent and the Mount Vernon trails when they are crowded, they're just too scary, far scarier than busy streets. What's sad is that many of the cyclists out when it's busy appear to be inexperienced; they probably have no idea that this is not the norm.

What's striking about this "MUP Rage" is how closely it resembles road rage. Traffic is heavy enough to keep people from traveling as fast as they want. Instead of recognizing traffic as the problem and adjusting their expectations, some people respond by taking outsize risks and projecting blame for the traffic onto those who are moving slowly.

While I'm opining, I'll posit that these jerks probably aren't really racers. Training for racing means putting in enough miles that you probably have a little more perspective.

[Chris]

... and I'll add to Contrarian's comments to suggest that, as one who trains for races, I wouldn't regard any bike path as a good place to do it. Give the road any day (and especially on the weekend..)!

[iconoclasst]

Chris, while you may not regard any bike path as a good training ground, there are people who do. I've seen 'em.

Really, whether they're racers or not is irrelevent. Stupidity requires no sponsorship.

[Chris]

"whether they're racers or not is irrelevent." Yes, thank you, that's exactly my point; and that's why I have a problem with how the postings kept on harping on that matter.

Seeing some people on a trail wearing a team kit (which aren't identified in the original post - just "identical if not the same" team kit) indicates almost nothing, and leads to all sorts of assumptions.

[Michael Ross]

If it made you angry for hours your appraoch is flawed: you attack the car driver for YOUR sanity, not theirs, nor to correct their behavior.

You wouldnt be angry if you had a knife to slash a tire while they sit at the inevitable light you will likely catch them at: or bend one of their windshield wipers back; or the old standby: carry a large rock and throw it hard enough to leave a dent.

I guarantee youll feel better.

BE SURE, if you do this, to look around for cops FIRST...

[freewheel]

Michael Ross: If criminal behavior makes you feel good, you're a sociopath.

[Michael Ross]

Hey Freewheel,

I doubt you'd be able to define or even come up with a practical working definition of sociopath...or psychopath...or ADHD, or sinus congestion. I have a PhD, have taught at 4 universities, been in clinical practice, blah, blah, etc etc., and biked around the world as well as never owning a car; and yes, I raced with a young lance armstrong when I was a older pro and he was a young one...

only a fool would make a comment like yours on the basis of my pithy comments.

And if I smoke a joint (illegal) or speed on I-95 to Baltimore (illegal) or...and these crimes (they are, by defnition *crimes*) dont bother me in the least am I a sociopath, oh wise Master?...

And on "sociopath as insult": how in the world can you justify sociopath? -- or is this just a descriptive assessment? (ok, I wont be coy: given your construction, sociopath as used by you is tantamount to "asshole." I take it that a sociopath **who would know better** is a person deserving of insults...but then, they wouldnt be a sociopath now would they...)

I dont want to embarrass you in this forum, so please send me an email offline and we can discuss further:
bicycleutopia@yahoo.com

talk with you soon,
mike