[darth tracer]

today i was out on one of my local loops and had my very first run in with a hiker/jogger. in my 12 years of mnt. biking i have never had a run in with anyone. i always figured i was polite and curteous to other trail users. as i approached this guy i was loud and going slow. he was running down the middle of the fireroad. as i went the left to pass i said left side and he threw out his arm trying to hit me and yelled something like @#!!*# at me. i slowed to a crawl and said what did you just say. he then yelled #@%*!! mountain bikers you think you own the trail. i said hey pal i was going like 5 mph and told which side i was going to pass as well as my squeeky front brake to warn you way ahead of time. he then said #%@$! you. and i said what was that? he then said @#$$ you. so i called him on it. and said say it again and i'll beat you silly. he then turned around went back up the trail. i have ridden with a few guys on here and i think that they would say that i obey the rules of the trail. what do you think am i wrong in confronting him?

 

[KgB]

right on

I remember a few years back,there was an "angry" jogger in Georgia,sounds like the same guy.
If more people put up with less crap the world would be a better place.

 

[big_slacker]

I'm sure a lot of people will tell you confrontations are too dangerous these days, you might get sued, he might have a gun, etc.... But I think your reaction was pretty natural and I don't think you were 'wrong'.

 

[GuruAtma]

Wow, jogging/excercise usually calms you down a bit. Just think what he was like before he started jogging. Be glad your not his kid/wife/employee.

 

[Impy]

Wow, jogging/excercise usually calms you down a bit. Just think what he was like before he started jogging. Be glad your not his kid/wife/employee.

Werd. What an angry nasty fellow. I can maybe understand getting spooked on ST, but a fireroad? Maybe he cannot run in a straight line.

 

[Dax]

Kill him and stash the body off the trail.

 

[supercorsa]

Kill him and stash the body off the trail.

Word! Worms gotta eat too...

 

[crashedandburned]

Don't feel too bad....

today i was out on one of my local loops and had my very first run in with a hiker/jogger. in my 12 years of mnt. biking i have never had a run in with anyone. i always figured i was polite and curteous to other trail users. as i approached this guy i was loud and going slow. he was running down the middle of the fireroad. as i went the left to pass i said left side and he threw out his arm trying to hit me and yelled something like @#!!*# at me. i slowed to a crawl and said what did you just say. he then yelled #@%*!! mountain bikers you think you own the trail. i said hey pal i was going like 5 mph and told which side i was going to pass as well as my squeeky front brake to warn you way ahead of time. he then said #%@$! you. and i said what was that? he then said @#$$ you. so i called him on it. and said say it again and i'll beat you silly. he then turned around went back up the trail. i have ridden with a few guys on here and i think that they would say that i obey the rules of the trail. what do you think am i wrong in confronting him?

I probably would've done the same thing. We're all human and tend to take stuff like that personally even when they are generalizing(sic). Sounds like to me that he thinks he owns the trails. Just try to ignore it, move on and enjoy the ride. As my granddad use to say "for every a$$hole you give an additude adjustment to, there are 3 more to take his place"

 

[FrontRanger]

Most people who do not ride don't have a clue about "rules" or laws for cyclists. They assume no matter where you are riding that you are in the wrong. I was riding my road bike in the far right lane of a three lane road yesterday when some a$$hat drives by in the middle lane waving his arms around all pissed off. I have no problems educating these jackasses. Yes confrontations are not always the best, but the way I see it if you just take it in stride then they will continue to harass others. I guarantee that your jogger will think twice before he pulls that stunt with some other rider.

 

[nc-rider]

Just keep riding and don't say anything. People will just get more angry.

 

[Berkeley Mike]

There really is a limit to the benefit.

of such encounters. It is highly unlikely that the person you encountered has any interest in adjusting his attitude about mountain bikers. He was though, insulting, and you have to decide the value of this for yourself. The fact that he was unreasonable should have bena clue. He got under your skin; hardly surprising. That you did threaten this person shows this, and that is always a mistake.
Having said all of that I don't blame you a bit.

 

[sumguy1]

Carry a digicam, take the rager's photo and post it.

Many of us carry cameras. When confronted by a rager simply take their picture and post it on the internet.

I hear it steals their souls. Once their photo/soul is posted they are, in effect, souless zombies who must wander the earth as empty vessels. Their soul will, of course, remain trapped in cyberspace tormented by its proximity to gigabytes of pron and usenet drivel.

I cannot imagine a more profound and horrible purgatory. Serves them right.

 

[stephenmick]

Many of us carry cameras. When confronted by a rager simply take their picture and post it on the internet.

I hear it steals their souls. Once their photo/soul is posted they are, in effect, souless zombies who must wander the earth as empty vessels. Their soul will, of course, remain trapped in cyberspace tormented by its proximity to gigabytes of pron and usenet drivel.

I cannot imagine a more profound and horrible purgatory. Serves them right.

Joggers are already soulless zombies fated to a life of pain and suffering. In fact, their images are unable to be captured by cameras, a trait once only thought to apply to vampires.

--Steve

 

[sumguy1]

Well, damn. If thats the case then I will just have to be satisfied entombing the souls of unruly neighborhood children.
I guess angry jogger zombies need a different approach.
What did they do in Shaun of the Dead?

 

[max-a-mill]

blow kisses... that'd piss him off.

when he left, follow 5 or so feet behind him singing "it's a beautiful day in the neighborhood" all the way back to his car.

if he swings first, it's in your right to lay him out...

 

[Rufudufus]

I think you were right to call him on his behavior, BUT...

....he probably had run-in in the past with some jerks on bikes (I'm told they do exist) and hasn't got over it yet. Now he thinks MTBers not only jerks but violent too. While that may cause him to rethink his abusive behavior, the Buddha in me says you should have pointed out he was judging you unfairly and tried to make peace with him.

But to be honest, I probably would have told him to piss off and rode on.

 

[jrm]

In cases like that its most likely something else

today i was out on one of my local loops and had my very first run in with a hiker/jogger. in my 12 years of mnt. biking i have never had a run in with anyone. i always figured i was polite and curteous to other trail users. as i approached this guy i was loud and going slow. he was running down the middle of the fireroad. as i went the left to pass i said left side and he threw out his arm trying to hit me and yelled something like @#!!*# at me. i slowed to a crawl and said what did you just say. he then yelled #@%*!! mountain bikers you think you own the trail. i said hey pal i was going like 5 mph and told which side i was going to pass as well as my squeeky front brake to warn you way ahead of time. he then said #%@$! you. and i said what was that? he then said @#$$ you. so i called him on it. and said say it again and i'll beat you silly. he then turned around went back up the trail. i have ridden with a few guys on here and i think that they would say that i obey the rules of the trail. what do you think am i wrong in confronting him?

other than you being a MTBr. But given the circulstances i dont know if i would have been cool either..

 

[sstaurus]

blow kisses... that'd piss him off.

Hahaha that'd be a riot. I think that's the best suggestion here.