MOPED ARMY

Way to go Wayne! You can't let people kick your moped. It hasn't happened to me yet...I think the tattoos deter most commoners....but if it ever does, I would probably do the same thing. Actually a few weeks ago, Casey "almost" got in a fight with this dude outside of this bar, who was talking some trash about his moped. But I was there to calm the guy down a little bit. I just told the guy that Casey doesn't want to fight you. Casey could have probably taken him, but it would have been a bad scene. We both would have probably ended up pulling some WWF tag team shit on him. Haha. Casey is a pretty funny guy when he is mouthing off to jocks. Don't piss off the beagle!

I was riding along, no traffic, and he floored it and zoomed past me at like 50 in a 25 zone-- I didn't care about that at all....

I think he got mad, because he raced past me, only to have me in front of him at the next red light. I was quite a way ahead of him before he passed ma again... this time his mirror was about an inch from my left handlebar-- if it had hit my handlebar, I would have hit a sign or a ditch.

So. by now, we're both really bothered with the other guy. At the next red light, as I was rolling past him, slowly on the right, in the breakdown lane, he lays on the horn at me.

I was pretty mad by then, because I hadn't been in the road at all, and was going about 12 mph in the bike lane... no hurry to get to work.

When he honked at me, after nearly ditching me, I lost my cool and spit a mouthful of coffee on his windshield. It was juvenile, but he had raced past me, tried to 'ditch' me and was now honking at me.

That's when he really blew up, and started tailgating me really closely.... I pulled over, got off the moped and he rushed over complaining about everything--- I shouldn't be in the breakdown lane, I shouldn't be riding 12 miles an hour with a coffee in my hand... I'm a jerk, I'm a loser who is obviously "poor" because he rides a moped to work....I shouldn't be passing cars stopped in traffic at lights...

And yes, he did mention the radio too--- something about "Drinking coffee and blasting music".

He kept telling me he would pound me, but it would be a waste of his time, etc. etc. then, I think my lunatic smile and crazed eyes must have pushed him over the edge-- he walked over and kicked my moped.

He kicked my moped. I swear, my must have dropped wide open in shock and horror. I went to move him away from my moped, the pushing and shoving started--- and within a few seconds, he was tangled up in his coat and shirt, and I was popping him in the right eye---

There was enough blood coming out of his face that the ambulance showed up--- I was surprised that the cops were that cool too.

With almost ANY assault charge, if there are no witnesses, "counter charges" are usually filed as well--- making it a double headache for both people. I told the officer I was defending myself, and if he (the guy I pounded) wanted to press charges for losing a fight that he had started, I would have to protect my interests by pressing assault charges as well.

So, the cop basically asked the guy why he stopped and got out of his car......the guy had no good answer--- what was he going to say? "Well....I stopped to get out and give the moped a hard time and threaten the rider...." ?

I couldn't have assaulted him, unless he approached me first-- the cops knew that he had to stop his vehicle and get out and approach me-- obviously not to say hello.

He had no good answer to "why did you stop and get out of your car?"

and the cop said "If you press charges, he's pressing charges...."

The dude decided the "No charge" scenario was the best choice. I rode away on my moped while he sat in an ambulance getting the blood cleaned off his face.

I did feel bad afterward--- mostly for letting an ignorant cager get me that bothered. I told my wife and she was very let down with my actions.....

I wish I didn't have my nice work clothes on-- I usually prefer to fight UFC grappling style--- rub his face in the dirt nice and slow, while you release the choke just enough for him to breathe and say "uncle".

Using his shirt and coat to tie up his arms is an old move-- but it worked well enough for him to have a knuckle sandwich for breakfast.

The funny part is, I ended up shaking the guys hand before I left, and told him I wish we'd met differently. I felt bad for him once he was all beat up and bleeding, with his broken sunglasses all over the ground.

He had a sticker on his car from the "Moto Milano" dealership where I bought my moped--- that was ironic. he said he was a rider too--- probably a Ducati--

Yes-- the first thing the wife asked was if I was charged with anything--- they didn't even take my name--!

Can you imagine showing up at work:

"Hey Mark...what happened to your eye...?"

"Er....I started a fight with a guy on a moped and he gave me a good pounding...."

Doh!

hahah.. thats a great story wayne!

i know the ethics of pounding someone for messing with you are an issue.. but sometimes its good to make an example out of someone. next time they may think twice before messing with someone just because they are on a moped. thats kinda my theory.

good job standing up for yourself, though...

i had a similar thing happen once while i was driving.. in louisville. this guy was just driving like an idiot.. swerving, fliping me off, honking... i was like 18 at the time. i guess i kinda swerved into his lane at one point and he was freaking out because of it.

he was yelling stuff at me.. the whole "ill kick your ass, kid" stuff.. so i pulled into the next parking lot. i was all ready to be the 18 year old kid who ruined this guys head who was twice my age. he pulled his car in behind me, blocking my car in. he then stayed in his car and called the cops.

long story short.. the cops got there and asked what happened. then threatened to charge him with false imprisonment for blocking me in. kinda lectured me about not doing that again because you never know who is carrying a gun (esp. in KY) and is crazy enough to use it in a situation like that. the cops sent me on my way and commenced to giving that guy the DUI test.. ;)

-casey

This is the best fight story ive ever heard on this sight for sure... way to go Wayne,

Walker

I'll have to remeber this the next time some redneck kid tosses a bottle out the window at me or spits on me from a porch.....

bastards... had some dumbass kid try to beat me on a bike once.... I just kept right up with him for a mile or two till he got so tired he fell over in the middle of the road...

what a dumbass....

one time i had some bastard landscapers pull up beside my ped (goin about 30) and the bastard in the passenger side seat reached out the window (big high F350 super duty) and whacked me in the head. i saw them and their truck later that day, so i stopped, picked up a big rock, and fastballed it at the guys head, i heard "AHHHH!! u fuckin kid!!!" i was outta there like a scalded cat (thank god for 2 speed tomos')

-Garret

Well,maybe that idiot will think twice about hittin' a kid on a `ped now.Makes me remember when I was about 16 and workin as a carry out grocery boy at Henry's Groc. Co.in Jackson................I'm pushin' a cart full of goodies down between rows of cars and a pickup driver knocks me clean over the cart onto the pavement.I look up and he's probably a 40 yr.old guy laughing like a `madman'. I was so stunned I could only stare up in amazement. This was 34 yrs.ago! Scary,ain't it?

If you re-read the post, Steve, you'll see that the cager tried to squeeze Wayne or run him off the road. NOW, in my opinion,that oughta' get him some JAIL TIME. Yeah,Wayne did things he shouldn't have,and so did the other guy, but the bottom line is, you don't ENDANGER people's lives, whether they're on mopeds or in other cars. The guy was bein' a bully and has some mental problem for sure,which in the end he was helped to correct with a proper attitude adjustment from the offended party. I think the guy got what he asked for when he tried to run Wayne off the road. I hadda pickup run me off the road into a ditch about a year and a half ago,and it could have hurt me bad. It bruised up my face and legs and bent the front shocks and destroyed the handle controls. ALL of this cost me a pretty penny not counting my injuries. We'll let Wayne expand on what he did to DESERVE being run off the road if he wants. I'm being sarcastic here. (:^)

Because I spit a mouthful of coffee on his windshield, after he'd tried to run me off the road and was honking at me.

That's why he was so mad--- I don't blame him for getting P.O'd-- after he realised his car would need to be washed.

But, when you mess with me, it's me you're messing with.

And yes-- I do ride in the road if the speed of traffic permits it. As soon as I start slowing down traffic, It's off to the right. The cars WANT me to be on the right so they can pass. But when I'm still in the right lane (where the cars wanted me to be) at the stoplight, suddenly, they don't want me in the right lane.

I guess I should let 50 cars pass me, then once they are all past, get in the travel lane again, and wait for the light--- and all 50 cars to go through--- then I'll be the last one in line, and won't have the weight to activate the light. Yeah, great idea.

Or, I could travel to the front of the line in the same lane that all the cars wanted me to be travelling in to begin with.

first, it's "Why doesn't that damn moped get over to the right"

then it's "Why is that damn moped passing me on the right..."

So, auto drivers, they get it both ways. I get to the right, so they can pass, then I stay on the right so I can pass.

But, remember, that when I go to work in the morning (when the fight happened), I remain entirely in the bike lanes, and totally over to the right. I ride one handed, at the far right at about 10 mph, and I finish my coffee on the way to work. the ride is perfect distance, so I finish the hot cup o joe right as I pass the trashcan at the main entry to work.

Usually, I drive like the road is all mine. Breakdown lane, travel lane, any lane. That's when I have both hands on the bars-- I ride my moped like it's a mountain bike with a motor.

But, on the day of the fight, I was always as far to the right as can be. going very slow too-- not in the way of any traffic at all.

After all the stupid moves I've made on my moped, I was amused that the fight started without me doing anything really bad. However, the coffee covering the windshield did not help the situation--- that's probably what made him stop and get out.

If I saw "me" on a moped, the last thing I'd do is think "How can I spend more time, closer to that person...."

Obviously, the automobile driver considered this, and decided: " I'd like to be very close to that man, for at least 10 minutes, to start my day off right..."

If I had seen me, I would have thought: "That's a person I don't want to spend any time near. Obviously crazy-- weighs about 230, has an insane grin and is riding a moped playing loud music and drinking coffee...."

Yeah, I can be a lousy driver, but you might not want to discuss that with me first thing in the AM. You'll either be wearing hot coffee, or bleeding all over yourself.

Why was he so mad? Let me count the reasons:

1. He didn't have a moped and was in a cage

2. the moped going 10 mph was getting to work faster than he was.

3. everytime he tried to get me angry, he was the one who got more mad than I.

4. Honking at me got him a windshield full of coffee, fresh from my mouth.

5. Repeatedly calling him a "bitch" while he tried to explain his problem(s) to me.

6. Pounding him to a bloody mess after kicking my defenseless moped.

So, there were several reasons he wasn't pleased with me.

The only thing I've done differently since the fight is install a coffee cup holder, so I have a place to put my coffee when I get into a 'situation' that needs both hands on the bars. I did end up spilling my coffee during the scuffle, which made me even more anxious to pound the cager to a pulp.

I still can't imagine seeing a person who looks like me, on a moped, and deciding: "I'm going to get up close to that guy and tell him how I think he should be driving and then kick his moped...."

Does that sound like good planning?

If a piece of my moped had fallen off when he kicked it--- oh, my word. Things would have been a lot worse for both of us.

Yours,

Wayne

I think you handled it as best could be asked, Wayne.

Generally I just let em rant and rave, save that I will get off and discuss it with em if they are behind me at a left turn and blowin their damn horn at me - after nearly gettin killed that way, I made sure I have enough room to safely make the turn, and damned if I base on the dumbass assumption (as many folks do) that oncomin traffic will slow down when they see me turn.

Even then, I try to be pretty reasonable, cep't with the guy who tried to run me over that one time.

About the only thing I'll give chase for is if someone on foot throws something at me, usually a brick or bottle (why you think I wear the armor?) and I will chase em all the way across town if I have to, but in that case I settle for an apology, which I've never failed to get.

But get out of your car, threaten me, and offer violence to me or my wheels ? dude - in that case you're GOING to the hospital, it's just that simple....the cagepusher who tries that will be lucky to crawl away on his own power, for at that point I have every intention of beating him within an inch of his life.

The rare few cagepushers who've pushed that matter have had the sense to run like hell when I get off the moped, which is good, cause once I start, I don't quit till the other dude's incapacitated.

My primary concern, Wayne, and you should consider this....is the ego of the person you've dealt with, cause all-too-many times folks like that, their ego will drive them to retaliate in some fashion, and I would be more than half expecting some form of retaliation (like bumping you off the road) in the near future, especially if he travels the same route to work that you do.

Generally better to avoid said situation if possible, but be aware of the possibility....that bein kinda the main reason when I "get into it" with someone, I prefer to finish the job, otherwise their ego tends to lead em into the old, STUPID, grade-school cycle of violence and tit-for-tat.

So keep an eye out for this guy in case he's that dumb, allright ?

-R

I think honestly I would have first ignored him... never spitting coffee on his car... and if he had so much of a problem with me I would extend my middle finger.. if he was a real man and really mad.. and decided to confront you then I probly would have just pulled out my little 38 and said please sir share the road... don't be a dick head and please go back to your vehicle.

holy crap... however, it sounds like something that would just be thrown out or something.. especially with you filing counter claims.. and with him getting out of the car with the intention of assaulting you.. either way, good luck!

casey

today i was ridin along and i pull over to talk to a guy because he was waving 4 me 2 go over.....then he starts talkin alotta sh*t....so....i simply got off the moped....and said f--- off.. he didnt say anything...so i started towards my ped...then i see his reflection in the car parked ahead of me....the bastard was gonna hit me from the back. i took one step to the left, and he went flyin....the i almost wet my pants laughin so hard. i would have normally made the person eat his shoes....but he was younger then me

~dave~

Can't he also be charged with road rage..

Ree has two good points: First, the type of people who start crap and then suffer damage to their ego will never forget you, your moped, or where they think they can find you.

And they'll carry that with them until they get some "revenge". - This is a universal truth Wayne, and probably why your wife is worried. And why you should be worried too.

Secondly, It seems like the only way to make them forget all the above is to make them realize that it's YOU that will finish the job if need be. - Just like Ree said.

I once pulled out into traffic and my 'ped stalled. Well, the guy coming up on me thought I was f-ing with him. I endured his tailgating and verbal abuse as I circled the block and headed back to my driveway. He pulled into my driveway which was a HUGE mistake. I was not about to have some psycho give me s#@$ on my own property.

I decided my option was to show this a-hole he's messing with someone who will take it all the way. So I grabbed my baseball bat from inside the doorway and proceeded to walk towards his car. I was screaming and hitting stuff (a tree, my garage, my trash can) on my march up to him.

The look on his face told me that the issue was settled and he quickly drove away.

Best of luck to you. I hope it doesn't escalate.