Just out of the WSB inbox, a road-rage report – from a bicyclist who was towing his 2-year-old daughter uphill in the new California SW bicycle lane in Gatewood. Read on:
From Rob, who lives in Westwood:
I took my daughter down to Gatewood Elementary this evening so she could play at the playground, and then to Caffe Ladro for some coffee (she’s 2, so she gets a hot chocolate). After this we headed home.
What I didn’t mention above is that we choose to get around West Seattle by bicycle when we can. Being only two, I pull her in a trailer behind the bike. The whole setup is covered in reflectors, reflective tape, and we have a blinking white head light and two blinking red tail lights. I also make sure to “act like a car”, coming to a complete stop at every stop sign, signaling every turn, etc. I also make sure to use the bike lane if there is one on the street we are riding on. I say all this because I am sure a million comments about how awful and irresponsible bike riders are would ensue at the mere mention of such an incident, and hopefully this would appease at least some of them.
Playtime over and coffee and cocoa gone, we headed back up the hill through Gatewood to our house in Westwood. Only a few minutes after departing the coffee shop, I was pedaling up the hill going south on California, riding in the bike lane, when about at Austin St. a car came up from behind and slowed alongside us. My first thought was that someone was going to ask for directions, something we get often while riding around. I was totally taken off guard when the driver leaned over to the passenger window (while we and the car were still moving) and very angrily informed us “I hope you know what you are doing is extremely stupid”. As he said this, he moved to the right and drove us part way out of the bike lane toward the curb. I replied that we were fine and he should worry about himself, to which he responded by driving even more toward us and running us totally out of the bike lane. He yelled as he started to pull away “A**hole! I hope the kid gets hit and then your wife has to make another one!” He then turned to the left down Austin and turned left into the first alley.
After I got home and dropped off my daughter, I grabbed my camera and drove back to where I saw him go in the hopes of getting a photo of his car as I wasn’t able to get his license number when the incident occurred. I was not able to find his car. I drove down the alley I saw him pull into, and it is lined with garages. He could have parked in any one of them. I would definitely recognize him and the car if I saw them again. So I hope to figure out who he is, as a police report isn’t going to do much good without being able to ID the guy.
*happened at about 6:30 pm today, Saturday
*white male
*50s or early 60s
*overweight
*bald on top with hair on the sides
*driving a white early 90s Toyota Camry or similar looking car
*he made a left into the first alley east of California on Austin.I called the police and they told me they would take a report but that I should call back Monday morning to do so, since it would probably be a long time before an officer could come over tonight. I guess that is probably because it is Saturday night.
I commute to work by bike, and ride with my daughter in the trailer 3-5 days a week, so I am pretty used to people honking at me for being in their way, yelling at me out their window, passing too closely, cutting me off by turning in front of me, opening their door without looking first, etc. At least one of those things happens every single day. But, I shake those things off because really, what can you do?
This was different though. If the guy had just yelled at me or something, I really wouldn’t care. Chalk it up to small minds. But in this case, not only did he say some particularly awful things which were really uncalled for in front of a 2 year old, he physically threatened us with his car while clearly agitated and unstable. Usually when I have some sort of run in with a car, it’s the person being impatient or just not paying attention. This was different, he did it on purpose and that was way over the line (literally).
If you think you have information for Rob – do NOT post it here – we have a followup note out to him asking for an e-mail address that can be shared here so you can contact him directly. 1:16 AM UPDATE: Here’s the address where you can reach him – sr08610@gmail.com.
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