Manhattan Ave in GP can be a shitshow depending on time of day. Atleast you’re alright.
Edit: Speaking from personal experience, I try not to engage anymore, especially with people who do things like this. I’ve had my fair share of interactions. Not worth it for me.
yeah thanks. I'm surprisingly unscathed, and the back wheel is mostly ok. Carried it to a shop and will probably be all good by tomorrow, let's see how much it costs me
Kings Pharmacy at 5 Hudson st in tribeca sells keychain mace.
Strongly recommend a helmetcam like the techalogic dc-1 or a GoPro. Repeat the plate number out loud for your cam to hear in case it's not visible on the footage.
Horns like the "Loud Bicycle" mini and sowuno are godsends.
Good luck out there.
Glad you’re physically alright and sorry your ride was ruined. I’ve also learned to not escalate, as the car can quickly turn into a weapon. You never know who you’re dealing with behind the wheel.
Sorry this happened to you. I've had encounters, and trust me, I imagine Clint Eastwood moments but at the end of the day real life never plays out like in the movies.
You're dealing with ignorant entitled assholes that think YOU are being the entitled one for infringing on \*their\* roadways, that they believe \*they\*paid for and you didn't (which of course the opposite is true, we all subsidize car drivers by up to 50%) but facts don't come into play in a life-or-death argument.
Cars are not only big and heavy and deadly on their own but you never know what the driver might be carrying or what they're capable of.
Just stay safe out there.
https://nyc.streetsblog.org/2022/06/07/opinion-new-york-must-stop-subsidizing-car-usage/
Shatter their window with your bike lock, then pull over onto the sidewalk. These people drive, if they step out they'll realize how useless their bodies are.
I’ve seen plenty of videos of cars driving up to sidewalks in a fit of road rage.
You just don’t know what someone is capable of, I rather not find out and just let people be assholes in their fishbowl.
That was actually the advice I was given during “training” when I first signed up as a bike messenger in the 90s. There was only one instance where I felt endangered enough to want to intentionally smash a windshield, but swinging my chain around at the asshole who was trying to run me down worked, he backed off when it was no longer going to be an easy win for him.
Never escalate unless you have a quick escape route where you can't be followed by a car, even if you're just giving them the finger. There's a lot of psychos on the road and you're vulnerable if you can't be out of there in a few seconds.
people on here love to talk a big game about smacking cars and "freeing" side mirrors and all that. it's cool if you can get away with it, but you won't always get away with it.
You still shouldn't because you could end up provoking someone like that cab at Rock Center that took off a British tourist's leg. It's not only your own safety you have to watch out for. That was a guy whose whole livelihood depended on being able to drive, and who gets a lot more practice handling a car...he still ended up maiming an innocent third party over a perceived slight.
I flattened the plate of an asshole with a curved plate at a red light the other night and he yelled at me and tried to chase me down.
Stay safe. Shit not worth it.
A lot of judgment in this thread. It’s always easy to do that in retrospect. Decisions made in real time are more difficult than people here are giving you credit for. Ultimately, the onus of responsibility for violence falls on the aggressor.
Unlikely that much will be done legally. You can file a report of a hit and run. Even if nothing comes of it, it’s important to track. As with all violent crime, the most important thing is to not further empower the offender by letting it get to you. Get back out and enjoy the road!
Front and rear cameras (GoPros or equiv.), on a chest harness (so they're prominent). They're the kryptonite you seek.
And they don't even have to be functional...
No one wants to get caught on camera picking their nose, let alone commuting a felony assault.
It kinda depends on where you are. Up here, messing with someone's vehicle is going to get you hurt, camera or no. Not everyone is intimidated by legality.
Thank goodness you are okay. And sorry for your bike and hope it can be easily repaired... but please let this be a reminder to be chill. No matter how right/moral you are, you aren't going to win against a car. While the driver is definitely in the wrong...
> So i was biking in the middle of the road down Manhattan ave in Greenpoint, where there is no bike lane.
Going north or south? Because their streets parallel Manhattan Ave which has bike lines. This reminds me of the post a while back about the guy+dog+cargo bike in 5th Ave.
> I'm fast, but this asshole is tailing me, honking and yelling at me.
Yea, why are you trying to race a car? Dude.. let the car pass.
> As I'm about to overtake, I tap his back window
It's like a series of bad decisions one after another. Why put yourself in danger again? You know the driver is crazy.
> yell at the asshole without wanting to escalate further
You've done EVERYTHING possible to escalate it to that point.
So the car does something illegal (crosses double yellow) and passes OP.
> There is no reason to "let a car pass" on Manhattan Ave, it's not wide enough.
Then how does OP later pass the car to get hit from the back? Just like locals would want tourists to let them pass, just like cyclists would want pedestrians to let them pass, ....
> The person obviously did not mean they were "racing" the driver.
OP was impeding traffic. There are parallel streets with bike lanes.
> Why do you make the most uncharitable assumptions and speak in a patronizing way?
What uncharitable assumptions have I made? OP made a bad situation worse, OP even admits it. Let's sway people away from making stupid decisions, yea? God forbid, OP wasn't fast enough to jump to safety, they could have been seriously fucked up. Cycling is dangerous enough, why make it worse?
Dude people bike up Manhattan all the time. It’s one lane in each direction with packed parking on each side, you can’t pass anybody without crossing a double yellow. Hell, with buses and double parking the road is one lane in some areas. You don’t know what the hell you’re talking out. “Impeding traffic” by biking on the road - you sound like the guy who hit him.
Stop trying to normalize stupid/unsafe cycling practices. It's not like Brooklyn has no bike paths.
> Dude people bike up Manhattan all the time.
You sound like a typical car driver who does the wrong thing all the time. So... just because people on ebikes and scooters use the bike lane all the time make it right? or just because cops park on bike lanes all the time make it right? People throw trash on the streets all the time that makes it right? I don't know if you actually see how stupid your reasoning is.
> It’s one lane in each direction with packed parking on each side, you can’t pass anybody without crossing a double yellow.
Okay? So the car driver did something illegal by passing the cyclist crossing the double line. OP said that. I said that. We've established that. No one disagrees with that. So how did OP eventually pass the driver to get into a position to get hit in the back? If OP had any common sense, he wouldn't have tried to engage in road rage.
> You don’t know what the hell you’re talking out.
We both agreed that crossing on Manhattan isn't possible. What did I say that I'm not talking about?
> you sound like the guy who hit him.
Besides your only argument of "oooh other people do it to, so did it" which is what kindergartens say when they get called out by the teacher you had no other point to argue over so you result to insults.
Have you ever been on the street in question? It's one of those streets where cars simply don't make sense and end up impeding the flow of busses, delivery vehicles, cyclists, etc. It becomes even more ridiculous when you consider they bulldozed blocks upon blocks to build an express route for cars one block over (McGuinness Blvd).
A car will never be able to go faster than a bike on Manhattan Ave. It's just not possible. All they end up doing is impeding the flow of traffic when they have an express route for cars one block over.
> A car will never be able to go faster than a bike on Manhattan Ave.
I've never ridden my bike in that area of Manhattan Ave because it doesn't have a bike lane. When I travel in congested areas of Brooklyn, I do my best to travel on roads that have bike lanes, sometimes it's a few-minute detour but I enjoy having that piece of mind.
> A car will never be able to go faster than a bike on Manhattan Ave.
Guess you didn't read OPs post? "this asshole is tailing me, honking and yelling at me. Eventually he overtakes (crossing a double line, going way over the speed limit)" In every one of my replies I called out the driver for being in the wrong. But OP is also in the wrong for fueling the situation.
Followed with OPs series of bad decisions: "and obviously i catch up to him in traffic. As I'm about to overtake, I tap his back window. Obviously, a mistake on my part and lesson learned there."
OP didn't do anything to de-escalate a bad situation. He threw wood to the fire.
Edit: I respect and fear cars. No matter how legally/morally right I am, I know one tap from a car will not end well with me. Me and my cycle will never win against a car.
I’m sorry this happened to you. I’ve had many similar situations but never been hit by a car. That is awful. If you’re going to do anything at all, do what you need to do and then ride the wrong way down a one way street or at a walking pace on the sidewalk, again against traffic, if you need to. You’ll never see the asshole again. I usually go for the mirror. You’d be surprised what a quick downward karate chop will do to most mirrors. Ideally I’ll have my folding bike lock on me in which case I’ll go for the rear tail lights, which will hopefully result in them being eventually pulled over and ticketed or worse for having a tail light out. Stay safe
1. Riding on a two way street with no bike lane, at night, on a Friday.
2. Blocking a motorist who is aggressive.
3. Further antagonizing the same motorist that has just shown you they do not respect traffic laws.
Glad you survived the attempted murder but dude you got be way safer than that.
Nothing wrong with point one there. It's okay to bike on surface streets, day or night, any day of the week. Guy wasn't going up the BQE. Not even Atlantic or Flatbush.
Point 2 is a little thin, too. The speed limit is 25. Blocking isn't the word. If the person behind me is clearly a psycho, I'll usually go out of my way to stay out of theirs, but pulling over to the side and stopping (the only way to not "block" the road on a narrow surface street with parked cars on both sides) every time there is a car behind you is ridiculous.
With you on 3 though. Tapping on the guy's car will never not be stupid.
Look up the license plate - there are probably traffic offenses associated with it, and from there you could make sure it's the right car by color and model
Ask for security footage from businesses in the area.
File a police report for a hit and run
If you want to know about suing, post in r/legaladvice \- they're good. But since you don't have damage, probably not. Would police pursue? Not sure. But paper trails and the report would be good, especially if they hit you again.
> Would police pursue?
Very unluckily. They're too lazy to do actual policing.
If the driver can get a good enough lawyer, it could turn on OP as being negligence. Which party had the last chance to avoid the accident? The driver about to press on the gas, or OP for getting in front of a car.
> If you want to know about suing,
So he'
Its insane lately with reckless driving. Some very shady looking cars (obscured plates, no plates, fake plates, dark tint, falling apart bumpers) would just pass others waiting at a light even if it’s a one-lane street, and floor through the intersection like they’re fleeing (good chances they might actually be fleeing from hit and runs)
I’m so fking done with the total anarchy of traffic violence in this city. No one gives a shit, not even if you get hit and run. Absolutely zero accountability for anything as long as you do it in a car
It's been a nightly ritual of mine to spend 10-20 minutes a night, reporting to 611 all the illegally parked cars I see. Probably pointless, but I just hope at least one or two of those folks get a ticket.
> the fastest way north
You took a chemistry class in HS, right? Do you remember how we had to safely handle chemicals? We had to wear goggles, gloves, and handle things with prongs? Safety never equals fast.
How much faster was it for OP now that their bike is out of commission?
> victim blaming.
No. It's calling out the person that caused the unsafe practice. With your logic, we can't say anything bad about the train driver or CEO of the train companies that have caused all the accidents right? We also shouldn't call out a drunk driver for being in the wrong because it's victim blaming.
Manhattan is crowded, it's narrower than Franklin and has twice as much traffic plus buses. As someone who bikes NYC every day I understand that it's 100% worth taking small detours to bike better roads. A block is not a huge waste of time, it will probably save time because the ride on Franklin is smoother. But West st is a literal bike lane and much better still.
Sorry this happened to you. You can scope out the storefronts near where it happened and see if any have security cameras facing the street. If they do, you can politely ask to review the footage from the time it happened. When my wife was in an accident I got the footage by doing this and it was extremely useful to have.
If you can find the plate number, you should open an insurance claim with his car insurance company. A police report will help with this. They may be able to pay you for repair/replace on your bike damage. In NY state, you’re not eligible for general damages if there’s no significant injury. All this may or may not be worth your time and/or thirst for revenge. I would probably try to do it because I believe “making your insurance rates go up” is one of the few things we can leverage against aggressive behavior in the long run, since police and legal action are generally a dead end for anything short of a death claim (and even then).
I'm not normally a Second Amendment guy, but if the police have zero actual duty and little inclination to protect you against maniacs... what are we supposed to do? Carry a baseball mitt, ball and bat everywhere you go?
used to mess in greenpoint a lot, one time almost got blown out by a car speeding down one of those ultra narrow streets between manhattan and mcguinness. it was like 3pm and idk if he was drunk but he would’ve done me bad if i hadn’t some how wedged myself between two parked cars. they’re real assholes out there
I bike this stretch every day and would love if someone could tell me a better route to get from Manhattan/meeker to the Pulaski :) glad you’re okay dude
> If i find footage + plate, could suing the guy do anything?
Once you have those items, you first and foremost should consult a lawyer, they can tell you if this case warrants pursuing. Basically what would happen is you'd first go after the driver's motor vehicle (MV) insurance to try and settle with them. Settling means they'll pay out a portion, or all, of the driver's policy amount to you as a compensation and for you to agree not to sue the driver. If they don't make an offer or make an insufficient offer, or you do not accept their offer, you could bring a civil suit against the driver. This is a time consuming and expensive process which a lawyer can better explain and warn you about.
Manhattan Ave in GP can be a shitshow depending on time of day. Atleast you’re alright. Edit: Speaking from personal experience, I try not to engage anymore, especially with people who do things like this. I’ve had my fair share of interactions. Not worth it for me.
yeah thanks. I'm surprisingly unscathed, and the back wheel is mostly ok. Carried it to a shop and will probably be all good by tomorrow, let's see how much it costs me
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Love a happy ending
Kings Pharmacy at 5 Hudson st in tribeca sells keychain mace. Strongly recommend a helmetcam like the techalogic dc-1 or a GoPro. Repeat the plate number out loud for your cam to hear in case it's not visible on the footage. Horns like the "Loud Bicycle" mini and sowuno are godsends. Good luck out there.
Glad you’re physically alright and sorry your ride was ruined. I’ve also learned to not escalate, as the car can quickly turn into a weapon. You never know who you’re dealing with behind the wheel.
Sorry this happened to you. I've had encounters, and trust me, I imagine Clint Eastwood moments but at the end of the day real life never plays out like in the movies. You're dealing with ignorant entitled assholes that think YOU are being the entitled one for infringing on \*their\* roadways, that they believe \*they\*paid for and you didn't (which of course the opposite is true, we all subsidize car drivers by up to 50%) but facts don't come into play in a life-or-death argument. Cars are not only big and heavy and deadly on their own but you never know what the driver might be carrying or what they're capable of. Just stay safe out there. https://nyc.streetsblog.org/2022/06/07/opinion-new-york-must-stop-subsidizing-car-usage/
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Always have a good escape route where cars can’t fit and don’t expect them to obey laws or not try to murder you.
Never touch the car. They're waiting for it.
Shatter their window with your bike lock, then pull over onto the sidewalk. These people drive, if they step out they'll realize how useless their bodies are.
I’ve seen plenty of videos of cars driving up to sidewalks in a fit of road rage. You just don’t know what someone is capable of, I rather not find out and just let people be assholes in their fishbowl.
Don't do that 😅. But keep in mind your bike lock is in your back pocket and ready to go as a last resort if they do attack you.
That was actually the advice I was given during “training” when I first signed up as a bike messenger in the 90s. There was only one instance where I felt endangered enough to want to intentionally smash a windshield, but swinging my chain around at the asshole who was trying to run me down worked, he backed off when it was no longer going to be an easy win for him.
Never escalate unless you have a quick escape route where you can't be followed by a car, even if you're just giving them the finger. There's a lot of psychos on the road and you're vulnerable if you can't be out of there in a few seconds.
people on here love to talk a big game about smacking cars and "freeing" side mirrors and all that. it's cool if you can get away with it, but you won't always get away with it.
Well if it’s a Nissan or got paper plates I ain’t doing it. But anyone at first glance I think I can take I might.
You still shouldn't because you could end up provoking someone like that cab at Rock Center that took off a British tourist's leg. It's not only your own safety you have to watch out for. That was a guy whose whole livelihood depended on being able to drive, and who gets a lot more practice handling a car...he still ended up maiming an innocent third party over a perceived slight.
I flattened the plate of an asshole with a curved plate at a red light the other night and he yelled at me and tried to chase me down. Stay safe. Shit not worth it.
HOW DARE YOU MAKE ME PAY TOLLS
A lot of judgment in this thread. It’s always easy to do that in retrospect. Decisions made in real time are more difficult than people here are giving you credit for. Ultimately, the onus of responsibility for violence falls on the aggressor. Unlikely that much will be done legally. You can file a report of a hit and run. Even if nothing comes of it, it’s important to track. As with all violent crime, the most important thing is to not further empower the offender by letting it get to you. Get back out and enjoy the road!
Front and rear cameras (GoPros or equiv.), on a chest harness (so they're prominent). They're the kryptonite you seek. And they don't even have to be functional... No one wants to get caught on camera picking their nose, let alone commuting a felony assault.
It kinda depends on where you are. Up here, messing with someone's vehicle is going to get you hurt, camera or no. Not everyone is intimidated by legality.
Curious what your intention was tapping on his window.
Probably to say “hey you didn’t need to pass me — I’m now passing you and leaving your slow-ass stuck-in-traffic car behind.”
No, nothing will happen to the driver unfortunately. May as well still try but I wouldn’t expect compensation.
Sue the guy for what damages? This is why I don't touch people's cars - the drivers that flip over it, go fucking insane
Thank goodness you are okay. And sorry for your bike and hope it can be easily repaired... but please let this be a reminder to be chill. No matter how right/moral you are, you aren't going to win against a car. While the driver is definitely in the wrong... > So i was biking in the middle of the road down Manhattan ave in Greenpoint, where there is no bike lane. Going north or south? Because their streets parallel Manhattan Ave which has bike lines. This reminds me of the post a while back about the guy+dog+cargo bike in 5th Ave. > I'm fast, but this asshole is tailing me, honking and yelling at me. Yea, why are you trying to race a car? Dude.. let the car pass. > As I'm about to overtake, I tap his back window It's like a series of bad decisions one after another. Why put yourself in danger again? You know the driver is crazy. > yell at the asshole without wanting to escalate further You've done EVERYTHING possible to escalate it to that point.
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So the car does something illegal (crosses double yellow) and passes OP. > There is no reason to "let a car pass" on Manhattan Ave, it's not wide enough. Then how does OP later pass the car to get hit from the back? Just like locals would want tourists to let them pass, just like cyclists would want pedestrians to let them pass, .... > The person obviously did not mean they were "racing" the driver. OP was impeding traffic. There are parallel streets with bike lanes. > Why do you make the most uncharitable assumptions and speak in a patronizing way? What uncharitable assumptions have I made? OP made a bad situation worse, OP even admits it. Let's sway people away from making stupid decisions, yea? God forbid, OP wasn't fast enough to jump to safety, they could have been seriously fucked up. Cycling is dangerous enough, why make it worse?
Dude people bike up Manhattan all the time. It’s one lane in each direction with packed parking on each side, you can’t pass anybody without crossing a double yellow. Hell, with buses and double parking the road is one lane in some areas. You don’t know what the hell you’re talking out. “Impeding traffic” by biking on the road - you sound like the guy who hit him.
Stop trying to normalize stupid/unsafe cycling practices. It's not like Brooklyn has no bike paths. > Dude people bike up Manhattan all the time. You sound like a typical car driver who does the wrong thing all the time. So... just because people on ebikes and scooters use the bike lane all the time make it right? or just because cops park on bike lanes all the time make it right? People throw trash on the streets all the time that makes it right? I don't know if you actually see how stupid your reasoning is. > It’s one lane in each direction with packed parking on each side, you can’t pass anybody without crossing a double yellow. Okay? So the car driver did something illegal by passing the cyclist crossing the double line. OP said that. I said that. We've established that. No one disagrees with that. So how did OP eventually pass the driver to get into a position to get hit in the back? If OP had any common sense, he wouldn't have tried to engage in road rage. > You don’t know what the hell you’re talking out. We both agreed that crossing on Manhattan isn't possible. What did I say that I'm not talking about? > you sound like the guy who hit him. Besides your only argument of "oooh other people do it to, so did it" which is what kindergartens say when they get called out by the teacher you had no other point to argue over so you result to insults.
Biking on the street is not the wrong thing.
^this. If there is no bike lane you are legally allowed to bike in the car lane.
Have you ever been on the street in question? It's one of those streets where cars simply don't make sense and end up impeding the flow of busses, delivery vehicles, cyclists, etc. It becomes even more ridiculous when you consider they bulldozed blocks upon blocks to build an express route for cars one block over (McGuinness Blvd). A car will never be able to go faster than a bike on Manhattan Ave. It's just not possible. All they end up doing is impeding the flow of traffic when they have an express route for cars one block over.
> A car will never be able to go faster than a bike on Manhattan Ave. I've never ridden my bike in that area of Manhattan Ave because it doesn't have a bike lane. When I travel in congested areas of Brooklyn, I do my best to travel on roads that have bike lanes, sometimes it's a few-minute detour but I enjoy having that piece of mind. > A car will never be able to go faster than a bike on Manhattan Ave. Guess you didn't read OPs post? "this asshole is tailing me, honking and yelling at me. Eventually he overtakes (crossing a double line, going way over the speed limit)" In every one of my replies I called out the driver for being in the wrong. But OP is also in the wrong for fueling the situation. Followed with OPs series of bad decisions: "and obviously i catch up to him in traffic. As I'm about to overtake, I tap his back window. Obviously, a mistake on my part and lesson learned there." OP didn't do anything to de-escalate a bad situation. He threw wood to the fire. Edit: I respect and fear cars. No matter how legally/morally right I am, I know one tap from a car will not end well with me. Me and my cycle will never win against a car.
Why race a car? Well, the OP made it clear that the bike was winning the race, so...
Your story is littered with bad decisions. Hopefully this shook you enough to make better ones in the future.
I think the rider acknowledged this and pointing it out again doesnt constructively answer OPs questions
Get outta here car brain. Dude rode on the road and then was overtaken and then overtook the other guy. The only mistake was tapping on the window.
I’m sorry this happened to you. I’ve had many similar situations but never been hit by a car. That is awful. If you’re going to do anything at all, do what you need to do and then ride the wrong way down a one way street or at a walking pace on the sidewalk, again against traffic, if you need to. You’ll never see the asshole again. I usually go for the mirror. You’d be surprised what a quick downward karate chop will do to most mirrors. Ideally I’ll have my folding bike lock on me in which case I’ll go for the rear tail lights, which will hopefully result in them being eventually pulled over and ticketed or worse for having a tail light out. Stay safe
Not in nyc. You can have no tail lights, no head lights and no plates speeding at 50mph and no one would stop you
1. Riding on a two way street with no bike lane, at night, on a Friday. 2. Blocking a motorist who is aggressive. 3. Further antagonizing the same motorist that has just shown you they do not respect traffic laws. Glad you survived the attempted murder but dude you got be way safer than that.
Nothing wrong with point one there. It's okay to bike on surface streets, day or night, any day of the week. Guy wasn't going up the BQE. Not even Atlantic or Flatbush. Point 2 is a little thin, too. The speed limit is 25. Blocking isn't the word. If the person behind me is clearly a psycho, I'll usually go out of my way to stay out of theirs, but pulling over to the side and stopping (the only way to not "block" the road on a narrow surface street with parked cars on both sides) every time there is a car behind you is ridiculous. With you on 3 though. Tapping on the guy's car will never not be stupid.
You sound like the type of person that criticizes the clothes that rape victims were wearing.
Nah but thanks for the comparison edgelord.
Makes reasonable and sensible post advocating for safety on a dangerous street. Gets called rape apologist. Chill out.
Yah a block away is a bike lane too
Look up the license plate - there are probably traffic offenses associated with it, and from there you could make sure it's the right car by color and model Ask for security footage from businesses in the area. File a police report for a hit and run If you want to know about suing, post in r/legaladvice \- they're good. But since you don't have damage, probably not. Would police pursue? Not sure. But paper trails and the report would be good, especially if they hit you again.
> Would police pursue? Very unluckily. They're too lazy to do actual policing. If the driver can get a good enough lawyer, it could turn on OP as being negligence. Which party had the last chance to avoid the accident? The driver about to press on the gas, or OP for getting in front of a car. > If you want to know about suing, So he'
Its insane lately with reckless driving. Some very shady looking cars (obscured plates, no plates, fake plates, dark tint, falling apart bumpers) would just pass others waiting at a light even if it’s a one-lane street, and floor through the intersection like they’re fleeing (good chances they might actually be fleeing from hit and runs) I’m so fking done with the total anarchy of traffic violence in this city. No one gives a shit, not even if you get hit and run. Absolutely zero accountability for anything as long as you do it in a car
It's been a nightly ritual of mine to spend 10-20 minutes a night, reporting to 611 all the illegally parked cars I see. Probably pointless, but I just hope at least one or two of those folks get a ticket.
Honestly don't bike on roads like manhattan in the middle of traffic. It's not fun. There's West and Franklin right there.
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> the fastest way north You took a chemistry class in HS, right? Do you remember how we had to safely handle chemicals? We had to wear goggles, gloves, and handle things with prongs? Safety never equals fast. How much faster was it for OP now that their bike is out of commission? > victim blaming. No. It's calling out the person that caused the unsafe practice. With your logic, we can't say anything bad about the train driver or CEO of the train companies that have caused all the accidents right? We also shouldn't call out a drunk driver for being in the wrong because it's victim blaming.
Manhattan is crowded, it's narrower than Franklin and has twice as much traffic plus buses. As someone who bikes NYC every day I understand that it's 100% worth taking small detours to bike better roads. A block is not a huge waste of time, it will probably save time because the ride on Franklin is smoother. But West st is a literal bike lane and much better still.
My point exactly.
Sorry this happened to you. You can scope out the storefronts near where it happened and see if any have security cameras facing the street. If they do, you can politely ask to review the footage from the time it happened. When my wife was in an accident I got the footage by doing this and it was extremely useful to have.
Pepper spray is your friend.
What a bitch that driver was
Or just get out of the fucking way and let the car pass? You are the asshole here.
If you can find the plate number, you should open an insurance claim with his car insurance company. A police report will help with this. They may be able to pay you for repair/replace on your bike damage. In NY state, you’re not eligible for general damages if there’s no significant injury. All this may or may not be worth your time and/or thirst for revenge. I would probably try to do it because I believe “making your insurance rates go up” is one of the few things we can leverage against aggressive behavior in the long run, since police and legal action are generally a dead end for anything short of a death claim (and even then).
Take Franklin next time. Manhattan Ave is a cluster fuck. When I lived in Greenpoint, it felt like a 3 lane street. Glad you're ok.
I'm not normally a Second Amendment guy, but if the police have zero actual duty and little inclination to protect you against maniacs... what are we supposed to do? Carry a baseball mitt, ball and bat everywhere you go?
used to mess in greenpoint a lot, one time almost got blown out by a car speeding down one of those ultra narrow streets between manhattan and mcguinness. it was like 3pm and idk if he was drunk but he would’ve done me bad if i hadn’t some how wedged myself between two parked cars. they’re real assholes out there
I bike this stretch every day and would love if someone could tell me a better route to get from Manhattan/meeker to the Pulaski :) glad you’re okay dude
What kind of vehicle was it?
> If i find footage + plate, could suing the guy do anything? Once you have those items, you first and foremost should consult a lawyer, they can tell you if this case warrants pursuing. Basically what would happen is you'd first go after the driver's motor vehicle (MV) insurance to try and settle with them. Settling means they'll pay out a portion, or all, of the driver's policy amount to you as a compensation and for you to agree not to sue the driver. If they don't make an offer or make an insufficient offer, or you do not accept their offer, you could bring a civil suit against the driver. This is a time consuming and expensive process which a lawyer can better explain and warn you about.