What are the potential consequences for a cyclist who damages an obnoxious driver's car?

Question

I live in a shitty city with shitty drivers. I'm constantly being yelled at to get onto the sidewalk, which is illegal, when I'm riding my bike in the street. There aren't bike lanes everywhere, I do use them when they're there. People will intentionally get close to me, yell at me, honk their horns at me, and I've almost been hit many times. Let's say the next time someone does that to me I take my U lock and dent their car or smash their mirror or window, and somehow I get caught doing it. What kind of trouble could I get in? Can I claim self defense/teaching those ******* a lesson?

Answer 1

The fact that motorists don't know traffic law and engage in bullying and intimidation on the road is not a reason to damage their cars. If caught, you could go to jail and face a stiff fine, legal costs and you would be required to pay to fix the damage.



Be aware that bike facilities are in their infancy in the US and even the better-designed ones in Europe have been found by numerous studies to be more dangerous than the road. If state and local laws allow you to avoid them, I urge you to do so. If cycle facility use is mandatory in your state, I advise you to avoid roads with bike facilities. Yeah, they're that dangerous.



To avoid dangerously close passes and collisions, ride your bike well into the traffic lane. Motorists won't try to pass when there's obviously not enough room. Riding in the gutter encourages them to try to squeeze past - this causes a lot of accidents. Riding well into the lane makes you more visible, gives motorists plenty of time to change lanes, and keeps you safer.

Answer 2

Forget about that plan - it won't help and will cause all sorts of trouble. As I often point out, 1 in 100 adults is schizophrenic, 4 in 100 suffer from bipolar disorder, 4 in 100 have trouble with "anger dysregulation" (rage), and then there are the random violent people - about 1 in 5 adults is guilty of domestic violence. The jerks who give you trouble are almost certainly members of that violent group. The chances of you surviving vandalism of their car to face the police are not good.



Difficult drivers are part of every bicyclist's life. Most of the time it is just noise but I have been hit by thrown garbage, missed by a thrown bottle, run off the road a few times and threatened with a tire iron. There really is not much you can do when your route takes you through busy traffic. For every 100 cars you encounter the numbers I cited apply. For a while I considered riding with an empty shoulder holster strapped on visibly so for the few seconds when cars were approaching from the rear they would expect taking out their stupidity on me would be a bad idea. Once they are past I don't care what they think.



I have been on club rides where riders were injured and killed. In every case it was the quiet motorists, careless or intoxicated, who did the injury. The only time I have been in a collision with a car it was driven by a young lady who was trying to be careful - she just didn't see me.

Answer 3

it truly is all very tragic yet did you recognize the drivers own situations - perchance he won't be able to arise with the money for to fix the vehicle and he needs it to artwork and help his kinfolk. If he has get precise of entry to to different autos does it mean some different person is and not using a motor vehicle - he became doing not some thing incorrect and is now with out his motor vehicle i'm not keeping i ought to do what he's doing yet i doubt it really is a call he has taken gently - do not choose someone until eventually you've walked of their shoes everyone on the line is to blame for his or her own and everyone elses safe practices and that i imagine it became stated to be unintentional to not reason soreness for the mothers and fathers because if he had had light fixtures and a reflective jacket there ought to were no twist of destiny

Answer 4

When the car driver runs you down in the street he will simply claim self defense. And you won't be in any condition to claim otherwise.



D O N " T screw with people driving vehicles that weigh 3000 pounds or more. It could be very detrimental to your health because there are some who have no qualms about using their car as a weapon. And some carry guns too.



Just leave the lock in it's holder and 'chill'. You will live longer.

Answer 5

No. Self-defense is when you stop someone from killing you, raping you, possibly even stealing. Teaching someone a lesson about traffic laws is not self-defense.



The potential consequence is that you could cause the driver to lose control, crash the car into you, and kill you.



If you meant the potential legal consequences, having to pay a lot of money and go to jail, but only if you lived.

Answer 6

get ready to go to jail for malicious damage and civil court for damages