California helmetcam: Roadrager stops to slap rider in the helmet

[darius]

Looks to me like he was enraged to be beaten off the line. That deserves a slap!

[ame=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sBtE-SwEnM4]Crazy Guy hits motorcyclist Road Rage - YouTube[/ame]

Published on May 7, 2013

UPDATE: To those that are asking, I did go back to the police with a formal complaint and the will to prosecute the attacker. Inkedbeast76 helped me tremendously with this effort by guiding me through the whole process. I am forever grateful for such help, especially for someone to help a stranger from YouTube! Everything is in order and I have ID'd the attacker and now it's just a matter of waiting for the results or the call from the PD.

Just for everyone to know. I was NOT trying to race him, and I know the video makes it seem so. But I just wanted to pass him since I noticed he kept staying right next to me. I accelerated a bit to pass him but slowed down when I noticed I was approaching speed limit as well the a yellow light. The guy, for some odd reason, cut right behind me when I passed him, cutting off my friend and tailing me very closely (according to my friend). I didn't notice him behind me since he did it so abruptly, I assume he either got pissed that he thought I was trying to race him? Or that I purposely brake checked him? I was about to tell him that my intention wasn't was to race him but he got all macho on me.

And for those that are wondering. YES I took his little slap to the head. No harm done. I'm not an aggressive guy, I assumed this was another typical road rage, let the guy do his little act and be on with it. Of course I wanted to punch him but that would've made matters worse with all the people watching. If he had tried to take another swing at me then I would've gotten off to defend myself, but 1 little slap was no big deal.

 

[PosterFZ6]

It was probably because he accelerated quickly then braked possibly creating a situation where the VW GTI that was following him would have rear ended him.

 

[phranK2k11]

WOW my pulse quickened and I went right to FIGHT-or-flight when he got outta the car! may not be the right way, but that would've ended WAY different had i been on the receiving end there. Good for you for beeing the "bigger" man!

 

[FloppyRunner]

Just another reason I have issues with all of humanity. Myself included.

I never can understand the "machismo" types. Getting out of the car, doing the gym walk over, and saying things like "you better check yourself, fool" is such a nonsensical, illogical, and irrational response to...anything. And it never makes anything better. I mean, what exactly does that even mean??? What a douche. I hope I have the good sense that that rider had to stay calm should I ever find myself in a similar situation.

 

[KingY]

Mate i respect your ability to stay calm, as above that video would have ended in a much different manner if someone had stopped in front of me and thrown a slap. It would have been him calling the police to report assault not me.

Good luck mate, hope the vid is enough to take him down a peg or two. With you and i assume your buddy there both in bike gear i dont think he would have stood much a chance if it had have escalated

 

[made_in_izmir]

just a child , trying to die .

 

[Motogiro]

He got smacked because his bike sounded so gooooood! Lol! :rockon:

 

[lawlberg]

So here's another - well written analysis of the incident. /s

 

[turbid]

i like the way he walks! to me it seems that he stopped right in the middle of the road, as the lights seemed further up. so might have been a potential hazard to other road users. I think he better check himself

 

[FIZZER6]

Yea the VW driver is lucky. Some bikers would have either A. ran his a$$ over B. pulled their gun out of the tank bag when they saw him open the car door. I would have preferred to do C. ride around the car on the right the second he opened his car door.

 

[pookamatic]

With you and i assume your buddy there both in bike gear i dont think he would have stood much a chance if it had have escalated

I've always wondered how a road-side fight would work out with all the gear on. I mean - you would be slowed, but blows to the full-faced helmet aren't going to have much of an effect other than hurt the puncher's hand.

 

[FIZZER6]

I've always wondered how a road-side fight would work out with all the gear on. I mean - you would be slowed, but blows to the full-faced helmet aren't going to have much of an effect other than hurt the puncher's hand.

Agreed. Also the armored knuckle protection on my riding gloves would probably make return blows more effective.

Plus there were two bikers, clearly together. If the car driver had engaged my riding buddy I would have put a fist into the side of his head just as fast as I could get off the bike.

 

[darius]

The VW owners forum have ID'd the guy. :rof:

Link

 

[FloppyRunner]

Hahahahahahaha that's awesome...what a douche.

 

[VEGASRIDER]

We have no idea what transpired before the intersection?

Going forward, that is a normal acceleration for a bike! A motorcycle will accelerate much faster and quicker with little effort versus a car, or any vehicle for that matter. Just like a car will out accelerate a big truck or bus with no effort. On the other hand, you can clearly hear that the driver of the car had to really put in the VW's maximum potential for it to keep up or out accelerate a bike.

From my experience, this has happened to me, not the slap but a car trying to out accelerate me. If I see that a vehicle is aggressively trying to accelerate to a point that we will be side by side, I will roll off the throttle. Seeing that there were also multiple crosswalks, I'm questioning both vehicles speed, they both should be paying attention in the event that they had to yield to pedestrians. At least here in the US, a pedestrian has the right of way in a designated crosswalk.

Kudos for that rider to keep his cool. 90% of the riders out there in the real world would have escalated into another level.

 

[lawlberg]

+1 above

I remember the OP from Reddit (where this came from) commenting that he decided to slow down for the upcoming intersection, but no comment was made about how fast he was riding through a pedestrian filled section of road. But who cares - some dbag in a GTI (great pic of him btw) made him famous.

 

[FIZZER6]

Go Pro and other video recording devices has made the world a less safe place to do stupid stuff....chances are good it might be caught on camera!

 

[Motogiro]

I was headed to work one morning and a guy jumps out of his car and starts toward me. I dismount right away because I could see he was angry and yelling that I better watch myself crossing 3 lanes at once on the freeway. I started yelling back at him that it wasn't me and I think because I was now surefooted off the bike it changed how he viewed he would bully me. I yelled at him to get back in his car and repeated it wasn't me crossing 3 lanes. He got back in his car.

It's sad that people have such emotional problems.

You can hear the VW spin tire in the right lane as the bike pulls away and then the VW pulls past on the right comes into the left lane and blocks off the bike.
The VW guy is aggressive from the beginning and probably had something to prove a long time ago. Lol!
It's hard to know how to defend yourself in these situations and you or the other person can be hurt very quickly and unexpectedly in these situations.
If the rider bailed the VW may have given chase and the situation could have been worse.
I think being the rider was slapped in the helmet the only thing injured is maybe the ego.
Even if you know you can show this person who's boss, it's not worth the court time when you could be out on your ride!

 

[FIZZER6]

Here's what happens when you try to punch a motorcyclist who is wearing a full face helmet...you get knocked the phuk out!

Motorcycle Road Rage Leads to Knockout - YouTube

 

[pookamatic]

I wonder if the sight of the second rider was the reason this was only a slap. He looked like he wanted to do more, but decided against a 2 v 1 situation.

I think I would have waited until he got two feet on the ground and took off. There wouldn't have been much of a chase. Tough to say though... it doesn't look like the area for a quick and safe getaway. I can say that if this was as unprovoked as it looks (again, not sure what happened before the video starts), I wouldn't have been able to be the bigger man. There wouldn't have been more "slaps". A slapsies contest, if you will.