Odd interaction with a road rager

"NYRides" wrote in message .net...

Sadly, I think the "other thing" that many people have going on in their
lives is an underlying frustration with bicyclists who constantly ignore the
rules of the road and are frequently a menace to drivers as they weave in
and out of traffic, ride on the wrong side of the road, and blow through
traffic lights.



It is true that unruly cyclist give everyone a bad name. But in this
case, the OP was not (at least did not say he was) breaking traffic
laws.

Peeling-out, unecessary horn-honking, aggressive lane changes are all
hallmarks of road-ragers especially if the cyclist does not impede the
travel of the car in any real way.

I don't think that road-ragers have a special thing for cyclists.
Slow, or temporarily stopped cars bring similar responses out of them.
The difference is that the cyclist is in a vastly more vulnerable
situation than a car.

As I said before, road-ragers have some personal conflict going on
that is unrelated to traffic. No one flys into a blood rage at a
stranger over trivial traffic issues unless something much deeper is
bugging them.

The typical advice that authorities give to potential victims of road
rage applies to cyclists too:

1) Don't provoke/escalate a confrontation by responding aggressively
2) Diffuse the situation by backing off, create distance, get out of
the way

Truck driver is shot in face-off with cyclist

Monday, February 09, 2004
By Jim McKinnon, Pittsburgh Post-Gazette

A Monroeville bicyclist has been jailed on charges that he tried to kill a
pickup truck driver during a road rage incident Saturday afternoon near the
entrance to Monroeville Park.

The driver, William J. Nicoletti, was shot once in the arm in the
confrontation.
No injuries were reported to the bike rider, Robert T. Urick.

Nicoletti, 51, told Monroeville police that he was driving along Tillbrook
Road when Urick, 41, who was riding the bicycle, made an obscene gesture as
the truck passed him.

Urick later told police that he reacted that way because Nicoletti had told
him to get off the road.
Nicoletti said that he turned his truck around and drove toward Urick, who
pulled a pistol, pointed it at him and stated that Nicoletti had "five
seconds to get out [of the truck] or he would shoot," according to an
affidavit that supports Urick's arrest.

Nicoletti said that Urick then reached inside the truck and shot him in the
arm.

As Urick rode away, Nicoletti said that he pursued him in the truck, ramming
the bicycle from behind, forcing it off the road.

The two men then fought briefly until Urick fled.
Nicoletti was treated at Mercy Hospital for a bullet wound of the arm.

Under questioning at county police headquarters, Urick denied having
possessed or fired a weapon. He admitted that he had fought with Nicoletti,
ending the fight only after Nicoletti submitted, the affidavit said.

Urick was arraigned on charges of attempted homicide, aggravated assault and
two weapons violations.
He was being held last night in the Allegheny County Jail on $100,000 bond,
pending a preliminary hearing Feb. 17 at 1 p.m. before District Justice
Walter Luniewski in Monroeville.

http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/04040/270970.stm

(Jim McKinnon can be reached at or 412-263-1939.)

Truck driver is shot in face-off with cyclist

Monday, February 09, 2004
By Jim McKinnon, Pittsburgh Post-Gazette

A Monroeville bicyclist has been jailed on charges that he tried to kill a
pickup truck driver during a road rage incident Saturday afternoon near the
entrance to Monroeville Park.

The driver, William J. Nicoletti, was shot once in the arm in the
confrontation.
No injuries were reported to the bike rider, Robert T. Urick.

Nicoletti, 51, told Monroeville police that he was driving along Tillbrook
Road when Urick, 41, who was riding the bicycle, made an obscene gesture as
the truck passed him.

Urick later told police that he reacted that way because Nicoletti had told
him to get off the road.
Nicoletti said that he turned his truck around and drove toward Urick, who
pulled a pistol, pointed it at him and stated that Nicoletti had "five
seconds to get out [of the truck] or he would shoot," according to an
affidavit that supports Urick's arrest.

Nicoletti said that Urick then reached inside the truck and shot him in the
arm.

As Urick rode away, Nicoletti said that he pursued him in the truck, ramming
the bicycle from behind, forcing it off the road.

The two men then fought briefly until Urick fled.
Nicoletti was treated at Mercy Hospital for a bullet wound of the arm.

Under questioning at county police headquarters, Urick denied having
possessed or fired a weapon. He admitted that he had fought with Nicoletti,
ending the fight only after Nicoletti submitted, the affidavit said.

Urick was arraigned on charges of attempted homicide, aggravated assault and
two weapons violations.
He was being held last night in the Allegheny County Jail on $100,000 bond,
pending a preliminary hearing Feb. 17 at 1 p.m. before District Justice
Walter Luniewski in Monroeville.

http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/04040/270970.stm

(Jim McKinnon can be reached at or 412-263-1939.)

"NYRides" wrote in message .net...
Sadly, I think the "other thing" that many people have going on in their
lives is an underlying frustration with bicyclists who constantly ignore the
rules of the road and are frequently a menace to drivers as they weave in
and out of traffic, ride on the wrong side of the road, and blow through
traffic lights.

Most of my riding is done out here on the roads of Long Island, where nobody
bothers to teach or learn the proper and safe way to ride a bicycle beyond
the end of the driveway. As a result, I am constantly on edge while driving
around town, waiting for yet another kid on a Mongoose to come flying off
the corner on the left side of the road - or worse, an experienced adult
rider with an expensive bike flying through a red light so as not to fall
short of yesterday's time.

It seems that most urban riders are much more aware of safe and legal riding
techniques, but I've certainly seen a lot of oblivious peddlers in New York
City. This ****es ME off -- and I'm a cyclist. I can't imagine how it irks
a driver who only wishes he/she had a bicycle!

Don't let it get you so upset. Many parents don't have their
priorities straight and don't teach resposibility. They aren't
themselves responsible
and either is their progeny. Unfortunately we live in a fallen world.

One neighborhood boy thought it was cute to ride his bike in the other
lane towards an oncoming car like you see in movies with two cars
racing towards
each other.

That's the big reason that we have bicycle helmets now.

Be thankful for each ride where you come home.

"NYRides" wrote in message .net...
Sadly, I think the "other thing" that many people have going on in their
lives is an underlying frustration with bicyclists who constantly ignore the
rules of the road and are frequently a menace to drivers as they weave in
and out of traffic, ride on the wrong side of the road, and blow through
traffic lights.

Most of my riding is done out here on the roads of Long Island, where nobody
bothers to teach or learn the proper and safe way to ride a bicycle beyond
the end of the driveway. As a result, I am constantly on edge while driving
around town, waiting for yet another kid on a Mongoose to come flying off
the corner on the left side of the road - or worse, an experienced adult
rider with an expensive bike flying through a red light so as not to fall
short of yesterday's time.

It seems that most urban riders are much more aware of safe and legal riding
techniques, but I've certainly seen a lot of oblivious peddlers in New York
City. This ****es ME off -- and I'm a cyclist. I can't imagine how it irks
a driver who only wishes he/she had a bicycle!

Don't let it get you so upset. Many parents don't have their
priorities straight and don't teach resposibility. They aren't
themselves responsible
and either is their progeny. Unfortunately we live in a fallen world.

One neighborhood boy thought it was cute to ride his bike in the other
lane towards an oncoming car like you see in movies with two cars
racing towards
each other.

That's the big reason that we have bicycle helmets now.

Be thankful for each ride where you come home.

Carmon wrote:
|| Truck driver is shot in face-off with cyclist
||
|| Monday, February 09, 2004
|| By Jim McKinnon, Pittsburgh Post-Gazette


So the question here is: Who had road rage - the truck driver or the
cyclist?

||
|| A Monroeville bicyclist has been jailed on charges that he tried to
|| kill a pickup truck driver during a road rage incident Saturday
|| afternoon near the entrance to Monroeville Park.
||
|| The driver, William J. Nicoletti, was shot once in the arm in the
|| confrontation.
|| No injuries were reported to the bike rider, Robert T. Urick.
||
|| Nicoletti, 51, told Monroeville police that he was driving along
|| Tillbrook Road when Urick, 41, who was riding the bicycle, made an
|| obscene gesture as the truck passed him.
||
|| Urick later told police that he reacted that way because Nicoletti
|| had told him to get off the road.
|| Nicoletti said that he turned his truck around and drove toward
|| Urick, who pulled a pistol, pointed it at him and stated that
|| Nicoletti had "five seconds to get out [of the truck] or he would
|| shoot," according to an affidavit that supports Urick's arrest.
||
|| Nicoletti said that Urick then reached inside the truck and shot him
|| in the arm.
||
|| As Urick rode away, Nicoletti said that he pursued him in the truck,
|| ramming the bicycle from behind, forcing it off the road.
||
|| The two men then fought briefly until Urick fled.
|| Nicoletti was treated at Mercy Hospital for a bullet wound of the
|| arm.
||
|| Under questioning at county police headquarters, Urick denied having
|| possessed or fired a weapon. He admitted that he had fought with
|| Nicoletti, ending the fight only after Nicoletti submitted, the
|| affidavit said.
||
|| Urick was arraigned on charges of attempted homicide, aggravated
|| assault and two weapons violations.
|| He was being held last night in the Allegheny County Jail on
|| $100,000 bond, pending a preliminary hearing Feb. 17 at 1 p.m.
|| before District Justice Walter Luniewski in Monroeville.
||
|| http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/04040/270970.stm
||
|| (Jim McKinnon can be reached at or
|| 412-263-1939.)

Carmon wrote:
|| Truck driver is shot in face-off with cyclist
||
|| Monday, February 09, 2004
|| By Jim McKinnon, Pittsburgh Post-Gazette


So the question here is: Who had road rage - the truck driver or the
cyclist?

||
|| A Monroeville bicyclist has been jailed on charges that he tried to
|| kill a pickup truck driver during a road rage incident Saturday
|| afternoon near the entrance to Monroeville Park.
||
|| The driver, William J. Nicoletti, was shot once in the arm in the
|| confrontation.
|| No injuries were reported to the bike rider, Robert T. Urick.
||
|| Nicoletti, 51, told Monroeville police that he was driving along
|| Tillbrook Road when Urick, 41, who was riding the bicycle, made an
|| obscene gesture as the truck passed him.
||
|| Urick later told police that he reacted that way because Nicoletti
|| had told him to get off the road.
|| Nicoletti said that he turned his truck around and drove toward
|| Urick, who pulled a pistol, pointed it at him and stated that
|| Nicoletti had "five seconds to get out [of the truck] or he would
|| shoot," according to an affidavit that supports Urick's arrest.
||
|| Nicoletti said that Urick then reached inside the truck and shot him
|| in the arm.
||
|| As Urick rode away, Nicoletti said that he pursued him in the truck,
|| ramming the bicycle from behind, forcing it off the road.
||
|| The two men then fought briefly until Urick fled.
|| Nicoletti was treated at Mercy Hospital for a bullet wound of the
|| arm.
||
|| Under questioning at county police headquarters, Urick denied having
|| possessed or fired a weapon. He admitted that he had fought with
|| Nicoletti, ending the fight only after Nicoletti submitted, the
|| affidavit said.
||
|| Urick was arraigned on charges of attempted homicide, aggravated
|| assault and two weapons violations.
|| He was being held last night in the Allegheny County Jail on
|| $100,000 bond, pending a preliminary hearing Feb. 17 at 1 p.m.
|| before District Justice Walter Luniewski in Monroeville.
||
|| http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/04040/270970.stm
||
|| (Jim McKinnon can be reached at or
|| 412-263-1939.)

Wed, 1 Sep 2004 19:19:28 -0400, ,
"Roger Zoul" wrote:


So the question here is: Who had road rage - the truck driver or the
cyclist?

"Nicoletti said that he turned his truck around and drove toward
Urick"

IOW, the cyclist didn't chase down the truck to shoot the driver and
I've never been satified that it was even the cyclist's gun.
--
zk

Wed, 1 Sep 2004 19:19:28 -0400, ,
"Roger Zoul" wrote:


So the question here is: Who had road rage - the truck driver or the
cyclist?

"Nicoletti said that he turned his truck around and drove toward
Urick"

IOW, the cyclist didn't chase down the truck to shoot the driver and
I've never been satified that it was even the cyclist's gun.
--
zk

On Wed, 1 Sep 2004 19:19:28 -0400, "Roger Zoul"
wrote:

Carmon wrote:
|| Truck driver is shot in face-off with cyclist
||
|| Monday, February 09, 2004
|| By Jim McKinnon, Pittsburgh Post-Gazette


So the question here is: Who had road rage - the truck driver or the
cyclist?

Yeah this sounds like a case of man bites dog. A paraffin test will tell
who fired the gun, though.

-B