Oof, that sucks, sorry to hear it. Unfortunately, there isn’t really anything you can do about that sort of thing. I mean, you could report him to the police for making criminal threats, but that would probably not go anywhere. Since you weren’t injured and he was only yelling at you (rather than chasing you/swinging at you/throwing things), there’s not much more the police could go after him for.

However, if this had taken place in Los Angeles, CA, it would be a whole different story. That’s because the LA City Council just passed an ordinance that makes it a crime for motorists to harass bikers. The law would allow you to sue for three times your actual damages in civil court, as well as attorney’s fees and court costs. If the harassment was especially bad, the court can also award punitive damages (money beyond what your damages are worth, intended as a punishment to the defendant). Wes High, LA resident and the winner of my One Good Earbud giveaway, may be seeking relief under this ordinance after a similar incident.

While I think it’s great that bikers in LA are now protected by this new law, I’m actually glad that we don’t have that sort of thing here. Unlike in Boston, the drivers in LA really aren’t used to sharing the roads with bikes. Most don’t know that bikers have the right to the full lane, or that they have to yield to cyclists as they would for other cars. Take a look at Wes’s helmet cam videos, you’ll see what I mean. LA drivers just aren’t used to dealing with bikes in traffic when they drive. The bikers out there needed some sort of deterrent on their side to level the playing field a bit, and this is what they came up with.

As impressive a step as that is, I’m kinda proud that despite the less than stellar reputation of our drivers, Boston has yet to deem such legislation necessary. Drivers here may not always check before turning right or opening their door, but at least they probably know that they should.

Yours,
Josh