Modern Vespa

Wow...that's....um....harsh.

Nice one mate

Chad,

Glad you are ok, there are a lot of moron's in the world. I would say the most important line in the post was........

"this guy behind me in a smashed up beratta"

I mean he is already upset at life, I believe they stopped producing that piece of shit in 1990. It angered people then and apparentely still does.

Be good bud, you are a Vespa rock star !!

Best
SDG

What kind of seat is that on your GTS?

Whatever you might think you would have done had you seen this coming, you did the right thing as it was, in my opinion.

Harv

Sorry to hear, I had just the opposite reaction in Santa Barbara on the way back from our weekly ride. A car full of teenagers in a big SUV were blaring their music and cruised along side of me for a mile and pointed at me while they were dancing to their music. I started grooving to their music and they couldn't believe that a 50 year dork would do that and they gave me the thumps up and took off.

Custom, one-off seat from Pirate Upholstery. It seems to be either a love or hate design..I happen to love it.

I love it too. Perhaps they will do a 2-off?

Is that red piping I see?

LOL, I'm sure if you ask, he'll deliver.

Yep, that's red piping and stitching. I wish I had asked for either a GTS or Vespa applique as well, but that's my fault.

+1

I ditched a dickhead just the other day. He beeped at me as the two lanes converged, at about 5 mph, and I was taking my slot from the right. For whatever the reason that crawled out of his tiny phallus and into his pea-brain, he wasn't going to let me, so when I had to insist or find myself riding the shoulder, he beeped and started yelling. I gestured downward, toward the area I was filling and asked if he understood the concept of merging and that this wasn't some sort of contest of wills. He responded by leaning OUT of his window and yelling a lot of unintelligible gibbling, his embarrassed girlfriend shrinking in the passenger seat. I, of course, manuvered away from him before he got even more stupid ideas. The kicker? I had my girlfriend with me and this fruitcake wanted to pick a fight. Big fucking man. So with a little clever timing I left him at the next light to argue with whoever was next to him, maybe even his hapless passenger. I certainly wasn't going to pursue a pissing match with my gal along for the ride.

Some people just plain suck. Ditching is the best remedy if one can manage it safely, imho.

I used to have a very short fuse. More than once in my life I have gotten into a scrap. Some I walked away victorious and others I've had my ass handed to me.
A funny thing happens to you once the first g.u.n. has been pulled on you. Now I am a pacifist like you would not believe.
The first time was in a one on one fight. I walked away and that was that. Since then I've been shot at and had more explosions go off next to me more than I can count.
So these days when I find myself in a pinch like that I usually just crack a joke about myself.
It doesn't matter how big (you think) you are one little bullet can erase even the most perfect of fighting scores.

~El Josh AKA Ruby

It's hard to walk away from that, but the guy obviously has nothing to lose. Likely has no education, a bad job, bad life, and no hope... Feel sorry for his fate in life, and move on.. After a mild encounter with a jerk in an adjacent car, I now keep a can of pepper spray attached with velcro on the outside of the glovebox. I have yet to use it, but I believe it would be easy to spray him, claim self defense since he was out of his car, and you would get satisfaction in seeing him in the temporary discomfort.

I'm sort of with you guys, but I when cagers get too mouthy, I will shoot my mouth off at them. I'm not looking to fight, but I can talk shit with the best of them. Sometimes after the yelling match, I think back on what I said and amaze myself. Its just reaction. Funny thing - I have never been in a fight, and am very very laid back in normal day life. But I have a point at which, should someone push me past it or be just plain rude - I will respond with serious aggression VERBALLY.

I'm not sure this is the best thing to do, but like some other people said, sometimes you just gotta make a stand. I'll never throw a punch, but I'm always wearing a helmet, gloves and armored jacket - how stupid would it be for a person to try and punch me? Not sure what I would do should they do that.

I guess I've been lucky to some extent - most of the guys I've gotten in confrontations with are "educated" or "upper class" retards - meaning, they aren't the type to carry a gun. Boston taxi drivers, preppy 30's guys in their mercedes, etc. Totally different scene from what happened here - I think here, I would of gauged the craziness of this dood, stood up and starting talking back. Or hell, be really annoying and lay on my horn too. I know, I still have alot of growing up to do - I'm working on it.

who is severly challenged in the Manhood departmen.

Get this shit all the time in adelaide - might slow them down by .005 of a second.

they are bad with scooters, but some are even worse with Government cars.

Had one tosser who would not let me merge when I was in a government car, so kept pushing the point.

I had noticed the lane I wanted to merge into had stopped - he was so busy abusing me he didn't.

Despite the great clouds of blue smoke as he screached to a halt, there was not the satisfaction of the sound of crumpling steel.

However, there was the satisfaction of knowing his girlfriend was in the car!

Dude, that was no dude. The Dude would abide.

http://www.dudeism.com/

We used to drive through Chippewa Falls on the way to Green Bay. Seemed to me the Hardee's was the center of cultural life in Chip, and maybe since they tore it down the locals have become bitter and agitated. 8)

I can actually get away with that...this is my Indian, actually mine is green...and yes it is a real Indian.



Look it up AMI-50, the AM stands for American Moped, which is funny since Indian imported these from Tawain and stamped their Indian script all over it.

With the insurgence of wannabe gangbangers in my town, I get called all types of names when I ride any of my scoots. I've had guys iwith thumpin' systems roll down their windows, ask me if I like my motorbike, and throw something at me. Then they peel off like a bat out of hell. It just goes with the territory I guess.

You did the right thing to avoid the asshat. Legally and for your own safety avoidance, when possible, is always the best policy. You don't know if he's on drugs. You don't know if he's armed. Any cage would make short work of you and your scoot.

Even if you confronted him and you beat the piss out of him with your superior fisticuffs, you could get sued or he might just drive over you the next time he sees you (or another scoot).

It all boils down to the fact that that cager wasn't acting rational. You have no idea what he'd do or where he'd stop. Taking it upon yourself to "teach him a lesson", however theraputic it might be, is taking a huge risk for yourself and for all the scooter riders in your area.

I just don't understand the pyschology of people in cars. In fact, nothing terrifies me more than drivers in a bad mood - I'd feel safer in a room full of satan worshipping meth heads than I would around these people. Something just seems to happen to people when you put them in their own personal mini armoured tanks. Bah.

Nice hockey reference.

+1. Yesterday I found myself next to a Jeep with it's top down. The driver was red in the face and was screaming profanities at every car (near him or not). When he didn't have something new to scream at I swear he was screaming at / punching his dashboard.

I throttled back and just waited for him to turn. One angry jerk of his arm and I'd be an aurora blue streak on the pavement. Getting home 60 seconds earlier wasn't worth the risk.

three words. concealed carry permit.

Awesome. Dude (not Dood), you rawk!

Not long after the above mentioned incident, I pulled into a parking spot at the local inconvenience store around the corner to be greeted by a guy just coming out. After asking me several questions about the make and model of my scooter he proceeded to tell me that he had a scooter that he was frustrated in trying to restore and which was being delayed by the difficulty in finding parts. I asked the make and he said, "Well, believe it or not, its a Harley." "Is it a Topper," I asked? "No," he said, "its an Italian make that you've probably never heard of..." "Damn," I said excitedly interrupting him, "I'd be happy to take that Aermacchi off your hands if you're that tired of waiting for parts." Secretly, I was looking forward to the next time someone yells at me, "Hey, is that a Harley?" It was a real adjustment in learning to ride here on the left coast. I never had a bad episode in my year of riding in Wisconsin, land of cheese. Mmmm, cheese...

Wouldn't have expected that in the land of Leinenkugel. Glad you're OK though.

double tap to the head...

What a maroooon!! Kinda makes you shake your head......

i experienced a similar incident earlier this summer. two carloads of young gentlemen in baseball caps and lots of gold jewellery were driving side-by-side along a 2-lane stretch of road, shouting threats at each other. occasionally one of the drivers would swerve violently towards the other car after one attempt to merge into each others' lanes, which resulted in an impasse with both cars stopped in the middle of the road, the car behind me started honking at me to pass. i declined - there was no way i was passing that sh*t - pulled over to the side of the road and waited until the yoofs had taken off around a corner to continue their discussion in more amenable surroundings.

In my 3 seasons of riding I've not been abused. The worst I've had is some teenagers pointing and giggling. I think I can deal with that.

The problem with any of these situations is that there's generally a limit to a persons intellect but there's virtually no limit to someone's stupidity and you don't know how far down that numberline your antagonist has slid so it's better to back off.

Chippewa falls is more than just Hardees! It's also 35 bars!

Beastman, do you head to GB for Packer games or other? I try to hit Lambeau once per year.

i don't think there is a hardees here anymore. at least, i can't find it if there is one. i think the bars are up to maybe 50 though.

Chad,

The Vacation was great! Thanks for asking. I'm up for riding pretty much anytime, anywhere. My wife is still overseas and school is out so besides my part time Gov't position I'm pretty much responsibility free through mid August.

As for your confrontation I'm not the least bit surprised -- those types seem to be really proliferating in the area. I don't know if they're "movin' to the big city" because of the economy or just the meth trade. Congrats on getting away from it without loss.

Tom

[quote="lomunchi"]
The problem with any of these situations is that there's generally a limit to a persons intellect but there's virtually no limit to someone's stupidity and you don't know how far down that numberline your antagonist has slid so it's better to back off.

quote]

Quote of the day!

The Hardee's has been gone for about 10years. Before 29 was rebuilt, we had to drive through town, and take a right before crossing the river. The Hardees was at that corner.

+1

Sounds like you handled the situation perfectly. Kudos to you!!

the only incident I've had with the GTS is kind of funny:
Yesterday, I pulled into a very busy filling station. There were 12 pumps (2 for diesel) and all of them pretty full. I pulled behind a lady in a fairly new car who was just sitting there, and pretty far from the pump? I thought WTF? and pulled on up to get gas. I was pumping already when she finally got out. She had been sitting there yakking on a cell phone.
It surprised her that I was even close. By that time I was done, and laughed about it. She didn't seem to think it was funny?

I can't tell you the joy it brings to me when I lay on my air horn in situations like this, the idiots hate the attention especially since everyone is looking after the horn.

all humans are garbage!