Followed too closely by Asian Americans?

Edit: OK, I changed the title because I'm not sure after a day to consider if it was menacing. I -felt- menaced, but it may have been ineptitude. What's the famous quote don't ascribe to malice what ignorance could explain?

I went to an empty parking lot to be safe and concentrate on my riding and fit of the new components and seat position and this couple come in and drive around randomly but intersecting me time and time again. Total of about 7 times, where they park and as I go by pull out in front, or take a parking loop and when I go by start to accelerate out of the loop to where I have to brake or get hit. It seemed purposeful like a blind person with a sixth sense driving a car.

After awhile it gets on your nerves.

OK, I mention the origin of the people following me because it was somewhat funny, upsetting and apropos to the story. (their good natured attitude depicted in Movies as tourists.)

I go over to this hyoouge parking lot that's almost completely deserted to tune in my road bike since I just had a fitting.

Literally there's thousands and thousand of parking spaces and about 10 medium sized parking areas.

I get the bike out of the car (it's across town over an Interstate) and start to ride.

These two people in a small black car comes into the parking lot. I'm like 'wtf'. Then the start doing strange things. Driving -really- slowly, like 1-2 miles an hour.

But get this, they keep timing it so that they're intersecting me!

They drive into the center of the lot and park and when I start to ride by they slowly drive forward so as to intersect me coming by, stop and when I get to the T-intersection, slowly ease forward.

Or they'll get in the same outer lane as I am and then drive extremely slowly so I have to pass them.

The odd thing is they're smiling and waving in a VERY friendly manner, drive by my car and see my SO and wave and smile, like they're tourists, and being Asian, look are looking completely innocent and happy as only they can do.

At one point I get pissed off and shout an expletive and tell them to go elsewhere. (Edit: after about five near misses)

Here's a Map, showing how easy it would have been to go elsewhere:



Oh, yeah, I got it on video if anyone wants to see.









[edit on 4-8-2008 by Badge01]

I would like to see the video. Right now I am picturing the scene from Back to the Future where they are testing out the Delorian, but instead of terrorists showing up, you get happy Asian tourists.

You should have said, "Bet you can't do 90..." and promptly went back in time. That works every time.

reply to post by Karlhungis

---

Sure Karl. Just no propagating it. I'll send a U2U. Two .wmv files, around 1.5 to 2 Meg each.

I didn't get a video of their faces, so you'll have to take my word on that, (My SO was operating the camera).

Just have to upload to tinypic...

OK, first one sent. You'll see how they cut me off turning left in front of me forcing me to swing right and pass on the right.

Second one you see the car come through the field of view slow near the opening and as I get near, it slowly moves forward again scaring the p*ss out of me. I shake my fist. Not sure you can resolve that, maybe zoom it.

Best you should have done is just walk away. Remember, they outnumbered you. See what happened to this guy. Link

Id like to see the video as well if your still willing.

So you dont think that they had any bad intent? Mabye the driver was just a bad driver. mabye they were lost and trying to get directions. mabye they were just trying to upset you.

I dont know. Im just speculating untill ive seen the video.

You can U2U it if you really want but if I have to downlad the video id rather not because I hate downloading videos to the hardrive. It just takes up too much space for my liking.

Would you be willing to post the video here in this thread? or mabye host it on someother site and sne me a link?

[edit on 4-8-2008 by gimme_some_truth]

reply to post by gimme_some_truth

---

I sent the link to the person who asked for it and oddly got no reply, or assessment or anything.

So, I'm reluctant to send it out further, lest the same happens.

Mainly I'd like Karl to comment that he saw it and it shows what I described - a slowly moving car nearly T-bones me, cuts me off and follows me around the completely deserted parking lot but without bad intent - more like complete and utter carelessness.

Yet had I not swerved or changed speed they could have hit me several times. Why do this? They were apparently nice people according to the person with the camera (who didn't film them for some reason) - just at a distance.

It felt menacing, but who menaces someone at 3mph? They just kept being underfoot and pulling out in front of me as I made big circles around the parking lot and would not go away. After the 7th time, I hollered an expletive at them, but they didn't change.

It was kinda like the 'black van with the tinted windows' Stephen King novel, but at tortoise speeds.

Well if you want go ahead and send me it. I will reply. both in here andthrough U2U. I dont want to have to download it though. If I have to download anything than forget it. It just takes up to much space on my harddrive.

Im not sure that I undersand your hesitance to post the video in here though. Does it show your face or something? If thats the case then I understand but if not, is there a specific reason?

reply to post by gimme_some_truth

---

Hi; it is hosted on tinypic, and is only 1-2megs, no download req.

It does show me in relative close up.

In the first one, I'm riding at about 15mph on a straightaway and when I get close and ready to pass the car (moving at about 8mph) turns left, cutting me off, and I have to pass to the right. There's no reason to turn left - the straightaway doesn't end, there's no reason to wait until just as I get near to turn into me. (They also pulled out into the 'oval' area I was riding, aware that was the track I was following, and getting in front of me.) Then they didn't complete the left turn but stopped partially into the inner lot, blocking me - IOW, braking to let them turn wouldn't work - they stopped.

My point, why even drive at 8mph where a guy who got there first is practicing his bike riding? Why drive so close and unpredictably such that you almost hit him several times?

The second vid shows me riding the same place and the car crosses the parking lot at 90deg and then slows to 8-10 mph so as to intersect me when I pass, then as I get to the T, jerks forward, scaring me. Why do that? Just go elsewhere - there's 9 other lots;

In addition the car parks in about 5 different places, but not parallel parks, as in trying to learn driving, they just pull up to a wide open space. THey also go into a small circular driveway and when I pass they start coming out of this area and almost hit me in the rear tire. WHY?

It's like the car is being driven by a blind person with psychic ability to hit things.

My camera person said they smiled and waved when going by seemingly oblivious to my eventual hollering - you could hear me saying 'go somewhere else!'. They kept up this sort of dangerously reckless low speed passive-aggressive meandering until I was ready to leave, and as I was packing up the bike they left. Coincidence? Seems like a stretch. The vid doesn't show them, but they were young 20-something friendly looking Asian Americans.

Anyway, that's the gist. As Karl will tell you my description is accurate. (Karl?)

HTH.

[edit on 4-8-2008 by Badge01]

I never doubted your claim I was just kind of curious to see the video.

Im curious as to what the hell was up with the people in the car.

I thought mabye I could come up with a possible explanation.


But if your not willing to show me the video, I can respect that.

No worries buddy

Karlhungis here...

I saw the videos. It certainly was odd. I honestly don't know what to make of it. It seems like a really bad driver was fascinated with watching you ride your bike. The car didn't appear to be a rental, but maybe it was... and they weren't from around here?

Not sure, but it certainly would have irritated me if I were in your shoes.

reply to post by Badge01

---

Hey Badge. Is it possible they thought you were some celebrity? Do people tell you that you look like anyone famous?

Or perhaps you were spoiling their planned make-out session and they were trying to get you to go elsewhere.

Some people have told me I look like a ST:OS actor, so you could be right.

They were definitely jovial and exuberant and not 'stalkerish'. Still, it would have been unpleasant to collide w/them.

Edit: PS I wuz there foist!

[edit on 5-8-2008 by Badge01]

Sounds infuriating. I also hate it when someone knows you're trying to pull into a store or something, so instead of speeding up so you can get through before the other cars farther behind them blocks you, they sloooooow down.

Sometimes, I think they do it on purpose.

But, if you wouldn't mind, can you U2U me the video? I'd like to see it.

-Will