Well tonight me and my buddies went for a ride for steak at a restarant about 25 miles from home. It was an awesome ride, trails freshly groomed, and a very clear night. Any ways, on the way home, we came up on a group of sledders sitting off the trail in a field, and we went by them, and just as we went by, they got in behind us and caught up, we then hit a tight bush trail. I was going about 40 mph (as it was dark, and on coming head lights where very visible) and this guy on one of the sleds of the other group caught right up to me and was tail gating me, i knew he wanted to pass, but i was right on my buddies bumper and the tight trail was only about 1/4 - 1/3 of a mile long. So, a bit later, my buddy whips off the trail and into a natural meadow full of fresh powder, i didn't feel like goin in it, so i gave my breaks about 4-5 taps, and then pulled over onto the side of the trail and stopped, mean while the tail gater comes up beside me, stops, punches me on the shoulder, gives me the finger, and hammers on it and leaves. What the hell was that all about. I didn't do anything wrong in my oppinion. Or did I?


Bauer

Sounds like he did something wrong, not you or your buddies.

Sounds like he had a chip on his shoulder.

Hey Bauer

Don't loose any sleep over it.
You did the right thing.

Unfortunately, there's still those out there that don't deserve the space they ocupy on our trails. Maybe we'll be reading about them in the Darwin Awards someday. Let's just hope he doesn't take anyone else out in the process.

Jeff

maybe you guys took the last steak at the restuarant and he wasnt happy with you :)

You didnt do anything wrong.

Had it been me in your boots and some lame-o punched me, I would have been up on assault charges shortly after. I would have made sure he walked home even If I had to sacrifice my own sled to do it. Im fairly mild mannered, but I would have come unglued.

nice job keeping your composure. Something like that happened once with me and my dad only he just roostertailed us when he went around. We found them, as usual, at the next stop a mile ahead trying to figure out where they were.

Way to go Bauer for keeping your cool or should we say he didn't give you the chance to lose yours, he's lucky your a nice guy because from your pics I've seen you prolly coulda had him for breakfast lol, don't mess with the farm boys lol. Don't worry bud some people think that they are the only ones on the trail and some day they will find out the hard way that there is other riders out there, kudos to the responsible tight trail riding there bud, laugh it off and have fun with the loud handle!

the community out there is so small you will find out it was. sharpen the axe and put it in the closet. :devil:

AGREE.............Nice job keeping your cool.

thumbs to ya

Rick

Nice job Bauer !!!. Keep you cool. That idiot will probably punch another hot head sometime then there will be two problems solved.

I definately don't think he should have punched you, that's assault. However, I do think that it's the responsibility of slower riders (or drivers for that matter) to pull over and let faster people go by, just as much as it's the responsibility of faster riders to pass courteously. I even do this on the road. I'm not the police, and if somone wants to go faster than me, I pull over and let them by.

Once again, he definately shouldn't have punched you, but I'd be lying if I said I never roosted someone for riding 15 mph for extended periods of time without ever looking back to see if someone else wants to go faster than 15 mph...

If you're going to ride slow, get mirrors, or at least a hand mirror, or if you can't do that take a look over your shoulder. If you're going fast, wait for a safe spot to pass, and try to pass courteously. (My definition of 'courteous' changes a bit after I get stuck behind a pair of 1972 john deers for 15 or 20 minutes...) I swear some of the slow riders try to block the whole trail on purpose, just because they think they know how fast everyone else should be riding. These are the same people who set thier cruise controls to 68mph on the freeway and sit in the fast lane, never pulling over to the right. Then you go to pass them on the right, then they either cut right in front of you or they stay in the left lane and speed up to 85 mph, until you pull back in behind them and then they promptly slow back down to 68... I have some patience for it, but not a whole lot...

i woulda got back on and chase him down and wacked him times harder then he wacked you and take his sled amd make him walk home. stupid a** why do people got to be like this.

was it a older guy or a younger or couldnt you tell

Originally posted by trailblazer@Jan 28 2005, 02:18 AM
Hey Bauer

Don't loose any sleep over it.
You did the right thing.

Unfortunately, there's still those out there that don't deserve the space they ocupy on our trails. 395138


Or planet, sucking up precious oxygen.

Agree with Rampage. I don't think you did anything wrong, but I would have done it differently, that's all. If the guy is tailgating at those speeds, my payback for having to pull over and let him pass would be the vision of him out in the trees on one of the next corners.

The other thing is, it's sometimes easier to follow at speed than it is to lead. If he passes you, then slows down because he finds out you were already going fast enough for the conditions, then it's your turn to tailgate......

As he said it was tight trail-probably no place to pull off, when he did get to the meadow he stopped-there's no reason for his actions. If you were going too slow for him on that trail, too damn bad. If you chased him down and hit him, you'd probably end up in jail-not him-got to have witnesses, right? You did the right thing. Glad to see that-some people are just more mature than others. I'll let others pass if I'm leading and see people coming up behind, but when it's safe-until then, they stay behind.

Came across a road onto a trail last week-around the corner 5 sleds sitting in the trail turned off (in the dark), everyone gathered around the hood of an Arctic Cat-I stopped, one guy says we're fine-I told him he needed to move it off the trail. Some people too busy sledding to use that gray matter.

Well, thanks guys, now I don't question my actions. I am not a hot head, you would have to do a lot worse than that to get me mad. I think the guy was probly in his late twenties (a mild guess, but by riding technique, and mentallity, this is what i came up with). As i also mentions to those of you who said i should pull over, i was doing 40 mph, at the least, and it was only 1/4 to 1/3 of a mile long. As was also mentioned, it is a small town, and it will probly come out sooner or later who it was. I would have chased him down and asked him what the hell was goin on, but, i am pretty sure he was in the booze at the restaurant (only my group was sitting in the restaurant, ALL other sledders were in the bar/lounge). It wasn't worth my time to screw with a drunk idiot.


Bauer

ya just got to love those people that think the world revolves around themselves. life has a way of teaching these big kiddies a lesson.i applaud you for not lowering yourself to his level. even though i know how hard that might be not to do that.

man i hate drunk riders. I'd would of put the beats to him for 2 reasons if i thought he was drinking. i have a messed up hood from a drunk rider. good job though. i am glad you could think twice and not put it too him because that only brings on trouble. good job.