Cigarette Rage...

[gogoKawi]

Let me say this upfront, I HATE cigarettes. I had family members die because of the things (cancer and emphysema). But if people want to smoke, go for it! Who am I to say what someone can or can't do with their bodies. HOWEVER!!! I have a problem when someone's smoking affects my life and my wellbeing.

I had the pleasure of riding behind a car where the driver decided to flick his cigarette out the window. Now, this wouldn't have been a problem if he were sitting a at stop light. But, we were travelling at 80 mph on the highway, which means that the little bugger flew straight back towards me. Luckily, it hit my helmet and not my jacket. But still, I was physically hit by the thing. Why is it that people hate to put their cigarettes out in their car? Isn't that what the ashtray is for?

UGGGHHH! Being in a fit of rage, I pulled up beside him and cursed him out with my left arm and fingers. Yes, I was doing all of this at 80 mph. Real smart, right? He just looked at me, lit another cigarette, and smiled. I was absolutely fired up at that point!

So, not only do you have to watch out for potholes, dirt, roadkill, gravel, drivers that don't look before changing lanes, etc. You have to be aware of cigarettes flying toward you at 80 mph. Lovely...

[250rStar]

omg i thought i was the only one who has had this happen to them!! this happens to me when you pull up next to them and give them the one finger salute it never processes in their little brains that what they just flicked out the window hit you! yes people who ride a motorcycle are smarter!!!

[tapdiggy]

I dislike people who toss cigarettes or any trash from cars. I have fantasized about carrying stick flares and tossing them in the hood gutter of such vehicles. If they can mess with my surroundings, I can melt their wiper blades.

[CZroe]

I have a burn mark on my jacket's neck/collar from this.

Also, even stop lights is not cool. I make sure to let them know. When I was 10, 11, or 12 years old (can't remember exactly) we once had THREE roadside fires in one day at my school due to traffic backed up from a stop-light and vehicle occupants idly tossing cigs onto the roadside.

If it's your habit, the onus is on YOU to find a way to properly dispose of it. If you don't want your car smelling like them from a full ashtray, then carry around a water or soda bottle like I've seen so many others do.

Once, I honked at a car and they started throwing out napkins and straw wrappers, as if that's what I was worried about. Hey, litter or not, that stuff is biodegradable fertilizer as far as I am concerned. Not to endorse littering, but silicon is the most abundant material on the planet so I don't particularly mind butts either as long as they aren't lit. Fire hazards and litter are two different concerns.

[bdavison]

Just wait till you are riding through some hillbilly state, and the guy in front of you is chewing tobacco.

[bob706]

Originally Posted by bdavison

Just wait till you are riding through some hillbilly state, and the guy in front of you is chewing tobacco.

[tjkamper]

I've had the same thing happen to me. Idiot chick flicked one out on the freeway and it hit me. It really got me mad.

[Yoda]

As a smoker.

As was mentioned earlier you can keep a soda can or bottle with a bit of liquid in them to put the butt in or field dress the darn thing.

If someone is going to kick them out the window then they need to flip them straight down.

[Alex]

Originally Posted by Yoda

If someone is going to kick them out the window then they need to flip them straight down.

Analogy: If someone is going to pee on their friend, they need to make sure to only pee on their shoes.

[Apex]

Get him back, toss a molotov cocktail right towards his open window.

Now THAT would be classic.

[dimeified]

I hate riding behind cigar smokers.

[dubojr1]

[rceezy]

Ah, unfortunately we cannot control another human being's stupidity.

[Apex]

Best not to go and show rage, it actually encourages the behavior. The guy didn't care, but now he will probably try to aim for motorcyclists now. People like that get a high from making other people as miserable as they are.

[Greg_E]

Hopefully the next guy he hits will be one of the motorcycle gang people, that should put an end to his smoking.

[austexjg]

Gloves with knuckle protection........

[addy126]

Just another screw job on 4 wheels..... he'll pay in the end with some raging ailment as a result. What goes round, comes round. I do like the Molotov Cocktail idea tho lol

[Momaru]

+1 Andre. I've been hit on the bike by at least three cigarettes tossed from a car and have a small scar on my wrist from one that got lodged in my jacket under the cuff. Littering makes me angrier than almost anything else I can think of, including deliberate vandalism.

If you wanna smoke, fine. I can accept the voluntary lung cancer, which could be construed as a slow method of suicide. I can accept the perpetual stench and accompanying loss of smell/taste sensitivity. I can even accept what is essentially legalized drug abuse. What I cannot accept is the pollution that results, both in the smoke generated and the butts that line our nation's highways, parks and essentially all public places.

I have actually gotten out of my cage at a light and returned someone's burning butt that they tossed back into their vehicle. It's not legal, but neither is littering or improper disposal of fire hazards.

Re: cigarette biodegradability. Just about everything degrades given a long enough timeframe. Cigarettes and their components are not really 'biodegradable' as the definition goes, "Various sources have stated that cigarette filters take 18 months to 10 years to degrade." The nicotine from the tobacco plant is an anti-herbivory defense that's designed, amongst other things, to prevent organisms from being able to eat/degrade it. Believe it or not, but nicotine is highly toxic to arthropods (insects) and can persist in the water as well.

[Guinss]

Havent been hit by cigarettes yet, think ive dodged them so far. I pass that type of cagers as soon as possible to avoid any accidents.

Also seen people throwing plastic bags, bottles(glass and plastic), food... Makes you want to place your foot in their door while you drive past them.

[austexjg]

How about the person that decides to clean their windshield on the highway - on a bike or in freshly washed cage, it ticks me off. Better windshield fluid over a lit cig.

[bob706]

Go ahead...

[Guinss]

Haha i guess they will think twice before throwing cigarettes, with that bike on their tail.

[GeneJunkie]

Originally Posted by Momaru

Re: cigarette biodegradability. Just about everything degrades given a long enough timeframe. Cigarettes and their components are not really 'biodegradable' as the definition goes, "Various sources have stated that cigarette filters take 18 months to 10 years to degrade." The nicotine from the tobacco plant is an anti-herbivory defense that's designed, amongst other things, to prevent organisms from being able to eat/degrade it. Believe it or not, but nicotine is highly toxic to arthropods (insects) and can persist in the water as well.

Very well said

The worst is when smokers use the beach as their own personal ash tray. It's seriously no fun burning your feet on a still smoldering cigarette butt in the sand.

[izmail1215]

Originally Posted by bdavison

Just wait till you are riding through some hillbilly state, and the guy in front of you is chewing tobacco.

I live in Texas i should know...

[Snake]

Originally Posted by bdavison

Just wait till you are riding through some hillbilly state, and the guy in front of you is chewing tobacco.

People in Louisiana love to chew tobacco...

[bobguy]

I used to carry around paint balls in my car that had a sun roof. when some jackass was tail gating me I might have accidentally lost one through the sun roof a few times. And then took off so they couldn't get my license. Childish, I know...but quite satisfying.

I've had smokers chuck their butts as me while riding as well....makes me want to carry a small bag of paintballs around with me again. You could velcro it under the windscreen...excuse me I need to go scheme some paintball revenge plots.

[ninja250]

Every time I can mention I quit smoking cold turkey after 15-20 years I will proudly do so. Simply because I really didn't like smoking, I was only addicted to it.

Even when I did smoke, it used to and still does bug me when people throw them out the window or on the ground.

Cigarettes are just a trick the government employs to get more of your money.
Go smoke a plant that will actually do something for you.

[ninja250]

Oh yeah when I found a cigarette butt inside a trout stomach, of a fish I was going to eat and had to throw the whole fish away, that was about the nail in the coffin for me as far as littering, smoking cigs or any of that tobacco nonsense all together. I don't want to be know as part of the crowd that helped that happen.
You are what you eat.

[Gfortunes]

Of course laws are different state to state but in Indiana if you can remember the plate number and the make and model of the vehicle you can go to the police deparment and the will mail them a wreckless endangerment citation and a littereing citation which are punishable by 2 years in jail or up to $12,000 in fines. If they dont show up for court they will have their liscence suspended for minumum of 5 years. Now I will let you know that basically unless you can show up to court with 3+ witnesses or video proving beyond a reasonable doubt that they did it they will get off scott free but they have to go to court and it will scare the shite out of them and I bet you they never do it again and not only that but they will tell every cage jockey they know not to do it as well.

[talldrink]

Originally Posted by dimeified

I hate riding behind cigar smokers.

I hate riding behind marijuana smokers.

[HKr1]

Originally Posted by bobguy

I used to carry around paint balls in my car that had a sun roof. when some jackass was tail gating me I might have accidentally lost one through the sun roof a few times. And then took off so they couldn't get my license. Childish, I know...but quite satisfying.

I never really understood why people get mad at folks behind them.... hell, there behind you. It's not like they pull in front of you and go slow or slam on the brakes.



I came up behind some dick today, seems like they just flick there cigs more when your behind them.

[QuarterBoreNinja]

Originally Posted by ninja250

Every time I can mention I quit smoking cold turkey after 15-20 years I will proudly do so. Simply because I really didn't like smoking, I was only addicted to it.

Even when I did smoke, it used to and still does bug me when people throw them out the window or on the ground.

Good on ya! I smoked 2 packs a day for 25 years and did the same as you, quit cold 6 years ago... nasty damn habit. Like you I never did throw my butts on the ground and since I quit smoking I've become pretty intolerant of second hand smoke and smokers tossing their used butts everywhere...

I guess there's nothing worse than a reformed smoker...

[capt_bugaloo]

Originally Posted by HKr1

I never really understood why people get mad at folks behind them.... hell, there behind you. It's not like they pull in front of you and go slow or slam on the brakes.

You've obviously never been rear-ended by a tailgater.
Whiplash is a bitch.
Posted via Mobile Device

[250rStar]

Originally Posted by bob706

Go ahead...

ok sooooo someone needs to do a DIY gatling gun installation!! yes this would be a very good tool for us ha

[randomwalk101]

Get his plate and call the cops to report... That's what kkim would do
Posted via Mobile Device

[Snoman13]

Originally Posted by 250rStar

ok sooooo someone needs to do a DIY gatling gun installation!! yes this would be a very good tool for us ha

Don't forget the auto-tracking system for the gun so it can vaporize the butt before it even hits the ground!