HOLD YOUR LINE!!!!!!

Ok, I gotta talk about this....and it happened during the Holland 100 on Saturday. Dan S. and I were riding side by side and chatting about the weather, cramps, mileage, ect.  A group was approaching us and as we hit a small curve they started to pass. No worries....plenty of room. At least two people were past me before I hear a guy say....no....yell:

 "ON YOUR LEFT.....HOLD YOUR LINE"

The response from both Dan and I was "are you serious?" I didn't really want to tell this guy that I had been ON MY LINE for the past 45 miles. So....I start looking at the guy that screamed at me and I notice a few things about his bicycle.....

1) he had platform pedals with toe clips

2) He had a carrier with a bag on the back of it....

3) he was on a touring bike

4) he (along with his group) was slowing down

This prompted me to want to scream at the top of my lungs HOLD YOUR LINE DUMBASS...but I didn't. They sped back up and created a gap. Thankfully I was not carrying my collapsible antenna....or that dude would have been in a pile! Like the guy in the picture below.....

We saw a guy that looked like this.....

I didn't take him out....I held my line. But I really started to wonder what I was doing to prompt that order of attention from him. I have asked repeatedly to the people if I am "that guy" because I really don't want to be him. I want to ride in a group safely and not cause crashes like the one below. We did roll up onto a group that was stopped.....and a guy was laying on the ground. They were asking if he could feel his legs. We kept going.....to stay out of the way and not clog up the road any longer.

We saw something similar....but we were rolling towards it....

I imagine the crash looked like this......as there were bikes and people scattered everywhere.

I imagine it looked like this.....(without all the spectators)

I just don't know what to think.....did I swerve? was I riding wild? do I look like a dumbass? I think the answer to all three of these is NO. It bothered me more because the guy was on platform pedals....sure...he might have been stronger....and maybe he was riding to California....so that is why he had a suitcase on his bike.......but I still don't appreciate the jab. If you are wearing a full kit with matching gloves and helmet when you pass me going 25 mph...then yeah....throw out a jab and tell this guy to hold his line. I might respect it....but then again I might just rub your wheel to see if you are talking the talk or walking the walk......because I listen to the people I ride with. I trust the people I ride with. They tell me how to climb....how to sprint....how to pace.....how to corner......how to hold my line. I appreciate the heads up from that guy....but next time.....just say 'on your left'.....besides.....I know what I am doing....I have a chain tattoo on my leg.......but that is just an insignificant detail....I mean....I am sure there are people that have chain and gear tattoos on their bodies that don't know how to handle a bike....or a motorcycle.....or a scooter.......dumbass.....