Dictionary

punishment pass en · NOUN

Meanings

1. The act of passing a cyclist in a motor vehicle as close as possible in order to intimidate them.
   • A driver may believe that s/he is a kind, benevolent person who cares and looks out for people and yet, on almost injuring a cyclist, may react with rage or anger towards that rider, even compounding the near miss with a "punishment pass" by swerving into the rider to teach them a lesson. 2017, David Dansky, Clare Morris, “Carsickness: Reconstruing Driving and Cycling”, in Peter Cummins, Harry Procter, David Winter, Nick Reed, editors, Personal Construct Psychology at 60: Papers from the 21st International Congress, Cambridge Scholars Publishing, →ISBN, page 443:
   • In May 2014, Keith Maddox of Piedmont, Alabama, filmed himself ranting at cyclists he passed in his powerful SUV. […] After passing one cyclist, Maddox videoed himself on his smartphone, saying "I'm going to hurt one of them one of these days, I can't help it." He later gave two cyclists a "punishment pass", then pulled in front of them and proudly shouted: "That scare ya, boys ? Get your pedalin' butts off the road." 2015 April 9, Carlton Reid, Roads Were Not Built for Cars, Island Press, →ISBN, page xvii:

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