Driver apologizes after road rage incident with bicyclist goes viral

Driver Robert Lewis apologized for his behavior a day after he got into a heated argument with a bicyclist who was using a bike share lane in Corona del Mar.

The bicyclist recorded the incident, which happened Wednesday morning, and the video went viral on the Internet. By Thursday afternoon, Lewis was on the local CBS station apologizing for his behavior.

"I'm just an old surfer, knucklehead, and I do apologize for using the words that I used," Lewis said on the broadcast.

In the video of the confrontation, Lewis can be seen shoving and berating the bicyclist, who said that Lewis's car brushed his elbow. The bicyclist is seen trying to explain the rules of the share lane to the irate driver. Lewis went so far as to call the bicyclist, a "dead man walking."

"I'm very embarrassed," Lewis told the reporter Thursday. "I'm on the news saying, 'Hey, I screwed up.'"

"I screwed up," Lewis repeated.

Just how bad was the incident? The, um, somewhat-publishable portions of the recording are as follows:

"Don't hit me," the bicyclist is heard saying at the beginning of the recording.

"What are you gonna do?" Lewis asks. "Put it on tape? Surfer against a queer, huh? Is that what you're gonna do, tough guy? You're not so tough, are you, small guy? You're a short little guy."

"I'm following the law, you're not following the law," the bicyclist interrupts, citing the vehicle code known as the "Three Feet for Safety Act."

"You're a tiny little man, you think you're a big shot," Lewis continued. "I oughta smack you so f-----g good. If there wasn't any witnesses, you know what I'd do to you? I'd pull Trump on ya."

"What's your name?" the bicyclist asks.

"My name is your worst enemy, m----------r," Lewis replies. "I'm your huckleberry, buddy."

Welp.

The full video can be found here. If it wasn't clear from the portion above, be aware of the explicit language (and gestures). CBS reported that Newport Beach police are investigating the incident.