Sharing the road with cars.....

Hey, I hear ya man!!! I'm almost afraid to ride on the road anymore.... Over the weekend I was riding out in the boonies and a guy in a pickup floored it and laid on his horn while going around me... there wasn't another car in sight... man that [censored] me off.

You know I did a post in the aus.bicycles forum about this because I live in a place where there is a major problem in this department.

To shed a different light on this discussion though, I can tell you something about people's prejudices towards cyclists.

I approached the entrance to a roadway, via the end of a bike path. Some idiot had parked a trailer for the local rowing club right in front of the mouth of the path. You basically had to get off the bike to leave the path. I saw this guy approaching and thougt alright he probably just made a mistake, and so I was nice to him. I said "Hey mate, how about moving the trailer so the bikes can get through?"

Well, you should have seen him go off!!!!!!

"Ah, get stuffed you f'in W@@%er, why dont you go shove your............etc etc etc"

Now I did nothing to provoke this guy, but he obviously had a cycle hatred in his head. Translate that hatred to someone ina high powered vehicle and you have a recipe for trouble!!

What do we do to change these prejudices, I think we definately should always try to pacify confrontations, because we will always lose one way or another!! I think we have to work together (like we often do) to change driver attidtudes.

:p

Ughh, it justs ticks me off how automobilists disrespect cyclists, which is weird that i have this belief, because i live in a town with 7,000 people, when it's not tourist season, and i don't really have trouble with cars, but like i said, my town has a population of 7,000 people.

There is only one solution to this major problem as I see it. These ignorant, lazy, over weight ppl shall only be taught a lesson thru violence or $$. That is why if an [censored] does something stupid and illegal. I make them pay. Dent the car with frozen waterbottle or rocks I carry. If caught at red light, pound on window with fist to crack it. Maybe they shall learn when they have to pay out of pocket for repairs when insurance shall not cover costs. Was a couple hundred dollars worth that stupid decision? If they decide to be stupider and get out of their vehicle. Then I carry 2 friends in my jersey that scares most ppl. These arses deserve nothing short of death for being so ignorant......

Memph

Had a situation a couple days ago when the driver thought he was in the right and phoned the police. So I waited and to make a long story short. He was charged with "careless driving". Dumb [censored]......

It's nice that you were able to get the cops on your side.

But damaging the person's car will get you nowhere in most cities. That being said, I am rather fond of banging on the cars when they cut me off. Usually scares the [censored] out of 'em. If they really [censored] me off, I chase them down and give them a piece of my mind.

I have a small rocket-launcher that i knocked up in my garage one night which I have mounted on my handlebars. Make sure to wear a kevlar vest or you may receive serious burns :P

Quoted post said:

Originally posted by Memphmann
There is only one solution to this major problem as I see it. These ignorant, lazy, over weight ppl shall only be taught a lesson thru violence or $$. That is why if an [censored] does something stupid and illegal. I make them pay. Dent the car with frozen waterbottle or rocks I carry. If caught at red light, pound on window with fist to crack it. Maybe they shall learn when they have to pay out of pocket for repairs when insurance shall not cover costs. Was a couple hundred dollars worth that stupid decision? If they decide to be stupider and get out of their vehicle. Then I carry 2 friends in my jersey that scares most ppl. These arses deserve nothing short of death for being so ignorant......

Memph

Had a situation a couple days ago when the driver thought he was in the right and phoned the police. So I waited and to make a long story short. He was charged with "careless driving". Dumb [censored]......

i agree, the other day i was riding my routine rd that has a bike ln
and a driver past me in my lane!!! , i fliped him birdie as he went by caught him at light he rolls down his window as im rideing up
and he says whats your problem, i said you a hole you came in my lane!! he says dont get excited , i said you be excited
if a car passed by you @ 40mph inhces away!! hes says i never crossed the line your riding to close to white line, i dont get it
people go by to close hogging rd, whats wrong with giving a few extra feet!!! i felt like kicking a dent in his car.

Let me see.

On one hand we have a driver who, through oversight, ignorance, or neglect, INADVERTENTLY creates a dangerous situation.

On the other hand we have a cyclist who DELIBERATELY creates a dangerous situation while attempting to inflict illegal vandalism on some unsuspecting driver.

Its hard to tell which is the more dangerous but not difficult to tell which is the more stupid.

Quoted post said:

Originally posted by Memphmann
There is only one solution to this major problem as I see it. These ignorant, lazy, over weight ppl shall only be taught a lesson thru violence or $$. That is why if an [censored] does something stupid and illegal. I make them pay. Dent the car with frozen waterbottle or rocks I carry. If caught at red light, pound on window with fist to crack it. Maybe they shall learn when they have to pay out of pocket for repairs when insurance shall not cover costs. Was a couple hundred dollars worth that stupid decision? If they decide to be stupider and get out of their vehicle. Then I carry 2 friends in my jersey that scares most ppl. These arses deserve nothing short of death for being so ignorant......

Memph

Had a situation a couple days ago when the driver thought he was in the right and phoned the police. So I waited and to make a long story short. He was charged with "careless driving". Dumb [censored]......

the problem with exacting revenge is that it creates animosity toward all cyclist. perhaps the next rider gets clipped because of the big chip the idiot motorist carries from there foward. driver's need educated, and a good piece of speaking one's mind is perfectly understandable, but i am not so sure violence helps anyone. it does little to educate the idiot, and gives cyclists even more of an image of being ranting lunatics in black girdles.

it is part of the age we live in. it seems everyone is in a hurry to go nowhere for nothing. i had someone squeeze by and then come over on me just last month. fortunately nothing bad happened, but i have instructed my wife if anyone ever hurts me that if i can't, she should sue the [censored] out of them and set an example for all the careless imps out there.

it amazes me that a motorist can take the driver's test, be tested on slow moving vehicles and how to deal with them, and then totally forget the whole thing within months of having thier license. i blame the government as much as anyone for not continuing to require people to recount the laws. if they had to take a written test each time they renewed thier license, they would be reminded of these things. someone needs to educate drivers to the fact the cyclist arent supposed to ride on the berm or in the gravel, but are to use a lane, and that they have a right to that lane, and must be passed safely, no matter how inconvient it is at the time. even that wouldnt stop many, but Lord help 'em if anyone ever hits me. even if i am not hurt, i will cry bloody murder and act like it, and procede to sue them within an inch of thier life.

The small mind tries to exact revenge - too stupid to realize that his/her actions only incite further violence, inflame opinions, and subject themselves to criminal liability.

Ride like you are invisible - when "dissed" by a motorist, avoid the tempation to retaliate. You're the bigger person for it and you protect yourself from further danger. If moral grounds aren't enough for you, just remember that you never know which one of those @$$holes that you mouth off to has a gun or quit taking their meds.

I find it more frightening when cyclists say they like to exact revenge on motorists...

Does that mean as I am innocently riding along completely in the bike lane that someone in a car who had been the previous victim of such "cyclist revenge"; a rock, pounding on the car, words or worse, will take his anger out on me?

I've seen many posts on this board and others of cyclists saying "they yell weird things at me as they pass", "throw glass bottles at me", "try to run me off the road" etc etc... and this for no apparent reason... Perhaps the reason is more clear now... Maybe they see _you_ as the symbol of that "other" cyclist who busted their window, rode off and disappeared...

Never proceed from the assumption that cars and bicycles share the road; that is fatal assumption number one... Cars don't "share" the road with anything but bigger cars... and it will always be that way even if they make touching a cyclist on the road a capital offense.

If you ride on the street, ride as if your life depended on being safe and alert, because it does... Be courteous even when confronted with aggression, and always assume the driver does NOT see you... Other drivers run into other cars all the time because they didn't see them... what more for you on a bike who is 10 times smaller than a car and can be in areas on the road where cars normally might not be ...

Do what I do, when a driver looks at you and you make eye contact, wave and smile... 8 times out of 10 you get a smile and a wave back, the 9th time you get a quizzical look as if to say "do I know that guy?" and the 10th time you get an angry stare or words that you simply ignore...

I stopped once to help a guy change his flat on the side of the road... Maybe because of that I stopped one potential glass bottle being thrown at a cyclist "for no apparent reason"... I'd like to think so...

Be safe! and never forget, everyone on this board drives a car too 🙂

Feanor