Some Drivers Are Just Stuck In The Past...



Acid Spit

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May 15, 2015
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So here I am. I come out of my apartment but I'm not feeling great today... I feel like going for a ride to sort things out. I go down to the traffic lights and I'm just waiting at a red light. Then I hear honking behind me. There is this old guy in his car right behind me. It's a red light, so nobody is going anywhere and I'm at the front. I ignore it but then he opens the door and starts shouting at me.

He basically tells me to "ride on the damn pavement, not on the road, you idiot!"

Something similar had happened to me last week too...

So I flipped out and swore at the guy but my voice wavered a little because I really wasn't looking for a confrontation with this old man...

So the lights change and well, maybe he is surprised that I move off before him, and allow him and his wife to pass.

But still, it put me in a really foul mood. Some drivers are just stuck in the past...

I really wanted to share this story and hopefully others will share their own similar stories.
 
Not sure where you are from, but here in Ontario Canada you are legally obligated to ride a bike on the road.
I have many, many similar tales of adventuring in car-centic Ontario roads.
Once in while I will be a bit of a "Bad@$$" and ride on the pavement (mostly for my own safety from insane motorists) and then I just get flak from pedestrians (which are not driving 2000 LBS death machines so I'm not as worried.)

I have mentioned this in previous posts, but I think the road rage actually has little to do with us cyclist. Some people are just big ol' grumpypants and will take any opportunity to lash out.

Anyone have any exceptional stories in this regards? I can't think of one off the top of my head that isn't just typical road rage.
 
I many cities through my state in the USA riding on sidewalks and or shoulders is not legal. You have to be on the road. It is regulated at such a local level here that there isn't consistency and we get people on bikes all over the place.
 
Some roads I choose to ride on the sidewalk because the road is narrow and busy and dangerous. Probably this is not legal. If the sidewalk is not suitable and the road not too busy, I sometimes ride on the wrong side of the road so I can see traffic approaching and hop onto the sidewalk if needed. This is probably illegal everywhere, but definitely practical and very safe when done properly.

Main roads are normally too busy for this and one has to co-exist with the traffic and danger.
When cycling long distance I like to plan my route in advance, taking the condition of the roads, traffic etc. into account. This works for me, but I always do what is safest for me.

Granted, in some first world countries this could be frowned on by traffic authorities, but in many others, such as my own (South Africa) nobody really cares. In thirty years of cycling I have never been stopped or questioned, even with traffic cops looking straight at me. They always concentrate on the cars and trucks. Of course, I never look for trouble either. So far (touch wood) I have an accident free record.
 
I don't necessarily think it's being stuck in the past so much as it is cyclists seeming easy to intimidate. Someone on a bike is much weaker comparatively than someone in a truck or car since the cyclist isn't being protected by a bunch of metal. I see it as bullying. Bullies tend to pick on people they know won't fight back. Jerks that drive cars likely have a "what are you gonna do about it?" attitude. They've never had a cyclist retaliate so they act like that. I'm not saying people should retaliate because they always have the upper hand.

I haven't really had anything happen to me. I've been yelled at before but that's about it. Some people have told me stories about being run off the road but I've been fairly lucky.
 
I feel sorry that you had to experience this kind of behavior when you were already feeling somewhat troubled. It's like when things aren't that great to start off with, and on top of everything else you get knocked on the head as well. What can you do in such a situation? Age makes no difference. Just because they are old, doesn't mean that they have any wisdom. So, therefore, in my opinion, they don't deserve any special respect. If they yell at you, put them in their place and tell them to shove off. That's what I would do. I don't see the point of having to contend with idiots of any kind of age.
 
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Dora M said:
I feel sorry that you had to experience this kind of behavior when you were already feeling somewhat troubled. It's like when things aren't that great to start off with, and on top of everything else you get knocked on the head as well. What can you do in such a situation? Age makes no difference. Just because they are old, doesn't mean that they have any wisdom. So, therefore, in my opinion, they don't deserve any special respect. If they yell at you, put them in their place and tell them to shove off. That's what I would do. I don't see the point of having to contend with idiots of any kind of age.
You make a good point about age. There is no excuse for that kind of behavior at any age. I don't really age is a factor in how rude a driver or cyclist chooses to be.
 
I suppose that is one of the banes of life. How to deal with arrogant obnoxious dolts of any age.
Being highly maneuverable on a cycle can be advantageous, but one is also vulnerable. My philosophy is to get out of their way and leave them to stew in their own miserable company.

The theme of this thread is "some drivers are just stuck in the past." On consideration I have to disagree with this. A person under stress reveals his personality readily, whatever age he is, whatever car he drives. These miserable characters behaved badly in the past and their children behave badly today.
A cyclist seems like a soft target to them and they vent their spleen at us with impunity. Of course, they are right. There is little we can do to them.
My contention is that, even if tempted, we should not return the bile but just quietly leave, if possible. Feel sorry for their family and neighbors. This is not our fight.
 
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Jcycle said:
Getting out of their way is good advice. Returning bad behavior never ends well.
It really doesn't. You can't control how other people will perceive you, which might make things worse. For example, say a truck almost hits you or drives you off the road. You get mad and catch up to them at a stoplight. At the stoplight, you decide to yell at them about how they're jerks who almost killed you. Maybe the truck driver feels bad for what they did, but what about the people in the other surrounding cars? They know nothing of the interaction you two just had so you might be creating or reinforcing a stereotype that cyclists are crazy people. This could cause those drivers to be less polite to cyclists in the future. It's better to try and turn the other cheek unless it's a situation where you absolutely have to stand up for yourself.
 
One of the problems with a lot of car drivers is it's difficult for them to put themselves in your shoe, since they're in a big metal box and you're on a small metal frame. So it's difficult for a car driver to empathize with you if they themselves don't regularly ride bikes.

It's just one of those things you'll have to deal with, you'll deal with ignorance to whatever hobby you partake in, because of the stereotypes associated with them. Some cities have helped turn this problem around, but it's gonna be a slow change I think.
 
I personally have never encountered anything like this but I have heard many stories just like this. I try not to ride on the road if I don't have to only because I am scared being so close to the cars. I'm not very trusting of drivers these days, there are way to many accidents and pedestrians getting hit but hopefully drivers can catch up with the times and show a little more respect for cyclists.
 
sheggy6 said:
One of the problems with a lot of car drivers is it's difficult for them to put themselves in your shoe, since they're in a big metal box and you're on a small metal frame. So it's difficult for a car driver to empathize with you if they themselves don't regularly ride bikes.
This is why I tend to be in favor of increasing bike infrastructure as well as any other incentives to get more people riding. You're never gonna get rid of all road rage, but I think a lot of motorist-cyclist conflicts can be reduced if more people understood what it's like the ride a bike in traffic. A lot of things cyclists do to annoy drivers actually have reasons behind them, so I think drivers might be less inclined to road rage if they understood that reasoning.

For example, I used to have a roommate who would get livid when he saw someone riding in the street. He thought bikes should be on the sidewalk because the last time he road a bike, he was a little kid who road there. Once it was explained to him how riding on a sidewalk can be dangerous for cyclists and pedestrians, he's calmed down about it.

There's always going to be some road rage because people can be jerks, but we should definitely try to make strides to lower it.
 
This reminds me of the eternal 'who is worse' arguments had between drivers & cyclists. It happens. You have to be able to let it go. Retaliation is the worst thing to do. I speak from the side of the dummy who did dramatic things only to suffer consequences. Drivers & cyclists sometimes need to be educated concerning the rules of the road.
 
The only thing worse than drivers not knowing cyclists can be in the road like cars is a cyclist that doesn't know that's where they're supposed to be. At least that's how it is in most jurisdictions around the United States. Sometimes, motorists are pretty stupid when it comes to knowing the laws that govern cyclists and even their own interactions with cyclists.
 
I'm not sure I'd agree with the claim that most US cyclists don't know they belong in the street. Obviously just talking out of my ass, but I think there's a lot of people who just ride on the sidewalk because they think it's safer. I don't agree that it's safer, but you at least aren't almost getting clipped by cars every time one passes. I've been told that plenty of times.

Now, people who ride bikes on the road but going the opposite way as traffic annoy me more than anything. I don't know who told them that's a good idea.
 
Yes, I think the law of my state requires bikers to stay off the sidewalks and ride on the pavement. At first, I feel unsafe in sharing the road with cars but fortunately, the roads near my home has clear white lines marking the bike road. That is why, I never really encounter the same experience as you because everybody on my areas would know that bikes are required to stay off the pavements. I agree that you handle it well, though, I would lost my mind if I were in your situation.
 

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