One problem with bike riding, animosity from drivers.

[raccoon]

This LTTE appeared in my local paper.

“My daughter and I love to bike and are usually on the roads two to three times a week. We average about 100 miles a week. We surely have our share of experiences every time we ride. There are always the dogs chasing us that are not tied to a leash. Two weeks ago were almost hit by a falling dead tree going up Paris Mountain (good that we were going up and not down). But worst of all are some of the motorists in traffic.

Once we were driving down Woodruff Road and a guy in a black SUV threw a handful of small nails at us. My daughter was in front of me and I caught the nails in my chest. Nothing really happened other than that now a handful of nails are lying on Woodruff Road. People have tried to run us off the road. Innumerable times we were called names including my mother, who doesn't even ride with us.”

http://www.greenvilleonline.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20070527/OPINION/705270318/1010

What pathetic lives these disgusting psychopathic motorists must have. :shrug:

[acmavm]

1. Man, I can think of one bike rider that...

I guess the rest should just be an pleasant daydream.

[Catherine Vincent]

2. That's awful.

That people would do things like that to bikers. I wonder if they think they're greenies or liberals to save the environment, so they take it out on them? Usually when I see bikers in front of me, I slow down and change lanes and if I can't, I wait until when it's clear to change lanes. All you have to do is put yourself in the bikers shoes, because I know I would rather the car drivers do the same for me.

[raccoon]

3. That would be my guess, that the drivers think the bike riders are liberals.

And the drivers themselves aren't.

I just had a thought. Maybe those drivers think, "Those people SHOULDN'T be riding bikes on the road, the road is for cars/trucks/SUVs, I'll teach them a lesson," and throw nails or whatever.

[taterguy]

76. My guess is that the asshole drivers are just bullies looking for a weak target

I live in the South and I've done over 20,000 miles of riding on the roads. Nothing really bad has ever happened to me. I've never had anything thrown at me and no one has ever done anything on purpose that would put my safety at risk. All that's happened has been some yells and obnoxious car horns and even those don't happen often.

I happen to large and imposing. Other smaller friends are frequent targets of abuse. I don't think it has anything to do with the driver's perception of the cyclists' politics, just their ability to retaliate.

[Annces]

4. It is dangerous to commute by bike

I have done it many times when I did not have a working car.

[onehandle]

5. Things like this happen to bike riders all across the country.

In recent years, the perpetrator often seems to be driving an SUV.

[sakabatou]

6. I've had similar stuff happen to me

Of course I was riding with 20 other people when these things happened ^-^;;

[unpossibles]

7. I believe it

I used to not own a car and rode about 15-20 miles a day (work, play, store, etc.) and almost every day I got randomly yelled at, had things thrown at me about once or twice a week (rocks, eggs, water balloons, random crap), and far too often had a car intentionally swerve into my path as a "joke" and swerve away at the last second. I am not even going to included the number of times I was almost killed by someone who simply did not see me or think I had road rights and turned in front of me illegally or otherwise cut me off without even noticing.

It made me a lot more cautious in some ways - I would take side streets and back roads more, often having to go out of my way a little for more peace of mind and less traffic - and once or twice I did things I am not proud of, like kicking out someone's turn signal because they were jokingly running me off the road and laughing about it. I stopped doing things like that, but it pissed me off quite a bit, and people were usually surprised that I could easily catch up to and/or get away from them on city streets.

I stopped when a friend of mine in Portland got shot after yelling at an irresponsible motorist who almost ran him over.


To the car drivers out there: please respect our right to be on the road and understand that a car is much larger than a bike and that you can slow down for a second for us if you have to.

To the bikers: please try to obey the traffic laws if you are on a busy street. Sure, a side street you can probably get away with just slowing down for that stop sign, but don't run lights in congested areas because it makes us all look bad.

[Warpy]

8. Every woman who bikes has horror stories

of juvenile males in cars trying to show her who really owns the road.

It's a hate crime.

Dogs are another matter. I used to commute 11 miles each way to work on a bike. There was one dog owner who never confined the mutt, who was rich enough to pay multiple fines so Muffy-wouldn't-hurt-a-fly could roam free.

I can't tell you how many times I creased Muffy's skull with my pump, but it was with amazing regularity. Muffy never learned.

People who blithely suggest that everyone start commuting by bicycle really need to do it themselves. Because the world has clods in it, bicycle commuting can be a hassle. Some folks will simply not want to do it.

That dead tree, though, was just falling on its own time. Shit happens.

[AllegroRondo]

53. I often gave Muffy a face full of pepper spray

after a couple times, she finally figured it out.

[Warpy]

84. This was 30 years ago

and the only thing available was mace. I really didn't want to do permanent damage to Muffy just because he was stuck with stupid owners. A smack with a small bicycle pump was just what he needed.

[theoldman]

9. We have many bike trails where I live so this is not a big

problem. Some people who ride bikes however insist on riding on the main roads. Generally a group of them will hold up traffic. My point is that not all bike riders are responsible so I can understand some of the animosity of car drivers. They should have written down the license plate number of the nut with the nails.

[AndyTiedye]

11. Perhaps the People Riding on the Road Needed to Get Somewhere the Trails Don't Go

We have many bike trails where I live so this is not a big problem. Some people who ride bikes however insist on riding on the main roads. Generally a group of them will hold up traffic. My point is that not all bike riders are responsible so I can understand some of the animosity of car drivers.

You seem to equate riding on the road with riding irresponsibly.

Just because bicycle trails exist, does not mean that all "responsible" bicylists must abandon the roads. Where do the trails go?
Can you get everwhere on the trail system that you can on the roads? I didn't think so.

[LostinVA]

36. In most states, bikes have the same rights (and laws) as cars

They have a Right to be there. Who you should be complaining to is the local/state/Fed Governments for not having nice, wide, safe bike lanes or parallel paths. No motorist has a legit right to complain about a law-abiding cyclist.

[MissB]

10. The attitudes of some drivers likely won't change any time soon.

I used to commute by bike (back before I became a stay-at-home mom). On the ride home one day, a driver was being a real jerk to three of us bicyclists on a street. The street was a marked bike route - autos were certainly allowed, but anyone with even half of a brain would realize that bicyclists would choose this route to ride on as it took us out of much of the heavy traffic.

Anyway, the three of us - complete strangers who happened to be on the same path - were being tailgated by the truck. There wasn't much we could do. We would ride single file until we got to the next crossing, and then we'd try crossing as a group to move traffic along. There wasn't enough room for the truck to go by us even while we were biking single file.

After about two more street crossings, and the guy tailgating us, a cop came by. And pulled the jerk over. The three of us cheered.

Unfortunately, there are assholes out there everyday. Fortunately, there are far more courteous drivers than asshole ones.

[Demeter]

12. I Could Point Out That Motorists Pay Hefty Gas Taxes to Pay for The Roads

and that nothing is more terrifying than coming upon a bicyclist, unless it's multiple bicyclists, since they are dangerous: dangerous if following the rules, because they can't see you behind them; dangerous if they aren't following rules because you can't always anticipate what damn fool thing they are going to do next....dangerous because you don't know what the driver in the other direction is going to do when a bicyclist appears, etc.

I don't bike. Neither my knees nor my need to haul loads makes it an option. I can understand why some feel it is a solution...but for the physically unable, those with passengers, or groceries, distances exceeding 2 miles, or other issues, which is at least 3/4 of the people at any time, a bike is merely a hobby, a toy, not a mode of transport. And until either the fuels run dry or commuting becomes passe and stores deliver, that's the sad truth.

Horses...anybody want to bring back horses?

[taterguy]

21. Gas taxes don't come anywhere close to paying the cost of roads

Check your town's budget. See how much they spend maintaining roads and then compare it to how much revenue they get in gas taxes. In my town the difference is a few million dollars and I live in a fairly small (200,00) city. Then multiply that for all the jurisdictions in the country. The difference is made up with funds from general taxes that are paid by everyone. In short, automobile usage is heavily subsidized so stop bitching when others use roads that they're paying for.

BTW, everything you said about bicycles being unpredictable also applies to cars

[Demeter]

31. True

However, cars have frames, fenders, bodies, seat belts, and usually airbags.

Bicycles have?

Nothing was more terrifying then the day a bike pulled out into an intersection going the wrong way, and got catapulted in front of my two young children.

[taterguy]

55. By God, you're right, bikes don't have much safety equipment

My 20+ years of using a bicycle as my primary mode of transportation have been a gigantic gamble that I'm bound to lose sooner or later.

Thank you for opening my eyes.

[IDemo]

22. I pay gas taxes too, as do most bicyclists

I don't live on the bike, I use it when and where it's convenient, mainly for a 5 mile commute. Are you suggesting that motorists who drive less than you deserve less usage of the roads?

[Demeter]

34. ?????

Do you mind using turn signals when you do that, please?

[IDemo]

40. Confused?

I own a car, I drive it, I buy gas. Unless they live in a quiet sunbelt town, most other bicyclists do also. Last I heard, nowhere is there a law or regulation allowing public road usage based on the amount of gasoline purchased.

[Warren DeMontague]

28. So your point is, Bikes should stay off the roads because you don't like them?

Geezus.

[Demeter]

32. Not My Point At All

However, you are entitled to use it if you so desire.

[Warren DeMontague]

61. So, what is your point?

Because, frankly, I think this sort of righteous indignation/surprise that bikes are on the road at all is a part of the problem.

[raccoon]

45. Horses? Sounds good to me. We could use the fertilizer, instead of all this

chemical-laden, cancer-causing stuff.

Also people whose jobs have been outsourced could become blacksmiths. :silly:

[Garbo 2004]

86. Comparing bicycles to horses as a means of transport? Straw man, much? n/t

[NightWatcher]

13. I drive my bike to dedicated bike paths and then I ride around.

It kinda defeats the purpose, but luckily I ride for fun and not transportation.

[BlooInBloo]

14. My problem with cyclists is that they keep their bitchpunk asses on the fucking sidewalks...

... After they wax oh-so eloquently about sharing-the-fucking-road. They still ride on the sidewalk.

I'll shed few tears if someone forgets to check their mirror before opening their door.

Fucking jackasses.

[DBoon]

19. please let us know where you live

So we can make sure to avoid you when cycling.

Have fun riding your SUV, you "big man"

[BlooInBloo]

20. What SUV?

[Catherine Vincent]

42. "bitchpunk"....is that a new word?

[BlooInBloo]

43. I was feeling creative :)

[cwydro]

67. Nasty.

[kestrel91316]

79. I am FORCED to ride on the sidewalk at times because riding down

Ventura Blvd in rush hour is EXTREMELY dangerous due to the reckless, rude, sometimes malicious car drivers.

Had a guy in an expensive black BMW try to hit me once. Road rage because of my use of the road. The nerve of me to use the roads I pay for, too, and am legally entitled to use!

So I use the sidewalk sometimes. LAPD doesn't mind, as long as I ride cautiously and don't terrorize pedestrians while trying to excape the scene of a crime I have committed (they have told me as much in person).

[IDemo]

15. It's not just jerks, but unaware drivers

I was driving along the same route I normally bike to work on a few weeks ago. The woman in front of me was on the cellphone and apparently had a distraction on the passenger side floor as well, which caused her to lean over repeatedly almost out of sight. She veered into the bike lane, the one I normally ride all the time, not once, but three times, almost striking the curb one time. It didn't take much imagination to see myself being flattened by her PT Cruiser.

[question everything]

16. Two years ago, on RAAM

(Race Across America) one rider was spat upon and urinated.

Two days ago, in the outskirt of St. Louis, two riders from the Great Mississippi Ride were attacked by a pit bull who was supposed to have been behind an "electric fence." The riders were rushed to the hospital.

I had a long thread here two years ago, I think, when I demanded a life imprisonment for any driver who hits a cyclist while in a bike lane and a pedestrian at a cross walk.

There were many who expressed their frustration at cyclists who ignore traffic rules and I can appreciate it. But for someone to "reach into a glove compartment" and hit two cyclists in a bike lane, killing one of them is unforgiven.

And, yes, there are too many drivers who will just harass cyclists for the sake of doing so. In many places this is consider harrassement and is against the law.

We are always careful to cross a road at a cross walk. Does not matter. Cars, mostly SUV, are going to make a turn - right or left - and if we are we might just be run over.

I hope that the rider took the license plate and complained to the police.

[DamnYank]

17. Could nails be legally considered a deadly weapon?

If so, might a gunshot to the head of the nail thrower be legally justified?

:crazy:

[Javaman]

18. As the price of gas goes up, the number of angry drivers will increase. nt

[ToeBot]

23. Someone hit me with a Big Gulp once, but the worst are...

drivers that come up behind you and honk their horn. It's possible that they think they are doing you a favor - warning you that they are there. The problem is hearing a horn blaring behind you is enough to startle you. And in this situation the reflex response can be deadly. I don't really thing they are attempting a warning though, most people aren't that conscientious. It's more likely they think it funny, driving behind a biker and scaring the shit out of them. Assholes.

[OPERATIONMINDCRIME]

24. Forgive Me For Not Believing That Guy For A Second.

I find it a bit hard to believe that some guy in a black suv just so happened to have a bunch of nails sittin right there in his passenger seat, of which he just couldn't resist grabbing a handful of and throwing at some no name guy on a bicycle.

I don't believe it for a second.

[prolesunited]

37. You haven't spent much time on a bike then

I've had things thrown at me, guys riding up close trying to grab my ass, drivers speeding up as you are legally crossing the intersection, etc. He probably didn't "just happen to have a bunch of nails." Likely it was purposeful and he set out that day to "get" the cyclists. If the nails didn't deter the first set of riders, perhaps the next will have their tires punctured. That'll teach those cyclists to stay off the road.

It seems that the very fact you are on a bike somehow challenges them, even if you've said nothing at all. For some reason, I've also encountered the same hostility with some meat eaters because I'm a vegetarian. If you are different, you're somehow a threat. I don't want to take away anyone's cars or their meat.

BTW, I also dry my clothes on outside on a line, but I won't try to take away your dryer either.

[OPERATIONMINDCRIME]

38. Sorry. Don't Believe Him For A Friggin Second.

You can feel free to. I, however, ain't gonna buy it for a second.

[prolesunited]

41. And the purpose was to demonize SUV drivers???

Because there's this cabal of cyclists who are planting LTE nationwide in a plot to take over the roads?

And what about all the similar stories other cyclists have told here? Are they making them up as well just to make drivers look bad?

[OPERATIONMINDCRIME]

46. No, I Think He's Exaggerating To Make A Point.

I'm sure his point is a valid one and I'm not disputing that. But I don't believe the details for a second. Not for a second.

[raccoon]

49. I believe it. I've heard similar stories from other bikers.

One said a motorist threw a drink at him and hit him in the back.

Another said a driver poked something out of a car, knocking her relative off his bike and putting him in the hospital.

There's no end to assholery when people think they can get away with it.

[Gormy Cuss]

50. Weird aggressive behavior by drivers does happen.

There aren't many drivers who do things intentionally like that, but I've encountered them and I bike only about 5 miles per week on roads. I once had some on the passenger side spray warm liquid on me as the car passed me. It's no picnic when some jerk decides to pass as close too you as possible because you're in the travel lane on a road with no shoulder, and it's unmistakably aggressive when there are no other cars nearby on the road and the lane itself is wide.

[LostinVA]

I do -- stuff like that happens all the time to cyclists

There are some asses who seek them out.

[OPERATIONMINDCRIME]

47. You're Entitled To. I Don't.

[LostinVA]

48. I've seen similar things happen, so I do

[kestrel91316]

80. Come to Los Angeles some time. This city is full of spoiled brats

with expensive cars who have nothing better to do than make trouble for their fellow citizens morning, noon, and night, and who delight in going out of their way to do so.

[deadmessengers]

25. I've seen bikers act like assholes, too

Think bikers get mistreated by drivers? Try being a pedestrian on a mixed-use trail. I regularly walk on the Silver Comet Trail, a mixed-use rails-to-trails trail that runs from Atlanta to the Alabama state line about 65 miles away. The Silver Comet is a really nice, relatively flat, beautifully paved trail, and attracts walkers, roller skaters and bladers, recreational bikers, and large numbers of "serious" bike riders - the spandex and skinny-tires crowd.

I tend to walk these days, but I still get on my fat-tired road bike and ride occasionally. I'm also no stranger to fast bikes - I worked in a bike shop a couple of summers while in high school. I spent most of my childhood riding a bike around the streets of NYC, and if you've ever been on the road in NYC, you've pretty much seen the worst examples of asshole driving behavior that you've ever seen. I've been hit by a driver rushing to pull into a parking spot, and then cursed out for having scratched the paint on their door with my crank, which of course happened while they were busy knocking me flat on my ass, unable to wait more than another half-second for their parking spot.

And, I have seen more bad behavior from the wannabe-Lances on the Silver Comet trail than I've ever seen from drivers. I have watched a pack of riders going 40+ MPH riding 4 wide damn near run into a jogger pushing a bike-wheeled baby stroller. I've seen an elderly couple on a tandem bike (a positively adorable sight, BTW) get CREAMED by a spandex biker riding absolutely recklessly, sending all 3 bikers involved to the hospital. And, I've personally been cursed out by some loser who was incredibly frustrated at the idea of being made to slow down, unable to pass my daughter and I (on foot) due to a pack of bike speeders in the oncoming lane.

So, if you think that 2-wheelers are somehow exempt from testosterone-fueled asshole behavior, I assure you, you're dead wrong. Yes, many cars drivers mistreat bikers on the road, but the wannabe Tour De France crowd acts just as crappy towards recreational bikers and pedestrians.

[Beelzebud]

26. Shocking News: Assholes drive cars, ride bikes, and walk!

[Warren DeMontague]

27. I won't ride on busy streets anymore. People are fucking psycho.

I really don't get it. It seems to be the same mentality that causes folks to torture small animals- like, "You're in a vulnerable position, so fuck youuuuuu!!!"

[TrogL]

29. Drivers hated me during rush hour

I could go faster than they could.

My morning commute was 20 minutes by car, 15 minutes by bicycle and I wasn't even riding hard.

Most would jeer and yell, but a few gave thumbs up and clapped and cheered.

Of course, it could have been the Speedos.

[progressivebydesign]

35. oh my! speedos!! n/t

[Matariki]

60. are you one of those people who ride in the middle of the street?

imagining you are going faster than cars? perhaps THAT'S why people were jeering and yelling.

[Fleshdancer]

30. My mom was hit with a baseball bat while on her bike many years ago

I don't understand the anger and violent behavior against bike riders...freakin' insane. If you're at a place in your life where you feel the need to randomly attack people, then you don't deserve a drivers licence in the first place.

As for me, the only time I ever get "bothered" by someone on bike is when it's on one particular road here in North Austin that has no shoulder and is extremely narrow due to the fact that it's been under construction since the beginning of time. Every now and then I'll see a bike rider on it and I can't help but fear for his/her life.

[riverdale]

75. sorry to hear that

Wow - many years ago somebody tried to hit me with a shovel while I was on a bike. Missed though.

[progressivebydesign]

33. You're unjustly suffering because of the rude behavior of other cyclists..

unfortunately, some bike riders are totally rude and cause problems, and some motorists are complete maniacs. So, when the maniac drivers seem to fixate on the experiences they may have had with rude bicyclists, it spills over to other riders. It's totally wrong. I've witnessed both sides of the conflict.. I've seen drivers go out of their way to be rude to cyclists, but more often.. sorry to say.. I've seen cyclists riding two and three abreast in and out of the bike lane holding up lanes of traffic. Bicyclists spitting on cars they thought were too close, etc. People are just ruder now. They spend most of their time engaged in entertainment that is.. well.. rude.

I dont' ride my bike out on the open road much anymore because I'm just too paranoid about the drivers out there. Not being mean, per se, but inattentive and dangerous.

[prolesunited]

39. In a confrontation between a rude cyclist

and an asshole driver, who's more likely to die?

[PVnRT]

57. ...and that excuses rude cyclist behavior how?

n/t

[prolesunited]

64. Not excusing in in the least

I can only take responsibility for my behavior as a cyclist and I wear a helmet, follow the rules of the road as far as signaling and stopping, etc.

The point I *was* trying to make was that rude, obnoxious behavior on a cyclist's part will likely only result in the death of the cyclist. Much more often, the behavior of a *driver* will result in the death of the cyclist. The odds are hardly even.

My conclusion is that drivers' have an even greater responsibility to drive safely, even if the cyclists and the pedestrians act like assholes as their actions could result in death or serious injury. If I killed a cyclist, I wouldn't take much solace in the fact that the person didn't signal a turn.

[MissB]

74. That was my point down thread.

[scorpiogirl]

44. Where I live, rudeness of bike riders in a common problem.

If they're supposed to be use the same rules as cars, how come I frequently see them blow through red lights, stop signs, not using hand-signals, and yes, riding side-by side on a narrow road (even when there's a bike lane)so no one can get by without going into oncoming traffic? I'm not saying anyone deserves to be physically threatened or injured, but the people riding around here aren't following the laws and that endangers themselves. We have a lot of narrow, two-lane roads around. I have wondered why they would even want to be on a road where there's not enough room both cars and bicycles.

[kestrel91316]

81. While in my car in LA I have passed by many many many cyclists.

And NEVER ONCE have I seen one I would consider rude. Slightly inattentive and mildly annoying - occasionally. But NEVER rude, and NEVER a danger to others.

[IDemo]

51. Good source for all here ->>

from Marin County, Ca., but equally applicable anywhere:

HOW DO MOTORISTS ENDANGER BICYCLISTS?

[MindPilot]

52. I give riders a WIIIIDE berth...

I think sometimes they deliberately antagonize drivers by blocking turning lanes, riding in traffic lanes and generally acting like they somehow have more right to the road than both cars and pedestrians.

I was once sitting at an uncontrolled intersection waiting for a bike to cross from my left. I motioned him to go ahead; this guy made a point of riding around behind my car, cursing at me the whole time, and kicked my passenger door.

I to this day have no clue what I did to piss him off other than being in a car.

[ecstatic]

54. I had to ask my brother to stop honking at bicyclists

I'm rarely in the same car with him while he's behind the wheel, and I noticed with horror how he would do a long, drawn out honk at bicyclists who were doing nothing wrong. I asked him not to do it again as it might scare the biker into making a mistake out of fear (possibly a deadly one).

[Scout]

56. for every motorist who is obnoxious to cyclists....

there is a cyclist who doesn't "share the road" ....

[Matariki]

58. no kidding - I bicycle with a friend of mine who is such an asshole on his bike

he rides down the middle of the lane and is really arrogant about it - almost challenging people in cars. He has the attitude that he's doing something superior by bicycling. I've seen him cut precariously in front of cars, then yell at the drivers. I won't ride with him anymore. Other than this, he's a good guy and I hope he never gets in an accident in spite of his deliberate carelessness.

[dysfunctional press]

59. i had an idiot cyclist get pissy with me, because i wouldn't yield for him...

as he blew trough a stop sign. for whatever reason, some of them are total morans who think that the rules of the road don't apply to them.

[GumboYaYa]

62. I ride a scooter and have witnessed similar behaviour from car drivers on occasion.

It is typically a guy in a big SUV who needs to assert his manliness by picking on the little scooter. People swerve at me, try to pass in my lane by just forcing me out of the way, flip me off, or pass and yell some BS at me. It seems insane, but some people just are threatened by someone who has chosen a different path.

[camero]

63. It's getting just as bad when you walk

It seems anyone who doesn't have a monstrous SUV is somehow worthy of hate and a target. I live in a rural area and walk to work. Since there are no trails to work, I walk on the far end of the shoulder. You take your life in your hands even walking against traffic flow. Just last week I was almost hit twice from motorists who saw fit to blow thier horns and swerve in my direction.

Idiots.

[Solon]

65. OK, this is an interesting disconnect....

Car Drivers: Bike riders hog the road/lane, how rude!

Bike Riders: Mom hit with baseball bat, shit thrown at you, animals chase you, physical assault, etc. by Car Drivers, how rude!

On behalf of car drivers everywhere, I apologize for the rude behavior and justifications, both in this thread and IRL towards bikers. As soon as I can replace my bike chain and fix my brakes, I'll be joining your ranks, I simply can't afford the gas anymore. Oh, and car drivers, get a fucking grip.

[Scout]

66. Car Drivers: Bike riders hog the road/lane, how rude!

and don't forget: ignore stop signs, red lights, weave in and out of lanes of traffic, ride two or more abreast, ride on the sidewalk when there's a bike lane...

not excusing bad behavior from car drivers, but there's more to the bad bikers than you pointed out...

[Solon]

70. True, but they are more of a danger to themselves than others...

In my younger years, back before I could drive a car, I will say that I wasn't exactly a follower of the laws of the road on a bike. Then again, I also paid for it and learned my lesson all at once, slamming face first into the pavement at over 20 MPH will do that to you. Let's just say it hurt, and thank goodness I had a helmet on or I wouldn't be typing right now, I'd either have been a vegetable or dead.

[MissB]

72. Scout, the difference between rude drivers and rude bicyclists:

For the most part, rude bicyclists are endangering their own lives by their stupid behavior (not stopping at stop lights/signs, weaving, etc).

Rude drivers are endangering the lives of bicyclists. And the bicyclist will always lose. Most seasoned bicyclists know this.

Just a couple of quick comments:

The sidewalk thing may be city-specific. In our city code, bicyclists *can* ride on the sidewalk if riding in the road presents a danger. Unless one is a cyclist in our city, one wouldn't know that.

Riding two or more abreast is also acceptable biking behavior in certain situations. As a driver, I can understand why that would be frustrating to non-cyclists. But we have entire streets that are marked bike routes, and yes, the cyclists can ride two abreast.

Some people have commented on how bicyclists like to hog the lane. It isn't always clear to people driving cars, but some cities do a horrible job of maintaining clean streets. I've seen bike lanes that I wouldn't ride in, because of debris and broken glass and other dangers that are close to the curb.

[Scout]

77. oh come on...

"rude bicyclists are endangering their own lives by their stupid behavior"

they are also endangering the lives of DRIVERS and other cyclists who may have an accident trying to avoid a stupid move made by a biker.

[MissB]

78. I'm sure you didn't mean to leave off the first part of that sentence.

"For the most part..."

Really does change the meaning. It was an acknowledgment that sometimes, rude bicyclists do cause accidents that affect others.

So you come on. Taking the sentence out of its proper context was just rude and unnecessarily argumentative, Scout.

When a rude cyclist causes an accident with a car, I'm sure you'd acknowledge that the cyclist is the one more likely to end up dead or permanently disabled.

[kestrel91316]

83. What is a "bike lane"????

I live in Los Angeles. They don't exist here. I'll ride in the street when I deem it safe to do so, and on the sidewalk if it's not.

[maveric]

68. When I ride in "blue" areas, I have no problem...

When I ride in the "red" areas of San Diego county I get people riding me into the shoulder. Spitting on me. Throwing trash at me..Assholes screaming for me to "Get off the road! Ride on the sidewalk! "Fucking Hippie!"
Which leads me to believe that anyone who takes an interest in fuel economy and/or physical fitness is held in contempt by the RW assholes who do this shit!

[IDemo]

73. I don't think road rudeness has to do with redness

I doubt any area of San Diego county can compete with my part of the country for the red(neck) ratio, but I haven't been shouted at, thrown at, or otherwise purposefully threatened. Nearly run over in crosswalks by inattentive drivers, that's another thing.

[Jim Warren]

69. My, what a load of vitriol

on this thread, road rage for "inconsiderate" bicyclist now.

All one need do to get a feel for what it's like on the the public ways in most populated places is spend some time on foot or bike. You quickly realize you are relegated to nuisance
status, an oddity at times and at physical risk by an impatient culture gone soft with once cheap gasoline. That will change, and soon I think.

[spacelady]

71. I used to ride my bike often, and what used to scare me were

the vehicles that had those side mirrors that stuck way out on poles for when pulling a trailer. I think drivers forget about those when passing a cyclist. One time I was nearly struck by the handle of a push lawnmower that was stuck out the side of a pickup bed. People just don't think about that stuff.

[Tracer]

82. A few years ago ...

... as I was riding my bike near my home, a car full of yahoos (young white punks) came along side.

One dope leaned out the back window and whacked me on the back with a baseball bat.

Yeah. That was real funny.

[Jed Dilligan]

85. I used to go everywhere by bike

Then the population of my town grew, and the newcomers are all drivers. No one is particularly rude here yet, but riding now is like working out in a garage with a running car in it. I get really sick, especially when I'm stuck near a diesel vehicle for a long time.

There are still a lot of people on bikes, this being a college town, and some of them are very bad bikers--more unobservant than rude. If you drive you are constantly in danger of killing one of them, since the "cool" culture shuns helmets and does not remove iPods from ears under any circumstances.

I'm moving soon, since bikeability was one of the main advantages of living here. No longer.