Orange vest reduces harrassment

[Melalvai]

Several weeks ago I got a reflective orange road vest, like what construction workers wear, so I'd be more visible. It worked great--with an unexpected benefit that I get hollered & cussed at far less.

I thought I'd throw that out there. That sort of thing is a big deterrant to commuting for a lot of people.

The only downside is my 12 yr old daughter is mortified to be seen with me. I told her "Better a live dork than fashionable roadkill!" and she said "No..." Then she informed me that I am under no risk, with or without the vest, of ever being fashionable roadkill!

[KnottedYet]

I've always worn either a reflective orange vest or a screaming yellow one. (and sometimes I've even had a flag on my bike)

I kinda figure if you look like a total dork the cars must feel a little sorry for you, so they act nicer. Either that or they can just see you better.:D

(actually, traffic does seem to be a bit more respectful when you wear something gawd-awful bright, for whatever reason.)

[onimity]

I think that there is a lot of truth to this.

My opinion is that a lot of motorist anger at bikes is a response to fear. I've felt fear/anger that while driving when a bike is riding dangerously, but your definition of 'dangerously' is relative to your experience on a bike, or driving near bikes. You hear comments from motorists all the time like 'this bike just came out of nowhere and I almost hit him' etc.

I've never seen a cyclist materialize out of thin air myself...

Unusually bright clothing lets motorists see you from far away, especially in areas with a lot of hills tree cover or dreary weather. You have a better chance of catching their attention from a distance, before they are on you and they can prepare to pass you safely, etc. and that takes away that fear reaction. At least I prefer that to thinking that they are laughing at me...

As for your daughter... I think in the scheme of things it's more realistic to strive for world peace than fashion kudos from an adolescent daughter. :D

Anne

[BleeckerSt_Girl]

I noticed last year when I started wearing screaming yellow neon tops that cars seem to behave more courteously. Seeing the change in driver behavior made me a true believer.
Townsfolk sometimes tell me when they see me with my bike in town, that they could see me a mile away on the road. Since then I make sure to wear neon yellow tops EVERY time I bike. I have hot weather tank tops, breezy mesh safety vests, longsleeve jerseys, windbreaker, etc. In winter I wear wool base layers under the yellow.
I love seeing in my rear view mirror that a car far behind me is already starting to move over to give me safety room long before they reach me. :p :p :p

[coyote]

I started wearing a bright orange vest a couple of winters ago. I was riding in toward the east as the sun was coming up. I drove the route a couple of times and realized that the drivers were blinded. So, I did everything I could to be seen. I used to wear the vest backward because most of the reflective stuff is on the front of the vest. I took a bicycle safety class a couple of months ago. They spent a lot of time hammering into us about being predictable. So just a week or so ago, I realized the sun is not in the same spot that it was in and maybe I should turn the vest around becuase that is how drivers expect me to appear. So far I have not been given any indication that the drivers see me any less. Besides, for the winter, I now have a yellowish green jacket that is so bright it burns your eyes to look at it directly so I don't even were the vest.

The only time I've felt like a dork wearing the vest was when my partner and I went riding on a path just a block from our house. I wore the vest out of habit. The path does not envolve cars or any thing else motorized :)

[Kimmyt]

Maybe they just think you're, erm, special?? :) I agree though, I generally feel like I have less incidents when I wear my fluorescent yellow jacket, but usually it's too dang hot to wear it. I'll have to find a sleeveless atrocity to wear now.

My stepbrother used to take classes in Temple, which is located in a pretty bad part of Philly, and when he had to take the train home at night he would wear one of those propeller hats, thinking that if the attackers thought he was handicapped that they wouldn't mug him. He never got mugged, so guess it worked??

K.

[7rider]

I like to wear bright, attention-getting colors to be better noticed on the roads. LisaSH - when someone in your village says "I saw you from a mile away", do you reply, "Why thank you. That was the intent."??
Last year, Terry had a really obnoxious "Yellow lava" print for their jerseys - I see they still have a mesh tank in their sale section - that I wanted to get (but didn't) for it's shock factor. But then, I worried...would it make drivers sooooo woozy, that they's lose control of their car and swerve into me??

[bikerHen]

I just bought a screaming neon yellow sleeveless jersey at TE. It's Terry's Breakaway Jersey with mesh side panels. Perfect for summer riding! And when the sun hits you drivers would have to be blind to miss you. :D bikerHen

[BleeckerSt_Girl]

My very favorite brand of screaming neon yellow stuff is Brooks' "NightLife" line. So bright it hurts the eyes. :) Terry bikes carries some of them, but one can sometimes find the pieces a bit cheaper or on sale at other online places like Holabird Sports and Footlocker.
In the hot summer, i wear their mesh breezy t's (I actually cut the sleeves off!) and their razor-back tank with built-in bra.
I'm a big NightLife fan.

[Dianyla]

I'm very fond of the PI Whisper Vest (http://www.teamestrogen.com/products.asp?pID=24206). I just throw it over whatever bike clothes I'm already wearing*, it adds very little warmth or weight. The mesh back is very breezy, and when it's really hot out I just wear unzipped most of the way. Today while sweating up a hill I was thinking that I might even dare to wear it over a sportsbra if it was unbearably hot.


*I just hate yellow as a color, personally, so being able to wear whatever I want underneath really makes a difference with me, mentally. I know, silly.

[Trek420]

Non scientific study in random order of things that seem to reduce harassment:

:rolleyes: red white and blue anything, I have one red white and blue jersey (rails to trails) and it seems to help.

:rolleyes: riding my mountain bike to work as opposed to road bike

:rolleyes: I'm told that skorts help. I don't have any skorts

[Eden]

I kind of like the jerseys that say Police in really big letters - and support your local.... in really small ones. You want to bet me that wearers of those jerseys get less harrasment.

My team kit has big easy eye green (that flourescent yellow/green color) stripes on it and though its not the whole shirt or shorts, I know from experience that I can spot my teammates a mile away because of it. I don't find that drivers are any nicer... just gives them a better target to aim at...

traveling somewhat behind a guy the other day I did notice that cars were much more willing to pass me very close than they were him - do they think that I won't leave a very big dent or something (and no I don't ride in the gutter casue I don't like to encourage people to pass that close - I did have the TT bike out and I wonder if that made me look smaller and easier to pass)

[Jolt]

I also wear a screaming yellow vest with reflective stripes on it, and I do look like a dork in it! Especially with the purple helmet, the gloves and the red plastic crate on the back of the bike :) . With very few exceptions, drivers give me plenty of clearance when passing. I haven't had any real problems with rude drivers in general, the worst I've had is comments/catcalls from guys on the sidewalk (and those are sometimes funny). The only time I don't wear the vest is if it's a bright sunny day and I happen to be wearing a really bright top such as my shocking pink t-shirt.

[lauraelmore1033]

I have a Performance jersy in the ugliest screaming shade of orange that you can imagine. It actually took me a long time to work up the courage to wear it, but it does seem that cars give me more room and there are fewer cat-calls. People always comment on it and say that it is a good idea to be so highly visible on a bike--but I haven't seen any rush of people buying these gawd awful things. Hubby has one 'cause bought it for him, but his actually looks kinda nice on him...

[Melalvai]

Maybe they just think you're, erm, special??
My brother said the road vest + bike helmet made him think "special" too!
Funny how "special" is now a fashion statement and a way to protect ourselves!

[Trek420]

I kind of like the jerseys that say Police in really big letters - and support your local.... in really small ones. You want to bet me that wearers of those jerseys get less harrasment.

I duuno, and trade it for the harassment cops get? I would not want the attention of anyone with a chip on their shoulder towards cops unless the jersey comes with kevlar lining ;-)

My LBS though has one of these jerseys from the Police Unity Tour in his window. He works on the bikes for the local bike cops.

[Eden]

I don't think the real cops mind at all - I think they get a kick out of it more than anything. Bike cops, I think, around here feel a bit of unity with the rest of us

[Laterider21958]

A local discount store has some awfully bright yellow or green (can't actually really tell you the colour - need sunnies to look at it) thin polo fleece shapeless jumpers on sale at the moment. I looked at them, noting how dreadful they were, but I may go back and get one. I'm handy on the sewing machine. Perhaps I could tailor it a bit, tweak it a bit, and add a bit of black tape for a contrast (my attempt at making it a bit more stylish) and then, possibly then, wear it on my next ride. :eek: You have given me courage. :D The first ride will be the worst. I'd rather be alive than the alternative.:)

[Crankin]

I don't know, I haven't found that color makes any difference in the way I am treated. I haven't been yelled at for many years, but I do notice that when I ride my Voodoo (a bright yellow hard tail with lights, a rack, and pannier) around town, I get treated a bit more politely by motorists in that they might stop and let me go first in certain situations. Usually I am wearing slightly different clothing, too; like a skort or terry Spinnakers, mtb shorts instead of regular cycling shorts. I think it's that we look more like "regular" people to motorists when we are not in full roadie gear, but honestly, I don't care what they think. I commuted on my road bike and I didn't notice any difference in the treatment I got during commutes than when i just go out on a "ride."

[KnottedYet]

Yeah, panniers seem to make a difference,too.

Maybe when drivers see you loaded down with a pannier they trust that you will be holding your line and not hopping curbs or splitting traffic. You're haulin' that luggage on your rack, so you won't be likely to do any circus tricks!

When I'm driving and see someone who is clearly a commuter, I feel safer about their potential riding behaviour. Like I can trust them to behave like a vehicle, cuz they look more serious?

[Trek420]

Robyn Maislin sed "I think it's that we look more like "regular" people to motorists when we are not in full roadie gear, but honestly, I don't care what they think."

Exactly.

I don't care what they think as long as they treat me well and don't hit me.

Around here when I commute on my road bike the reaction/looks range from hostility (along the range of "WTF is THAT doing here, she should be in Woodside". I'm obviously very much seen as "other".) to curiosity which would be ok if they did not run across the BART station to grab my bike (in the "oooooh, it's so pretty" type of thing, true story).

When I'm on the MTB I'm just regular people, often waved through intersections and I like that.

I think there are some class issues involved is part of my theory. Since I'm not a sociologist I'll leave that be. And like Robyn says "I don't care what they think" if wearing a propeller beanie on my head makes me safer, I'd get one :)

[Torrilin]

I seem to have about the same harassment level on my bike as I do on foot. The odd male idiot screaming something, the occasional honk to make me jump. I'd estimate the numbers as less than one incident of harassment per day, vs 3-5 traffic violations per day. I wear street clothes (jeans, khakis, lightweight cotton tops) for both activities. Usually my top is a bright color - pink, red, or bright blue.

In LA there was definitely a class element to the harassment... black and Hispanic men in cars would be a *lot* more comfortable yelling at me. In an Angeleno's mind, only poor people walk. If you're in a car you have more money than the person who walks. I haven't noticed anything quite so obvious here in Madison.

In general tho I class the harassment I receive on the streets as sexual harassment. I take a lot more **** when I'm wearing something a bit bare, even if it's hot and a bit bare is a good idea. If the comments are intelligible, they're sexual. Given that, I'd suspect the reduced harassment from the bright vests and jerseys is that men don't see them as sexy. They may see a construction worker style vest as "work clothes" too, for a double whammy of "not ok to harass this one".

[Python]

Then she informed me that I am under no risk, with or without the vest, of ever being fashionable roadkill!

Reminds me of my daughter some years ago. She found some old pics of me in the 1970's wearing platform shoes - inch high platforms and 4 inch block heels and very flared jeans (lovely:rolleyes: ). "Wouldn't be seen dead in those" exclaims daughter. A few months later daughter comes in wearing...platform shoes and flared jeans. "Thought you wouldn't be seen dead in those" says I. Quick as a flash she replies "Oh, well. It's the fashion":p

Bigger insult was I bought a new bra. A Wondabra. Not a cheap bra. It disappeared. Couldn't find it anywhere. About a year later I'm loading the washing machine and daughter had been clearing out her bedroom. "Oh. You can have this back now" tossing the missing bra into the wash. "It's no good to me. Doesn't fit me now. Too small!!!"

Grrr....

[HappyAnika]

:rolleyes: red white and blue anything, I have one red white and blue jersey (rails to trails) and it seems to help.



I was wondering about that as I saw a guy this morning wearing a jersey that more or less looked like the American flag.

[TsPoet]

I've been wearling "alertshirts" for years. I get teased when I walk into work about blinding people. These shirts are designed for road construction workers, they are made out of thick coolmax (tm) material and wick sweat very well. they are also cheap - but shipping is expensive, so get a group together to order if possible.
http://alertshirt.com/

[Velobambina]

...
Last year, Terry had a really obnoxious "Yellow lava" print for their jerseys - I see they still have a mesh tank in their sale section - that I wanted to get (but didn't) for it's shock factor. But then, I worried...would it make drivers sooooo woozy, that they's lose control of their car and swerve into me??

LOL, I got thatyellow/orange one in the sleeveless version (also got the green/blue one--it's a bit more placid but is still bright).

[eofelis]

I have a bright neon pink Hind cycling jersey. Pink is not my favorite color at all, but I like it because I'm sure it's quite visible for drivers.

I also have a PI Podium jersey with screaming yellow on the front and back and a Canari (?) jersey that is a bright yellow flower print.

I also have a bright powder blue jersey. I wore it on a ride with some friends and were were all strung out along a wide open straight hilly highway. A gal that was half a mile or more behind me for a while said later that my shirt was very visible from far away.

In contrast, my favorite mtn biking jersey is olive green and grey. It matches the sage and juniper around here very nicely!

[Zen]

Thinking along the lines of wearing the red, white, and blue, I opted for the
U.S. Army (http://www.armystore.com/mm5/merchant.mvc?Screen=PROD&Store_Code=A&Product_Code=PW0052&Category_Code=Cycle) jersey.
I like the graphic design and no, I'm not a poseur, I'm a veteran.
Now drop and give me twenty.

[Geonz]

I think for the most part it's not that they are thinking consciously and passing judgements ("oh, that is a recreational rider... doesn't *need* to be on the road... why should I give her more room") though it is possible. I agree with whoever posted way back wherever that it's more the visibility that actually penetrates the "automatic pilot" before it's an "where di d *that* come from?!" moment. I can say that drivers *should* treat me better regardless, and I could be "proud" and not change what I"m wearing... but in this case if pride goeth before a fall it's one that I don't want to make.

I am pretty sure people have thought I was a fragile type special human a couple of times (that driver that said, so kindly, "it's okay, I was watching you...") ... and I figure that if we all thought we were fragile creatures needing our special care... that would not be a bad thing.

[Starfish]

Thinking along the lines of wearing the red, white, and blue, I opted for the
U.S. Army (http://www.armystore.com/mm5/merchant.mvc?Screen=PROD&Store_Code=A&Product_Code=PW0052&Category_Code=Cycle) jersey.
I like the graphic design and no, I'm not a poseur, I'm a veteran.
Now drop and give me twenty.

I love the jersey! Out of curiosity, how would you feel about a non-veteran wearing that jersey?

I have a lot of respect for all veterans, and would not want to offend any veterans by wearing that sort of jersey. On the other hand, people wear Discovery jerseys, for instance, out of admiration for the team, not trying to pose as a Disco team member!

What would you think, Zen?

[Trekhawk]

I love the jersey! Out of curiosity, how would you feel about a non-veteran wearing that jersey?

I have a lot of respect for all veterans, and would not want to offend any veterans by wearing that sort of jersey. On the other hand, people wear Discovery jerseys, for instance, out of admiration for the team, not trying to pose as a Disco team member!

What would you think, Zen?

I can not speak for Zen but as an Aussie who served 12 years in our Airforce I think its fine and a nice compliment to that service.:)

[Starfish]

I can not speak for Zen but as an Aussie who served 12 years in our Airforce I think its fine and a nice compliment to that service.:)

Trek, thanks. I was actually thinking it might be a neat way for me to remember my Dad, who died recently, and who was a B-17 pilot in WWII Europe.

(Oops, maybe we are getting off topic...sorry.)

[Trekhawk]

Trek, thanks. I was actually thinking it might be a neat way for me to remember my Dad, who died recently, and who was a B-17 pilot in WWII Europe.

(Oops, maybe we are getting off topic...sorry.)

I think that is a lovely way to remember your Dad Starfish.

LOL I think they will forgive us for the thread drift when it was for such a sweet idea.:)

[Jenerator]

I duuno, and trade it for the harassment cops get? I would not want the attention of anyone with a chip on their shoulder towards cops unless the jersey comes with kevlar lining ;-)

My LBS though has one of these jerseys from the Police Unity Tour in his window. He works on the bikes for the local bike cops.

That's the non-kevlar version. The kevlar version is much hotter and much heavier. It stops some random bullets, but not all and does nothing to stop random acts of stupidity. If people see "POLICE" on a jersey, get used to being flagged down for help & flipped off too. If I do something stupid in that jersey people will generalize it to 'all cops' too, and we certainly don't need any more stereotypes or bad press. Even though it's a really nice jersey, other than 4-5 days in May, I don't wear mine much. I generally prefer a subtle white or loud hi-viz green.

[Zen]

Well, I had to think about this.
If I didn't know them I would call them a poseur but you've given some very valid reasons. There are people who grew up all their lives in the army so they are in effect veterans too.

Permission granted:D

[Starfish]

Permission granted:D

Um...do I still have to drop and crank out that 20? ;)

[Zen]

For you, ten.
You can do it.

[Geonz]

We had our public safety director in for a meeting yesterday to review the college's "all hazards emergency operations plan." Mostly we talked about college stuff but we also talked a bit about all that stuff about not "walking like a victim." I think people still tend to think "but I"m not *thinking* like a victim" ... but that doesn't mean that you're not presenting the opportunity to become one...
... anyway... I realized as he described how he proceeds in public that an awful lot of those same "body language" things are exactly what I do on the bicycle... basically "be very very PRESENT THANK YOU!!" and interactive with the humans. WHen he added that an effect of this is that people are very frequently greeting him (because that automatic interact-with-you pattern invites it) I realized, "that's what's going on with the bicycle, too!" It's not just being mildly infamous (with my weird bike and occasional airtime for cycling stuff). I realized that yup, the habit has carried over into the way I walk down the hall, too... even if I'm not consciously looking people in the eye, I've just got a more interactive facial expression. In previous jobs, the assorted staff folks I'd pass here and there didn't all greet me, etc... I thought it was the climate here but now I realize that it's probably because I'm behaving differently (and it's why people confuse me for an extravert when I'm really a Very Shy Person who just Walks Around With a Grin.)

Which is a convoluted way of saying that riding safely makes me safer 24-7.

[boy in a kilt]

I'm a project engineer for a construction firm. Since I work on a construction site, I get those reflective vests for free. I keep my "spare" vest at home and both my wife and I wear it when riding at night. We also get T-shirts that are bright orange with reflective stripes on them for free.

We've noticed cars give us a little more room when riding. I don't care so much about looking special. I'm 39 years old, have three kids and I've been married to the same woman for 10 years. I care very much about what she thinks about my appearance. If someone else doesn't like it, well, that's on them.

I'm of two minds about auto-morons messing with you. I've been riding since I was 14 and I rode motorcycles a lot when I was younger. So a lot of my self-awareness in traffic is based on being on two wheels, not 4. I ride like I belong in traffic and I follow traffic law (well, most of the time). A little well placed courtesy helps too. I've never been in an accident with a car in 25 years of riding.

I think riding bike paths like the Burke Gilman Trail in Seattle too much kind of hobbles you because you don't develop the skills for blending in traffic.

However. I'm a 5'9" man in decent shape. I've spent 15 years of my life man and boy in the military and I'm currently an Officer in the Army National Guard which means I've been taught to project confidence and, if necessary, a "mess with me and I will rip your head off" attitude. A large scar on my cheek doesn't hurt either.

The take-home lesson. Make yourself visible, act like a motor vehicle in traffic. Act like you can take care of yourself. If some jerk messes with you, think about the nice lady in the mini-van who let you make that left at the light.

[KnottedYet]

do you wear your utili-kilt on the jobsite? I really dig the carhartt-style ones. One of our TE'ers worked at Utili-Kilt.

How about riding in your kilt? I see a few messengers wearing them.

Cars are much nicer to me when I wear my skirts. (I always wear my vest)

[boy in a kilt]

I can't wear my kilts to work for safety reasons. Since none of the women wear skirts to work either, I don't take any offense at this. Besides, I'm not sure I want to put up with THAT level of abuse. I work with a great bunch of people, but that would be like cutting open an artery and jumping in with a bunch of hungry sharks. I've got a thick skin but that would require skin of kevlar.

I do, from time to time, ride my bike in a kilt. However, doing so requires wearing something underneath. The options are either putting up with the pleats digging into places you would just as soon not have something digging into (particularly uncomfortable with the thicker material used to make Utilikilts), or having your naked butt against your saddle. Ick.

A pair of boxer briefs suffices if I'm just going to the bar down the street, the store or something like that.

Beyond that a kilt doesn't make sense. Wearing a kilt is a chance to "Let freedom swing" and if I'm wearing cycling shorts to protect my butt from my Brooks (and vice versa), then what's the point.

Somewhere there is a picture of me riding a tall bike (six feet tall at the handlebars) in a kilt. Probably with a beer in my hand.

[anaphase]

I'm very fond of the PI Whisper Vest (http://www.teamestrogen.com/products.asp?pID=24206). I just throw it over whatever bike clothes I'm already wearing*, it adds very little warmth or weight. The mesh back is very breezy, and when it's really hot out I just wear unzipped most of the way. Today while sweating up a hill I was thinking that I might even dare to wear it over a sportsbra if it was unbearably hot.


I have the PI Whisper Jacket (from TE) and it is awesome for being seen... and looking like a huge dork. A huge dork who uses hand signals, no less. :D

Better dorky than dead, I say.

[Dianyla]

Somewhere there is a picture of me riding a tall bike (six feet tall at the handlebars) in a kilt. Probably with a beer in my hand.
Erm, photo please? :p


I have the PI Whisper Jacket (from TE) and it is awesome for being seen... and looking like a huge dork. A huge dork who uses hand signals, no less. :D
Heh, I just finally picked up the Whisper jacket last week. It started getting a little too brisk for the Whisper vest, but not quite wet/cold enough for my rainjacket. :D

[sgtiger]

...
Somewhere there is a picture of me riding a tall bike (six feet tall at the handlebars) in a kilt. Probably with a beer in my hand.

I couldn't find one of you in a kilt, but here's one of you giving Jill a ride on one with an xtracycle.:eek:
4141

They never really grow-up, do they?:rolleyes: ;) :p

[KnottedYet]

gotta love those reflective sidewall tires!

(nice bike, too!:D and I see the beer!)

[boy in a kilt]

That picture was taken riding down California way in West Seattle. The passenger is my friend Jill. She said she gained a whole new respect for my bike handling skills that night.

The beer is some sort of stout. Can't remember what sort.

And what fun would growing up be?

Oh, and it's not obvious, but this is a demonstration of my wool addiction. Ibex wool jersey and knickers.

[kfergos]

Yesterday I wore my neon-green jersey, and a train conductor asked (jokingly) if I could please turn that thing down a bit. It is quite vibrant, but I've definitely noticed drivers looking twice at me where before they would've just turned without a second glance. I also feel more confident knowing I'm very visible, which I think makes a big difference in how you ride.

[BleeckerSt_Girl]

I'm a big fan of Brooks brand "Nightlife" clothes. They are truly SCREAMING YELLOW!!!!! :eek: :eek: :eek: I get jokes all the time about having to wear sunglasses to look at me. But then again, I also get comments from car drivers who tell me they could see me a mile down the road. That's exactly what I'm after.

I just added some new items to my Nightlife biking wear, bought on Terry bikes site:
The capri tights:
http://www.terrybicycles.com/detail.html?item_no=2015
The long tights:
http://www.terrybicycles.com/detail.html?item_no=1072&c=On+Sale
and the new longsleeve thin top:
http://www.terrybicycles.com/detail.html?item_no=2565

I'm hoping the 3 items all fit me and I don't have to send any of them back! :)

I may get the capris for my younger daughter in her 20's as well- she just started road biking.