Racking, fracking drivers!

You really have to wonder if those drivers who get so close to you that you feel like their side mirror will take you out are sadists. I had a guy in a pickup today to fly by me coming closer to clipping me than I've ever been before. I had NOWHERE to go as I was as far right as I could be and there was a dump truck parked on the dirt side of the shoulder. My normally mild mannered husband, who was about 100 yards behind me was so angry he said, "Ya know, it is times like this you just wish you had a gun!" This coming from a non-hunting, vegetarian pacifist!

I have this theory that people who do seemingly try to run down cyclists are the same people who purposely run over cats.

grrrrrr.........:mad:

I once had a bunch of guys in a pickup truck pull over in front of me under an overpass and then peal out in front of me spraying dirt in my face. It always seems to me the close calls are with people in pickup trucks. Whats up with that? and no letters please, I use to drive a small pickup.
Now I carry a pen and a piece of paper in my saddlebag and if I get hassled I write down a license number, color, make and any useful information. I had a police officer say to me once, "I don't suppose you got the license number" to which I replied, "I sure did and the make and color too if you want it."

I think at the time I was too upset and mad to think straight to get a license plate number. Ben said it looked like the guy was gunning for me and wondered why he was spared. Maybe a female cyclist threatened this guy's ego, after all, I was ahead and down in the drops.

BTW, my favorite 4 wheeled vehicles are diesels, at least you can hear them coming. (we have a diesel pickup, but swing wide and honk when we pass a cyclist).

Oh, and if anyone wonders, I mentioned in another post that Ben's favorite meal is scrambled eggs, he isn't vegan. And yes, we are peaceful, pacifists who are sending our son off to military school, per his request. It is sort of like the parents of the Jamaican bobsled team, who can say no their dream!

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It always seems to me the close calls are with people in pickup trucks.

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White pickup trucks. Or black SUVs. That's been my experience anyhow.

- Jo "likes to generalize" bob

my only close call to date was with a Mercedes so go figure! He made a left hand turn and swing it wide enough to be in the bike lane - and our bike lanes here aren't skimpy! I could've reached out and popped off his hood ornament - and I thought (for just a very brief moment) about knocking his side mirror since it would've been his passenger side and those are always a bear to reset! (I only didn't coz I was afraid it would hurt my hand and I needed it to ride!) I read these posts and thank the good Lord again and again that my city has Awesome bike trails that can get me from point A to point B while keeping me pretty much out of traffic.
and yes Jobob: it was a Black Mercedes! :D

I had a guy turn left in front of me and almost kill me. I followed him into the grocery store parking lot and asked him if my YELLOW WINDBREAKER wasn't quite bright enough for him? His reply:

"You could have scratched my car!"

And he strolled into the store!

I called the cops. Told them what happened and that I was waiting for this bozo to come out of the store. Within 2 minutes, they had an officer there. Imagine that guy's surprise when he walked out of the store and I'm pointing him out to a cop! No idea what happened (the cop made me leave...darn it!) but it was fun while it lasted.

:p

Excellent! :cool:

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BTW, my favorite 4 wheeled vehicles are diesels, at least you can hear them coming. (we have a diesel pickup, but swing wide and honk when we pass a cyclist).

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Oh, Kim, I know your intentions are good, but I never, ever honk at cyclists. I almost crashed the last time someone came up behind me and honked!

Absolutely agree with Adrien - I jump a mile if a car/truck behind me honks, even if they have good intentions. Nine times out of ten, I have already spotted them in my rear-view mirror (eyeglass mount), but I never expect a loud honk. Scares me! :eek:

Emily

Cars that honk scare the you-know-what out of me. I don't know if they're angry or friendly and I can't make eye contact with someone travelling the same direction as I. What is worse though is the dog that suddenly barks two feet away from your ear. Can't their owners train them? If not, they can hire me. :D

sadiekate,

you train dogs? :cool:

Really only my own. In college I used to pray for my roommates to go away so I could have some training time with their dogs. They'd be little angels when the roommate/owner came back. 'Course that only lasted for about 48 hrs. Then, the roommate wondered why and blamed the dog for reverting to bad behavior. Nowadays? Well, let's put in this way, the food begging is not happening on my side of the table. DH's method of training is to just keep saying the dog's name over and over. You know the saying about training a dog to do new tricks, you have to be . . . . " Sometimes I wonder.

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Originally Posted by SadieKate

Well, let's put in this way, the food begging is not happening on my side of the table. DH's method of training is to just keep saying the dog's name over and over.

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Sounds like you've got the dog under control. Maybe it's time to do some training work with DH! :p

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From Gary Larson (The Far Side)
Blah Blah Blah, Ginger. Blah Blah Blah Blah. Blah Blah Ginger, Blah Blah.

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I have a friend with an untrained dog. The dog thinks that his name is "Hank, no!"

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Originally Posted by Adventure Girl

Sounds like you've got the dog under control. Maybe it's time to do some training work with DH! :p

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Ah, just wait until you meet Bubba. He's a total softie but training can only be done by stealth maneuevers though he does respond well to treats. He can't know the treat is in direct connection to good behaviour.

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Originally Posted by emily_in_nc

I jump a mile if a car/truck behind me honks, even if they have good intentions. Nine times out of ten, I have already spotted them in my rear-view mirror (eyeglass mount), but I never expect a loud honk. Scares me! :eek:

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me, too!!!!!!!!!! :eek:

Way back (way, way back) when I took driver's ed in highschool, I remember being taught that the correct thing to do is to honk as one passes bicycles. I don't remember the reasoning - scare them off the road? - but I do remember thinking how much I'd hate it happening to me.

Never have honked at a bicycle yet. And at this stage of my life, I doubt I ever will.

Hmmm, it would be nice to have a more friendly sound to warn of your approach. Something between a honk and a bicycle bell that wouldn't scare someone into harm's way, and at the same time letting them know you're there. Might work for kids in a school zone, too.

Has visions of ice cream truck music being piped outta my truck to gently let cyclists know I'm there! :p

Ha, ha! Ice cream music might make me leap off the bike TOWARD the car!

You are only allowed to pipe ice cream music if you have ice cream to share.

(Oddly I'm suddenly hungry for ice cream.)

If you're paying attention, you'll hear the cars behind you. After riding for so many years, I've got a sixth sense of cars behind me. You also learn traffic cues - like if a car turns left behind me, that means there probably aren't any cars ready to pass me, if you hear a car slow down next to you, watch out, he might be getting ready to turn right in front of you...stuff like that.

Ya know drivers scare me! Until I became a roadie I never really paid much attention to cyclist, now I know how to be a safer driver and alway give cyclist lots of room.

My car has a bumper sticker on it that says in big bold letters BADD and underneath it says "Cyclist Against Dumb Drivers".......I also have my license plate frame that says "Share The Road" with little bike figures on it.

I will hold up traffic to keep the cyclist safe and I signal that I'm going around them and go around them with a wide girth and pass slowly. I'm sure it makes the cars behind me mad but I figure I'm teaching them how to pass cyclist safely, or at least I hope so, it seems so because the line of cars will pass them the same way. Many times the cyclist gives me a wave which I'm sure is a thanks.

Oh, he,hee my front license plate frame is a Campagnolo frame! I love biking stuff! :D