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I know it's different in various places, but interestingly, my DH and I find that about 99.5% of the drivers here where we live in rural New York state are courteous, patient, and usually give us wide berth on our bikes. We wish the roads had slightly better maintained shoulders with less deterioration and hazardous debris, ...but we sure can't complain about driver courtesy. :)
I gotta say that cartoon is pretty close to riding in Miami. I even take my bike to a local, very cycle friendly area and almost got side-swipped by a school bus yesterday. Now when I go to my house in south Georgia, completely different story. I usually get stared at by curious cows and chased by farm dogs, but never any problems with cars.
For us, it has been getting worse. Most of it, though, I hope and want to believe, is temporary. A couple of the county highways are under repair and the detours are the routes favored by the local cyclists. Nice 2 lane country farm-to-market roads with no shoulders.
Under normal conditions these roads have relatively few cars (heck, more farm equipment than cars), but now they're taking the load of the county highways. Two directions of cars and bikes don't fit and the cars are already irritated because they're on a detour. Lots of passing with inches to spare now so cyclists are forced to take the lane which irritiates the drivers which perpetuates the vicious cycle.
I'm hoping for quick road construction because to get from there-to-here, bikes need to use parts of those roads and some of the cars and trucks are getting nasty.
It's that bad in Dallas. Dallas was voted one of the most cycling-unfriendly cities in the U.S. in a recent issue of Bicycling magazine.
I have to say that everyone I know who doesn't ride - including a lot of motorcyclists and my own DH - basically has that attitude towards road cyclists. Some of them (mostly people I don't know, or maybe just not in my presence) are more aggressive and explicit about it than others, but they all seem to feel the same way. :(
I'd say in Seattle things are no worse maybe better. Most people are cautious, friendly and patient. But there's a small minority whose actions we remember
and talk about.
like the jerk who I delayed by 5 seconds (maybe) and had to peel out to impress us all how LATE he was now. (and then he pulled into a driveway 2 blocks up)
I find that most drivers in my area in Maryland are courteous and patient and definite rules followers--even if they don't necessarily like being stuck behind a cyclist, they aren't going to do anything stupid, illegal or dangerous to force the situation.
Sarah
I echo the comments of those of you who say their roads are relatively safe and the traffic is patient and careful. I like to say I ride on some of the safest, most beautiful roads in the country here in Madison (VA).
However, I am leaving for CO soon to ride in the Triple Bypass. I sure hope things calm down by then!
My experience is pretty much like Lisa's here in the NW burbs of Boston. Most drivers are OK, as there are so many cyclists around, they are used to us. However, you don't need to go too far to the east to find more aggressive or clueless drivers. Also, the beach areas are pretty bad for cyclists.
There have been some issues with cyclists in Carlisle (the town next to me), but I would say it is the police who are being aggressive. I know someone who got a $50.00 ticket, but he was riding like jerk.
Then there was the guy who told my husband to "Get a car," when he was riding home from work last week. He was taking the lane, on a very pot holed winding main road (Rt. 126 in Lincoln), going about 24 mph, which is not much slower than cars go.
In downtown Vancouver and mid-town, the drivers are generally ok. Some are considerate and accustomed to cyclists...one can tell by the drivers who slow down at certain intersections where there are bike-only curb cuts to cross road medians, etc.
Further out in the suburbs, the drivers strike me as alot more impatient and constantly exceeding speed limits.
In my immediate area, it's not too bad, and most drivers seem to give cyclists room. But then, I'm living in an area with a university and a hospital, so people are used to seeing commuting cyclists. Many people also ride on the sidewalk here and the police really don't seem to care (even though it's illegal), so there are fewer people riding on the roads.
For me it depends heavily on time of day and what neighborhood.
Drivers are routinely hostile on busy streets especially on our wide streets (you know, wide enough for Brigham Young to turn a wagon around), even when there are bike lanes!
Malkin, you make me laugh;), but then again, I purposely commute to work at 4am so I can beat the car traffic. Still, at 4am in the morning I consistantly have this white PT cruisor that pushes the limit of 'comfortablitily'. He (since I finally saw the driver) pulls by me at a very close range (at 4am, with no other traffic!) where I can swat his window (if I was of the mind). At 3pm when I go home, the traffic is heavier, but somewhat more curtious. But then again, on our very wide streets, the car traffic still likes to 'hug' the curb no matter what is there!:( I cant's see the white PT crusors license plate because I need my glasses :cool: but I have made it known that if I get hit in the early hours of the day, check for this cruisor....
I think you should get a big pointy stick and attach it to your bike so it sticks out and scratches his car.
Karen
Kinda like the chariot race in Ben Hur...Quote:
Originally Posted by Tuckervill
Most are like that and definitely usually out where I ride, I don't run into anything....Quote:
Originally Posted by sfa
. However, there's always a few that are... The other day the bf & I were cycling up a steep hill, no shoulder and basically a tall hedge right on the side of the road (it was somewhere up on 97)... a car passed me, gave me plenty of room... then decided to swerve towards him as someone shouted DANGER WILL ROBINSON out the window. He was a tad bit startled.
I've had cars swerve onto the shoulder towards me shouting stuff when biking up 15... it's a highway, the cars are going 70 mph+ and theyre going to swerve at cyclists???
I was thinking more along the lines of purple or red spray paint.......Quote:
Originally Posted by Tuckervill
DH thinks it should be legal to hit bad drivers with paintball guns. It WOULD make it easier to identify the jerks on the road by the amount of paint on their cars.Quote:
Originally Posted by snapdragen
Sarah
Ask bacarver if it's bad.
Just 40 miles from our house, she's been clipped at least twice and hospitalized once from a dog attack...