Why are Motorists so Idiotic & RUDE

[pardes]

It STILL baffles me why a motorist will pull as close as possible to your rear wheel and then lay on the horn....especially when I'm not even blocking their path. It seems that just the mere presence of me on a bicycle on the road inflames them.

Despite several really rude drivers, I had a lovely relaxed errand run to the LBS for a few bike adjustments, a lovely sandwich on fresh baked bread at PureBread Cafe, a sunset ride through herds of Canada Geese, a bit of shopping, and then a briskly-cold invigorating ride home in the dark.

I'm beginning to think that the rage that is always just below the surface of motorists has to be a reaction they don't want to admit that more and more people are biking for health and economy and environmental issues and it's the motorists who at some level of consciousness are realizing the degree of excess and waste they are inflicting on the nation and ultimately the world.

Even a decade ago, it was mostly the hardcore roadies that were on the roads in less than "perfect" weather but now, people of all shapes and sizes and wearing anything they like are biking and biking seriously in their own way.

That's a wonderful thing and if enough of us continue to do it and entice others to do it with us, things will change.

That's what I was was trying to think about after the GREAT HORN BLAST behind me when what I really wanted to think about was a dozens forms of painful torture I wanted to inflict on the driver.

But now I am home with my hot chocolate topped with a mountain of whipped cream purchased three miles from here and lovingly carried home in my beautiful panneirs on my beautiful bike. Ahhhhhhhhhhhhhh. Here's to getting whipped cream on your nose when drinking deep from Double Dutch Hot Chocolate.

[KathiCville]

I'm amazed, too, at the hostility that I occasionally encounter from drivers. Just today, as I was starting out on a ride on a quiet backroad outside of town, two guys blew past me in a pickup truck on a curvy uphill, a little closer than they needed to be. The guy in the passenger seat screamed something at me as the truck roared past. Couldn't catch what he said, but I'm guessing it wasn't rated PG-13. I wasn't doing anything wrong--well to the side of the road, minding my own business, in high-viz gear, tail-light flashing.

What a contrast to a ride a couple of days earlier on the same road, same curvy hill. I heard what I knew had to be a really big rig coming up the incline behind me. The sound surprised me because it's a narrow country road, not a stretch where you'd expect to encounter a big truck. I kept pedalin'---no choice, no place to pull over. Instead of blasting his horn, or crowding me, the fellow eased by me as gently as he could, taking care that his WIDE LOAD trailer (stacked with huge drain pipes!) stayed well to the left of me until he had cleared me. Then, to top it off, he waved when he could see me in his rear view mirror. What a prince!

[Blueberry]

We have some great ones - and some terrible ones 'round here too. Folks in retain say people are grumpier than ever this year - I expect they are driving too

What I really want to know is - HOW did you get hot chocolate home in your pannier in one piece? That's quite a feat!

[pardes]

[QUOTE=CA_in_NC;382413What I really want to know is - HOW did you get hot chocolate home in your pannier in one piece? That's quite a feat![/QUOTE]

No, I brought the whipped cream home in a can and made the hot chocolate at home. With the temperature outside, hot chocolate would have been ice cream by the time I got home.

[BleeckerSt_Girl]

I had a giant cup of hot chocolate this evening too, after my home made vegetable soup for dinner.
I tend to be a mini marshmallow girl myself. (and lots of them)
It was brutally cold today.

I don't know if it's our area here, or if I just ride in such a way as to not annoy motorists, but whatever the reason- I just never seem to run into aggressive nastiness from motorists at all. Maybe a couple of clueless people who have poor distance/speed judgment, but never any intentional aggression.
Well only once actually-- when I was on a group ride (which I don't do nowadays) some guy in a beat up car drove by and screamed at all of us out his window to "GET OFF THE F***ING ROAD!!!!!"....we not even blocking any traffic. But he had a bright red face, bulging neck veins and bloodshot eyes as he screamed it at us and drove off....he was apparently either drunk or about to explode at any second. (or both) It was so absurd as to be almost laughable.

[buddha_bellies]

My co-worker and I have experienced some really rude drivers/passengers in the past too. I had coin threw at me and he actually had a glass bottle threw at him. Luckily the aim was really bad or it could've been scary.

My commute is about 40 mins by bike or 30 mins driving during rush hours. So I keep telling myself when I bike that this is way less stress and takes just a little bit more time. I giggle everytime I pass by cars that are waiting to get on the bridge when I zoom right pass by them on the bike path

Most of the time, the drivers here are really good about cyclists; Probably because the City is trying to build more bike paths and new drivers that take the road tests are asked about cyclists' rights on the road.

Now if only all cyclists also respect the law too...