Look who's trash-talking bikes now - from the League of American Bicyclists

[moderncyclista]

http://www.bikeleague.org/action/trashtalk/

Of course it mentions the now ubiquitous Facebook page - but also alot of other stuff that they keep up on. Interesting and somewhat disappointing read.

[DarcyInOregon]

The article mentions how road rage against cyclists is on the increase. I've had it directed against me and it isn't pleasant. I ride primarily in the rural Willamette Valley in Oregon, on roads that get very little traffic. Yet vehicles will pull up on my left and the driver will lean over and start hollering at me that it is illegal for me to be on the road. I usely just say to the person that they are wrong and need to learn the laws, and I pedal on. The worse incident was just a few weeks ago, and ironically the road I was on was part of the State of Oregon's Willamette Valley Scenic Bikeway. This man did the usual hollering, I gave my reply, and he hollered some more. Then he gunned his motor, pulled ahead of me, and did what the California ER doctor did, the doctor who is now serving 5 years in prison, and that is he slammed on his brakes in front of my bike and attempted to get me to crash. Well I didn't crash but was able to see his license plate, so I got away from him and called 911 to report his plate number.

There is so much attention in the media about the urban bike lanes, it makes me wonder if rural drivers are confused. Last year one old farmer hollered at me that bikes are allowed only on bike paths. Perhaps the mistaken belief that bikes are only allowed on urban bike lanes and park trails has fueled the road rage against the rural distance cyclists. I could carry a printout of the Oregon laws and hand it to the next road rage guy, but I figure what is the point, if male drivers are so ignorant about the laws regarding bicycles on the roads and allow themselves to be consumed with rage, then something is really wrong in their lives and it has nothing to do with cyclists; they probably yell at cyclists then go home and beat up on their wives.

[WindingRoad]

That's horrible Darcy, sorry you had to deal with that.

Unfortunately this reminds me of a situation my mother and father just dealt with. They live in rural Indiana where they have lots of country roads and some of the busier roads have HUGE shoulders on them. They generally ride on the should when they can. But this one time they had some old man come pull up behind them and kept honking and honking refusing to pass them trying to get them to get completely off the road when there was broken glass all over the edge of the road. My mom motioned this guy around and he finally went around laying on his horn. Keep in mind my folks are well into their 60's now, they don't need that kind of crap. My mom called him an "old fart", which is harsh words for her. I'm glad they ride together. My dad was attacked by a Pitbull last year while riding. Knocked him completely off his bike into the ditch and the dog wouldn't let go. My mom ran over towards it and literally beat it with her bike to get it to let go. That one went to court and they did win which is amazing given the rural mentality around there. I hate how some of the country folks treat cyclists. I feel for you Darcy, is there anyone who can ride with you? For whatever reason they seem to be better if there's more than one rider.

[zoom-zoom]

if male drivers are so ignorant about the laws regarding bicycles on the roads and allow themselves to be consumed with rage, then something is really wrong in their lives and it has nothing to do with cyclists; they probably yell at cyclists then go home and beat up on their wives.

I fear that you are correct. I agree that it likely has nothing to do with cyclists...we're just an easy target. But happy people don't feel the need to be aggressive and nasty to strangers. If they treat a stranger in public on a bike that way, imagine how they treat their family in the privacy of their own home...

[DarcyInOregon]

I feel for you Darcy, is there anyone who can ride with you? For whatever reason they seem to be better if there's more than one rider.

Hi WindingRoad, I bet your parents shrugged off the old guy honking at them as just another riding experience. That is how it is for me, until I started noticing a pattern. Mostly though my rides are quite safe. I only got bit by a dog once, and it was a tiny fast dog.

I have a few friends with whom I bike, but I bike myself a lot too. I don't wait around for other people, I get on my bike and go. I put a lot of miles on the bike, and so I experience a lot of odd things. Like last year I was pedaling along the road on a steep uphill where there was an embankment above me, and there were two farm workers shooting out across the road at birds over my head, totally oblivious to the legality of what they were doing, much less the bullets could have fallen out of the sky and impacted my body. I had to yell at them to let them know there was a cyclist on the road, and thereby diverting valuable oxygen away from the climbing muscles. I was not happy about it. Nor do I expect to see wildlife killed by guns when I am out on a ride.

I have no idea what fuels road rage. The story of the ER doctor who got 5 years in prison and destroyed his career goes to show you the road-rage-guy can be well educated yet allow rage and anger to consume his entire being without recognizing that anything is wrong with his emotions and thought proccesses. I never engage the road-rage-guy, because who is to say that the next road-rage-guy doesn't pull out a gun and shoot me. I just say, sorry you are wrong, please look up the laws, and pedal on.

I thought at one time the road-rage-guys think all bikes are mountain bikes and are supposed to be riding off the asphalt of the road, down in the ditch, or off in the field. I stay alert for road-rage-guys on my rides, just like I stay alert for the motorists who look me right in the eye from a stop sign on a side road, then pull out in front of me in their pickup truck that is hauling a trailer with a boat behind it, and sometimes there is a horse trailer in the mix too, and I am expected to go from 15-18 mph to zero mph in just a few seconds with no way to go around the vehicles because the length of all of the trailers and such is too long.

[Trek420]

I fear that you are correct. I agree that it likely has nothing to do with cyclists...we're just an easy target. But happy people don't feel the need to be aggressive and nasty to strangers.

I find that people are just not happy. I'm no sociologist, just 15 years taking call after call after.... No scientific record or study of this such as: numeric increase and type of swearing, number of manager takeovers ... but it's noticable. People are generally meaner now.

Treating others as you would want to be treated is the stuff that makes the world turn better, that's been my rule. And at least if stuff does not go well it gives me "somewhere to go". If you just come on my line screaming, cursing and swearing .... where do we go from there?

Same's true in biking and driving, at least I wish.

[marni]

while riding through west texas hhill country on the cross country last year, there were several trucks that passed us shooting off over our heads. We reported it to the local police and were told "oh yeah, we know who it is, we get complalints about it all of the time" not that they were going to do anything other than acknowledge that we had made the complaint.

Later we stopped in a small town for a cold drink and were asking a local what there was to do in town and he replied" for you bikers, the only thing to do is to get out of here as soon as possible. They don't much care for bike riders around here." When I asked why he mumbled something about cominng over the brow of the hill and having to slam on brakes to avoid hitting a biker while pulling a trailer full of cattle and the danger to both truck and animals. I had the sense not to wonder aloud what he was doing driving so fast, in hilly terrain where he couldn't see what was coming down the road, that he had to slam on his brake while pulling a truck full of cattle.
I guess alll we can do is keep a right lane bail out in sight, show professional and good manners, and adhere to the rules and our mental guns.

marni

[moderncyclista]

The other day someone threw something at a friend of mine - who was riding home from work, in the snow on her mountain bike. For no reason. My personal life philosophy is "Just don't be a d**k." Why don't more people ascribe to this philosophy - the whole planet would be better to live on.

[GLC1968]

You know, I was a cyclist before I was a 'farmer' but I can see both sides to the story (this has nothing to do with a-holes who treat us like crap for no reason). TE actually hosted a ride last year where a local farmer came to talk civilly with us cyclists. He explained that hauling farm equipment or livestock is not easy. He pointed out that most times, they are going about 20 mph - same speed as many road bikes. He explained how it's sometimes impossible to pass a cyclist because of the similiar speeds. He also explained about the inherent danger in driving large, slow equipment on roadways but also explained that they have no other way of transporting the livestock, produce, equipment, etc. He asked that cyclists avoid the most heavily used farm roads during the most heavily used periods (like during harvest). Unfortunately around here, those same time frames are when our weather is the best for riding! I think everyone needs to stop and think about the other person (and god knows, how often does that happen?).

The talk really made me think. I've been yelled at for cycling on the roads. I've been yelled at for running on the roads. I've been yelled at for driving too slow while hauling goats in our truck. I've been yelled at for driving too slow while hauling compost. I mean, really...everyone needs to take a chill pill and stop to consider their neighbor. Cyclists, runners, farmers, weekend Harley riders who ought to consider mufflers ....everyone.