What I want to yell at cyclists when I drive past them

[marni]

I like all the various messages people want to yell and understand that they are all well intentioned, however I would like to remind you that if you are in a car driving by a bike rider, unless you slow down, roll down the window and speak slowly and clearly, or pull up to them at a stop light, the chances are that they won't be able to understand or hear what you are yelling clearly over the wind in their ears and the traffic noises.

It's like teaching a pig to dance, it doesn't work and chance are you''ll just annoy the pig.

Of course since I ride in and around the burbs of Houston which is distinctly biker unfriendly, and am used to having things thrown at me, being sworn at, cussed out and edged off of the shoulder, and told to ride on the sidewalk (this in the middle of a 10 mile farm road with rice paddies on each side) by passing cars and ford f 150's, perhaps I am a bit gun shy. Last week I actually started looking for a way to unclip, dismount and and bail out when a car pulled up next to me at a stop light and rolled his window down. It turned out that he just wanted to know how far I had ridden, so I guess it was that old darwinian training kicking in. He was definitly an exception to the behavioral rule.

marni