Bad Seattle Drivers GRRRRR

[Eden]

Yup, during my hill repeats on Tuesday I was buzzed by one driver (who nearly ran over a couple of ducks crossing the street about 10 feet in front of me) and then harassed by another. (I SWEAR it has not been like this until recently - maybe I've just had a bad couple of days) Grinding up the hill I was actually passing another cyclist and avoiding a badly torn up/sandy shoulder. Some guy comes up behind and beeps - when I don't immediately scurry out of his way he beeps more and drives up real slow beside me to give me the stink eye - and it was entirely unnecessary - its a low traffic street, the view in front of us was clear and no one was coming to block him from just passing me. Sheesh - some of these people really do think that we have no right to be out on the road and they are out to show us how bad we are. The people who stir up bike dislike not only spread the idea that we should be hated, they spead distruths about what rights bike have on the roads. I am sometimes afraid that some driver who wants to "teach me a lesson" by passing too close or some such other bone headed manoever will hurt me.

[mimitabby]

It sounds like you are having a run of bad luck, I have not heard of a dramatic change in incidence of idiots from the RCC guys; and they ride in the dark !
sorry about that. If they knew how cute and little you were

[Geonz]

Try riding another foot or three out into the lane. I do *not* understand why, but it's happened too often to deny, but drivers seem to get less annoyed. (It *might* help to be pedaling as opposed to coasting - I always make sure I am.)

[mimitabby]

Try riding another foot or three out into the lane. I do *not* understand why, but it's happened too often to deny, but drivers seem to get less annoyed. (It *might* help to be pedaling as opposed to coasting - I always make sure I am.)

I don't think Eden knows how to coast .

[Eden]

Try riding another foot or three out into the lane. I do *not* understand why, but it's happened too often to deny, but drivers seem to get less annoyed. (It *might* help to be pedaling as opposed to coasting - I always make sure I am.)

For the most part I already do - Unless there is a large clean shoulder, I am a big proponant of taking the lane as I too have found that drivers will give you more room if they have to cross the center line rather than thinking that they can squeeze by, plus we have a lot of on street parking around here and there is no way I'm putting myself in the door zone... the problem is recently people have been squeezing by *anyway* - I believe we have a 3 foot passing law here, but most drivers are not educated about bicycles at all. We also have a law that says you cannot pass another vehicle if there is a bicycle coming towards you (this after a school teacher was killed by a person passing who hit her head on), but no one knows about that one and I've never seen it enforced. And Mimi is correct I rarely coast at least not when I'm out on my own unless I am coming to a stop or going downhill.

[Running Mommy]

Sounds like we need to get some jerseys made up with a big yelllow caution sign on the back that says "CYCLING IS NOT A CRIME" ... Kinda like the "skateboarding is not a crime" stickers my bro used to have back in the day...
Sigh....

[Micki Rider]

I hear that all the time, too, about "when bikers follow the rules..." In fact, someone I work with said this to me one day about bike-to-work month (he smokes, so what does he care about getting on a bike, his own health, or the life of a biker, right?).

In the Seattle area the Cascade Bicycle Club just launched a Give Cyclists 3 Feet campaign. I don't know about the rest of you aroud here, but I freaked out when I heard that. What, now cars that before gave me a wide berth are thinking it's OK to skirt me within a yard? If I don't have a bike lane and that's all the room I'm afforded them I'm taking the lane! Cascade does so many good things for the cycling community in Washington, but I think this one should have been thought through a little more. 3' means 3" to some.

[Eden]

Well - it is the law around here (WA state that is - and many other states for that matter) that cars must give at least 3 feet when passing a cyclist. I find it pretty amazing that you feel most cars give you enough space already. I would heartily support anyone's efforts to get the word out to the driving world that they need to give 3 feet as I am routinely passed with inches to spare. If I were taller.... some of those mirrors really stick out! I don't think that most motorists are aware that they are doing it and just how dangerous it is - I think they both don't know about the 3 foot law and just how wide their vehicle actually is. If spreading knowledge of the 3 foot law gets them at least thinking about leaving more space I'm all for it!

[teigyr]

I didn't know about the 3' rule. Sounds like that would be a good public service announcement or should go on billboards or something.

Some of those mirrors are downright scary. I AM tall and have no desire to be thwacked! I wondered if it was a law that the mirrors had to be closer to the vehicle if the vehicle isn't towing anything but I guess most of them don't adjust that way.

Is there any campaign to educate drivers? Beyond drivers education, that is.

[Micki Rider]

All right. So I've now heeded the warning too about mirrors from you. Especially as boating / RV-camping season arrives in my area and there's an endless supply of hazards.

I too suspect that a lot of those folks passing within inches just breeze on by wondering what we're doing riding out in front of them in their way....I think a lot of what I see is laziness. I'm still freaked about the 3 Feet campaign and haven't put those stickers on anything. Though maybe I'm pretending I have an invisible fence protecting me, too.

[Thorn]

Like many, I find this thread disturbing--whatever happened to yield to lesser mode of a traffic? Drivers Ed 101: car yields to bike yields to pedestrian yields to ducks. We're, at best, 1/10th of the weight of the cars and trucks. We don't stand a chance if they don't give us one. I'm saddened that people think we're targets and saddened more that other people are swayed by the angry people.

But, more so given the timing of this thread. Other threads here at TE in the last week have been on reducing ecological footprint. Correct me if I'm wrong, but the Seattle area is one where the weather would easily permit nearly year round commuting. Thus, to hear that the drivers aren't happy with cyclists makes my green heart turn red.

And it doesn't have to be that way. In the last week, the pro race on Mallorca just took place (more synchronicity). I rode on Mallorca. The roads are narrow and are often twisty, turnies with blind corners. Yet a bicycle doesn't need to fear (caution, yes, but fear, no). The drivers are courteous. Beeps of are of "hey, I'm here and passing you" not 'get off the road". The cars are looking for you just like they are looking for other cars. Sure, bicycle tourism fills their winter, but many of those cars are also tourists. We can co-exist. It is sad that some think we cannot.

But, I will sieze my right to be on that road. And I will continue to yield to the slower mode of transportation. It is just common courtesy.