Why car drivers get mad

[RolliePollie]

Wow, Lisa...I'm glad they didn't cause an accident! It's really a shame when folks like that give us all a bad name. It's also a shame that drivers will be more likely to remember a situation like that and then generalize it to all cyclists. Of course, that's just human nature. I'm sure most drivers have passed tons of courteous cyclists like you and your husband, but they won't remember that. They'll only remember the crazy cyclists who pass when it's not safe and almost cause a huge wreck.

The other night I saw something I couldn't believe. I was riding up the hill through town and a cyclist who was coming down the hill towards me had taken the lane and was completely blocking traffic. The vehicle right behind him was a fully loaded LOGGING TRUCK! Talk about dangerous! Then yesterday in the grocery store parking lot (I was the car driver this time), two guys on mountain bikes came out of nowhere and passed me on the right just as I was about the turn right into a row of parking spaces. I nearly had a heart attack! And I think they did too, because the second guy realized that I'd almost just hit him. Unfortunately they couldn't hear me as I "politely" reminded them that you are not supposed to pass on the right!!!

[Grog]

The other night I saw something I couldn't believe. I was riding up the hill through town and a cyclist who was coming down the hill towards me had taken the lane and was completely blocking traffic. The vehicle right behind him was a fully loaded LOGGING TRUCK! Talk about dangerous!

I do not know your area at all, but I can imagine many, many situations where the cyclist and everyone else will be much safer, going down a hill, if the cyclist takes the lane instead of staying on the shoulder. Why exactly do you describe this situation as dangerous? For whom?

[RolliePollie]

I do not know your area at all, but I can imagine many, many situations where the cyclist and everyone else will be much safer, going down a hill, if the cyclist takes the lane instead of staying on the shoulder. Why exactly do you describe this situation as dangerous? For whom?

I take the lane a lot, and I totally agree with you that many times it is much safer to do so. But in this particular case, the speed limit is 45 and I know the cyclist was probably going 25-30 mph max (cuz that's about how fast I roll down that hill). Just the sight of this cyclist framed by a huge semi truck grill scared me. Maybe it wasn't actually that dangerous, but I know I wouldn't want to make a logging truck driver mad. Plus I worry about big trucks and their ability to brake, especially when they've just come down the mountain. I generally take the lane if I am going close to the speed limit and it is safer for me, but if I'm going a lot slower than the cars and I'm blocking traffic, then I move over. Even if I am going close to or above the speed limit, many times I need to move over to accommodate drivers who are speeding. Most drivers around here seem to despise cyclists as it is, so I don't want to do anything extra to make them mad.

[Tuckervill]

I'd take the lane in that situation, too, but most definitely if the hill were curvy. It happened this morning, except it was a chicken litter truck and I could smell it coming. What I don't want is people passing me on a curve while I'm going fast downhill with another vehicle approaching from the other direction.

But it sounded like that truck was right on the cyclist's tail, and that's just wrong. I'm scared of logging trucks, even when I'm driving, because they never seem to appear like they are well maintained! I don't live in timber country anymore, though, thank goodness.

Karen

[Grog]

I take the lane a lot, and I totally agree with you that many times it is much safer to do so. But in this particular case, the speed limit is 45 and I know the cyclist was probably going 25-30 mph max (cuz that's about how fast I roll down that hill). (...) Most drivers around here seem to despise cyclists as it is, so I don't want to do anything extra to make them mad.

Thanks Sara for the explanations... I see things a little differently. (Actually I don't see at all because I have little knowledge of the road you describe, but you know what I mean!! )

First, let's state that the guys who passed Lisa do seem like a bunch of confrontational morons who do no good to cyclists, no doubt about that.

But, regarding your example, as someone who has to descend on many of my rides, and who doesn't mind descending fast, it's easy for me to imagine the cyclist's point of view in the situation you describe. I am assuming that the cyclist was going faster than drivers would think (although I agree with you that it's unlikely that the cyclist was going at 45 mph, but I often descend at speeds WAY over 30 mph). I also assume that the cyclist would have made the decision to take the lane (by no means a decision lone cyclists are usually prompt to make) because s/he did not feel safe staying on extreme right of the road: Maybe the shoulder was too narrow or littered with glass (try a front-wheel flat on a fast downhill), the road too windy, there were intersections along the way where incoming drivers might pull out on the shoulder to see whether they can enter traffic, etc.

If I am in that situation, and hear the engine brakes of a heavy vehicle behind me, I'll definitely do everything I can to move out of the way faster, for the reasons you mention (not trusting the brakes etc.). But the lane might be much safer for me than the shoulder in most fast-downhill situations.

Unfortunately, vehicles coming from behind (including the big logging truck and vehicles with trailers behind) tend to believe they can squeeze by if the rider is holding on to the right-side of the road, whereas they actually might not have the space at all, especially if there is traffic coming in the other lane. Another problem, on a windy road, is that many drivers will not follow the lines painted on the road and have their right wheels overlap the white line. Coming out of a right-bound curve, the driver will see the cyclist on the shoulder at the very last second, or perhaps too late. Or the trailer behind the car/tractor will clip the cyclist. After hitting the cyclist, the driver will say "I had not seen the bike!!!" and it will be true. If the cyclist is actually in the lane, it's less likely that s/he will be hidden by the curve...

It's great to avoid creating useless conflicts with the drivers and the guys that passed Lisa seem like dangerous freaks. But the long-term strategy of conflict-avoidance should not in my opinion obscure a reasonable evaluation of short-term risks.

It might be helpful, however, to educate your city planners to the importance of better cycling infrastructures, to avoid dangerous situations like the one you describe...

Peace!

[Tuckervill]

Speaking of cycling infrastructures:

I just got back from 3 days in Phoenix/Scottsdale. No, I didn't get to ride. Yes, it became monsoon season while I was there, and there was actual humidity (still not like here, though!) and it was over 110 all day. I didn't expect to see many cyclists at all, and none in the afternoon. I was up early every morning because of the time difference and I drove all around the city and the outlying areas.

I took note of the wonderful bike lanes everywhere I went. Although it was hot, I did see *some* cyclists, mostly commuters. I saw no roadies at all. But the thing that struck me the *most* was that without exception all the cyclists were riding on the sidewalk. After the first 3 or 4 I saw, I started taking note. NONE were using the beautiful bike lanes. None.

Of course, it was so hot (and "humid" which makes me laugh) no one was walking on the sidewalks either. But is this a regular thing out there? Ignored, unused bike lanes?

Karen

[Grog]

I was up early every morning because of the time difference and I drove all around the city and the outlying areas.

I don't know how early was early for you, but there was this great article in Runner's World about running in the heat. The guy went running with some Phoenix club and they started their run at 4 am to beat the heat! Dunno about the local cycling clubs though, but I'd hope that hard training rides would also be very, very early!

This being said, I have no idea about the low use of the cycling lanes. I have a couple friends from Phoenix and they both testified of the vitality of the cycling community in Arizona. However they mostly rode way out of town, or so did they tell me...

[Tuckervill]

Five a.m. was when I awoke. I am usually up with the sun anyway.

It was still over 90 degrees overnight, though. 90 degrees is still hot! That's a normal high for where I live in most of the summer, with some 100 degree days in July/August. Oh, and that's with 55% humidity all the time. But it gets at least in the 70s at night.

I'm sure at different times of the year Phoenix is crawling with bikes.

Karen

[quint41]

Lisa, I didn't have time to read all the replies to your post, but I wanted to let you know that I'm in your camp. I lead rides frequently for a singles group, and not everyone is an experience rider. (This is coming from someone who only "really" started riding last year, but I've ridden enough that I can now lead rides fairly well.) Just the other day, I had two people out on my ride -- one of them has ridden with this group MANY times, and he has been told MANY times by other leaders and other riders, but he apparently hasn't learned a thing. The second guy was a newbie who was just following the first guy's lead. Toward the end of our ride, we were on a rather busy street, and guy #1 was way off the shoulder. He was almost half-way out into the travel lane. Guy #2 was with him almost as far off the shoulder. I was behind screaming, "CAR BACK!" louder and louder until finally I REALLY SCREAMED, "SINGLE FILE!! RIDE SINGLE FILE!" They very quickly moved to the shoulder. When we got back to the lot, I told them both that I was sorry to have to scream at them, but that kind of behavior is what gives bike riders a bad name! That kind of riding, out in the road for no reason, is what pisses drivers off, causes road rage, and then makes crazy drivers take out their anger on all the other rule-abiding riders on the road!

By the way, as I was out riding tonight, a car of teenagers passed me (as I was climbing a hill ON THE SHOULDER) and threw a can of soda at me. Isn't that lovely? It didn't hit me. I think it was empty anyway, but just the fact that they did that ....

That is ALL I wanted to say. I agree with you, Lisa.