Why car drivers get mad

[BleeckerSt_Girl]

Ok- so I have to preface this by saying that DH and I almost NEVER get honked at or cursed by drivers. We try to be courteous and safe and we stay as far to the right as we safely can under most conditions on the roads and highways. We find almost all drivers are in turn very courteous to us.

Today we were going along the highway on the shoulder to the right of the white line. The shoulder was only wide enough for one bike. The road was only one lane in either direction, with a 55 mile speed limit.

As we're riding along, 3 adult nicely dressed seemingly "weekend" cyclists on hybrid bikes come up fast behind us and proceed to pass us without letting us even know they are coming up on our left. In passing us, they move right out into the main traffic lane. There are CARS going 55mph along that single lane on the highway who then lean heavily on their brakes to avoid hitting the passing bikers who have swerved out into the lane to pass us. There are cars coming in the opposing diection lane, so none of these cars are able to swerve over the double line, mind you. More cars behind us all are slowing down very abruptly, and several cars start honking angrily at the bikers. DH and I are in the middle of this debacle, continuing on the shoulder in single file, embarrassed to be associated with these other 3.

These 3 cylists created a DANGEROUS situation by pulling out into the car lane in front of fast oncoming cars that had nowhere to go to avoid them without slowing extremely abruptly. Why didn't they wait until there was a gap in the traffic to pass us?? We were not going THAT slow that it would have ruined their day to slow down for a few seconds. And why didn't they advise us they were coming up close around us either?

Their actions put everyone in danger- themselves, us, and the car drivers as well who could have become involved in a chain reaction accident.
As several cars jammed on their brakes and honked, the cyclists passed us and got back into the shoulder in front of us and zoomed on down the road, all of them then giving the finger to the honking cars for good measure.

This is what gives all cyclists a bad name and this is the kind of behavior that makes car drivers hate cyclists. I was so mad AND embarrassed to be assumed a part of their pack.

[Zen]

Wow. That would have made me mad too.
I know I would have had something to say to them even if they didn't stick around to hear it.
Fortunately no one was hurt in that episode.

There's no excuse for that except ignorance and/or stupidity.

[Aggie_Ama]

Goodness!! We rarely encounter other cyclists, but when we do we are courteous. Even if cars weren't coming, I am a little jumpy and an unexpected cyclist can really startle me. When I was a newer rider one frightened me and I almost took us both out because I jumped!

I hate when you get unwillingly associated with a bad group of cyclists.

[MM_QFC!]

Lisa - first, I'm glad that you and DH came through it safely and I can't agree with you more...idiots like that reflect badly on all of us.
I've seen suggestions locally (Seattle area) from drivers, actually almost demanding that cyclists be made to pass a test and get a road license, if they want the right to ride on the road, just as with cars. I have to say that a part of me agrees with that thought, although I know that there are plenty of unsafe jerks behind steering wheels as well as on saddles...
Yes, our road laws include bicycles as vehicles, but there are so many who go out on the road and don't follow the most basic safety and road etiquette, never mind the laws...putting so many at risk.
It's a pet peeve of mine too, when my life is endangered out on the road by riders like that...unfortunately, they either can't or won't read alerts and rants like this!
Take care out there,
Mary

[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!!!

[Starfish]

In passing us, they move right out into the main traffic lane. There are CARS going 55mph along that single lane

If they keep that up, they won't live long enough to make an impression on too many more motorists. I'm so sorry you had that experience!

[Mr. Bloom]

If they keep that up, they won't live long enough to make an impression on too many more motorists. I'm so sorry you had that experience!

Yep, it's a question of how many other folks they jeopardize in the meantime.

I would have told them what I thought on the spot, but then, for a short guy, I'm prone to living vicariously on the edge of my freedom of verbal and manuic expression

[bikerchick68]

that blows! I would've been furious at them too... glad they didn't cause an accident... lucky for them.

[Python]

Why didn't they wait until there was a gap in the traffic to pass us??

For exactly the same reasons that some car drivers do the same - often with tragic results.

People like that are road-hogs and think everyone else should get out of their way. They'll do that until one day and they'll go splat.

[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...