Why car drivers get mad

[Aint Doody]

Zen--I DID walk my bike over the bridge that had that sign. I'm not a lawbreaker. And I guess I shouldn't have mentionned my brother's weight. My reason for doing so was to point out that he isn't exactly an exerciser. I hate having to defend myself here. Good-bye........

[Crankin]

PinkBike, I feel your pain... I would never ride in downtown Tempe . I used to ride my bike the mile from Hardy Drive through Ash St. to campus in grad school (all while wearing a sundress and NO HELMET) and even that was scary in 1978. I do remember riding down Rural Rd. between Elliot and Chandler Blvd. in a big wide bike lane in the 80s. But, it was still scary, so I quit riding.
Yes, Tucson is more bike friendly, and to me more what AZ is supposed to be.
BTW, I did just retire and I am pretty sure those cars around here in MA are still going to be acting poorly! I just finished reading the local paper and there were 2 incidences of "cyclist-car rage" in the police log and one woman was taken to the hospital. I haven't had too many issues, but I don't ride in urban area with lots of parked cars. And when I lead rides, I am very firm, using my school teacher voice about riding single file (like, "Get in line now!").

[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.

[Aggie_Ama]

We had an experience yesterday that still upsets me. DH and I were out on a road that is semi-busy and somewhat narrow and winding. It is not a favorite road of ours and we weren't sure anyone else ever really rode it. As we were headed our way we were surprised to see other cyclists. It was two female cyclists on the other side of the road riding side by side chatting, in the middle of the lane.

This is the road where we met the friendly guy who slowed down to flip us off. Now I wonder if their behavior is common and he was just fed up (doubt it). It isn't safe on that road at all and it is just rude.

[Tuckervill]

Were there cars waiting behind them? I don't have any problem with riding in the lane, but if cars come, I try to move over.

Karen

[Mr. Bloom]

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 ....

Next time, get the plate #...in my book, empty or not, that's called assault!

[Aggie_Ama]

Were there cars waiting behind them? I don't have any problem with riding in the lane, but if cars come, I try to move over.

Karen

There were no cars at the time, but the road is winding and that makes their actions unsafe. The speed limit is 50 but most of the motorists are driving a tad faster and it is just hard to know for anyone (cyclist, motorist) what is around the next bend. I would consider this road to be a medium traffic level for the area, so it probably wasn't long before a car came up. It wasn't a "taking the lane" situation, it was more of a not paying attention situation.

[Tuckervill]

If the road is winding, that's more of a reason to be in the lane in my opinion. I don't want two cars passing me in opposite directions with no shoulder, so as long as visibility is impaired for passing, I stay in the lane.

Karen

[Aggie_Ama]

Take the lane? Yes. Ride double file chatting appearing to not notice anything? No. I will agree to disagree, maybe I didn't describe the situation accurately because it definitely is not safe on this road. DH agreed, we both did not feel their intention was safety but to have a conversation.

[BleeckerSt_Girl]

If the road is winding, that's more of a reason to be in the lane in my opinion. I don't want two cars passing me in opposite directions with no shoulder, so as long as visibility is impaired for passing, I stay in the lane.

Karen

Would you ride along in the middle of the lane at 25mph with a blind curve in back of you, knowing that a car might come around that curve behind you at 55mph any second? What if they are dialing on their cell phone or changing thier cd at the moment? If you ask me, not much different than if you were jogging along in the middle of the lane!
Myself, I'll stay near the edge of the right hand white line on a major road with no shoulder and poor visibility. Cars pass me going in opposite directions all the time with no shoulder- to me it's just part of riding. I *do* take the lane however in dangerous situations if I feel cars will see me there before they hit me!

[Tuckervill]

I have to do it every day on one or two stretches of road. That's what I do, especially when I'm descending. It feels safer to me. The cars on this road cannot be going 55 coming around the curves, because they are on a CURVE.

Karen

[Grog]

I have to do it every day on one or two stretches of road. That's what I do, especially when I'm descending. It feels safer to me. The cars on this road cannot be going 55 coming around the curves, because they are on a CURVE.

Although I tend to agree with you, I'm afraid to say that you're never safe from one of the many (idiots) who do take curves at 55mph.

Terrifying (yet somewhat funny) story:
We have a long, winding hill near my place (I live right at the top) that cyclists and runners use all the time. The road winds on the side of a cliff leading into the ocean. Most drivers are well behaved going up it but last week some moron in a minivan was speeding up the hill at great speed, passed a car in a bend, missed the next turn and went right over the wooden fence. He probably didn't take the time to read the sign that says "CLIFF BELOW".

See the pic : http://www.cbc.ca/canada/british-col...-accident.html

I could very well have been cycling up the hill at the time. Very scary. Taking the lane, however, would not have saved me from so much moronitude.

(The minivan remained hanging in trees up the cliff and he jumped out. He tried to "hide" on the nudist beach below by mixing in with the crowd of sunbathers. He wasn't too hard to identify with all his scrapes and bruises... He had to be airlifted out of there... Two firetrucks... Countless helicopters... One BIG moron.*sigh*)

Personally, I tend to take curves in the lane, then to go back on the shoulders as soon as it seems safe, i.e. when I am back of in the line of sight of drivers coming out of that same curve. By being closer to the middle of the road, I am more visible from a distance by drivers coming from behind me and I avoid being clipped by some truck's mirror (so many drivers totally ignore the white lines and just drive with two tires on the shoulder...).

But I'm not sure there's one safe way to do it.

Ok too long message. Back to work.

[Tuckervill]

Nope, it's a risky thing altogether mixing in with the cars. "Safe" is a relative term.

Karen

[quint41]

Next time, get the plate #...in my book, empty or not, that's called assault!

Alas, the car was going in the opposite direction. I couldn't have gotten the tag unless I had eyes on the back of my helmet. I saw the car as it passed, in hindsight I remember several young heads in the car, and then the can hit the road next to me.