Almost went over someone's trunk!

[KnottedYet]

I didn't know that. There's a shoulder with a thick white line that I was riding in (not sure, but I think it is designated for cyclists?) after the stop sign, I think it turns in to a regular road though.

I dunno if that was a bike lane or not. Bike lanes around here usually turn to dotted lines and/or fade off before intersections to force cyclists to take the lane and their place in line. If your intersection was poorly marked, that's something you could bring up to the DOT and the cops. You might save other cyclists from a very bad situation if you do bring it up!

[Eden]

If there is a shoulder it isn't illegal for you as a bicycle to pass on the right, even if it is not a marked bike lane, but it is considered to be questionable etiquette. (and it can be dangerous... if you come up on someone's right and they aren't looking for you, you can easily get right hooked) If it is just a stop sign I generally just get in line and wait (and I expect my space to be honored too - so no pulling up beside me thank you very much), but if it is constant heavy traffic I will happily pass.

In any case what you may have done or not done is totally irrelevant. Even if you had done something patently illegal, she had no right to try to hurt you.

IMHO, that wasn't just near assault - it was assault. You don't have to be successful for an assault to occur - pretty much you just have to threaten, so trying to hit someone with a baseball bat is just as chargeable as actually doing it. Unfortunately you can get away with many things if you are driving a car that you would never be able to do in other situations.

[XMcShiftersonX]

If there is a shoulder it isn't illegal for you as a bicycle to pass on the right, even if it is not a marked bike lane, but it is considered to be questionable etiquette. (and it can be dangerous... if you come up on someone's right and they aren't looking for you, you can easily get right hooked) If it is just a stop sign I generally just get in line and wait (and I expect my space to be honored too - so no pulling up beside me thank you very much), but if it is constant heavy traffic I will happily pass.

In any case what you may have done or not done is totally irrelevant. Even if you had done something patently illegal, she had no right to try to hurt you.

IMHO, that wasn't just near assault - it was assault. You don't have to be successful for an assault to occur - pretty much you just have to threaten, so trying to hit someone with a baseball bat is just as chargeable as actually doing it. Unfortunately you can get away with many things if you are driving a car that you would never be able to do in other situations.

That is true. I think cars and cyclists generally need to make their own safety calls when passing. I'm a cautious rider and I try to avoid dangerous maneuvers especially in high traffic areas. I do all the recommended things, like be predictable, etc. Like I said, I was in the shoulder when I was passing and I moved up to an area where there was actually an indent for buses because I thought that was safer than being in the shoulder at the back of the line (because cars generally do get next to you when you're in the shoulder). The cars were not moving when I was passing them. I also made it a point to stop passing cars when I could see the cars in front of me started moving forward and I would get stuck either on their side or tail end where they couldn't see me. I stopped when I was in front of this silver car because I felt my visibility to her was best. She didn't have her turn signal on and I was off to the side, so I was in no way impeding her movement, which is why I don't get her reaction. I think it's probably obvious that she is just another driver who doesn't think bikes should be on the road because it slows her down and she decided to take it out on me. When in actuality if I was in a car instead I would be slowing her down even more! But most people that react this way generally aren't smart enough to put two and two together anyways!

Anyways, thanks everyone for your support.

-Jessica

[BleeckerSt_Girl]

Regardless of that woman getting mad and her dangerous aggressive actions....

When you are in the right shoulder, passing on the right a line of cars stopped for a light or a stop sign, you are putting yourself in real danger. You are creeping along in every driver's blind spot, one after another, and they are all about to start moving and are looking forward- they are not watching for something to suddenly cut in front of them from the right shoulder of the road behind them.
Please read "The Red Light of Death":
http://bicyclesafe.com/

Is getting a head of a few extra cars at a stop light worth giving up your life for? Something to think about.