Patronizing Drivers

[Deanna]

I just took a Street Skills for Cyclists, sponsored by the LAB, and they addressed this very issue. It was suggested that you learn to exercise "mind control" over motorists. Let them know you intend to follow the rules of the road with a few visual cues that tell them you are stopping--unclip at least one of your feet, if nessary, put it on the ground, take a drink of water, blow your nose etc. It's worked every time I've had to use.

[Trek420]

Deanna, good suggestion "visual cues that tell them you are stopping--unclip at least one of your feet, if nessary, put it on the ground, take a drink of water, blow your nose etc."

or read the paper and talk on the cell phone like they are doing

the other thing I do is when aproaching an intersection with a green light for me, even if I'm slowing, scanning trafic because just cuz they have a red light does not mean they will stop I keep pedaling in hopes (mind control) that drivers will see me as "going".

If you slow and stop pedaling, they think "stopping".

But I've been stopped, at a red, in the correct lane for that, hands at my sides, foot on the ground and had drivers do the "shrug shoulders exasperated hands up WTF are you doing going or not going?" expression.

[nicolezoie]

There are *some* nice drivers where I ride.. There are thousands of cyclists in my area, so while drivers may not like us, there are SO MANY of us that they are more or less used to us. They give cyclists a wide berth or let the cyclists have right of way even when we shouldn't have it.

Regardless, I am very wary of all drivers because it might LOOK like they're allowing you right of way (especially when I'm SUPPOSED to have it) when they're actually staring at X behind you and then suddenly dart in front, prompting a volley of yells from me. I'm VERY vocal out of necessity...

The drivers that make me most nuts are the ones that CLEARLY see you as you're traveling the same direction, going the same speed, and even acknowledging your presence on the road while approaching a stoplight/stopsign. And yet, they decide to speed up to pass you and make a right turn RIGHT as you're both reaching the stop, forcing hard braking, and, in my case, a fury of screamed cusswords.

Or even worse, the ones in a similar scenario that don't signal as they drive right along with you in their blindspot and slowly run you off the side of the road.. I've taken to smacking the sides of the vehicles when I have found myself in this dangerous position as a "YO, CYCLIST HERE!" warning. This has prompted more than a few to suddenly realize just how close they are to me.

...takes a deep breath...

Yes, this just happened to me YESTERDAY in the same ride.

[crazycanuck]

We were heading back to the carpark after our night ride on monday (read 9pm!!!) and were suddenly squirted with a water gun from some passing motorist. We were very very well lit & riding single file not bothering anyone.

What I wonder is what were these guys doing on a MONDAY night squirting people??? Monday I say...

c