My Motorist Exchange...

[Mr. Bloom]

Enjoying the beautiful weather, I went for a fairly easy ride tonight.

Approaching a light on the IU campus, I signaled left to take the lane...

A woman in a Grey Camry (Indiana ED3681) refused to yield and nearly clipped my left hand.

BUT, the light was red

So, seeing her windows down, I rolled up alongside and polite (while huffing and puffing) said:

Mr.Silver: Ma'am, I had the right of way there. You cut me off when I signaled and had the right of way. HUFF HUFF PUFF PUFF
Driver: No, cars have the right of way.
Mr.Silver: No, you failed to yield when I properly signalled HUFF HUFF PUFF PUFF
Driver: Oh, you had the right of way, then go ahead, take the right of way. - gesturing for me to get in front of her
Mr.Silver: No ma'am, you're dangerous. I'm not getting in front of you now. But, be aware, be careful, and give the cyclists room...and DON'T EVER HIT ONE! Huff Huff Puff Puff
Driver: You're obnoxious
Mr. Silver: Ma'am, I'd rather be obnoxious than dangerous like you!

Guess what: the next light is red too!

Mr. Silver: Have a good drive Miss Indiana ED-3681

[TrekTheKaty]

Good job, Mr. Silver! I didn't have as much time, but waiting to cross a crosswalk in a high tourist area with a lot of walkers and cyclists on a Saturday morning (light traffic) and woman blew through the crosswalk. As she went by I noticed her windows were cracked and she was talking on the phone--never glanced over (there were two cyclist on the other side of the road waiting to turn left--I wanted to go straight across). So I yelled, "CROSSWALK!" I have a thing about crosswalks--I travel a lot and find most cities don't even have walk lights at intersections. Other towns, motorists stop and wave you across. I don't think she heard me but it got big smiles from the other cyclists.

[Running Mommy]

wow mr silver that is something I would have done!!
Good job! She's still going to think SHE was right, but at least you have the satisfaction.
Some people...

[bacarver]

. . . because I would be laughing too hard to stay on the bike! How do we "unglue" the brains that are stuck on the view that bicycles/bicyclists are bad/wrong/inconvenient? You sure think fast on your wheels!

-- Barb

Stay safe.

[kfergos]

I'm so glad you got to have that exchange even if she called you obnoxious at the end. There have been so many times I wanted to talk to a driver and say "Did you know that here in MA it's illegal to turn right in front of me like that?" or "Could you please explain why you had to get ahead of me before stopping at a red light?" I'm pretty sure that the vast majority of drivers (and bicyclists, for that matter!) don't have any idea what bicyclists are and aren't allowed to do.

[indigoiis]

Women generally don't like being called M'am.

[Biciclista]

I don't mind being called Ma'am, I've been called worse. Mr Silver
what a lucky encounter. The light usually turns green just before I catch up.....

[TxDoc]

Thank you Mr.Silver for the biggest laugh of the morning!

[Crankin]

Congratulations for saying what most of us want to say. I've done it once or twice and was sworn at and ignored.
And please, don't ever call me M'am.... I know it's a southern thing, but it conjures up images of a little white haired old lady. Even when I am a little white haired old lady, I am pretty sure I don't want to be called M'am.

[Norse]

Good for you! Gosh Mr. Silver, you're so obnoxious for pointing out to madam that she was breaking the law and driving recklessly!

[MomOnBike]

Than you, Mr Silver, for at least trying to educate the car-bound.

And the reason most of us don't like to be called Ma'am is that we are sure we are still Gidget. I know I'm not old enough to be Ma'am-ed. Really. (Ignore that calendar over there.)

[Tuckervill]

Ma'am is a Southern gentility that will never go out of style. It's a whole heckuva lot more respectful than some of the OTHER words I hear women called. I'll take it.

Karen

[SouthernBelle]

Ma'am is a Southern gentility that will never go out of style. It's a whole heckuva lot more respectful than some of the OTHER words I hear women called. I'll take it.

Karen

Agreed. I fully expect to be ma'amed

[Eden]

Agreed. I fully expect to be ma'amed

It's a definitely a southern/northern difference. I grew up in the north east (Pittsburgh specifically) and I still do cringe at being ma'amed.... only *old* ladies are ma'am....

When I was in college during the summer we had a bunch of military guys in for special photography classes. I worked in facilities checking out equipment and darkrooms. It was too weird having all these guys who were likely at least my age and probably a few years older ma'aming me all of the time. I never tried to stop them - I knew it was what was expected of them - technically I was the authority there, but it was still weird and made me feel like an old lady at the age of 19....

[Loraura]

I've never had a conversation with a motorist in the wrong that went well, so I just don't do it.

If I can get a plate number, I'll report it (and my report will likely do nothing), but I'm just not in the business of dealing with strangers like that. It just raises my heart rate and ruins my ride.

I hate idiot drivers. But I hate even more being all worked up over actually trying to talk to one.