Why Are Drivers So Mean???

[Nanci]

So it's my very first group with the Lo Bees (which I think is some sort of pun about A riders, B riders, High Bees, Low Bees, Bee Line) who advertise themselves as 15-16 mph average. We had a group of about ten bikes, including a recumbent and a tandem recumbent. Set off down the country road, and within less than a quarter mile, the lead rider has been run off the road by a very angry man in a pickup, and they proceed to yell at each other, and the driver threatens to "Kill all you bike riders!" Other cars pull over, the whole group is stopped, and eventually the angry man drives off.

We continue on, and the group spreads out, and then regroups about five miles later at a stop sign. The group captain says he'd like to say a few words about car/cyclist confrontations. He says, in his opinion, there are some people who are a$$&@(#$ who will just always be that way, you can't reason with them, and confrontation just makes them worse. He says, these aren't just random people, either- they are dangerous and just need the right situation to set them off. Remember the man who was shot by police this week? (There was a deal here this week where a horse trailer broke down in front of a guy's house, about 11PM, and was stuck there a couple hours waiting for a tow and another trailer to remove the horses. Man in the house becomes irate that this trailer is out there, and gets confrontational, and the police are called, and arrive, and try to calm him down, and (he has a past history of police confrontations) the guy goes back in the house, and comes out again, and the horse trailer driver notices he has a gun, which he proceeds to draw on the cop, who shoots and kills him.) Just a time bomb waiting to go off. Captain asks us all, for our safety and the safety of other riders, to remain non-confrontational and say nothing if treated aggressively by drivers. Good advice, I would say. He said get as much of the license plate as possible, even the first three letters will be enough, with a truck description, to ID the driver. Call the police later. (Do you think police take aggressive driving reports seriously, or blow it off???)

Later, at about mile 30, I am in a small group, and a large truck comes up behind, with no oncoming traffic, blaring his horn, and the team captain bails out and goes cyclocrossing through the ditch. Everyone else held their line, and the truck eventually moved to the left and blasted past us.

I wonder if groups of riders enrage drivers more than a single rider, or if it was just a bad day in redneck North Central Florida...I've never seen such aggressive behavior ever.

Nanci

[Running Mommy]

Yeah we have it out here in Phoenix as well. Which is another reason why I prefer to take the road less travelled.. By cars that is. This morning my husband and I rode a loop of the IMAZ course. During this 35 mile loop I was honked at three times, got some nasty cat calls from some migrants in a landscaping truck, had a Lincoln towncar buzz me so close that I could have reached out and hit his car, and had a guy in a big rig hauling a traliler with a big ol tractor hanging off the sides buzz me as well. The tractor was one of those earth movers with the treads instead of tires. They were hanging off the edge of the trailer a few feet and I swear it almost hit me. Also had a guy making a right turn ignore his red light and I almost t boned him...
For the most part these roads have no shoulder, but there are two lanes in each direction so they COULD move over into the left lane. There really wasn't THAT much traffic. Yes, some people did slow down or move over for me, but I mostly remember the jerks!
But FWIW the ride went really well. It's an easy course compared to what I have been riding and I anticipate a good day as long as the wind behaves..
It was funny though when I got cat called. Tony was a bit ahead of me, when I caught up to him I asked him if he heard the guys yell at me. He goes "yeah, I was laughing cause I KNOW how much you LOVE it!!"

[Nanci]

So you did the whole loop? Five weeks out- you must be _so_ excited! Is your hubby running it, too? IM Florida has a great set-up for spectating- I watched the swim start, rode out to, I don't know, mile 30 or so of the bike, got majorly lost, finally got there, and BF went by not two minutes after I arrived. I then moved to another spot, maybe about 80? and had time to write stuff all over the road in chalk- like his name in a huge heart, and Allez BF and stuff. Saw him there, beat him back to transition, saw him off on the run, then staked out a spot about a half mile from the finish, on a double loop, so I saw him coming back, and going out again for loop two, then I went to the finish and video'd his finish on the giant TV. It was so fun! He was with a big group of people from all over the US that all know each other from some list, that most met at a half IM in May where they all got slots. Fun cheering for them all. There was one guy who lost his bike in Katrina, lost his everything, actually. The group paid for a rental Cervelo with Zipp wheels for him- sweet bike.

I didn't stay to watch the people that didn't make the cut-off, that's just heartbreaking to me.

Nanci

[ladyjai]

They're jealous to be locked behind their metal cages while we're out there, getting fit, healthy and just having fun.

as a commuter in phoenix, I've experienced alot. i think the full range. I find it more interesting to note how they have gotten more mild as time went on. i'm sure there's quite a few who recognize my bike. Perhaps the increased comfort in my travel zone is part of why I didn't realize the car was going for skin. I've experienced more honking and nastiness when I was alone or with one other rider. If the person is annoyed by the bicycle, and willing to act on it, chances are they are a bully at heart. by only having one victim, the bully is more likely to act.

I'd say the vast majority of vehicles are actually respectful, or at least don't act on their annoyance. Actually, my biggest concern with cars is not the malicious vehicles, but the negligent ones. Frankly, a car who wants to scare me off the road could just as well have issue with me any other place. I think that the number of accidents 100% created by these cars, and where the cylist didn't get scared into crashing are few. i could be wrong, but you are most definitely more likely to be damaged by an auto-pilot driver. I've had a woman sitting at a bus stop call me a ***** as i pedaled by on the street. i still cant figure out what or why,
However, the negligent ones kill more. they're the ones text messaging, talking on cell phones, doing activities geared more for the bathroom sink, yelling at the kids in the back, and just not paying attention to the road. they're the ones running late. no insurance, and high on caffeine, drugged up with medical drugs or others. drunk drivers.
Angry drivers might hit you, but usually they are not going for flesh, just want to scare you really really badly. those, yeah, yelling doesnt help.

i have 2 methods to deal with the honkers. (first I establish the type of honk. the frantic, beepbeepbeeepeeepepeepepe!!!!!!! IKnowYouIKnowYouIKnowYou! wave and smile as possible. second, the BEEEEEEP! I-want-you-to-know-that-you-are-an-extreme-pest! honk. Once again, wave and smile. depending on the ferocity of the honk, yelling the kindest well wishing that comes to mind, "I hope you have a wonderful day!" or if a smart aleck response such as "thank you!!" occurs to me. I try not to use sarcastic tones, just grin and act as though I know them, and am excited to see them too. Even if it doesn't annoy them, it makes me laugh to imagine it annoying them. Usually, I'm grinning and enjoying myself before they're well out of sight.

Now, if they do something that really scares me, and I can't let it go, I pray for them. In essense, they're gone. i'll likely not ever see them again, and chances are, if I do, I wont know it. no reason to let it ruin my day, or the rest of my ride.

I do not skitter offroad for any honker. there's usually a curb and road bikes weren't made to jump curbs. Usually, they're annoyed and just need to express it. by leaving the road, I train them that they can scare cyclist off the road, and they'll be more likely to try it again with another cyclist. the folks who come too close, usually tell me, I'm riding too close to the sidewalk. check for cars, and pull out another 6-12 inches into traffic.

RM, it looks as though you have the same issues with negligent drivers. Cars create accidents for each other for doing the turning stuff. left and right in front of oncoming traffic. so, you can't take that personally - they're treating you like a vehicle

Oddly enough, by taking more of the lane (I think the recommendations are within 3 feet from the side of the road. The road ends with the end of the black stuff, or where there is a white line. I usually aim for 1-1.5 feet to the left of that(my tire residing, thus keeping the whole of my body in the 3 ft range. On roads with really busy traffic, then I'll be .5-1ft from it. However, if the road is clear, claim more of the lane. Make the drivers change lanes to pass. changing lanes on an empty road is not an inconvenience, but some won't do it, if you don't press the issue.

[MomOnBike]

I don't know if the police actually act on one person's word that a driver was threatening. However, if they log the call (as I assume they do) and if there is a pattern and if Something Really Bad happens, your report could be used as some sort of evidence. Cold comfort, I know, but better than nothing.

What I'm saying is that I'm inclined to report in the hopes that it will be used. And who knows, the cop just might be looking for an excuse to go talk to the guy.

As for the negligent ones, um, watch out? I can't think of a better way to deal with them.

[doc]

If you think about it, it's not drivers that are so mean. It's just some people. There are people out there who hate everyone else, feel the world has imposed upon them and they deserve better/more. They are just angry timebombs. It just so happens that when you are on a bike and they are in a car, it is life threatening. You run into them all the time elsewhere, it just isn't as scary. I try to calm myself down as quickly as possible and I can usually do that by feeling sorry for them. After all, how much does your life have to s*ck for it to be worth scaring/hurting a stranger?

[Tater]

I agree with Doc on this one; it seems that there are just a few people that are mad/hate/pi$$ed at everything and everyone. All last year, commuting by bike to work and class, it seemed the only problems I had were from the teenaged set. I had one carload of girls come up behind me, passenger rolls down her window and literally screams at me. Don't they realize how dangerous that is? Then of course, there is the obligatory redneck truck that has to pass me, but while doing so, stomp on the gas so that his non-mufflered heap goes off like a series of gunshots.

I also think that some people don't have a clue as to why some of us choose to ride our bikes, rather than drive. To drive is such a part of our society, those of us that don't do it on a regular basis are not seen as 'normal' and are therefore subject to ridicule.