Commuting - I am not paranoid... People hate me

when I ride my bike to work.

When I run to work, folks give me the thumbs-up sign, wave, shout words of encouragement, and actually back up out of driveways to make room for me to run past.

On my bike, they shout obcenities and throw things at me.

I was wondering why this is. I came up with the following:


While running, I appear to be a would-be athlete. While on my bike, I appear to be an oddly dressed wierdo on a child's toy, playing in traffic.
Most drivers can predict what a runner is likely to do. They have a harder time with cyclists, because of wrong-way bicyclists, and kids are could do almost anything.
Running, I spend more time on the sidewalk, where I belong.


As to how to change this, I had the idea that getting more cyclists on the road would help. There are many 5K and 10K road races for runners in this area. There are a few every weekend. This is uncommon for cyclists. Road work is usually restricted to small group training rides sponsored by one LBS or another. I think getting several hundred road bikes out there each weekend for regular road races would be a good thing.

Anybody else care to comment ?

You want to try the aggression you come across when riding a recumbent, its even worse.
I can never understand car drivers mentalities,they get really mad because they are stressed out stuck in traffic jams,and they then take it out on cyclists.What they dont seem to realise is that if more people road bikes traffic would be much less ,and they would have less traffic jams.
Mind you i do get some satisfaction knowing that i am going a faster average speed that some one in a expensive sports car.

Originally posted by DanFromDetroit

On my bike, they shout obcenities and throw things at me.


They actually THROW things at you?

Originally posted by Spire


They actually THROW things at you?

This doesn't happen often, but I have had soda cans, beer bottles, and trash tossed at me as cars pass. Breaking glass bottles in front of the bike seems to be popular, for some reason. This happens mostly in the evening and it is usually drunks or kids that do this. I think that it doesn't occur to folks that a soda can traveling at 35 mph can actually hurt someone. Luckily they are not very accurate.

regards,
Dan

Its true, I know a cyclist that has had a beer bottle,thrown at his head.

There may be some hope.

A couple years back, an Atlanta cyclist was awarded a substantial cash award by a Gwinnett County jury after being hit by a piece of candy bar thrown from a passing vehicle!

:beer:

Originally posted by DanFromDetroit
... I had the idea that getting more cyclists on the road would help. ...
I've argued this elsewhere on this board -- that we'll never gain the acceptance that some strive for unless the sheer numbers of participants (bike-commuters) increases. As it is we're in the tiniest of tiny minorities.

We are different from runners (I run, too) in that we require road space, so the parallel is not exact.

But familiarity would do wonders.

I belong to the League of American Bicyclists.

I often wonder where they are. Public Service Announcements? No

Paid ads? No

Newspaper articles? No

It seems to me the bicycle advocacy groups might do more. Ye Gods, I am beginning to sound like Critical Mass!!

Originally posted by DanFromDetroit
This doesn't happen often, but I have had soda cans, beer bottles ...
I think you're being a little over critical. They obviously thought you were thirsty and were tossing you a drink. They love you.:D

Originally posted by ORBIT
Its true, I know a cyclist that has had a beer bottle,thrown at his head.
Very scary. Has never happened to me, or anything remotely dangerous like this. And I go through some pretty hairy areas. I'm lucky, I guess.

Now Dan, nobody hates you......okay guys, while I have his attention, you sneak up behind him and let some air outta his tires......it's like Media Creations said, you looked thirsty and we're just concerned for your well being, yeah that's it......good work guys, that'll slow him down long enough to spread the grease and oil on the bike lane, now get busy would ya......afterall, just because your Redwings whipped the tar outta the entire NHL like Lance did the rest of the tour riders today, is no reason to think we would be the slightest bit upset with YOU......ya jerk......go ahead and ride, enjoy and don't worry, we like you, we really, really like you :D

Yes, I have been cursed at, spat at and had bottles thrown at me.. I would say it happens often but not like every day.. At times it has seemed so.
I think Dan has the right idea. More cyclists out there and motorists know we have numbers and not some kind of freak show..
Here in California, cycling is probably most popular of anywhere in the U.S. They are more used to seeing us, I think.. As they see more of us, I think they grow to accept us more each day and realize we are here to stay....?
I have thought about joing the League of American Bicyclists. Lobbyists run this country. We need ours..!
Yet, adocacy begins with us.. There is a need in each community for bicycle clubs to let locals know we are here and will stay here.
I enjoy being the cyclists listening to a different drummer. Sticks and stones won't hurt me- but cars could..
See you out on the road... Where else should we be- I would get tired of inside oval tracks; I enjoy the great outdoors way too much..

Originally posted by MediaCreations

I think you're being a little over critical. They obviously thought you were thirsty and were tossing you a drink. They love you.:D

Does that explain the egg that I copped last year or what?

Around here people throw things at cyclists too, but they also throw them at runners and everyone else (I have had things thrown at me while walking on the footpath in the past). Luckily, their aim generally matches their intelligence, meaning they usually miss.

Originally posted by Chris L


Does that explain the egg that I copped last year or what?
As long as it was only one egg it meant that they liked you. If it was two or three then they meant you harm. Too many eggs are bad for cholesterol.

I get "the scare" but so far (cross fingers) nothing thrown at me. Usually a drunk teenager in the passenger seat thinking it'll be hilarious to scream when they get right up next to me. Ha ha ha. Biker got scared. Ha ha ha.

Were they soft eggs,my mate had hard boiled ones thrown at him.

Originally posted by ORBIT
Were they soft eggs,my mate had hard boiled ones thrown at him.
3 minute or 5 minute? I like it when the yolk is still runny. Tastes good with just a dash of Tabasco.

Originally posted by ORBIT
Were they soft eggs,my mate had hard boiled ones thrown at him.

Hard to tell. My helmet, having already survived three magpie seasons, had no trouble dealing with them. This is considerably less stress than the perpetrators got from a 10pm phone call from the cops! :D

I got to thinking about this thread and took notice of the disposition of the people around me as I was biking around. For the most part, the people I encounter seem extremely friendly, especially pedestrians. Over the weekend, I got a smile and a 'hello' from nearly every woman I passed, I got a variety of nods and waves from other cyclists, I got waves from cars at intersections. One guy stuck his two fingers up in "V" formation. I'm not seeing this hostility and for that I'm glad.
Although, I did have the gender misidentification issue this morning and found it rather amusing - two contractors behind me in traffic see a big blonde ponytail and start hemming & hawing - so I smile & wave as they pass and they see my goatee and bury their head in their hands with shame. Knock on wood, hopefully this will be my only negative encounter.

Has anyone ever noticed that this seems to be worse in some areas than in others? When I went to the mountains on the weekend I did not see any aggression from any drivers whatsoever. However, for some reason they not only seem really aggressive on the coast, but also totally incapable of understanding any other form of behaviour.

:confused:

I think that once you get out of the metro area people think a little differently. They're not so concerned that you're going to make then 16 seconds late.

The lower aggression when you headed to the mountains could be that you command a certain amount of respect for climbing hills.

Well here in the UK it's the same. I commute on my bike occassionally and during rush hour traffic have had delivery truck ram me into the gutter. (We have a name for them over here - "white van man", because their vans are nearly always white and they have essentially small brains so the theory goes). No kidding, I've been nearly killed twice for just riding in a straight line and correctly. Report fellons to the Police and they just laugh.

The city? Birmingham, West Midlands. England's second city.

[I do everything differently, so people hate me for everything though :D :D :D :D but hell I'm not worried.]

I got to thinking about this thread and took notice of the disposition of the people around me as I was biking around. For the most part, the people I encounter seem extremely friendly, especially pedestrians. Over the weekend, I got a smile and a 'hello' from nearly every woman I passed, I got a variety of nods and waves from other cyclists, I got waves from cars at intersections. One guy stuck his two fingers up in "V" formation. I'm not seeing this hostility and for that I'm glad.
Although, I did have the gender misidentification issue this morning and found it rather amusing - two contractors behind me in traffic see a big blonde ponytail and start hemming & hawing - so I smile & wave as they pass and they see my goatee and bury their head in their hands with shame. Knock on wood, hopefully this will be my only negative encounter.


Harry: Whoa, would you look at the butt on that...
LLoud: Yeah, he must work out.

Its true, I know a cyclist that has had a beer bottle,thrown at his head.

That would be me. It was half full, or some such amount, because it was spilling as it went past. Scared the fu(k out of me when it zinged infront of my nose.

When I run to work, folks give me the thumbs-up sign, wave, shout words of encouragement, and actually back up out of driveways to make room for me to run past.

On my bike, they shout obcenities and throw things at me.

Anybody else care to comment ?
I was hoping Lance's 6th win would begin to make an impression on people in the States.

Maybe if you biked to work wearing a football uniform?

(I don't have that kind of problem though, Dan. Maybe it's Detroit?)

Got my baptism last night. Car full of teen boys heaved a soda cup at me. Missed, as with the other posts here. I didn't even notice until I heard it hit the hedgrow right behind me.

Lotsa bikes in Santa Barbara. Nobody pays much attention either way.

The thing I really hate are when people try to be too nice. Like when I'm just following traffic rules, waiting for cars to act like cars do, and then some super cautious/super 'helpful' car driver goes out of his way to give me right of way I don't have. Takes me too long to figure out what the heck they are doing, and as soon as I do they get all annoyed and speed off, and in the confusion we both end up mad.

The thing I really hate are when people try to be too nice.

I think the worst are people won't pass me, but just follow behind at 15 mph for a while. I never know whether they're just afraid to go around me, or are planning something nasty.

I was hoping Lance's 6th win would begin to make an impression on people in the States.

Hint: Lance only had half that number of wins at the time of the original post. ;)

This is the danger when people forget to check the posting dates.

I've experienced some of the same bad behaviors by motorists. One of my friends suggested I might be a bit paranoid. Perhaps. But just because I'm paranoid doesn't mean they're not out to get me.

I think the worst are people won't pass me, but just follow behind at 15 mph for a while. I never know whether they're just afraid to go around me, or are planning something nasty.


Whoa... I am a biker and I do this... when a biker is obviously about to change lanes or is chugging up a hill and I need to turn right at a drive in front of him... I know I would not want someone doing the stupid turn in front of me, so when I drive I won't do it to a biker.

Yeah it is strange behaviour to cyclist, but I also nod and make them aware that I know they are there... (where as most auto drivers are barely aware that THEY are there).

I've experienced some of the same bad behaviors by motorists. One of my friends suggested I might be a bit paranoid. Perhaps. But just because I'm paranoid doesn't mean they're not out to get me.

There's no such thing as paranoia. The truth is far worse than you think.

-Hunter S. Thompson

Whoa... I am a biker and I do this... when a biker is obviously about to change lanes or is chugging up a hill and I need to turn right at a drive in front of him... I know I would not want someone doing the stupid turn in front of me, so when I drive I won't do it to a biker.

Yeah it is strange behaviour to cyclist, but I also nod and make them aware that I know they are there... (where as most auto drivers are barely aware that THEY are there).

Well yes, when it's just a short distance it's the polite thing to do. But I've had people follow behind me for 30 seconds or more, at which point it's just kind of creepy.

This happened to me a lot when I lived in Rhode Island, where drivers were nice enough, but seemed completely baffled by the presence of a bicycle on the road.

From my experience, people seem much more accepting of cyclists in the past year or so. Drivers give me more leeway, are more courteous, and I've NEVER had anything thrown at me. I attribute it to Lance and the TDF raising Americans' awareness of cycling as a valid sport / exercise regimen.

Here in Boston I've not had anything thrown at me, but I've had teenagers scream in my ear as they've driven by. Plus a couple of curses from cars wanting to make a right turn in front of me. I guess I caused them to slow down, losing precious microseconds.

There's plenty of bikes around some areas out here, but I would say that we are tolerated, not accepted. Because this is such a big college area, we have plenty of fools biking down the wrong way, without helmets, with headphones on, in the dark, wearing black clothing with nothing reflective.

I had a Ford Aerostar pull out from a side street & fall into line behind me then crawl up to the top of the hill at about 12-15 MPH on my commute this week. This was at 6:05 AM & pitch black on a country road. Beyond Creepy! Guess he didn't want to pass uphill? But he did blow by me as I descended the other side. Don

It sure is nice on the W&OD here in Virginia. Do not have to deal with many cars.

Those days on the back roads of Florida are another story. Teenage rednecks seem to be the worse :eek: