[jamiegoesbiking]

Worked hard all day and went out for ride to kick off the weekend.

It was going well until I turned back to get home. I'm on a wide-open road. It has a fast speed limit but the traffic is pretty light, so passing vehicles have the entire lane to get by.

Anyway, I hear a motorcycle coming and brace for the boom they leave. The guy is going fast but slows down as he comes at me and starts screaming and doing hand gestures. I was a little bummed out that I didn't even get support from a motorcylist because he obviously was out for pleasure, as I was working out.

I keep pedaling and a few miles down this same road, a giant GMC truck comes roaring by and then instantly hits the breaks as the drive turns right in front of me. So now I'm on my toes.

Getting close to home and I'm on a more residential road and two cars are getting ready to get out of their driveways. So, I get out of my saddle and really start kicking as a courtesy to them. Anyway, I pass the second car and make eye contact with the driver of the second when she lunges at me. I'm out of my saddle hitting my brakes and surely making my "oh crap!" face. She stops and laughs at me.

Then I was pissed.

I really don't understand when I do more than I have to to be courteous to drivers they still act like jerks. Cycling is giving me a negative impression of my fellow citizens =)

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[barenakedbiker]

I feel your pain.

[cruentus]

I never encounter this type of behavior when cycling. I think it's because I look like a cross between John Belushi and Charles Manson.

Being scary looking has its advantages.

[linux_author]

- having the stainless .45 ACP M1911 in the left hip holster helps too!

:-)

[Bikepacker67]

I never encounter this type of behavior when cycling. I think it's because I look like a cross between John Belushi and Charles Manson.

Being scary looking has its advantages.


It certainly does! Plus I wear a fanny pack with a sheath and camping knife (a utilitarian tool - but looks like it could gut a boar)

[jamiegoesbiking]

It certainly does! Plus I wear a fanny pack with a sheath and camping knife (a utilitarian tool - but looks like it could gut a boar)

You guys are crazy, but that's why I come here =)

I'd be scared to take the knife because I'm the crazy type that would keep picturing myself falling and stabbing myself, hahaha.

I wish I was a cop though so I could throw the law in their faces.

[Roody]

I never encounter this type of behavior when cycling. I think it's because I look like a cross between John Belushi and Charles Manson.

Being scary looking has its advantages.Sometimes you scare me a little and I have never even seen you.

[spandexwarrior]

Here's a suggestion. When driver A comes barreling out of a driveway ready to intimidate me into slamming on my brakes I turn the direction their going and raise my foot like I'm going to do a Bruce Lee kick on their car. This usually stops them or atleast gets their attention. Even If I can't stop in time I still raise my foot so I can use it to push myself away from their car. This technique became useful once as my foot did land on their bumper to give me something to push off of to get out of the way. I'm not trained in any martial art where I could do serious damage. Yet most people have seen enough action movies with martial arts that even if you look like you are going to get ugly they'll back off. Heck, with my cyclists legs maybe I could do some damage. From what little I do know, so strikes in martial arts are done only to throw the opponent's concentration. This works for a driver. They have an instinctive reaction to freeze sometimes in the face of sudden movement. So what is the best weapon a cyclist has? PSYCHOLOGY! Looking mean helps too.