Commuting - Hang A Sign On Your Jacket

If you could hang a sign on your jacket or jersey while cycling to relay a message to passing cars, what would it say?
I think my sign would say: I'M CYCLING BECAUSE I ENJOY IT...NOT BECAUSE I'M BEING PUNISHED FOR A TRAFFIC OFFENCE. It seems in my town the only people who are riding their cycles every day are migrant workers, the guys with the black ties who are always trying to tell you about the Mormon Church, and people who have recently received a drunk driving charge that is punishable by removal of their drivers license.
I've never given anyone a reason to think this, but I sometimes feel that while passing me in their cars people think to themselves, "oh, there is that Baker kid on his bicycle again. I wonder if he has been drinking and driving."
:beer:
What would your sign say??

Keep left--well left--a little more--more--more--that's about right!

Hi, AF! You're absolutely right, most of the people that I do see are Morman Missionaries and others that you had mentioned...every once and a while I'll see other cyclists.

I guess the following signs could be hung on my jacket:

1. WIDE LOAD (with red flag attached).
2. If the bike is a rockin', don't come a knockin'!
3. Objects ARE closer than they appear.
4. I lost 40 lbs in 2 years, ASK ME HOW!
5. My other vehicle is a Klingon Bird-of-Prey.
6. Powered by Natural Gas.

hehehe... :D

Can I make some replies? A.F., how did you know I've been thinking about this? T.G., you got yours in first, not fair! Well, here are some of mine:

My other bicycle is a Toyota
Speed Limit 25
3 feet (with left arrow)
(picture of a giant heart) + Powered
Powered by Food, Water, Air
See You at the Light
3,000 miles per gallon

Thanx!

I will eventually have a t-shirt made that reads:

THANK YOU FOR NOT RUNNING OVER ME.

Alternatively:

SMILE. THERE IS A WEB-CAM ON MY HELMET.



The only cycling shirt I do have reads:

VELO BOULOT DODO

(BIKIE WORKIE BEDDIE... which sums up my existance rather handily. These were available during the great transit workers strike of decembre 1995, when Parisians took to the streets for a very brief bicycling boom. It's a play on the old song "Metro, boulot, dodo," which perhaps a dozen people in the USA will get.)

OK, how about:

IT'S BETTER THAN BEING STUCK IN TRAFFIC

IF I DO THIS I CAN EAT AS MUCH AS I LIKE

LIKE MONICA LEWINSKY, THE ROAD WILL GO DOWN AGAIN

FAT NEVER SLEEPS

I'll probably think of more later :D

Chris

Here is a sign I'd like to hang from my jacket: THIS RIDE IS BROUGHT TO YOU BY THE PEOPLE WHO BROUGHT YOU STRESS! :crash:

Today was my worst day ever at work! I've NEVER had a day that was more stressful than today. I really took a beating today. The only reason why I'm still able to function this evening is because of my extra long ride home followed by a steaming hot cup of Oolong tea. :thumbup:

It is the simple things in life that keep me sane.

10-4 on peddling off the stress, A.F. I've converted many a would-be ulcer into burned calories, and solved a lot of problems that way, too.

Another good sign would be the classic "If you can read this, you're too close," printed in LARGE letters.

In the late 1960s in Los Angeles, alot of us hung "This Vehicle is Smog-Free" signs from our saddle rails or racks. I do have a "Share the Road" bumper sticker, complete with bicycle graphic, on the car.

Hi, John, I like that "Share the Road"...I think I saw that somewhere as a license plate holder.

Interesting thread AF Baker. You can get 1 custom bumper sticker here http://www.makestickers.com. Get a piece of plexiglass, cut it, slap on the sticker. Hang it below the seat facing back. Hmmm, any venture capitalists out there?

Yeah - I've gotten those questions many times ... "You DO have your license, don't you". :rolleyes:

I'm a bit of a horse's rear end.

So a sign on my back with an arrow pointing downwards with the slogan "kiss it".

SETTLE DOWN, FRANCIS!


I think it would be funny to have a jersey with that printed on the back. It would have been appropriate for the guy who felt it necessary to honk at me this morning: From the left lane (I was at the shoulder edge of the right lane).... I guess I held him up by 5 seconds or something before the lane split into 2.

Mine says "ONE LESS CAR"

I'd like to get one of those digital message light bright boards...(what ever you call them) and strap that on the the messenger bag. That way I could have a new message everyday, and it could double as a red blinkie at the same time. ...now only to have this thing powered by the dynamo, that would be cool.

I have thought of a lot of the ones above during rides.

-An arrow pointing down to the right where the snow/ice is with "death trap", "crash zone", "YOU drive in it!" or something like that.

-My shirt would say "10 miles (each way)/45 minutes". The time would be optional, as it does vary in the winter.

-If there's room to move over when you pass me, (please) use it!!

The problem with the weight one is that it would have to be changeable or you would need a new shirt periodically. Unless you are at your goal weight (dang you! :D).

Mine would be: "Honk already... you know you want to."

Smile! I'm not using up YOUR gas.

A buddy of mine came back from a trip (somewhere in Utah I believe) and brought back a shirt that had something like this on the back:
(sorry, I did it with Paint)

http://img526.imageshack.us/img526/9272/3ftjr4.jpg (http://imageshack.us)

I believe it was a community bike club trying to raise awareness and driver courtesy towards cyclists. I thought it was pretty cool. I may get one made up at a local t-shirt shop.

-Erik

Keep Left.
One Less Car.
Google CVC 21200.
70 miles per burger.
Human.
My other car is a bike too.
Pass with Care.

You guys are dorks. haha

Yes, I Bite!

I'm pretty sure mine would say "DILLIGAF?"

Mass Bike has T-shirts that say "One more bike"

I have one but I can easily see it being interpreted by a motorist as "Yeah... one more f***ing bike!"

Mine says "ONE LESS CAR"
Simple. Elegant.

I think I'd opt for this sign too. ;)

DONT Honk to say Hello!

God - it's bad enough to get honked at by kids. When friends and co-workers do it - (to say hi!), I still jump out of my skin.

I read on a thread around here that someone had a shirt that said:

"A Father; a Husband; a Son. Please don't hit me."

Or something to that effect.

This jersey requires no sign. It says exactly how I feel. Sometimes, I get hassled when I wear it in the 7-11's and catches the eye of upitdy motorists. But that is ok. My bike to work jersey. And leave your car home.

HAVE A
WONDERFUL
DAY
I AM

Another Shirt:
Front:
Hippie

Back:
Conservative

Another Shirt:
Front:
Conservative

Back:
Hippie

This jersey requires no sign. It says exactly how I feel. Sometimes, I get hassled when I wear it in the 7-11's and catches the eye of upitdy motorists. But that is ok. My bike to work jersey. And leave your car home.

I honestly can't read it. What does it say?

F*ck Opec

I've thought of designing one that says:

My Carbon Footprint (and, my Ass) are Smaller Than Yours!

Going back to the OP's original point, it seems to me that everybody I see on a bike is cyclist. Haven't ever seen a need to differentiate myself from them. The whole notion of trying to say that "I'm not like them" strikes me as strange.

how about:
HONK IF YOU LOVE CYCLISTS!
maybe then some of them would not honk

I honestly can't read it. What does it say?

Both front and back. Ride to work.
the graphics.
a red circe with a diagonal line thru the circle. in the center of the circle is a car.

I posted this in another thread:

I remember a story from a few years back in which a cyclist tried out different statements on his shirt to see what effect it had on surrounding motorists. The phrases on his shirts ranged from "Screw you and your car!" to "Share the road. It's the law." but there was one statement that stood out above all others...

"My ex-wife got the car."

He said motorists gave him more room, didn't honk at him and he had a few comment about the shirt while sitting at red lights. He even got a few offers from women along his route. Nearly all his interactions with motoring commuters was positive.

However, if I were going to put a message on my back it would be:



SHARE THE ROAD
NOT THE LANE
IT'S THE LAW

I'm not positive that it actually is the law, here in TX, but then again, niether would most motorists.;)

"If you can find a parking spot,
thank a cyclist!"

Paul

"Ask me about Jesus!"

They'll give you room and never talk to you for fear you'll talk to them. Come off as harmless, too.

I HAVE A
MACHETE

SPECIAL
OLYMPICS

BLOOD
ORGY

PRAISE
SATAN

The last one is my favourite. It has been my experience that people are afraid of things they don't understand more than anything else.

Mine would look like a nametag and say "not Lance (...and you are not clever)"

I want a jersey with Ask Me About Jesus and Praise Satan on it.
Motorists may just run me over trying to figure that one out.

Gas Prices Breaking Your Bank?
Need More Money?
PEDAL YOUR AZZZ
All AROUND THE TOWN

Some of these almost had me rolling out of my seat laughing. Especially the last 7-8 posts. I am going to have to make some t-shirts with those on them.

Some of these almost had me rolling out of my seat laughing. Especially the last 7-8 posts. I am going to have to make some t-shirts with those on them.

No kidding! these phrases are priceless. I've made T-shirts in the past for cycling. All it takes is an ink-jet printer, iron-transfer paper, and any computer program to make the graphics. (T-shirt and iron, of course) They turn out pretty good usually.

I'd like to get a jersey someday with that Calvin&Hobbes cartoon where the dad goes off on a rant while strapping on his bicycle helmet getting ready to go for a pedal, just the second frame.
http://www.bikeforest.com/calvin_and_hobbes.gif
found here: http://www.bikeforest.com/calvin_and_hobbes.gif

I would just put:

Yes! I am nuts.

They have a Share the Road jersey that I wear on all group rides. I bought a large, and this thing is cut to fit a teenage girl, well I'm 230+ so I stuff myself into it and make SURE you can't miss me :)

1) Put down the donut/coffee/cell phone/makeup and drive.

2) [infinity sign] mpg

3) My bike gets better milage than your hybrid.

4) Gas = Terrorism

5) Bicycle and rider under video surveillance

Or, screw it, go to a surplus store and get yerself one of those T-shirts that say "FBI" "ATF" or any number of other official-looking-but-not abbreviations. Like the ones you see them wearing in the movies so they don't shoot at each other.

You guys are dorks. haha

yeah, that's a great idea! I'm putting that on the back of my shirt!