Commuting - Got honked at today :-(

I live in Texas unfortunately and today I went out for a ride before dinner since I had a little time (about 8 miles), because I have recently started riding after a long sabbatical and am trying to get my legs built up for my commute.

I am on a two lane highway going through my small town (which has a speed limit at that point of 35 ) and am getting paseed by several cars. Suddenly I hear a honk and turn some guy and a woman passing me in their car and they slow down long enough for him to mouth "Get the f*&# off the road. They continue on and I politely give the finger ( I know, not the best thing to do, but I was pissed).

Here's the thing, I always stay practically right on the line near the shoulder unless there is no one around. It's not like I am taking up the whole lane. Why can't people realize that I have just as much right to be there as them?!? [/rant]

I live in Texas unfortunately and today I went out for a ride before dinner since I had a little time (about 8 miles), because I have recently started riding after a long sabbatical and am trying to get my legs built up for my commute.

I am on a two lane highway going through my small town (which has a speed limit at that point of 35 ) and am getting paseed by several cars. Suddenly I hear a honk and turn some guy and a woman passing me in their car and they slow down long enough for him to mouth "Get the f*&# off the road. They continue on and I politely give the finger ( I know, not the best thing to do, but I was pissed).

Here's the thing, I always stay practically right on the line near the shoulder unless there is no one around. It's not like I am taking up the whole lane. Why can't people realize that I have just as much right to be there as them?!? [/rant]

Why did you assume it was "their" car? It was probably his Daddy's car, the woman was his date from a second-rate online dating site, and he was trying to impress her with his manliness. Don't sweat it. Take comfort in the fact that the rumors of Erectile Dysfunction from cycling are just that, rumors, and although he won't be getting even a second date, you'd leave her staring at the ceiling in blissful shock for hours after a date.

Hey neighbor! you just have to let it go. Maybe i'll see you around on 156.

I come to enjoy hearing "Get the f*ck off the road a**hole!" Well... it's direct and to the point and clearly expresses the speaker's feelings in an honest and non ambiguous way. I see it as a rare thing of beauty, crystaline and pure, like a haiku or the Unified Field Theory. It's almost the perfect phrase. Too bad it doesn't really work though.

Why do we let these things bother us long enough to post them on this message board?

I had a guy hoking at me the other day because he wanted to use the bike lane as his personal right turn lane, and apparently he thought I should pull my 45-pound loaded commuter on the sidewalk so he can get to the next red light 30 seconds sooner. Then he gives me one of these "put both hands in the air like, go figure, why are you still in my way" things. I just figured he was bitter because he's stuck in traffic like a dumbsheit and I'm enjoying a kick-ass morning commute.
Go figure,
Adam

I live in Texas unfortunately and today I went out for a ride before dinner since I had a little time (about 8 miles), because I have recently started riding after a long sabbatical and am trying to get my legs built up for my commute.

I am on a two lane highway going through my small town (which has a speed limit at that point of 35 ) and am getting paseed by several cars. Suddenly I hear a honk and turn some guy and a woman passing me in their car and they slow down long enough for him to mouth "Get the f*&# off the road. They continue on and I politely give the finger ( I know, not the best thing to do, but I was pissed).

Here's the thing, I always stay practically right on the line near the shoulder unless there is no one around. It's not like I am taking up the whole lane. Why can't people realize that I have just as much right to be there as them?!? [/rant]
I live in small-town North Carolina, a similarly bike-unfriendly place, and yeah -- the whole getting honked at/yelled at thing gets under my skin much more than I want it to. Until recently (and still sometimes now) I flipped off and/or screamed insults at a lot of these people.

What else can we do?

Well, we could get a horn that's as loud as theirs: http://aebike.com/site/page.cfm?PageID=30&SKU=BE1500

We could arm ourselves and scare the living s**t out of them.

Or we could do the right thing: send them all to Ignoreland, where they belong.

I don't think their behavior has anything to do with whether we are sharing the road properly.

I think bike-annoyers fall into two broad categories:
1) Kids out to impress their would-be girlfriend and/or buddies;
2) Unhappy people of any age looking for someone to share their anger/misery with.

Either way, what they really want, of course, is a reaction from us. We win by not giving it to them, and they become less likely to repeat the behavior.

Still, I'm thinking seriously about getting that horn....

You have to be flattered that they take the time to "talk" to you as they rush off to their destination.

People like that have issues that only a licensed practitioner can help with.

I get honked several times a day. Lithuanian drivers tend to be known as severely rude. A polite finger is what they expect from you. As if you were cager like them. Never. Instead, build yourself a shield, pretend you are deaf and blind. Let your ears filter these finger-call-honks. Politely ignore them.

This is the strategy I use. Think of honkers as of dogs. A typical lithuanian dog would not bark at a regular car. But wait until a real cyclist shows up. Rather than fingering I'd likely picture that honker as a dog. Not necessarily a smart dog. Let him bark.

Stay calm, they are inside their cages, they won't bite you. In the depth of their hearts they want to be as free as you are. A honk is just a polite way to say hello.

I don't think their behavior has anything to do with whether we are sharing the road properly.

I think bike-annoyers fall into two broad categories:
1) Kids out to impress their would-be girlfriend and/or buddies;
2) Unhappy people of any age looking for someone to share their anger/misery with.


Nahh. He thought the OP was slowing him down, taking minutes away from him that he could be spending lying on his sofa drinking beer, eating chips and watching TV. You were keeping him from the most important thing in his life. Sympathize with him.

I live in Texas unfortunately and today I went out for a ride before dinner since I had a little time (about 8 miles), because I have recently started riding after a long sabbatical and am trying to get my legs built up for my commute.

I am on a two lane highway going through my small town (which has a speed limit at that point of 35 ) and am getting paseed by several cars. Suddenly I hear a honk and turn some guy and a woman passing me in their car and they slow down long enough for him to mouth "Get the f*&# off the road. They continue on and I politely give the finger ( I know, not the best thing to do, but I was pissed).

The best thing I've found to do is either ignore or give a, "Hey, Bob. How's it going?" wave and smile. They expect the finger. They wave seems to confound them.



Here's the thing, I always stay practically right on the line near the shoulder unless there is no one around. It's not like I am taking up the whole lane. Why can't people realize that I have just as much right to be there as them?!? [/rant]

Staying too far to the right can lead to getting side-swiped. The most common bicycle/motor vehicle crash. I suggest making your line about 3-4 feet to the left of the white line to help mitigate this.

I'm frequently tempted to yell and give the finger, but a few weeks ago it hit me:

If that person's life is so miserable that the only thing that will make them feel better is yelling/honking at me, then I'm happy to have been of service. They'll get filtered out of the gene pool soon enough.

Ignore 'em. You'll live longer.


Dan

Blow him a kiss. Insecure rednecks love that. :D

Ride on, secure in the knowledge that, it they are honking, they
1. See you
2. Are not enjoying life nearly as much as you are
3. Are likely in much worse physical condition
4. Are much more stressed
5. Are paying alot more for fuel
6. Are possbily breaking the law
7. Are accumulating bad karma points for their next cycle
8. Are not enjoying life nearly as much as you are

Or, just FIDO - Forget It, Drive On.

But I like to point & laugh at the morons.

I've often thought about investing in an air horn and a marine flare gun (those are legal to carry anywhere). Thank god for "Hackers"

Blow him a kiss.

This and the afore-mentioned wave and smile are my preffered methods of dealing with hecklers. The kiss option can be dangerous. In one instance an irrate motorist felt like i had insulted him sufficiently that he pulled a u-turn to drive by again and scream at me about my sexual orientation. I used to be a huge advocate of the finger, but i slowly became more and more amused about the things that people get upset at. I am fascinated that someone considers my use of the road such an offense that they get so irrate, or maybe i am just a convenient taget for their utter dissatisfaction with their lives.

Friday i was on my commute and i was stopped at a light and this city bus behind me wants to make a right on red and i am in the way so the drivers LAYS on the horn. man that was load. I just took my time to get going when the light did turn.

happens to me much more when i'm driving than when i'm biking, actually. not sure if that's a confession or a boast. but for some reason i take comfort in muttering 'can't you take something for it?' as they go by. i think the idea of prozac just makes me laugh.

it happens to me almost daily, mainly when i'm a bit in the lane while trying to avoid being doored
normally i reply with a quick "f*** you" or something similar (i just recently put some reflective duct tape on the middle finger of my gloves for those night-time commutes), but one time, a man had his daughter (couldn't have been more than 6) shout "get off the road" out of the passenger window at me. very couragous, dude, having a CHILD yell at the guy biking up a steep hill.

happens to me much more when i'm driving than when i'm biking, actually.

Same here. I don't drive much, but the other day I had the misfortune of driving to a mall on a Saturday to do some shopping. I could not believe how rude everyone was, and I realize that when I get honked at on my bike it's nothing unusual. On the other hand, when you're on the bike you're basically in your underwear and you feel more exposed and take it a little different.

i'm thinking of mounting a paintball gun on my handlebars...

I generally throw an arm in the air like what would you like me to do and give them 'the look' or look back and with my left arm sweep from back to front as in 'the road is ALL yours, feel free to pass'.

Then when I catch up to them at the next light I ask "So are you there yet?"

Never. Instead, build yourself a shield, pretend you are deaf and blind.

....

Stay calm, they are inside their cages, they won't bite you. In the depth of their hearts they want to be as free as you are. A honk is just a polite way to say hello.

I liked this post...it was kind of poetic.

Next time I get honked at, I'll reply with "Hello to you too, friendly cager!" :lol:
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Then when I catch up to them at the next light I ask "So are you there yet?"

I like this too! Simple, nonaggressive, yet devastating.

Apparently, I am missing out on this. I spend most of my time on the road and never have been honked at. I'm sure I will have the pleasure soon when I start a different longer route.

I generally throw an arm in the air like what would you like me to do and give them 'the look' or look back and with my left arm sweep from back to front as in 'the road is ALL yours, feel free to pass'.

Then when I catch up to them at the next light I ask "So are you there yet?"

At which point they pull out the jammy and blow your head off. ;)

<cynicism>People are ignorant and unhappy with their lives. This will never change, so we should get used to the honking.</cynicism>

Blow him a kiss. Insecure rednecks love that. :D

I HAFTA remember to start doing this. A truly excellent suggestion - much better than the instinctive finger. Especially coming from an ugly biker guy like me. Heh heh.

The "kiss" thing as a response works great - When you're driving in a car!

Don't give anybody a reason to be an even bigger jerk tomorrow. If you're commuting regularly, take every opportunity to make friends. Smile, wave, whatever... they need to come to terms with seeing you on a daily basis, or pick a new route; you really can't make that decision for them.

If you're smiling and waving, you're letting them know that it doesn't bother you. After a while they'll stop doing it, and eventually it might stop actually bothering them. If you get angry, give the finger or any response, it's what they want. They want you to be as frustrated as they are. Frustration met with frustration only builds and doesn't diffuse itself.

Relax and enjoy the ride, knowing they won't get to.

Now if I could only practice what I preach when driving a car...

I got fired up the other day when a guy honked at me. I flipped him off and pedaled my butt off to reach him at train crossing. My adrenaline was racing and I was pissed but somehow I realized I was being very undude and that I should chill.

I did and had a fairly pleasant morning.

I wanted to tell the ass that it's dangerous to race up on a cyclist and lay into the horn, but I was in no condition to be talking to anybody. I was way over the line.

I recommend flashing the "peace" sign when you get beeped at. I intend it as a sort of "chill, dude, we're all just doing our own thing" when I do it.

I recommend flashing the "peace" sign when you get beeped at. I intend it as a sort of "chill, dude, we're all just doing our own thing" when I do it.


Or make the sign of the cross and add "Peace be with you my son (or daughter)."

Mike

I had a guy hoking at me the other day because he wanted to use the bike lane as his personal right turn lane, and apparently he thought I should pull my 45-pound loaded commuter on the sidewalk so he can get to the next red light 30 seconds sooner. Then he gives me one of these "put both hands in the air like, go figure, why are you still in my way" things. I just figured he was bitter because he's stuck in traffic like a dumbsheit and I'm enjoying a kick-ass morning commute.
Go figure,
Adam

I'd go slower just to piss that guy off even more. It's the BIKE lane not the impatent Oh Sh** I'm late lane.