Commuting - Is an ego an extra or is it me?

Is have an ego an extra when you purchase a car?

I'll explain what I mean. When I am waiting at a light, some cars just wait behind and allow me to accelerate and get to speed. Some are just beside me and accelerate to get out my way or so I'm not beside them, but there are some who end up behind me or next to me edge up to the line and almost burn rubber from the suggestion of a green light. This also happens when I am riding and catch up to another car, but instead of allowing me to past it or ride along side it. It just go and accelerate down the street. Is it just me or can people not stand the idea that a bicycle can go faster than them in traffic? Are people trying to show me off when we are at a red light? Or should just stop thinking and get back on the saddle?

Stop thinking and get on the saddle. They want to be far away from you ... not behind you

those people would be obnoxious on bikes too, is my guess. machinery doesn't change personalities much; it just displays them.

I always find it funny that most motorists accelerate towards a red or amber light, while i just maintain my speed to go past them when the light turns green. Last night, a police car ran an amber light that was visible for several seconds, even though i stopped on the line. I was going to honk my AirZound, but I decided against it.

Some people can't stand that anyone is ever in front of them in any situation. I've seen people who were driving along on a nearly empty expressway, and when a car enters in front of them going the same speed, they speed up so they can pass. It's just unbearable to them that they can't be first.

It's sort of an almost socially acceptable way to be a 6-year-old pouting crybaby in an adult body.

Right, the car itself doesn't make the ego... it just gives people who aren't solid within themselves a means of looking like they're better than you.

I passed a car a few weeks ago and happened to make eye contact with the driver who gave me this look like, wtf? I didn't really think anything of it... until I heard him gun the engine moments later and blow by me only to make a right hand turn a couple of blocks ahead.

machinery doesn't change personalities much; it just displays them.

I actually disagree. I believe there is something about the automobile and infrastructure (i.e. the isolation, the power, the ease of accel. and decel., the comfort, etc.) that actually makes people behave differently. Normally polite, respetful, gentle people can become monsters behind the wheel and will do things that have potentially deadly results without a second thought. People don't understand on a visceral level how lethal they are in a car.

Is have an ego an extra when you purchase a car?
Egos come standard with most newer cars. And don't let them talk you into the Id undercoating. Complete waste of money. Ids don't rust.

Some people have be first off the line. Otherwise stuff gets in their way. And it's not just us commuters. Everything is in their way. Life is in their way. It has very little to do with you... or any of us. All we are to them are obstacles. The faster they get around us... and everything else... the better.

I turn into an arse when I drive. Mainly since everyone starts to irritate me. Tailgaters, people driving the speedlimit in the left hand lane, the fact that I have to drive instead of commuting on a bike, and more.
However, I am cognisant of this fact and do my best to restrain my lovely temper. I repeat the following every 5 minutes "bike tomorrow. bike tomorrow. don't have to put up with these idiots on the freeway. bike tomorrow. bike tomorrow.". Repeat until at destination.

...a police car ran an amber light that was visible for several seconds,.
Which very well may have been legal. Usually running a red light requires the light turns red before the vehicle enters the intersection which may be defined as a line that goes from curb to curb, although these definintions depend on locality.
Al

I actually disagree. I believe there is something about the automobile and infrastructure (i.e. the isolation, the power, the ease of accel. and decel., the comfort, etc.) that actually makes people behave differently. Normally polite, respetful, gentle people can become monsters behind the wheel and will do things that have potentially deadly results without a second thought. People don't understand on a visceral level how lethal they are in a car.

i agree. the same traffic problems happen at grocery stores with shopping carts as they do on the streets. jams, congestion at checkout lines, delays getting around hmm, large shoppers with carts, yet no one gives each other the finger, or swears at them. the protective bubble of a car does the above posters power

i know that everytime i drive, it just seems to bring out the worst in me. not that i'm a road raging a-hole or anything like that. but i get a little more annoyed than i would if i was, say, walking down the sidewalk. i honestly don't know how people can drive all day long. i'd be a pretty unhappy person if i were doing that.

It's not the Ego that's the problem. It's the Id.

Egos come standard with most newer cars. And don't let them talk you into the Id undercoating. Complete waste of money. Ids don't rust.

Some people have be first off the line. Otherwise stuff gets in their way. And it's not just us commuters. Everything is in their way. Life is in their way. It has very little to do with you... or any of us. All we are to them are obstacles. The faster they get around us... and everything else... the better.

This is quite easily demonstrated by simply driving a couple MPH below a posted speed limit on an surface streets... it is amazing how many folks just get beside themselves trying to pass you or do the bumper to bumper thing... so many motorists feel that speed LIMIT means "drive this speed."

maybe there is something sinister in "new car smell..." or those little pine tree fresheners...

That new car smell is really the scent of toxic chemicals
By Severin Carrell
Published: 16 October 2005

The distinctive smell of fresh upholstery, gleaming plastic and polished paintwork is one of the pleasures of owning a new car. Until now. That seductive "new car smell" can be dangerous to your health.

Many new cars emit a cocktail of potentially toxic chemicals that can cause headaches, nausea and drowsiness. For some people, these compounds can even provoke serious allergic reactions.

This is quite easily demonstrated by simply driving a couple MPH below a posted speed limit on an surface streets... it is amazing how many folks just get beside themselves trying to pass you or do the bumper to bumper thing... so many motorists feel that speed LIMIT means "drive this speed."
No need to drive under. Try driving at the speed limit and notice the same behavior.
Al

Drivers can also be afraid of bikes...find us unpredictable, worry that they'll collide with us and then have to deal with that... so they may simply want to get ahead so they can relax.
R

Driving a car probably magnifies a personality type in the same way riding a bicycle magnifies a personality type.......

Hmmmmm, methinks you make too much of this issue.

The behavior you're describing is a symptom of impatience, not ego, and it's not limited to those in cars.

The behavior you're describing is a symptom of impatience, not ego, and it's not limited to those in cars.

Wish I would have said that.

The behavior you're describing is a symptom of impatience, not ego, and it's not limited to those in cars.

that's a good thought. it's a mix of the two, for sure though. cutting someone off to rush to a red light 100 feet away goes beyond impatience, it's a sense of "i'm in a larger machine, therefore i have the right of way". that feeling of entitlement i see on the road almost every day suggests there is an ego trip component to it.

People are afraid of bikes. They want to be as far away from them as possible.

People are afraid of bikes. They want to be as far away from them as possible.

Good call -- maybe we need some of those "FEAR THIS" stickers for bikes

Cyclophobia

http://www.changethatsrightnow.com/problem_detail.asp?SDID=403:1483 (Cyclophobia - Treatment and Hope)

:p

Hmmm... I hope not.

Normally polite, respetful, gentle people can become monsters behind the wheel........


And even more so on the internet, like I find myself being one, often...... :eek: :D

The behavior you're describing is a symptom of impatience, not ego, and it's not limited to those in cars.
I'm gonna hafta go ahead and disagree with you on that one. I believe that it is indeed an ego thing.

About 8 km of my commute are on residential streets with traffic calming devices (four way stops and speed bumps) quite frequent. On the way home, I easily keep up with the line of traffic as we travel along and I am always amused at what drivers will try to get past me on this stretch. There is no speed advantage in getting around me because there is another car 5 metres ahead anyway. They just don't like being behind a bicycle.

Jalopy

I'm gonna hafta go ahead and disagree with you on that one. I believe that it is indeed an ego thing.

About 8 km of my commute are on residential streets with traffic calming devices (four way stops and speed bumps) quite frequent. On the way home, I easily keep up with the line of traffic as we travel along and I am always amused at what drivers will try to get past me on this stretch. There is no speed advantage in getting around me because there is another car 5 metres ahead anyway. They just don't like being behind a bicycle.

Jalopy

I get that one all the time too. I also get people who are upset when I'm using the right lane on a multi-lane road, and we're the only two vehicles on the road. And one that happens all the time is that I'll be stopped at a red light on a multi-lane road, in the right lane. Someone comes up behind, chooses to get in line behind me instead of the other lane, and then honks. It's completely irrational behavior. As you said, they just don't like being behind a bicycle.

As you said, they just don't like being behind a bicycle.

This is true, but not for the reasons you think.

I used to ride alot, but have been driving exclusivly for the last 5 years.

Its not about ego. They overtake you because then they dont have to worry about you. Most drivers dont realise the riders have as good a control of thier bikes or better than drivers. They are afraid you will brake, fall, slip, turn, whatever...and they will hit you. If they get infront of you, then its not something they have to worry about because they are clear of you. They dont treat cars the same way because a low speed crash wont kill someone in another car, but it could easily kill a rider.

I know the animosity related to drivers as a rider. I used to feel it and im sure i will again. But drivers arent out there to prove anything. They just want to get to work without being hurt or hurting anyone else....just like you. Exceptions? Sure. But remember they are exceptions, not the rule.

When I am on the bike I am a speed demon. But when I drive I cut all mannor of slack to the cyclists. I've even saved one by pre-emptivley beeping a warning to a cyclist on the right side (I was stopped in traffic) who was about to get taken out by an oncoming car, left-turning, two cars infront of me. I think that that kind of bike-conscious driving is somewhat rare though.

When I drive I sometimes think of being a rolling speed bump. That is actually going the speed limit. And forcing the other cars to do the same. I think that this is particularly good when there is a cyclist around. I dont stay behind them, but I make sure that I only pass doing the speed limit or slower, then keep going slow so that the cars behind will be better behaved.

I think that you will see less speeding as fuel prices inch up. When people are driving on the clock it makes no sense to speed. First it wastes gas so you get less "extra" reimbursment and second you just have to work more when you get where you are going.

Some teen age girls (sexist statement, I'll admit) actually cannot control their vehicles, so going faster is a way of psychologically shortening the danger-will-I-hit?- ambiguity-time. OK I guess some teenage guys, and geezers do the same.

Ultimately I think that the more presure the "chimps" are under the more they behave poorly behind the wheel. Look that the list below. It is sorted from best to worst by catigory of size of city. The lower the number the less traffic conjestion. I bet that in general you'll have more angry chimps in the cities where there is more traffic congestion. Bet there's not a whole lot of angry rush hour traffic in Laredo.

Population group Urban area 2000

Very large Houston, TX 1.09
Very large Philadelphia, PA-NJ 1.1
Very large Dallas -Fort Worth, TX 1.1
Very large New York, NY-Northeastern, NJ 1.16
Very large Detroit, MI 1.22
Very large Boston, MA 1.3
Very large Chicago, IL-Northwestern, IN 1.31
Very large Washington, DC-MD-VA 1.35
Very large San Francisco-Oakland, CA 1.45
Very large Los Angeles, CA 1.59

Large Buffalo-Niagara Falls, NY 0.76
Large Pittsburgh, PA 0.77
Large Kansas City, MO-KS 0.81
Large Oklahoma City, OK 0.87
Large Norfolk - Newport News-Virginia Beach, VA 0.96
Large New Orleans, LA 0.97
Large Cleveland, OH 0.97
Large Columbus, OH 1.02
Large St. Louis, MO-IL 1.03
Large San Antonio, TX 1.05
Large Milwaukee, WI 1.08
Large Baltimore, MD 1.1
Large Orlando, FL 1.11
Large Tampa-St. Petersburg-Clearwater, FL 1.13
Large Indianapolis, IN 1.13
Large Cincinnati, OH-KY 1.13
Large West Palm Beach - Boca Raton-Delray Beach, FL 1.15
Large Minneapolis-St. Paul, MN 1.22
Large Las Vegas, NV 1.23
Large Seattle-Everett, WA 1.23
Large Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood-Pompano Beach, FL 1.23
Large Denver, CO 1.23
Large Sacramento, CA 1.25
Large San Bernardino-Riverside, CA 1.26
Large Portland-Vancouver, OR-WA 1.27
Large Phoenix, AZ 1.27
Large Miami-Hialeah, FL 1.28
Large San Diego, CA 1.32
Large Atlanta, GA 1.32
Large San Jose, CA 1.34


Medium Albany-Schenectady-Troy, NY 0.78
Medium Rochester, NY 0.8
Medium Richmond, VA 0.83
Medium Tulsa, OK 0.87
Medium Omaha, NE-IA 0.9
Medium Salt Lake City, UT 0.97
Medium Hartford-Middletown, CT 0.97
Medium Nashville, TN 0.98
Medium El Paso, TX-NM 0.98
Medium Providence-Pawtucket, RI-MA 0.98
Medium Birmingham, AL 0.99
Medium Fresno, CA 0.99
Medium Memphis, TN-AR-MS 1
Medium Jacksonville, FL 1.02
Medium Honolulu, HI 1.04
Medium Tucson, AZ 1.06
Medium Albuquerque, NM 1.09
Medium Louisville, KY-IN 1.09
Medium Austin, TX 1.11
Medium Charlotte, NC 1.15
Medium Tacoma, WA 1.2


Small Laredo, TX 0.56
Small Anchorage, AK 0.62
Small Corpus Christi, TX 0.7
Small Bakersfield, CA 0.76
Small Brownsville, TX 0.78
Small Boulder, CO 0.81
Small Spokane, WA 0.82
Small Beaumont, TX 0.84
Small Colorado Springs, CO 0.86
Small Salem, OR 0.87
Small Pensacola, FL 0.92
Small Eugene-Springfield, OR 0.94
Small Fort Myers - Cape Coral, FL 0.96
Small Charleston, SC 0.98

75-Area Average 1.15
Very Large Area Average 1.28
Large Area Average 1.12
Medium Area Average 0.98
Small Area Average 0.81

What do the numbers next to the cities mean?

What do the numbers next to the cities mean?
They are an index. 1=average. So 2 would be twice as bad as average and .5 would be 1/2 as much congestion as average. I think that it takes into consideration number of miles of roads, number of cars and time spent commuting. I live in Pittsburgh (.77) and I really dont get a whole lot of crap from motorists. About 1 comment every 10 or more days.

I'd be wary of any correlation between cycling 'goodness' and congestion ratings. We don't know how these were derived. Some cities have far worse freeway congestion vs. surface streets which doesn't affect cyclists. What is bad is high congestion with high speeds on surface streets. Sometimes congestion slows traffic down to cycling friendly speeds, sometimes it doesn't.

Al

I'd be wary of any correlation between cycling 'goodness' and congestion ratings. We don't know how these were derived. Some cities have far worse freeway congestion vs. surface streets which doesn't affect cyclists. What is bad is high congestion with high speeds on surface streets. Sometimes congestion slows traffic down to cycling friendly speeds, sometimes it doesn't.

Al

My assertion is that when motorists have to spend a lot of time stopped in traffic, they get restless and prone to irritation. So it seems likely that there would be more car on bike aggression, (and car on car), then in cities where there is much congestion. This would only apply in areas where bikes where on roads with cars, but needn’t be on freeways. For example the motorist might spend an hour in a freeway traffic jam, get off onto a secondary artery, where there are bikes and be aggressive.