I need to learn to control my hand gesture reflexes =[
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aerodave
...because it's going to get me killed one day.
I have a 9.5 mile commute. I only bike it once a week or so, and it's usually pleasant. But today, for some reason (Friday?) the idiots were out in full force. I got honked at twice...on a half hour ride!
The problem with getting honked at is that the circuit between my ears and fingers is very direct when it comes to car horns. Invariably, a big right hand with prominent digit goes up long enough for the driver to see me in the rearview mirror as they move along (and they always look, too). I don't even realize I'm doing it until I'm doing it.
Well, idiot #2 today didn't appreciate it. (Who would?) The driver and passenger in the red pickup simultaneously returned fire. But that wasn't enough...they slowed down 50 yards or so ahead of me on this 4-lane, 35-mph road, and waited for me to catch up. Of course, I kept my distance, and the passenger was hanging out the window motioning for me to come closer. Not in a friendly way, either. I just kept coasting along for 30 seconds or so until they got bored and drove ahead.
This isn't the first time I've had an unhappy reaction to my quick-draw style. You'd think I'd have learned my lesson by now. But normally it's a forgettable thing. The problem this time, unfortunately, is that I crapped where I eat. This was a road very near my home, where I ride almost every day. And since it was rush hour, the roads were full of people driving their usual daily routes. So it seems to me that the odds of a future encounter with these tools are not insignificant. If I had pissed them off in my car, I wouldn't care, since I blend in to the cager scenery. But something tells me the next time he sees me ahead on the right along the same road, he'll have no trouble recognizing me.
So now I just have to sit and wait for the day I get an unexplained bottle chucked at my head, or worse. I sincerely wonder if I've opened myself up to some retaliation, however small the chances. And all because I lack the self-control to keep my hate to myself. Maybe my impulsiveness can serve as a warning to the rest of you. Stay cool out there.
Is there a real point here? Nah, just venting.
The BikeForums Team
-adv-
This is an archived thread, you can find the full version of this thread, with images, links and more content here.
Keep in mind, not all honks are unfriendly. I'm totally with you, my first instinct is to lift the finger and scream something when I hear a horn. But I've had times where I did that, then realized that the person had given the honk in support of cycling - smile, thumbs up kind of thing. Whoops.
I think keeping that possibility in the back of my mind helps prevent my finger from jerking up immediately. I also recall the time when I was a kid who had a bully bothering me, and I took my mom's advice to just ignore her. Totally ignore. She was up in my face, yelling "Why won't you say something?!? Please talk to me! Why?!?!?" by the end of it. I was laughing so hard inside it was hard to stay in character.
Or, god forbid, they could actually be using their horn as it was designed to be used: warn someone of a potential road hazard.
I know you already know this. It's just hard to keep it at the fore when honking happens. Takes lots of practice. :)
gpsblake
Flipping the finger does the following.
1) If the person in the car is harassing you, that is the kind of response he/she wants to see. It justifies his/her behavior and will make it harder for the next bicyclist this car rider comes across whom will no doubt be harassed.
2) If the person in the car is really pissed off, he outweighs you at least 10 to 1.
3) If the person who honked at you meant it to be a friendly gesture (although unwise), it makes you look like an *******.
In other words, don't do it. It accomplishes nothing.
John E
Flipping the finger ... accomplishes nothing. Spot-on. I am proud to state that I have broken myself of this counterproductive habit. Now if I could just control some of my oral outbursts ...
wild animals
when people yell or honk at me, my first instinct is to flip them off, too. but i work with kids in a small town, and even if the driver is really being mean or aggressive, reacting badly could screw me later on. plus it's possible that i know the people driving, and they're saying hi :[
but sometimes, i want to throw something, not to mention making rude hand gestures!
i do have an air zound horn that i want to honk when people honk at me for no reason, but they usually honk or yell when i'm standing next to the bike, not on it. or i'm just too slow.
twahl
I figure if they honk, at least I know they've seen me.
Mr_H
I always smile and wave to them. If they're being jerks, it upsets them more, but it's not like they can do anything about it ("But officer, he was smiling and waving to me! He aggrivated me! No...no I'm not drunk...").
If they're being friendly, it's a nice response. :)
chephy
My boyfriend in these situations slo-o-owly extends his left hand out and gives them a big "thumbs down". "Tsk-tsk-tsk, bad cager." I shake my head. Sometimes I also look back, make eye contact, look irritated and explain in gestures why I am in the middle of the lane (cause that's when I get the honks; the ones that bother me anyway). I wonder though if my gesture for "the lane is narrow" ever gets misinterpreted as an insulting statement concerning the size of the driver's private parts...
I also keep thinking about carrying some homemade brochures that explain cyclists' rights...
Bikepacker67
I just honk back.
http://i6.ebayimg.com/02/i/06/3d/eb/d4_2.JPG
Ohhh... and honk louder.
Bockman
I never give The Gesture as an immediate retort, usually to an annoying honk it's The Grim Look of Death with a dash of How Did You Ever Make it Past Childbirth Given Your Encephelatic Cranium. If I do give The Finger, it's always in the following sequence:
1. Make and Hold Eye Contact
2. Insert middle finger up to the third knuckle into my mouth
3. Present wetted finger to receiver
I have no idea why this is more insulting than the regular finger, but trust me, it's infuriating.
TrevorInSoCal
Was rather proud of my restraint today. I'm training for a two-day race later this month with lots of climbing, so recent weekends have consisted of looong days in the saddle with lots of climbing. I've had plenty of opportunity to be subject to all sorts of a**holish driver behavior.
This morning as I was grinding up a climb in the local mountains, I encountered a slower cyclist and moved left to pass. As I was passing a woman in the passenger side of an SUV, that had been approaching from several hundred yards back, sticks her head out the window and proceeds to tell me to "Get the f***k out of the road!". Now, normally, that would be an instant one-finger salute. For whatever reason, maybe 'cause there were other cyclists around, and I didn't want to look like a jerk, I had the presence of mind to return her profanity with nothing more than a wave. A rather sarcastic (Think spokesmodel in a parade.) wave, but a wave, with all four fingers, nonetheless. I don't even know if they saw, but if so I hope it infuriated them even more than a finger would have.
The really stupid thing was that there was a *passing* lane on this section of road and there was an entire lane open to the left. Yet *I'm* not allowed to move over into my lane to pass slower traffic?
The rest of the ride, apart from the fact that I *really* need to do something about my horrible seat, was rather pleasant. Nice and cool here for a change.
wild animals
today someone drove so close to me that i could (and should) have reached into the passenger-side window and punched the passenger. i said "GAWD!" but i was too stunned to hit the horn. i really wish i could have hit the horn. it would have scared the **** out of them, they were so close to me w/ windows open. they blew past, and i saw the guy look into his mirror, so i held my hand way up high in the air and wagged my finger dramatically. the guy raised his hand up, either to flip me off or to say "so what?" or "what did i do?" but i know he knew he messed up, or he wouldn't have looked at me in the first place.
>: /
if i had honked my horn in time, though, they probably would have peed :)
Eli_Damon
I try not to react outwardly to these people at all. I don't even turn my head to look back at them. That way I can keep my full attention on the road, which is what they should be doing.
jwc
I still need to learn to keep my trap shut. I yelled at an Escalade driver, who blew her horn at me, passed me in a no passing zone..as I gave a left turn signal, and never stopped yapping on her cell phone the whole time.
For some reason, that reallyed pissed me off.
I never did buy one of those "canned" air horns. But...maybe....just maybe...its time.
itsIRIEpat
I had to spray some dude with MACE two weeks ago because he got real mad at me after I flipped him off after he yelled "F YOU" to me while driving by. You would figure the cager would keep on going by, but no. He had to take a swing at me which forced me to spray him. Good thing he stopped in the middle of traffic, other wise I would not have had that Sherrif stop and see the whole thing. Also it wasn't like I was even sharing the road. I was on the side of it riding in the dirt, have a Hybrid.
CommuterRun
I always smile and wave to them. If they're being jerks, it upsets them more, but it's not like they can do anything about it ("But officer, he was smiling and waving to me! He aggrivated me! No...no I'm not drunk...").
If they're being friendly, it's a nice response. :)
This is my automatic response, too, for the same reasons already mentioned.:)
However, I think I need to remember this one.
I never give The Gesture as an immediate retort, usually to an annoying honk it's The Grim Look of Death with a dash of How Did You Ever Make it Past Childbirth Given Your Encephelatic Cranium. If I do give The Finger, it's always in the following sequence:
1. Make and Hold Eye Contact
2. Insert middle finger up to the third knuckle into my mouth
3. Present wetted finger to receiver
I have no idea why this is more insulting than the regular finger, but trust me, it's infuriating.
:roflmao: :roflmao: :roflmao:
Bikepacker67
I never did buy one of those "canned" air horns. But...maybe....just maybe...its time.
The first time you see the fear of gawd on their piggish lil' faces, it's nearly orgasmic.
pfe
Well I hear honks every day here along with '******' and 'get a car.' No one likes cyclists here. Anyways, I met a kid who carries an ASP (?) the expandable police batons. Supposively someone hit him on purpose and now he carries that and bear mace so he can bash out a window and toss in the mace cloud. It is on the front of his bag and easy access so I would not be surprised if it has been used. I've thought about riding alongside the car and doing a line of rattle-can but I fear revenge too much.
Advice: Control handgesture in anti-cycle towns for sure.
EDIT: Also, don't blow kisses to frat boys in lifted trucks. I found out that they hate that.
0_emissions :=)
I met a kid who carries an ASP (?) the expandable police batons. Supposively someone hit him on purpose and now he carries that and bear mace so he can bash out a window and toss in the mace cloud.
There was a guy back home as well with one of those. If you pissed him off, he would just smash out your taillight, or your back window, or your passenger window. Another fellow I know used to carry his U-lock on a chain, and smash it thru windows. Doing this, however, it accomplishes nothing. Violence is violence, and they have thousands of pounds on you. What if their infant child was next to that window that you just smashed? I know I would go nuts on them. If you get caught, there could be charges, lawsuits for the damages, etc. It just doesn't seem worth it to me. I would save this an an absolute last resort, and if has gotten this bad, then you're in real trouble.
chephy
What if their infant child was next to that window that you just smashed?
Ah, the infant child would prolly turn out to be as ****ty as the parents anyway, so no need to worry about him. May worry about retaliation, but they'll retaliate anyway if you smash their window.
I do agree it's probably not a good idea to be that violent. Satisfying, I'm sure, but may have unpleasant consequences.
Crazy Cyclist
I say **** it. If some jackoff in a pickup truck ( isn't it always a pickup?) honks at me, you are damn right he is going to get the finger as a result. Some drivers deserve nothing better.
dubstylee
i caught myself with the 'automatic finger' the other day.
i was running across a crosswalk at a four-way stop, and some jackoff came flying up to the stopsign at my side of the intersection, overshot the stop line by about 10 ft, and ended up stopping in the middle of the crosswalk, almost vaulting me on his hood in the process.
before he was even stopped, my finger was up in the air as i went around my car. he didn't do anything luckily, cuz i really had no where to go, or no u-lock to back me up.
scottmorrison99
I always smile and wave to them. If they're being jerks, it upsets them more, but it's not like they can do anything about it ("But officer, he was smiling and waving to me! He aggrivated me! No...no I'm not drunk...").
If they're being friendly, it's a nice response. :)
That, or blowing kisses.:D
scottmorrison99
I say **** it. If some jackoff in a pickup truck ( isn't it always a pickup?) honks at me, you are damn right he is going to get the finger as a result. Some drivers deserve nothing better.
Even if you can take him in a fight, can you beat his pickup? There are crazies out there, be careful. I'm also trying to break myself of confrontational responses to drivers that accomplish nothing.
KrautFed
I'm training to be able to pit maneuver SUV's while on my bike. :)
R-Wells
I guess I have just crashed on my head to many times with out a helmet.
I just don’t understand.
Why offer a direct challenge and then try to avoid it?
If I flip some one the bird it means I want them to stop and fight!
What is wrong with honking a cyclist?
I always honk at all cyclist, I thought I was saying, “Hi, I wish I were riding with you”
Jeez now I wonder how many of my friends I have pissed of when I honked at them in the past 40 years.
Well now I know,
From now on every time I hear a car horn I will chase them down and drag them out of the car.
sgtsmile
I met a kid who carries an ASP (?) the expandable police batons. Supposively someone hit him on purpose and now he carries that and bear mace so he can bash out a window and toss in the mace cloud.
And when the car crashes and someone dies, the cyclist, if caught, will go down for two counts of carrying illegal weapons, two counts of assault with a deadly weapon, and possible murder charges since there is no way to argue that this was accidental.
At least, this is more or less what would happen to him here.
Dont know what would happen in your area, but if you can get away with that there, I am glad I am here.
travelinhobo
How funny! I think we need start our own self-help group! Hand gesturers Anonymous! Once when I was in Italy touring, I was at a T in the middle of this tiny village. I was in the middle of the lane to take a left, and this damn woman still moved around to me to the right so she could turn first! Well, I guess I gave her the finger (I don't even remember now), because about a mile down the road, I saw her car sitting on the side of the road. I thought "Oh ****." I thought about pulling into the gas station I was passing, but that would have been wimpy behavior. So I continued, only to see that she was standing in the middle of this road with Rover, he tiny mut dog, in her arms! As I passed, she actually tried to sick him on me!!! Funny story now, but not at the time.
aerodave
Why offer a direct challenge and then try to avoid it?
If I flip some one the bird it means I want them to stop and fight!
What is wrong with honking a cyclist?
I'm not sure that's what I mean when I give someone the finger. Not necessarily, anyway. It just means "Hey, I think you're an *******". A finger followed by my dismounting from my bike and hitting my chest as if to say "You wanna piece of me" is asking them to stop and fight.
And honking a car horn (i.e. using a loud emergency-only device) at someone is generally considered assholish behavior, unless it's a legitimate warning, or the universally accepted double-tap honk that says "Hi!" There's a huge difference between a "meep-meep" and a "HOOOONK!"
R-Wells
I'm not sure that's what I mean when I give someone the finger. Not necessarily, anyway. It just means "Hey, I think you're an *******". A finger followed by my dismounting from my bike and hitting my chest as if to say "You wanna piece of me" is asking them to stop and fight.
And honking a car horn (i.e. using a loud emergency-only device) at someone is generally considered assholish behavior, unless it's a legitimate warning, or the universally accepted double-tap honk that says "Hi!" There's a huge difference between a "meep-meep" and a "HOOOONK!"
This is one reason not to flip people off,
To me it is a direct chalange exactly the same as calling me an *******.
To me this is a confrontation,and you shoudnt confront some one unless you want to confront them.
I don’t see the need for yelling obscenities or obscene gestures.
Nothing is accomplished this way.
On the other hand a little head knocking on the side of the road can be fun and enlightening.
Same adrenalin rush as riding down a steep hill at 50 mph.
R-Wells
I guess I am ok on the horn thing.
I usually just do the meep meep thing.
And by the way, whats with the "loud emergency only only thing"?
I mean, I know you are right about the emergency only use of horns.
But I have always wondered what purpose it serves to scare the crap out some one in an emergency situation? :)
chephy
But I have always wondered what purpose it serves to scare the crap out some one in an emergency situation? :) You really wonder?
I was in a car just today, as a passenger. We were behind a truck on a driveway and the truck driver couldn't see us so he just started backing up, right into us. Let me tell ya, that horn's can be a darn good thing in an emergency!
R-Wells
You really wonder?
I was in a car just today, as a passenger. We were behind a truck on a driveway and the truck driver couldn't see us so he just started backing up, right into us. Let me tell ya, that horn's can be a darn good thing in an emergency!
There is a smiley face after that comment.
I could be wrong about this but I seem to remember an old Datsun I had in the late 60s , in the owners manuall it recomended tootleing the horn at cyclists that were in you way.
chephy
I could be wrong about this but I seem to remember an old Datsun I had in the late 60s , in the owners manuall it recomended tootleing the horn at cyclists that were in you way. Ah - finally the mystery solved! Gosh, I didn't know so many people still drove those! :eek: They are all refurbished and decorated now to look like SUVs and stuff! :D
jwc
When I first starting driving, my Dad told me never to honk at anyone on a bike. It can startle them and cause them to swerve and loose control, making matters worse. He told me to keep my eyes on them and drive around them.
I've never honked a horn at a bike rider in thirty years of driving, just animals and other cars.
R-Wells
Ok I am feeling like most of the anti horn comments are directed at me and my feeble attempt at humor.
I really feel that it would be good if most drivers had their horn shoved up their ***
and honked, we could all be tickled.
jwc, your dad was pretty much right, but very often honking a horn at an animall has the same affect as honking at a cyclist.
I am starting to feel like I am in the Twilight Zone here.
I have seen members of this forum suggest killing infants with bike locks, and other forum members agreed.
Yet making a stupid joke about horns is not acceptable.
sgtsmile
I have seen members of this forum suggest killing infants with bike locks, and other forum members agreed.
Yet making a stupid joke about horns is not acceptable.
..... no comment, you are soooo right, .....
chephy
Yet making a stupid joke about horns is not acceptable. One word for you: relax. And a smiley, here: :) . Nobody is attacking you or directing anti-anything at you.