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Tonight I was driving through Cambridge, MA on Cambridge Street. I stop at a sign and wait for traffic to clear to turn right. I look left and see two road cyclists coming toward me. I continue to wait for these guys to pass. As they pass me the first guy looks right at me and yells out, "STOP MOTHERF***ERS!"
I was already stopped, completely stopped (not moving at all) for at least 10 seconds.. And I was patiently waiting for these guys to pass by before I started again.
Why did those people yell at me for no reason? Do they think they are helping educate people about cycling? It didn't work; I felt like running them over.
I know how to drive and pay attention to cyclists. I worked as a bike messenger for a couple years. I dealt with bad drivers on a daily basis. I never called any of the good drivers motherf***ers.
Think about what you're saying before you say it.
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BTW: the cyclists ran the next red light.
College town, some dumb college student cyclist are like that. Don't let it bother you, karma/darwin will educate them soon enough.
maybe you were 'inching'. maybe they had just had a ragin cager set them off on the last block. maybe they equate personal use of automobiles- on a sunday, no less- to be partly the cause for the oil wars and world strife due our american imperialism. maybe they were rabid environmentalists.
and maybe they were stellar, blue ribbon scofflaws. I like talking back to the cagers sometimes too, even if they've specifically done nothing wrong.
Yeah, it's possible that you were 'inching' forward, or maybe just too far over the white line. Hard to say. I see a lot of cars do this sort of thing, as if they don't realize that it makes it their intentions rather ambiguous.
I used to be a lot more 'in your face' like that when I was riding until I went for a ride with three people I didn't know very well. We came to a round-about and a car was looking like it was going to enter but then stopped short. Clearly, the driver needed a little education about bikes on the road, but the string of obsenities and finger pointing by my compatriots left me a little embarrassed. So I gave the guy a little hand wave and a 'thanks' and he waved back. I'd like to believe that a little friendliness will go more towards improving his behavior than just having him being ticked-off at a bunch of JAC's, whether justified or not.
It is also possible that you did exactly what you said you did, and that you were dealing with a couple of idiots.
Maybe they were chasing said MFs?
--J
maybe you were 'inching'. maybe they had just had a ragin cager set them off on the last block. .
THat's my guess. As the moron tally increases during each ride, I get more and more vocal. It could be that you happened across them after they've been dealing with traffic for 2 hours or more. Hard to say exactly since we weren't there, but at least you STOPPED and actually SAW something (most people don't it seems).
The other day I started to make a right turn after properly signaling. A car comming the other way (also properly signaling) made a left turn at the same time and almost ran me over! :mad: (I'm 6'5" 250 lbs wearing an ORANGE jacket) Man, I let loose on them http://www.subaruoutback.org/forums/images/smilies/cursin.gif Well, it had an impact since they didn't pass me on the subsequent blind uphill until it was clear and I waved them by.
Now, I don't mean to take a personal strike against you, but I'm glad they spoke up and became vocal. The vast majority of drivers have no common sense and often they need to have someone tell them that they did something wrong. They still might not know what they did, but maybe they'll actually try to think next time (probably not, but maybe).
jw
Now, I don't mean to take a personal strike against you, but I'm glad they spoke up and became vocal. The vast majority of drivers have no common sense and often they need to have someone tell them that they did something wrong. They still might not know what they did, but maybe they'll actually try to think next time (probably not, but maybe).
jw
I take no personal offense taken from you guys. Unfortunately, I was neither inching nor poking into the street. I was completely, totally halted. There was at least two yards between me and the cyclists. Had I been doing something wrong I, too, would be glad they spoke up. As I was doing nothing wrong, they insulted me and criticized me for no good reason. That kind of behavior gives us cyclists a bad name. It is regretable.
Also they weren't college kids. They were fully spandexed roadies in their 30's.
I take no personal offense taken from you guys. Unfortunately, I was neither inching nor poking into the street. I was completely, totally halted. There was at least two yards between me and the cyclists. Had I been doing something wrong I, too, would be glad they spoke up. As I was doing nothing wrong, they insulted me and criticized me for no good reason. That kind of behavior gives us cyclists a bad name. It is regretable.
Also they weren't college kids. They were fully spandexed roadies in their 30's.
Unfortunately, there are idiots everywhere. With behaviour like that it is no wonder I often see entries on blogs where the author cheers when a roadie gets nailed. Hard enough getting respect on the roads without morons like this.
I take no personal offense taken from you guys. Unfortunately, I was neither inching nor poking into the street. I was completely, totally halted. There was at least two yards between me and the cyclists. Had I been doing something wrong I, too, would be glad they spoke up. As I was doing nothing wrong, they insulted me and criticized me for no good reason. That kind of behavior gives us cyclists a bad name. It is regretable.
Also they weren't college kids. They were fully spandexed roadies in their 30's.
It's unfortunate you were the victim of unwarranted unfriendly language, but don't let it bother you. We cyclists get that every day and most of us just let it slide. Many here remark about how some cager or JAM or just some idiot yells something at a cyclist and they don't even report a tenth of what gets hurled their way. While it's not a case of 'turnabout is fair play,' it is something that happens, for whatever reason, right or wrong. We don't judge all motorists by the actions of a few, nor do we judge all cyclists by the actions of a few.
If you were stopped, were you stopped past the stop line?
I find it's common to have cars doing this and partially blocking (or at least calling into question the cars intentions) the through lane.
Most cars I see stopped that are going to make a right turn have their rear tires past the stop line. I've also had those cars make their right turn just as I'm passing, forcing me to the left side of the lane, and a couple of times, into the gap between the turning car and oncoming traffic from the opposite direction.
Maybe they were making fun of you for waiting so long.
While you were looking at them coming at you from the left, perhaps a couple of pedestrians were starting to step off the curb into their path to your right. You could have been caught up by the shock of thinking they were screaming at you (and also trying to check out their bikes) that you never noticed them (back on the curb) when you made your turn. Possible?
Maybe they weren't screaming at you. (You say he "looks right at you" but most cyclists I know are wearing glasses that make it impossible to really tell what they are looking at).
I don't know...I'm kind of a pollyanna "assume the best in people" guy. Maybe to a fault.
Polite drivers who loiter at an intersection scare the crap out of cyclists more than those who move on.
Must have been in something in the air yesterday. I had the same thing happen to me outside of Columbus, Ohio. I was stopped at a stop sign and saw a paceline coming towards me so I was waiting for them to pass. Suddenly the guy at the head of the paceline slams on his brakes and starts cussing me and giving me the finger. I was probably 15 feet back from the intersection, I wasn't creeping and I had eye contact with the guy just before he slammed on the brakes.
Shog
If bicyclists want respect we have to give it.
Perhaps there was another driver who appeared to be moving forward, perhaps behind you?
During the commute in this morning I witnessed a near-collision between a sidewalk cyclist (contra-flow) and a driver about to turn right-on-red. The driver stopped in time; the cyclist proceeded to the driver's side of the car and verbally let loose on him after that.
A lot of experienced cyclists are really scared of right-turning traffic, and they should be. My way of dealing with this danger is riding farther into the lane for visibility and extra maneuvering room, never riding on sidewalks, and encouraging my police department to ticket right-on-red offenders who don't stop properly, since this also innocent endangers crosswalk users. (Our police give a lot of tickets for this thanks to automatic red light cameras tuned to detect these.) Other cyclists let their anger out on the street, expecting a fight with anybody who might cross their path, but I don't like such confrontations, and I think they can get dangerous. The few times I had words with anyone on the street, it just made me feel worse.
'Roid rage. You know all those cyclists are doping.
Az
Another reason I wear a whistle. If I see someone inching (I see you weren't) or not paying attention I give a quick blast on my whistle to get their attention. I find it to be a lot less rude then yelling at people, and more effective.
Maybe they werent actually yelling at you.
Paranoid cyclists who think motorists are out to get them. There are many, just look at this forum.
Must have been in something in the air yesterday. I had the same thing happen to me outside of Columbus, Ohio. I was stopped at a stop sign and saw a paceline coming towards me so I was waiting for them to pass. Suddenly the guy at the head of the paceline slams on his brakes and starts cussing me and giving me the finger. I was probably 15 feet back from the intersection, I wasn't creeping and I had eye contact with the guy just before he slammed on the brakes.
Shog
If bicyclists want respect we have to give it.
The raised single finger referred to the Buckeye "we,re #1" in the basketball finals this week.;)
With drivers like my daughter and friends on campus,cycling in greater Columbus scares the chicken out of me.:eek:
Like someone merely being on a bike sets off some idiots in cars, someone merely driving a car can set off some idiots on bikes.
+1
Like someone merely being on a bike sets off some idiots in cars, someone merely driving a car can set off some idiots on bikes.
yep...
Please take no offense. They are upstanding members of C.A.I.: Cyclists against Incest. They say it loud and they say it proud.
I wonder if any of you would be defending a motorist yelling this sort of thing with "what ifs" speculating whether the cyclist did something wrong to arouse the anger of the motorist.
I don't drive.
all cagers are potential ragin' cagers, sorry. I'll yell at them if I want to and you can't make me stop.
I hate gas huffing, camel hose sucking, resource wasting war supporters in their private automobiles clogging the streets, sorry.
thank you.
Why do I feel that the frivolous use of the private automobile in America has helped get our country embroiled in a mercenary war led by former Oil executives under false premises?
the original poster wanted to know why a cyclist would yell "STOP, MO'FOs" at a driver, and I rallied and mentioned a few good reasons on the first page.
I take no personal offense taken from you guys. Unfortunately, I was neither inching nor poking into the street. I was completely, totally halted. There was at least two yards between me and the cyclists. Had I been doing something wrong I, too, would be glad they spoke up. As I was doing nothing wrong, they insulted me and criticized me for no good reason. That kind of behavior gives us cyclists a bad name. It is regretable.
Also they weren't college kids. They were fully spandexed roadies in their 30's.
Idiots abound in all walks of life. You just happened to run into idiots on bicycles (put these same guys in cars/SUV's and they would also behave like idiots)
I sometimes yell at cars and give them the finger just for fun. Even parked cars with nobody inside them.
If I am an idiot because I holler at people who almost kill me, fine ... but I won't stop hollering until folks learn how to drive responsibly.
jw
Idiots abound in all walks of life. You just happened to run into idiots on bicycles (put these same guys in cars/SUV's and they would also behave like idiots)
Implies the cycling doing the hollering were idiots. So be it, but I still applaud them for being vocal over what they perceived as a dangerous situation.
:beer:
jw
all cagers are potential ragin' cagers, sorry. I'll yell at them if I want to and you can't make me stop.
I hate gas huffing, camel hose sucking, resource wasting war supporters in their private automobiles clogging the streets, sorry.
how do you think your bikes are made? machines that use gas and oil. everything on your bike is made by things that pollute so you better start boycotting life. so driving a car makes you a war supporter? i get it, you are a modern eco-hippie that sees no better way to express his concerns of the world, than to yell at people.
as a biker, some of your comments make me disgusted. roads were not designed for bikers to be the dominating force and yell at motorists for no reason. if a motorist isnt obeying the laws, then sure they deserve a talking to,and vice-versa, but if they are just driving as any normal person should, and obeying the laws of the road,then what are you spazing about?
you say you yell at drivers for no reason? i cant wait till the day you do that to the wrong guy. because someone will get out and kick your ass, or even worse use a weapon. will it be worth it then? when your dead your ego and ignorant stand against drivers is useless. there is far better ways to get your opinions heard. go join your community meetings at the city hall and tell them your worries, rather than try and beat down the self-esteem of some random person because he is driving a car.
all that does is make more people hate bike riders, and you never know. you yell something at some dude for no reason, he has issues in life and boils over and hits the next biker he sees because you said something for no reason. sounds like a fairy-tail, but could easily happen.chill out, ride, and enjoy life. the negative attitude doesnt help you enjoy anything.
give me a break, dwork. you sound a bit ragin' yourself, buddy.
sorry the OP got all miffed at an angry bicyclist. maybe he should have been riding, perhaps?
I bet the perspective was different on the other side of the windshield...
give me a break, dwork. you sound a bit ragin' yourself, buddy.
sorry the OP got all miffed at an angry bicyclist. maybe he should have been riding, perhaps?
I bet the perspective was different on the other side of the windshield...
You're just a bundle o' joy, aren't you? Yep, rational too. That's what you are. Mm-hm.
give me a break, dwork. you sound a bit ragin' yourself, buddy.
sorry the OP got all miffed at an angry bicyclist. maybe he should have been riding, perhaps?
I bet the perspective was different on the other side of the windshield...
How do you carry three people, one cello, a video camera, tripod, DVD's, and a box of props on a bike over a distance of 10 miles?
I'm a messenger and I know what it's like to ride a bike for a living. I know how to ride a bike long distances in bad weather carrying a ton of crap. I lived car-less for five years. I don't need you evaluating when it is appropriate for me to ride a bike.
Are you saying rude, obnoxious behavior that counters bike advocacy should be tolerated simply because I was driving a car? Are you saying I can't drive a car when my employers, despite my pleas, require that I drive a car? I make my best effort to ride a bike whenever possible. When I drive I do so conscientously - unlike the insulting cyclist.
How did I, the respectful, patient, conscientous driver, become the bad guy in your eyes (and in the offending cyclists eyes)?
Recommendation: Don't jump to conclusions and prejudge drivers. You have no idea who we are or what we are doing.
Repeat: stopped, waited, no inching, a crosswalk and parking lane and bike lane between us = me getting called a "mf" simply because I'm in a car.
So be it, but I still applaud them for being vocal over what they perceived as a dangerous situation.
:beer:
jw
There was no danger. You can ask the three people in my car. They were as shocked and p***ed as I.
Was the "motherf***er" necessary?
Maybe he was searching for his dad.
if you're really a bike messenger, masterhalco, you'll understand the rage of the bicyclist against the machine.
obviously, you are a different animal when in a car.
sorry, sometimes bicyclists get the short end of the stick from cars and sometimes get vocal. you do understand that, don't you? you were a messenger. so you got caught up in some crossfire, show some empathy, messenger boy.
Maybe they were chasing said MFs?
--J
NICE :D
Implies the cycling doing the hollering were idiots. So be it, but I still applaud them for being vocal over what they perceived as a dangerous situation.
:beer:
jw
From the way the situation was explained, there was NO DANGER. Yelling at a driver who is clearly following the law does not seem rational to me. I ride, I even ride in the city described and I know that motorists can be stupid and drive dangerously and I have done my fair share of yelling when necessary but the cyclists reactions in this case were just plain unnecessary and antagonistic. And if they somehow perceived that the situation was dangerous (and I have done the same when I am not sure a driver has stopped for me or is zoned out), why the curse words. A direct look at the driver would have sufficed or even a 'Stop' without the cursing.
I know its rough out there, cyclists get hit, cyclists get killed but antagonizing the few drivers who actually follow the rules doesn't seem like a good strategy to me.
All the hippies in the room take a shower, get a haircut, and stop whining. Lets see how far your bike can roll without any petroleum products on it.
To all the idiots that truely believe yelling obscenities at people will make them stop and think "You know what, that strapping young citizen is absolutely correct. It is about time I change my ways." needs to wake up. I'm willing to bet they would rather hit you. I have swore at cars before as well, but it was more to release some anger. I am not dilusional enough to think it will change their ways.
To the OP, there are a-holes in all walks of life. In cars and on bikes. You just happen to run into the ones on bikes.
Snap reaction: I would have blasted them with the horn, but then again it's not like two wrongs would make a right.
BTW: the cyclists ran the next red light.
The guy was mocking what he thought you were thinking about him.
The other day, me and my friend were trying to whistle the bridge of the river kwai song while walking down the street, and trying to remember how it went. Suddenly a woman, whom we had not noticed, turned around and started screaming at us, and calling us names, obviously thinking we were catcalling her.
My guess is something similar happened in this case.
The other day, me and my friend were trying to whistle the bridge of the river kwai song while walking down the street, and trying to remember how it went. Suddenly a woman, whom we had not noticed, turned around and started screaming at us, and calling us names, obviously thinking we were catcalling her.
My guess is something similar happened in this case.
Maybe she doesn't like Alec Guinness.
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