Honked at for not allowing car to pass other cars on right.

[San Rensho]

I'm in the right lane of a 4 lane street (2 lanes in each direction) going faster than a line of cars in the left lane. A car gets in back of me and honks at me! I'm going faster than traffic, and he wants me to get out of his way? He of course doesn't honk at the line of slow moving cars in the left lane, who should move over to let him pass.

[Blue Order]

I'm in the right lane of a 4 lane street (2 lanes in each direction) going faster than a line of cars in the left lane. A car gets in back of me and honks at me! I'm going faster than traffic, and he wants me to get out of his way? He of course doesn't honk at the line of slow moving cars in the left lane, who should move over to let him pass.Isn't it illegal for the driver to pass on the right anyway?

[San Rensho]

Isn't it illegal for the driver to pass on the right anyway?

Yes it is, but this is Miami, where no rules apply.

[Carusoswi]

This is obviously not a limited access roadway (or you would not be riding there), so, why would it be illegal for someone in the right lane to overtake cars in the left lane? I am not aware of any law requiring all passing to be done in the left lane except for limited access freeways where slower traffic is supposed to move to the right lane to allow faster traffic to pass.

Was there a shoulder on this road, and how wide was it?

If there is no shoulder, then the driver certainly was wrong to have honked you . . . probably not right for him to honk you if there was a wide shoulder, but, OTOH, if there was, indeed, a wide unobstructed shoulder, then, I think you would have been wise to move over and let the guy pass.

Caruso

[joejack951]

Isn't it illegal for the driver to pass on the right anyway?

In most cases on a multilaned (in each direction) roadway it's perfectly legal to pass on the right.

[littlewaywelt]

Lift hand, raise middle finger. Barring the immature solution which I fall prey to on occassion, if you're proceeding legally, ignore and maintain your safety zone/space/position in traffic.

[kjmillig]

....if you're proceeding legally, ignore and maintain your safety zone/space/position in traffic.
+1, I'd ignore him.

[caloso]

Yes it is, but this is Miami, where no rules apply.

Then tell him to say hello to your little friend!

Seriously, ignore the JAM.

[Allister]

I'm in the right lane of a 4 lane street (2 lanes in each direction) going faster than a line of cars in the left lane. A car gets in back of me and honks at me! I'm going faster than traffic, and he wants me to get out of his way? He of course doesn't honk at the line of slow moving cars in the left lane, who should move over to let him pass.

Happens to me all the time. Ignoring them is best. Sometimes, if I'm feeling mischievous, I slow down a little each time they honk.

[Blue Order]

Happens to me all the time. Ignoring them is best. Sometimes, if I'm feeling mischievous, I slow down a little each time they honk.:lol:

That's my favorite technique for dealing with NYC cabbies....

[Godwin]

Every once and a while I get honked at for taking up the entire right lane while there is little to no traffic in the right lane. I usually extend my index finger for that one, show them where they can go. I think a lot of drivers (like many cyclists) are just stubborn.

[ghettocruiser]

I've been honked for taking the right lane of a 4 lane per direction road with no other traffic whatsoever (besides me and the honker).

Don't give them too much thought.

[San Rensho]

+1, I'd ignore him.


Yeah, thats what I did, but it just steams me that here in Miami, drivers pull the most stupid, dangerous moves all the time and it seems nobody honks at them. Ah, but just the presence of me on my bike makes them stand on the horn, something they would not do to a car.

[maddyfish]

This is obviously not a limited access roadway (or you would not be riding there), so, why would it be illegal for someone in the right lane to overtake cars in the left lane? I am not aware of any law requiring all passing to be done in the left lane except for limited access freeways where slower traffic is supposed to move to the right lane to allow faster traffic to pass.

Was there a shoulder on this road, and how wide was it?

If there is no shoulder, then the driver certainly was wrong to have honked you . . . probably not right for him to honk you if there was a wide shoulder, but, OTOH, if there was, indeed, a wide unobstructed shoulder, then, I think you would have been wise to move over and let the guy pass.

Caruso
What does the shoulder have to do with it? The shoulder is for emergencies and breakdowns. Do you drive on the shoulder? Ride on the road.

[maddyfish]

I'd say ignore her as well.

[TRaffic Jammer]

I get that here all the time in the city. Folks carvin' over from the left to pass a turning car or some such thing. They will carve over even though I'm in the middle of the right hand lane going full speed and expect me to slam on my brakes or run away from them simply because they are performing this maneuver (usually without signals)....

I just tend to hold my ground, and they back off. Pass me when it's safe putz
*Yells in passenger window* Dude....there's someone here already try the brake!!!

[Carusoswi]

What does the shoulder have to do with it? The shoulder is for emergencies and breakdowns. Do you drive on the shoulder? Ride on the road.

Some of my favorite roads (I'm thinking Rt 29 from Lambertville, NJ along the Delaware River and Delaware Raritan Canal to Frenchtown, for example) have shoulders on both sides as wide and well maintained as the two traffic lanes. I don't think I have ever seen a cyclist travelling that road riding in the traffic lanes. There is no law stating that you can't ride in the traffic lanes, but, why would you want to ride there? Yea, on that road, I ride the shoulder.

. . . and, on almost any road where the shoulder is sufficiently large, smooth, and free of debris, I prefer to ride there.

In NYC, I will ride the bike lanes if they are in good shape and unobstructed, but will take a lane with the best of them when it is in the interest of safety to do so.

In my mind, coexistence means that cars need to slow down for me when there really isn't anywhere else for me to ride, but, I should give way for them when, to do so neither inconveniences nor threatens me. You ride your style, I'll ride mine. I guess I am just not into that level of advocacy for advocacy's sake.

That said, I am no more tolerant of honkers than anyone else here. A friend that I work with once passed me, he in his car, me on my bike. He yells out the window for me to "get off the road."

I reflexively unleashed a flurry of language and a jesture or two that would make Popeye chuck his spinach, only to realize, after recognizing him, that he had to be joking.

None of us is perfect all the time, but, I don't feel like picking fights just to pick fights.

I'm not judging the OP's situation, either. I wasn't there and do not know the conditions. Just relaying how I approach this issue.

Caruso

[FixedFoLife]

That said, I am no more tolerant of honkers than anyone else here. A friend that I work with once passed me, he in his car, me on my bike. He yells out the window for me to "get off the road."

I reflexively unleashed a flurry of language and a jesture or two that would make Popeye chuck his spinach, only to realize, after recognizing him, that he had to be joking.
Caruso

I have done that before twice, and once was to this little old lady that i used to work for except she was only honking to say hello.
Needless to say i felt really bad at the time but i laughed it off.
So did she apparently because there were no hard feelings.

[andrelam]

Didn't Miami just make the top 5 list of worst drivers in the USA? SO I guess according to the inconvenienced driver you should move into the LEFT lane... that would get you out of his way, and lots of honking from other drivers... what the h*ll are you doing in the left lane you bike nut. Being in the slower left lane would be SO much safer for you. With lunatics that that you just can't win. I would venture a guess that in most cases any visual signals presented by you might encourage them to hit or bump you just in spite.

Happy riding,
André

[San Rensho]

Didn't Miami just make the top 5 list of worst drivers in the USA? SO I guess according to the inconvenienced driver you should move into the LEFT lane... that would get you out of his way, and lots of honking from other drivers... what the h*ll are you doing in the left lane you bike nut. Being in the slower left lane would be SO much safer for you. With lunatics that that you just can't win. I would venture a guess that in most cases any visual signals presented by you might encourage them to hit or bump you just in spite.

Happy riding,
André

You from Miami?, because you hit the nail on the head, and yes, we have the distinction of being rated as the area with the worst drivers in the US. "We're number 1!"

[andrelam]

You from Miami?, because you hit the nail on the head, and yes, we have the distinction of being rated as the area with the worst drivers in the US. "We're number 1!"

No, I am from Western NY, but I have driven in Southern Floriday... scarry. I have never seen so many cars crash into light poles on the highway during a nice clear day. I swear that in a week of driving I saw this twice. How can you veer off course by 15 ft on a nice clear spring day? At least here we see most fender benders due to some nasty snow story or seriously heavy lake effect snow. I've driven in snow fall so hard that you could barely see beyond the hood of your car. At least if you hit someone under those conditions you know it was because of near zero visability. Stopping is dangerous as you'll get rear ended, moving forward also is bad. Those are not fun driving days. Then there are the sterio type "old" drivers that just make a u-turn from the right lane on a 4 or 6 lane road without looking or caring what traffic is coming. No I understand why car insurance in Florida costs twice as much as in my area. The drivers here are certainly not saints, but a lot more predictable.

Happy riding,
André

[JohnBrooking]

Bottom line, it is courteous to allow passing if you deem it safe. Including, IMO, using the shoulder if it is acceptable for riding.

If there is no acceptable shoulder, best to just ignore. Why escalate with a gesture or words? (Although I know from experience that that can be difficult in the heat of the moment.)

To really be courteous, even if there is no good shoulder, you could still pull over occasionally to let cars by, if they have become lined up in back of you for any distance. Can be difficult if there are no gaps to get back in, though.