Ever apparent rudeness on the road!

[FS1974JH]

Man, ever since I started riding as my full transportation I have noticed the complete rudeness of drivers on the road. Especially when Im on the bike lane or crossing the street with the lights. People just seem to cut into the bike lane without blinking or warning and they drive past the white lines at the intersections... It's annoying and I get very angry and I can see how and why my grandfather allways cussed at other drivers. My father dosent cuss at them but he gets very angry as well. This town and the surrounding San Antonio is a place with the most evil drivers haha.


Anyone else expirenced this daily where you live?

[linux_author]

Anyone else expirenced this daily where you live?

- most drivers in my area are:

1) drunk
2) over-medicated
3) under-medicated
4) in rehab
5) one foot in the grave
6) stupid as a box of rocks
7) one taco short of a combo plate
8) white trash redneck (termed 'dirty feet' or 'Circle K feet' in local parlance)
9) illegal non-English speakers
10) clueless tourists

- the other five in 100 are actually courteous...

:-)

[Roody]

Most of our cagers are pretty cool, but a few exceptions of course. I have to admit that I can be a bit of a jerk on the road when I'm having a bad day. :o

[bragi]

The vast majority of motorists I see are actually very courteous, but every couple of months, I have a nasty encounter. Just today, I almost got into a fist fight with the passenger of a car that tried to hurry up and pass me less than fifteen feet before a red light. I didn't want to to get nudged into the gutter so close to an intersection, so I swerved left to keep him from doing so, and after we were all stopped, the passenger yelled that I wasn't a car and should get the f*ck off the road. When I responded with my middle finger and a very dirty look (comments like that really piss me off), the passenger became enraged, got out of his car, with a very red face, and threatened to kick my ass right then and there. When I said, go ahead, try to kick my ass so you can be the first one to the next red light, he apparently came to the realization that he was in a ridiculous situation, got back in his car, and got yelled at by his friend for being an idiot. I probably shouldn't have insisted on my right to my sliver of the road quite so aggressively, though; in retrospect, going out of my way to assert those rights may have seemed somewhat confrontational.

This is actually the third time in the last year that a motorist has gotten angry enough at me to want to kick my ass, just for having the gall to be on the road at all.

It's worth noting, though, that within an hour of this incident, literally dozens of drivers I encountered were extremely courteous, even thoughtful. In general, Seattle has an extremely bike-friendly culture, and unpleasant encounters are so memorable precisely because they're so rare.

[kjohnnytarr]

I think that the bad drivers are always going to be the ones we remember, even if they're 5%. Same thing with CMers, really. One bad apple gives them all a bad name.

[dejinshathe]

The other night I was cruising home in the wee hours of the morning after 70kms on the road and all of a sudden, there was a car, matching my speed and right up close to me. Before my foggy brain even had time to freak out, I felt a sharp slap on my rump, followed by a girly "Woohoo!" As the car accelerated away rapidly, a not-unattractive (from what I could see) young lady threw me a grin as she slipped back into the back-seat window.

I'm not sure I mind the driver discourtesy in my neighbourhood.

I hope it wasn't just a guy with a high-pitched voice and long hair ...

[acroy]

Anyone else expirenced this daily where you live?

Sure! :D Don't let them ruin your day. Give em a smile & a wave. I had a cager behind me honk at me today because OMG, he had to wait an extra 2 seconds to get out of his way before he could turn right! I turned & looked back, guy was hanging outt eh window give the 1-finger salute, I smiled & waved and the guy sure looked confused :D

mess with their heads a little & be safe, friend:beer:

[Cosmoline]

The more you drive, the less intelligent you are.

[rwp]

I know that I'm supposed to complain about the drivers here but the truth is that Reno drivers are really courteous to cyclists. My biggest gripe is that a lot are not sure what to do when they encounter bikes on the road. More than once a car approaching from the opposite direction has stopped and waited for me when I signal a left turn onto a sideroad!!

[Roody]

I know that I'm supposed to complain about the drivers here but the truth is that Reno drivers are really courteous to cyclists. My biggest gripe is that a lot are not sure what to do when they encounter bikes on the road. More than once a car approaching from the opposite direction has stopped and waited for me when I signal a left turn onto a sideroad!!
They probably never saw a cyclist signal before turning! Cagers don't have a monopoly on rudeness or bad "driving" habits.

[billew]

I've been riding as transport my whole life, never had a licence to drive, and I live in the the state with the worst drivers in the US (american insurance assoc.)and next door to #2 Mass. no one uses directionals at all. they love to pass you to cut you off.:eek:

[ChipSeal]

The most courteous and careful drivers around me while riding are semi-truck drivers.

[gwd]

The most courteous and careful drivers around me while riding are semi-truck drivers.
In DC I think the bus drivers are the best, but we don't get many semi-truck drivers in town. I think it is the professional attitude and they might have more to loose if they screw up. Twice in over 20 years of living in the area have I seen a spontaneous standing ovation from the clients for a government employee and both times it was bus drivers for their driving skills.

Anyway, today a guy in a car muscled me out of a cross walk but then stopped rolled down his window, put down his cell phone (illegal here), and apologized profusely.

[Buglady]

Yesterday a guy rolled up beside me and another commuter cyclist as a stop light. We were in the left turn lane and he decided he had to come around to the LEFT of us to yell that "you're not a car!" and to yell at us to get off the road. We both told him to check the city bylaws, it's a designated bike route and we are specifically allowed to use the left turn lane at intersections. He just kept repeating"you're not a car!" (:rolleyes: no sh!t Sherlock...). In retrospect maybe we should have argued that two bikes equalled one car (4 wheels, 2 people being transported!) but the guy didn't look like he could manage that much math...

Stupid thing was that he was turning immediately after the intersection (made a left, then a sharp right), while both of us on bikes were going straight on after the left turn. He would not have been delayed in the least if he'd turned behind us, but instead he had to be all manly and cut us off. I bet his wife is so proud :rolleyes:

[eofelis]

[QUOTE=linux_author]- most drivers in my area are:

1) drunk
2) over-medicated
3) under-medicated
4) in rehab
5) one foot in the grave
6) stupid as a box of rocks
7) one taco short of a combo plate
8) white trash redneck (termed 'dirty feet' or 'Circle K feet' in local parlance)
9) illegal non-English speakers
10) clueless tourists
QUOTE]


Add to that list 11) talking on a cell phone

[littledog]

The bicyclists are worse at obeying traffic laws than the motorists around here. I have been in one bicycle collision and many near misses with other cyclists on the road. the Multiple Use Path (bike trail) is much worse than the roads. Pedestrians are worse yet when crossing roads- Always jaywalking into the road- after all I am NOT a car- so they just strut right into the road. And walk 5 abreast on the MUP blocking both lanes.

Traffic can be a real hassle.

[acroy]

The bicyclists are worse at obeying traffic laws than the motorists around here. .
:rolleyes: yep, i was 'most in a head-on collision with a dude on a fixie, fixating on the truck backing out into the lane he was cruising in... instead of slowing & waiting, he came all the way across the street, i don't think he saw little 6'3" me on my red bike! we got pretty close. it all ended sunny-side-up tho:D

[gharding]

I don't have too many complaints about New York drivers yet. They treat me like any other car.. cutting me off, not signaling, turning right in front of me, ignoring my existance. But I try to ride pretty aggresively, so I think I fit in well so far.

[billew]

I totally forgot the peds,the ones that wander into the street intent on not thinking, I call them meanderthals. :D

[gharding]

I call them meanderthals. :D

Ahahaha. I love that.