Commuting - Common HI-VIS comments, & what I'd like to say back

Almost everyday as I leave work, somebody sees me in my Hi'vis shirt or jacket, and they always say the same thing. I always want to comment back, but bite my tongue.

Them: "Whoa, bright!"
In my head: "and so are you for noticing!"


Them: "They can see you from mars"
In my head: "From the looks of it, they'll also have no problem spotting you too."


State your tongue bitten come backs.

I get stuff every night as well. "That blinkie (pbsf) is going to make me blind!", usually followed by "i'm going to hit you one of these nights (in jest I hope)". Someone always has to comment on my gear, whether it is my helmet, yellow Showers pass coat, blinkie etc. It is tiresome.....

Early one pre-dawn, I had a county cop pull alongside me in his cruiser. "Dude," he shouted, "You look like a two-wheeled Winnebago with all them lights and reflectors."

I was running four blinkies, four reflectors, one strobe, and various lengths of retro-reflective tape. Plus my hi-vis jacket. Enough to give someone a seizure.

"I take it, then, that you see me?"

"Oh yeah," he replied. "Oh yeah."

"Good."

The only comment I've ever had while riding was:

Very attractive young woman: "Hey, where did you get your neon shirt, I like it."
Me: "Uhh, I don't remember"
VAYW: "Oh, OK"

I felt like such an ass afterward.

Al

Almost daily:

I walk in from parking my bike and the same guy says, to no one in particular, "Hey! Anybody seen John?"

No one in particular pays any attention...

The only comment I've ever had while riding was:

Very attractive young woman: "Hey, where did you get your neon shirt, I like it."
Me: "Uhh, I don't remember"
VAYW: "Oh, OK"

I felt like such an ass afterward.

Al

Yep. There's just something about attractive young women that turns us into idiots.

Almost daily:

I walk in from parking my bike and the same guy says, to no one in particular, "Hey! Anybody seen John?"

No one in particular pays any attention...

i lol'ed, however i can see how that would get old.

I guess it's a positive reflection (heh) on where I work that the only comment I've ever received is "Nice weather shell".

Me: I wonder if this blinking light could trigger a seizure...
In my head: [seizure]

:)

I've been getting much ruder comments. I got one that I'm reasonably sure was complimentary today, "yo that @#$% blinds you". My reply was "so don't look". :D

No problems with comments. I've actually have motorist catch up at the light, roll down the window, and thank or remark about the high vis stuff. Maybe MA residents don't like hi-vis in general!

I live in western MA and actually had a guy in a industrial van slow down and say "I like the lights, that really helps." No comment on my hi-vis bib thing. This doesn't make up for the various rudities I experience most days, but hey.

Me: I wonder if this blinking light could trigger a seizure...
In my head: [seizure]

LOLOLOL :D

I have forgotten my regular jacket when riding in to work and have worn my hi-vis jacket all day in the office.

When one of my co-workers saw it for the first time, she said I looked like a big highlighter marker, which drew some chuckles from others. I just tell everyone that I'm an attention wh-ore or that I really like arriving to work not dead or as a hood ornament.

Them: "They can see you from mars"
In my head: "From the looks of it, they'll also have no problem spotting you too."And the best part is, they will never get the joke; so they will never even know how you insulted them.:p

My canned reply: "Thats the point (sir/ma'am)". Usually delivered in the driest tone possible.

My canned reply: "Thats the point (sir/ma'am)". Usually delivered in the driest tone possible.
Similar to what I say. My reply is is "If you bike on these roads, there is no such thing as being too bright -- you gotta be insane to do less."

It's never occurred to me to be bothered by the comments. People run into few enough cyclists that they don't know what to do so they don't know how to act. In other words, this situation isn't going to change.

reply: you should see it when it's clean...

makes it harder for you to say you didn't see me to my lawyer after you hit me.

After a close call, guy said "Sorry, I didn't see you."
I told him "I'm dressed like a 230 pound lime with a headlight. How could you NOT see me?"

After a close call, guy said "Sorry, I didn't see you."
I told him "I'm dressed like a 230 pound lime with a headlight. How could you NOT see me?"

Lol. Ah, the excuses of inattentive cagers...

My neighbor is sometimes out walking his dog. He will yell "Good Morning E.T."
So far I reply "Mornin!"
Flashed a guy creeping out into the road with my Dinonitte Headlamp this AM and got the bird, that was not so bad..he did stop creeping.