Disapointed with cars on my first commute

[Davek]

I decided to start communting today with my new Trek 1200. The ride is about 5 miles down a completely flat road. Not too hard but not too many bilers so I guess driversdon't know what to do. Two things really scared me about my ride and during each incident I felt my life was at risk due to another pesons utter disregard for me and recklessness.

1)About halfway through my ride there was a section of broken glass in the shoulder, instead of puncturing my tired I decided to ride on the white line of the shoulder. I start to hear honks in the distance, slowly getting lowder and lowder. Eventually the car gets to me slows down. The drivers says "**** you *******!" then throw a full water bottle at me narrowly mising my head.

2)Near the end of my ride this old woman in a lincoln misses me by about half a foot. I dont even think she saw me. If I was a bit farther to the left I would have been hit.

These two incidents really disturbed me. Truthfully, I feel very threatened and am considering not communting(this isnt the first time I've been honked at/yelled at for absolutwly nothing but riding). how do you guys react to this stuff?

[LittleBigMan]

1)About halfway through my ride there was a section of broken glass in the shoulder, instead of puncturing my tired I decided to ride on the white line of the shoulder. I start to hear honks in the distance, slowly getting lowder and lowder. Eventually the car gets to me slows down. The drivers says "**** you *******!" then throw a full water bottle at me narrowly mising my head.

Report this behavior to police. If you were walking and someone threw something at you, it would be assault.


Truthfully, I feel very threatened and am considering not communting(this isnt the first time I've been honked at/yelled at for absolutwly nothing but riding). how do you guys react to this stuff?
You must decide for yourself if bicycle commuting is safe in your circumstances. In my case, I haven't had anything thrown at me (that I know of. ;) ) since that beer bottle 25 years ago.

[rmwun54]

It sucks to no end that there are those that are irresponsible when driving a car. I had this one incidence where a catering truck had past by me on a narrow two lane street where the shoulder and the right lane were tight. And just my luck the counter on the truck that protrude scrapes my elbow and knocks me flat out onto the ground. Lucky for me I wasn't hurt any, but I felt shaken and piss at the same time. But it has taught me to really be more aware of the 360 degree surroundings my path when riding on the open road.

[Chris L]

1)About halfway through my ride there was a section of broken glass in the shoulder, instead of puncturing my tired I decided to ride on the white line of the shoulder. I start to hear honks in the distance, slowly getting lowder and lowder. Eventually the car gets to me slows down. The drivers says "**** you *******!" then throw a full water bottle at me narrowly mising my head.

I invariably report this sort of thing to the police. As said above, it was assault plain and simple, it's totally inexcusable.

2)Near the end of my ride this old woman in a lincoln misses me by about half a foot. I dont even think she saw me. If I was a bit farther to the left I would have been hit.

If you were hugging the kerb, that was the first of your problems. I'd say in all probability the old lady knew you were there but just didn't care. My policy is that if a lane is too narrow to share with a car, I claim the whole thing. The best way to be seen by drivers is to be an attention wh0re.

[khuon]

It's inexcusable for people to assault you like that. However, one thing you probably want to consider doing before moving out from the shoulder to the lane is to signal. Yes, I know sometimes you don't have enough time when attempting an avoidance maneuver but do so when you can. I usually signal into the lane I want to get into and then point down and wave my arm in a back and forth motion to indicate that I am about to claim a lane position. FWIW, although I have no idea what was going through the mind of the driver that threw the water bottle, I doubt that signalling would have helped mitigate the road rage. Nevertheless it is probably something that should be done regardless.

Another thing is you probably want to avoid toeing the line. I would suggest riding at least half a handlebar's width to either side. If you want to be in the lane... then be in the lane. Don't make it ambiguous. As Chris L has pointed out, getting into the lane and making it well known that you are traffic is the best method for being seen. Also, that line can get very slippery so you don't really want to be riding on it.

I'm sorry to hear you had a bad commute. Don't let it discourage you. Are there alternate routes that can be taken? Not everyday is going to be the same (I hope).

[rykoala]

Yikes, that's quite a first commute! I've been doing it only a short time but am quickly learning how to handle traffic.

1) Take as much road as you need. If its a foot past the white line then so be it!
2) Hand signals, and watching out for yourself are number one.
3) Learn your route! Do it on off-hours so you know the route and don't have to deal with traffic
4) Be as passive as you can. The first day I commuted some jerk wasn't watching where he was going and nearly ran into me. My first response was a to give him the 1 finger salute. That was the first, and last time I did this.
5) ride with traffic, not against it.

Remember, YOU are a valid vehicle on the road. I constantly use turn lanes, stop lights, etc, and I get respect on the road. Don't be afraid, be bold and just RIDE.

Hope it helps! And don't give up you'll get the hang of it. I'm getting there myself :)

[Moonshot]

how do you guys react to this stuff?

We moved.

I guess I have a low tolerance for this sort of behavior. Others seem to deal with it better than I can.

Part of the reason for us moving to a small town was to get away from the congestion of the city. And while house hunting the ability to commute comfortably by bicycle was high on the list of requirements.

[Da Tinker]

Also realize that, as you ride, you will be conditioning, or training, the drivers to your presence. After they see you a few times, they will become used to looking for a bike, and thus, more likely to see you.

[bluejack]

These two incidents really disturbed me. Truthfully, I feel very threatened and am considering not communting(this isnt the first time I've been honked at/yelled at for absolutwly nothing but riding). how do you guys react to this stuff?

Well, the first thing I would note is that these are exceptions rather
than the rule; I have found that the exceptions seem to come in
clumps though, as though there were something in the air, or it
was a phase of the moon or something (I haven't kept any kind
of statistical record, so I have no idea what the cause is).

For every day in which I despair of humanity, there are ten beautiful
rides.

Khuon suggested alternate routes; I second that. Whenever I have
a bad experience, I change the route for a while. I may end up back
on it after a while, or I may find another I prefer.

You might consider getting a group of friends to bring brooms and
clean up the bike lane in the bad area.

[Mikeesq4]

i get this a lot. on the street i take to school, there are parked cars, so i have to pass them.
this sreet is pretty narrow, so i have to go around the park cars. the cars behind me ALWAYS honk. i've had garbage thrown at me once. it was a bag of fast food. i picked it up and biked with it. there are some stop lights along this road, and sure enough i caught up to him with it, and threw it at him and said "you dropped this, *******" and biked off.
he looked stunned.

im pretty used to people giving me the finger, and i just give it back

[sidewinder]

As others have said, claim your lane. The shoulder is only an acceptable place to ride if it is clear and safe. Most of the time, where I live the shoulders are littered with broken beer bottles and other detritus of our society. So, I spend most of the time in the lane. I find this actually presents fewer problems than hugging the fog line or skirting the left edge of the shoulder. Motor vehicles must move to the left to pass me. By doing so, they invariably give me more space.

Don't give up. Just learn to drive your bicycle rather than ride it.

[Mikeesq4]

As others have said, claim your lane. The shoulder is only an acceptable place to ride if it is clear and safe. Most of the time, where I live the shoulders are littered with broken beer bottles and other detritus of our society. So, I spend most of the time in the lane. I find this actually presents fewer problems than hugging the fog line or skirting the left edge of the shoulder. Motor vehicles must move to the left to pass me. By doing so, they invariably give me more space.

Don't give up. Just learn to drive your bicycle rather than ride it.
i have great respect for the guys that do this. hell i've seen guys move over 3 lanes to get into the turning lane. i could never do that.

[cyclezealot]

I agree claim your lane..Another trick..I often find alternatives around particularily rough/busy sections.. I usually don't mind.So what it adds another 1/2 mile..On the way home,I often make a detour that adds up to five miles in order to fill my log and appreciate the outdoors.

[John E]

... This sreet is pretty narrow, so I have to go around the park cars. The cars behind me ALWAYS honk. ...

Good! That means they at least saw you.

... I'm pretty used to people giving me the finger, and I just give it back.

Bad! Instead of descending to their level or escalating the fight, try a friendly wave instead of a returned finger.

[khuon]

i have great respect for the guys that do this. hell i've seen guys move over 3 lanes to get into the turning lane. i could never do that.

I do it all the time but I make discreet lane changes and before I enter a lane, I clear it visually and make sure traffic has some idea of my intentions by using very blatant hand signals. When you "speak to drivers" in traffic you need to treat them as if they were 2 year old children from a foreign country. Use whatever body and hand language you can think of and if there's a reasonable expectation that they can hear you, don't be afraid to shout.

[smeghead]

This is a great thread and was thinking of this topic over the last few weeks.

Since I've been riding here I been yelled, screamed & honked at, but thankfully have not had anything thrown at me.

I rode many years in England with maybe a honk here and there but when I go for rides here I notice such an angry sentiment towards cyclists.

I have been tempted to show them who's number 1 (the bird) but I agree with John E that this would serve no purpose except as an invite for more trouble....It's better to lead by example than to justify their reason to be angry towards cyclists.

Despite this problem I will never stop riding on these beautiful Wa. roads.

So why do drivers have such an attitude towards cyclists?
Is it a lack of patience? or maybe they have trouble sharing the road or is it geographical.

[John C. Ratliff]

How do us guys cope with it? Well, it depends...

Myself, I try to find alternative routes. I don't reply in kind to the idiots; I don't like being at their level.

John

[Chris L]

You might consider getting a group of friends to bring brooms and
clean up the bike lane in the bad area.

That's one option. The other is to call the local council and remind them that they have an obligation to keep these areas clean. If they don't do it the first time, keep calling them until they do.

[Chris L]

So why do drivers have such an attitude towards cyclists?
Is it a lack of patience? or maybe they have trouble sharing the road or is it geographical.

No, it's just bigotry. As I've said in other threads, the areas where drivers have this attitude most commonly tend to be the areas where other forms of bigotry still thrive. I don't believe this is any coincidence, I think they're just the same people.

[John C. Ratliff]

Chris,

I had never thought of it like this, but I think you are correct. Behaviors in one part of a person's life will reflect attitudes and behaviors in other aspects of the same person's life. Thanks for the insight.

John

[bluejack]

That's one option. The other is to call the local council and remind them that they have an obligation to keep these areas clean. If they don't do it the first time, keep calling them until they do.

Of course, it never hurts to invite the local government to do its
job, and in some places that might even work. It probably falls
into the category of Know Your Turf: there are plenty of cities
where the "local council" wouldn't even pay enough attention to
bother laughing at your request.

[Chris L]

Of course, it never hurts to invite the local government to do its
job, and in some places that might even work. It probably falls
into the category of Know Your Turf: there are plenty of cities
where the "local council" wouldn't even pay enough attention to
bother laughing at your request.

This is why we have cycling advocacy groups as such. While they might ignore one person, if you increase the numbers a little, it gets harder for them to ignore. In fact, I'm surprised this hasn't been suggested yet. Dave, is there a cycling club or advocacy group in your area you could contact about this? I'm sure they would be interested to hear about it, and they might have some insight into alternative routes and so on.

[catatonic]

I've had a few objects hurled at me, and some colorful language...it burns me badly to have things thrown at me...I do have a very short temper when it comes to that level of disrespect...but I end up just taking it out by going full-bore on the bike instead...

The only one i actually called the police on was a guy that threw a liquor bottle at me....the fact this was a car and an empty bottle didn't peice together well, so I felt that calling him in was required.

[Seanholio]

I've had a few objects hurled at me, and some colorful language...it burns me badly to have things thrown at me...I do have a very short temper when it comes to that level of disrespect...but I end up just taking it out by going full-bore on the bike instead...

I've yet to have something thrown at me. I think that I will not repond directly to most thrown objects, or wave to the driver and smile, wishing him a nice day. I agree with working it out by going full-bore on the bike, especially since I have few chances to catch up to a vehicle on my commute. Were I able to get their license plate number, I'd file assault charges with the police, and add battery if they connect, and intent to harm if the item is hard, and attempt to murder if it were a bottle or something similar, since a strike to the head could kill directly, or indirectly as a consequence of my being knocked over.

Fortunately the Silicon Balley Bicycle Coalition (http://www.svbcbikes.org/) has a direct link to the Santa Clara and San Mateo Ped/Bike Incident Form (http://www.penbiped.org/incidentreport.html) which is also a good place to report incidents in other counties. Put as much info as you can into such a form. While it might not "fix" that driver on the first report, if there is a series of reports, the driver or area will receive attention. The SVBC is a good organization, and any Silicon Valley cyclist should join. I don't agree with them all the time, but I rarely agree with anyone most of the time. :)

[Wingman115]

Don't get bummed out we've all had bad riding days like that but there really are very nice people out there that yield the road it's the 1% that give us the bad taste in our mouths. I find that if you ride with authority the cars respect you more. That will happen when you put in the miles and learn some of the road riding basics. I always watch myself at intersections and where cars are parked along the side of the road.
And if I'm in a turn lane I take up the whole lane. You might want to invest in a mirror that way you can see what's creeping up behind you.

[Seanholio]

Don't get bummed out we've all had bad riding days like that but there really are very nice people out there that yield the road it's the 1% that give us the bad taste in our mouths. I find that if you ride with authority the cars respect you more. That will happen when you put in the miles and learn some of the road riding basics. I always watch myself at intersections and where cars are parked along the side of the road.
And if I'm in a turn lane I take up the whole lane. You might want to invest in a mirror that way you can see what's creeping up behind you.

I have to agree with Wingman, here.

My first few days of commuting by bike were interesting. I felt like a cat in a dog yard with a steak tied to my tail. After a few mistakes, brought on by latent cyclist inferiority, I figured out that Forrester was right: If I acted like a car, and took up the whole lane when there was not enough space to share, signaled my moves, and was predicable, I was generally able to get along well with other vehicles.

The mirror is a great suggestion. I thought they looked pretty stupid, before I started using them. Now, I don't feel right without them.

[madpogue]

hell i've seen guys move over 3 lanes to get into the turning lane. i could never do that. Get a mirror. It's amazing how much more confident I am about changing lanes into a turning lane with a mirror vs. without. I bought a new bike this weekend, rode it on the day I bought it before we even got it home. Without the mirror, having to turn my head to check traffic, I found it disorienting. Using a mirror for maneuvers like this becomes as natural as doing so in a car. Of course, I'll still only do it when I know I can blend, speed-wise, with the other traffic, or when there's plenty of room behind.

I also consider it essential to be as visible as possible. During the day, I always wear either a fluorescent (yellow, lime green or orange) jersey or my fluorescent-yellow / Scotchbrite reflective vest. At night, well, there are plenty of threads here about night visibility.