Advocacy & Safety - Finally got yelled at today.

Riding to work in the morning. 7 AM on a suburb road. Going uphill, road has no shoulder lane but I was literally riding on the white line. Cars coming behind me were courteous and wait until road is clear to pass. Got to the top of the hill and the road was empty, a white Ford Explorer appear on the opposite side and as the car pass by I hear ".... f...king road!" I wanted to think that he meant "...f...king cold" but knew better. That kind of ruined the day for me. People are people but what 's wrong with them?

Oh well, at least he didn't veer into me on purpose.

What road in Columbia was this or nearby, if you don't mind sharing? I biked around there once and I got to say I wasn't feeling too confident riding on the roads. I'm normally fine with asserting myself anywhere even in big city traffic but not here.

. . . That kind of ruined the day for me . . .

And armed with that experience any and all future inane comments can roll right off and spoil twenty or thirty seconds max.

Maybe the poor guy just has a speaking impediment rather than a brain problem.

Riding to work in the morning. 7 AM on a suburb road. Going uphill, road has no shoulder lane but I was literally riding on the white line. Cars coming behind me were courteous and wait until road is clear to pass. Got to the top of the hill and the road was empty, a white Ford Explorer appear on the opposite side and as the car pass by I hear ".... f...king road!" I wanted to think that he meant "...f...king cold" but knew better. That kind of ruined the day for me. People are people but what 's wrong with them?

Oh well, at least he didn't veer into me on purpose.

Or throw anything at you.

It really amazes me that people fine it so easy to be total asshats..Cant grasp what makes people have to say something to a person they don't know and sometime have zero interaction with..This last month Ive had two guys working on their car yell "Peddle faster fagget" and a guy call me a punk as I waited to make a left..I try to laugh it off but damn.....

they yell at you 'cause they are scared that you represent the future

they yell at you 'cause they are scared that you represent the future

Or they're jealous and wish that they had the strength to ride. I think it would be nice if all cagers had to ride a bike for transportation for at least a month to see what we have to deal with.

Or they're jealous and wish that they had the strength to ride. I think it would be nice if all cagers had to ride a bike for transportation for at least a month to see what we have to deal with.

+1

:beer:

At least the hick didn't feel the need to bump you into the ditch. Happened to me on a local road.

Was this near Rt. 100 or Rt 103? I rode there for a while. It sucked. Dangerous.

At least the hick didn't feel the need to bump you into the ditch. Happened to me on a local road.

Try traveling on a one way street riding on the left side of the road because you're going to turn left and having a "polite" cager forcing you off the road and into an overturned wood and concrete bus stop bench. Trust me those things do NOT move when you hit 'em with a bicycle.

Fortunately I was wearing my leather gloves from when I was in the Army, my helmet, and surprisingly my front wheel did NOT "taco." And I was able to continue my ride. The gloves took the road rash, and my head never bounced off the sidewalk.

D_C: You didn't know how to use your brakes? Scoot your butt back, lean your chest towards your top tube, lock your elbows and grab both brakes. When your rear tire loses contact with the ground, ease off front brake. Maybe you need to work on your reaction time.

At least you didn't get hit like this guy: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-rWu9rMPj7o

D_C: You didn't know how to use your brakes? Scoot your butt back, lean your chest towards your top tube, lock your elbows and grab both brakes. When your rear tire loses contact with the ground, ease off front brake. Maybe you need to work on your reaction time.

At least you didn't get hit like this guy: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-rWu9rMPj7o

No, try there was no time/space to react. And that no matter what I did I would have hit that bench. And unlike your dubious encounter with with the Highlander car/window do I wasn't injured and my bike wasn't damaged.

Did he do it on purpose? Was he behind you at all? (meaning did he have visual contact with you before pushing you over)? That would be a pretty D-bag thing to do.

Not being racist against pick ups. I've had one. But, facts are facts.. When even I"ve been yelled at. It's usually a pick up or an SUV.. Should it be an SUV and they are talking on their cell phone- get off the road.. They are potentially deadly.

Happens to everyone sooner or later.

Remember that they are stupid/ignorant/petulant/childish/envious/probably overweight/ill-mannered people whose parents didn't enjoy it on the solitary occasion they met, then smile sweetly, wave in a friendly manner to them and rise above their infantile behaviour.

Fluent Anglo-Saxon language is also an alternative, of course.

Smile and wave...

Did he do it on purpose? Was he behind you at all? (meaning did he have visual contact with you before pushing you over)? That would be a pretty D-bag thing to do.

Nope. He was coming from the OTHER side. There were no traffic at that moment. No cars behind me and he was coming from the other side.

Was this near Rt. 100 or Rt 103? I rode there for a while. It sucked. Dangerous.

No, it was Murray Hill Road, I was going uphill coming from king's Contrivance, heading toward Guildford Road. I am thinking about changing my route to use the other direction so I can go up to the access road along side Rt 29. At least there are room to maneuver there.

Or they're jealous and wish that they had the strength to ride. I think it would be nice if all cagers had to ride a bike for transportation for at least a month to see what we have to deal with.

I like the logic here. I am not even close to being in the shape I want to be but hauling a near 30 lb steel bike with a 190 lb body weight up a moderate hill does take some effort. I just have to think positively that he is out of shape can can't anything like that. And I was doing that in 50 degrees weather too (first time commuting at that temp.)

At least the hick didn't feel the need to bump you into the ditch. Happened to me on a local road.

Yeah, I once witnessed two zeroes purposely try to run a cycling migrant worker into the ditch. I reported it to the police because I knew the victim would likely never complain. The same thing happened to my mom years ago when she was riding with my little sister on the kid carrier.

Or they're jealous and wish that they had the strength to ride. I think it would be nice if all cagers had to ride a bike for transportation for at least a month to see what we have to deal with.

Well, there may be some truth to this - especially if they can't get off their butt other than to move from the couch to the car seat.

But I think the main reason is they simply think they are entitled to the road, and anyone that is in their way (or deviates from the "norm") is a nuisance. They feel like bikers have no right to impede their life. It's almost all about entitlement in my book.

And then there are just plain punks - who are simply trying to startle for amusement. Real funny.

Riding to work in the morning. 7 AM on a suburb road. Going uphill, road has no shoulder lane but I was literally riding on the white line.

That's the bigger problem I see. If you keep riding like that it is only a matter of time before someone hits you unintentionally. Either take the lane or find an alternate route.

Smile and wave...

I wave my middle finger, immediately and exaggerated. I'm just itchin' to give someone the finger when I'm riding my bike. It comes out of the holster so fast you'd be amazed! That's my technique for keeping these kinds of incidents to an absolute minimum. If you want it to rain, plan a picnic.

That's the bigger problem I see. If you keep riding like that it is only a matter of time before someone hits you unintentionally. Either take the lane or find an alternate route.

I think I am going to find an alternate route...

Don't sweat the random yelling BS much. I'd venture a guess that any of us that spend enough time on the road anywhere undure this. I mean, is it news to you that a-holes are thick on the ground?

Reminds me when I was taking the lane in downtown Bellevue. Cars generally go 25 in the road I was on. I was going 20 at the time with a car behind me. As I'm riding, some construction hick worker on the sidewalk walking the opposite direction yells at me to "get off the F---in' road". I felt like turning around onto his sidewalk and whackin' the back of his head as I pass him and say "ok, i'm off the road"! Ahh, but only in my dreams.

Reminds me when I was taking the lane in downtown Bellevue. Cars generally go 25 in the road I was on. I was going 20 at the time with a car behind me. As I'm riding, some construction hick worker on the sidewalk walking the opposite direction yells at me to "get off the F---in' road". I felt like turning around onto his sidewalk and whackin' the back of his head as I pass him and say "ok, i'm off the road"! Ahh, but only in my dreams.

Yep, I've had a few of those as well. And I agree with ya that I'd love to "Gibbs' slap" 'em. Like you say, "only in our dreams."

One of the last times I had someone tell me that I should be on sidewalk I was walking my bike towards 3rd street to head home from the first Friday concert. When some gal that I passed tells me that I should be on the sidewalk. The irony is that the sidewalk is/was more crowded then the street itself was.

Stuff like that used to bother me so now when it happens I try to remember all the cars that passed either without incident or were actually courteous. I soon realized the good guys out number the bad and just keep on trucking and enjoy the ride. On the rare occasion that I do say something I try to do my best burned out hippie surfer impression like the turtle in Saving Nemo, I smile and say "Jesus loves you dude and so do I". It works almost every time, they usually look at me with that WTF expression on their face and drive away in silence.

Or they're jealous and wish that they had the strength to ride. I think it would be nice if all cagers had to ride a bike for transportation for at least a month to see what we have to deal with.

Like the way you think.

I've only been yelled at once this year. Some genetic defective leaned out the passenger window of a passing SUV (but of course) and yelled what sounded like "GA OD DA RAMMA BABBA BUBBA WA WA!" Seriously, that's what it sounded like. Some new language, perhaps? Oh yeah, the yeller was not a teenager. Fat, and balding, I would have guessed his age to be mid to late 40's. Uh, do these guys not mature mentally past their college frat house years, or is something else going on?

Like the way you think.

I've only been yelled at once this year. Some genetic defective leaned out the passenger window of a passing SUV (but of course) and yelled what sounded like "GA OD DA RAMMA BABBA BUBBA WA WA!" Seriously, that's what it sounded like. Some new language, perhaps? Oh yeah, the yeller was not a teenager. Fat, and balding, I would have guessed his age to be mid to late 40's. Uh, do these guys not mature mentally past their college frat house years, or is something else going on?

Thank you.

It seems like with some of these guys there is a gene or something that switches off and they stay in frat house mode. Some of them seem to think that going through life "Fat, drunk and stupid" is a good thing.

FWIW If you want to get involved with bicycle advocacy in Howard County: http://sports.groups.yahoo.com/group/FriendsofBAHC/

No, it was Murray Hill Road, I was going uphill coming from king's Contrivance, heading toward Guildford Road. I am thinking about changing my route to use the other direction so I can go up to the access road along side Rt 29. At least there are room to maneuver there.

I'm taking some classes at the APL campus of Hopkins, so I ride along there all the time. You might see me, usually on a red cyclocross bike with a blue messenger bag. Where are you trying to get to? I tried a lot of routes before settling on my current one, Old Columbia Rd/Guilford/Murray Hill/Vollmerhausen/Savage-Guilford... towards Odenton. I could ride Guilford most of the way, but I hate the long stretches of steep uphills with no shoulder.

I don't remember ever being yelled at there, but I'm also pretty used to it, so I might have forgotten.

Should it be an SUV and they are talking on their cell phone- get off the road.. They are potentially deadly.


They are deadly