Northeast - What is it with Boston drivers this week?

What is it with Boston drivers this week? Between the guy who videotaped a driver (http://www.bikeforums.net/showthread.php/768485-my-helmet-cam-video-got-me-on-the-local-news) cutting him off and then threatening him, two drivers bashing each others' windshields in (http://www.bu.edu/today/2011/two-arrested-in-mondays-road-rage-incident/) and running over a bicycle in the crossfire, the psycho who drove his car (http://www.massbike.org/2011/09/14/its-time-to-get-past-rage/) into the president of Massbike's bike, and my own personal attack by a deranged motorist (http://www.bikeforums.net/showthread.php/768485-my-helmet-cam-video-got-me-on-the-local-news?p=13238166&viewfull=1#post13238166) (same as the first case, except the guy didn't just threaten, he actually physically attacked me), Boston is just a crazy place to be right now. I suppose it has something to do with the fact that with the students having all just moved back in, the population of Boston has suddenly shot up tremendously and the roads are suddenly much more crowded than they've been for the past few months -- but I've been biking here for a long time and the psycho drivers seem to be worse this fall than in previous years. Ultimately the blame rests squarely on the shoulders of the psycho drivers, but shouldn't we also blame the media for trying to start a "war between cyclists and motorists" ?

Had my own run-in out in Bedford this week. The driver involved appeared frantic, and his aggression was directed not only at me, but at the drivers of other cars ahead of him.

Boston print and broadcast journalism have been in a race to the bottom for years, for extrinsic financial reasons. With a few commendable exceptions, most of the current crop of local reporters/copy writers/commentators simply aren't very good, appear to be badly managed & edited, and this sort of cheap, facile gestalt story ("war between cyclists and motorists") is about the best they can do. It's becoming a story template, like "convenience store robbery surveillance footage" or "cops deliver baby in car". They're doing a miserable job covering public policy and public safety issues in general, why should cycling and road use be any different? Broad-based feedback MIGHT help. Good advocacy PR that does their job for them might help, too.

rod

Yeah, I'd say it's just something that caught your and/or the media's attention.

We're also far more attuned to negative events than positive or lack of events. E.g. let's say that in an average week there are three events along these lines. Some weeks there will be 3, others 6, others 0. You're going to give a lot more weight to the week where six events happen than the week where none of these events happen. Being personally involved in one such incident is also going to make you very sensitive to anything that vaguely resembles it for a brief period of time.

By the way, since no one seems to have mentioned it in the other thread, you may want to avoid escalating situations like that despite any natural tendencies and assumption that a camera might protect you. Bob Mionoske discussed it in an article awhile back: http://www.bicyclelaw.com/articles/a.cfm/legally-speaking-more-rage

What is it with Boston drivers this week?

Uh, what do you mean "this week"?

Boston's drivers are notoriously aggressive and have been for years. There has been a sudden and huge spike in the number of bicyclists on the streets and roads in and around Boston. They are just one more target for the Massholes behind the wheel.

Interesting that while the accident rate is probably not higher for bicyclists as their numbers increase the incidence of deliberate aggression is.

Interesting. I think it's all a matter of perception and experience (as in the wrong place at the wrong time). The guy threatening you absolutely sucks. And I do think college kids completely change the vibes in the neighborhood. (I say that as someone who lives right near Berklee.)

But when I went biking this week in the South End, I was pleasantly surprised. People respected my use of the bike lane and didn't try to cut me off. I was able to signal across 2 lanes of traffic on Mass Ave to get in the left hand lane. The only thing that slightly annoyed me was a guy sans helmet weaving in the lanes.

May you have better rides next week.

Also, all the Hubways released across the city have opened up biking as a new venue to many people who did not own bikes. I think the Hubways are great; I just cringe everytime I see people riding in the street without helmets. I wish helmets came automatically with the bikes and that you couldn't rent the bike unless you took the helmet also.

Also, all the Hubways released across the city have opened up biking as a new venue to many people who did not own bikes. I think the Hubways are great; I just cringe everytime I see people riding in the street without helmets. I wish helmets came automatically with the bikes and that you couldn't rent the bike unless you took the helmet also.

The Hubway bikes are a great addition. As is the sudden influx of more people on bikes in Boston. BUT there is going to be a period of uncomfortable adjustment as the new bike riders learn to behave like responsible members of the traffic community and automobile drivers get used to making room for more bikes on the road.

During that period, we bike riders need to be especially vigilant of aggressive motorists who may seek any opportunity to intimidate or harass bicyclists. Report them, scold them, what have you but be aware that their automobile can be used as a dangerous weapon or they may be carrying something dangerous as well.

Don't take chances with the nut behind the wheel! :eek:

I don't know if it's just a ''this week'' thing. But, I'm sure that we are seeing more evidence of these run-ins due to a proliferation of helmet cams, cell phone cameras, etc.

I work at a local TV station in Boston and I can say that my station DOES NOT try to play up this cars vs cyclists battle. Other stations and publications do. The Globe knows damn well what it's doing when it puts a column calling for the outlawing of bicycles on the front page of boston.com. However, the stations that ran your video were probably just geeked out over something that was ''caught on camera.'' Yes, my industry has fallen to hilariously low levels in recent years.

To be honest, this is a situation where both sides need to behave better. I know that I'm far edgier on a bike then when I drive. A simple driving error will have me cursing up a storm under my breath. But, if I were in a car, I probably wouldn't have noticed. We are in a vulnerable position on bikes, no doubt about that. But, I see far too many cyclist overreact. I truly believe that the vast majority of drivers are not targeting cyclists. Occasionally they just need a friendly reminder that we're there.

These incidents - and especially the video - confirm a policy for me: do not engage. My feeling is, if there is no severe contact, fall or vehicle damage.... ride on..... do not engage. Although I did try an experiment once: I got buzzed on South Street, Needham (if you ride that road, it has happened to you...) and the driver was obviously being aggressive towards me. Typical for South Street, I was going around 25 mph, headed towards red light and there is a blind turn on a hill, and naturally he had to overtake in the turn and he narrowly missed a head-on with oncoming. Jammed on his brakes for the red light. I pulled up to the driver's side window - I was going left at that intersection. I glared at him. He was STEAMED. I motioned that he roll down his window. I just calmly asked for directions to a nearby street. (It was an experiment - I know the roads here.) He was disarmed immediately. I could see his whole bomb fuse system disengage as if to realize... "wait, this guy on the funny bike is a living human being like me ... and he NEEDS me!" So he told me where to go. No, really told me exactly where to go.... to get to the street I asked about. But in the end, I couldn't resist .... I said "...thanks, and someday you're gonna kill a person driving the way you do...." just as the light turned green. "bye-bye"!

I have found Boston a wonderful place to ride. Overall, the motorists are well aware of cyclists and it's a wonderfully bike-friendly place to ride.
The amount of cyclists, using their bikes in all different ways; from the boloco cabbies, delivery bikes, commuters, tourists, students,etc is just awesome.
The bike lanes and signage is really great for cycling.

The traffic in Los Angeles is MUCH,MUCH more hostile to bicyclists and the amount of blatant hostility towards bikes is literally 1000% more than what I experienced in Boston.

I would say Boston is a cycling mecca as far as urban cycling and commuting goes.. well, weather permitting ;)

The traffic in Los Angeles is MUCH,MUCH more hostile to bicyclists and the amount of blatant hostility towards bikes is literally 1000% more than what I experienced in Boston.

Thanks, Cruiserhead, for keeping it in perspective. I am glad to count our blessings here, and things are continuing to improve every day! (Except for the weather, of course.)