Living Car Free - Sometimes I don't feel good

The longer I ride/commute, the more I encounter car drivers on the street think they own the road. It doesn't happen all the time, but when it does, I try hard to stop myself from giving the finger salute (since I always think they are going to run me over if I do0. My mood would then go from anything to "worst day of my life." Does that happens to you too?

The longer I ride/commute, the more I encounter car drivers on the street think they own the road. It doesn't happen all the time, but when it does, I try hard to stop myself from giving the finger salute (since I always think they are going to run me over if I do0. My mood would then go from anything to "worst day of my life." Does that happens to you too?

I happens to us all.

When tempted to give the driver a 1 finger salute, I amp it up 500% and give'em a 5 finger salute.

Yeah, probably more frequently in the Winter when there are less commuters on the road, but it definitely still happens. It is frustrating, but I'm not sure there is much to do other than wear a helmet and use caution. Going to city council meetings to grab real bike lanes would help too.

Sometimes, but usually not. I try not to dwell on it right after it happens. If I go through it (replay - think how wrong the person was, how dangerous that was, etc.) in my head right away then it is hard to get it out and not let it bother me for a long time.

In other words, the less you replay it to yourself (not saying you do that) the better.

BTW Anewbike I clicked on your website and am enjoying the audios of the stories - cool.

I usually flip 'em off. sometimes with a verbal accompaniment.

The longer I ride/commute, the more I encounter car drivers on the street think they own the road. It doesn't happen all the time, but when it does, I try hard to stop myself from giving the finger salute (since I always think they are going to run me over if I do0. My mood would then go from anything to "worst day of my life." Does that happens to you too?

I used to get pretty angry and hostile about it, but lately not so much. I gradually came to the conclusion that most car drivers are decent human beings with good intentions, and those few drivers who are a$$holes are a$$holes towards everyone, not just me, so I shouldn't puff myself up with a feeling of special victim-hood just because I'm riding a bike. That idiot who honked his horn, passed too close and yelled something unintelligible at you probably honked his horn and gave the finger to some guy in a Ford a couple of minutes earlier.

I used to get pretty angry and hostile about it, but lately not so much. I gradually came to the conclusion that most car drivers are decent human beings with good intentions, and those few drivers who are a$$holes are a$$holes towards everyone, not just me, so I shouldn't puff myself up with a feeling of special victim-hood just because I'm riding a bike. That idiot who honked his horn, passed too close and yelled something unintelligible at you probably honked his horn and gave the finger to some guy in a Ford a couple of minutes earlier.

+ infinity

I used to get pretty angry and hostile about it, but lately not so much. I gradually came to the conclusion that most car drivers are decent human beings with good intentions, and those few drivers who are a$$holes are a$$holes towards everyone, not just me, so I shouldn't puff myself up with a feeling of special victim-hood just because I'm riding a bike. That idiot who honked his horn, passed too close and yelled something unintelligible at you probably honked his horn and gave the finger to some guy in a Ford a couple of minutes earlier.

Thank you very much.

The longer I ride/commute, the more I encounter car drivers on the street think they own the road. It doesn't happen all the time, but when it does, I try hard to stop myself from giving the finger salute (since I always think they are going to run me over if I do0. My mood would then go from anything to "worst day of my life." Does that happens to you too?


I usually flip 'em off. sometimes with a verbal accompaniment.

I'm all over this problem. I've had a number of near-death experiences on the road over the last year and, quite recently, I purchased an air horn. It's very loud and car drivers really notice it. Some seem quite surprised.

My only problem is that it's taking me a while to get used to it. The other day I was being sort of gracefully right hooked by someone with his cap on backwards. I immediately started to give my usual WTF series of words, when it occurred to me... you idiot, use your horn.

So I nailed the horn and saw his lady passenger's jaw drop quite dramatically.

It's just weird, because this hasn't been my experience at all. I cycle daily, and I can only recall one close call. Drivers are always very courteous to me, sometimes excessively so. I used to think it was because I usually had kids with me, but I got a job where I don't work from home and now am riding alone more frequently. I haven't noticed any difference in how drivers treat me. My husband and other people who cycle around here complain about drivers. I can't decide if it's my attitude and thus I perceive drivers differently, or if I am actually treated differently. Oh well, I'm certainly not going to complain.

BTW Anewbike I clicked on your website and am enjoying the audios of the stories - cool.
Hey thanks a bunch, we really appreciate the listens.

I used to fly the finger a lot more than I do now -- it's easier now to just bellow. The 'vent effect' is equal, and most drivers are going fast enough that they may or may not even hear me. (Should they want to ESCALATE, well, hey... I'm not helpless, that's as far as I'll go on that.)

It's just weird, because this hasn't been my experience at all. I cycle daily, and I can only recall one close call. Drivers are always very courteous to me, sometimes excessively so. I used to think it was because I usually had kids with me, but I got a job where I don't work from home and now am riding alone more frequently. I haven't noticed any difference in how drivers treat me. My husband and other people who cycle around here complain about drivers. I can't decide if it's my attitude and thus I perceive drivers differently, or if I am actually treated differently. Oh well, I'm certainly not going to complain.
Riding with kids or being female is different than riding as a male. You will be treated differently just because you are female. When my son was young, we got much better treatment than we do now that he is an adult. When I ride with my wife, we are treated much better than I am when I am alone or with another male. My wife has noticed the increased animosity she faces if she is riding with a group of male riders as opposed to riding with a group of females. This differential treatment has nothing to do with your attitude or how you ride, it's just a strange quirk of our sick society.

The longer I ride/commute, the more I encounter car drivers on the street think they own the road. It doesn't happen all the time, but when it does, I try hard to stop myself from giving the finger salute (since I always think they are going to run me over if I do0. My mood would then go from anything to "worst day of my life." Does that happens to you too?
A couple years ago I saw a British public service announcement dealing with asshat driving. It had people holding up their pinkies to indicate their displeasure with the asshats. I'm sure you know what was meant by the pinkie wiggle. When I have some moron put my health/life at risk, I just wiggle my pinkie, often without even taking my hands off the hoods. It is empowering in a weird way.

I've decided the cyclist becomes the target of aggression meant for someone else. we're easy pickings, I've overheard disparaging remarks from 10 year old boys to 80 year old women and I've not done anything other than be there to warrant the abuse. in away I think we're therapeutic for the masses. the 80 year woman would like to yell at her husband or child but that wouldn't be prudent so she yells at me. the auto driver would like to kill his boss, so he honks at me instead. believing in the adage no blood no foul, I don't really care what people say, be it muttered or screamed. if I want to extract revenge I simply yell the word "what" and make their rant moot. they hated being mooted. I personally would love a moots.