getting even!?
okay, i don't know what's going on lately, but in the last 10 days i've been involved in a hit and run (the car slowed down, entered the bike lane, and clipped me), some teenagers shot me with a pellet gun while i was running errands, and yesterday some tourist a$$hole chased me through my neighborhood because i flipped him off (after he nearly hit me while using a turning lane to pass other drivers).
granted, i was asking for it when i flipped that guy off, but seriously, where does it end? i'm so tired of feeling (and being) threatened while riding. and i'm talking ALL kinds of riding; the hit and run was a spandex-training ride and the other incidents were commuting...but in what universe is this acceptable behavior!? -scratch that, we all know it's not acceptable, but what drives me nuts is that (for drivers) harassing cyclists is a consequence-free activity. i can't speak for outside of the states, but i've ridden in numerous cities/states in the US and have an accompanying harassment story for each place.
i'm sorry to rant, but i know i'm not alone on this. what is the solution? is more advocacy the answer? is law enforcement the answer? is a nightly critical mass necessary? should cyclists start carring guns(i'm kidding)?
i feel lucky that i haven't been killed (like too many other cyclists have) by irresponsible motorists, but where does it end? what strikes me as the worst part is the general consensus by non-cyclists that when a cyclist is harassed/injured/killed that it's somehow an accepted part of riding a bike. as if, we as cyclists are at fault for being on the road!??
look, i'm not an idiot, i have a masters in urban planning and have been grappling with this issue for a long time and can't figure out a solution to what feels like a war against cyclists by (most) motorists.
where does it end?