Originally Posted by
genec
There is some interesting "magic" that goes on when a motorist sees a cyclist ahead... in some motorists minds, something shorts out. They deny that a bicycle can be in front of them, even if the cyclist is causing no delay, and is moving at the posted speed limit...
Can anyone really explain this notion... this violation of rights, and deliberate irrational behavior to a fellow human along with the obvious abuse of "the rules of the road" that are so often touted as the whole key for cyclists to "fare best?" How do we "fare best" when following the rules of the road provokes irrational responses from some motorists in varying degrees?
I can't explain it, but I conducted a very interesting experiment on my commute to a job I used to work at.
My route home included a long downhill with a 25 mph speed limit, a lane too narrow to share and no shoulder -- just a curb. I rode my bicycle in the center of the lane and easily hit the 25 mph speed limit, but almost every day I encountered people tailgating, honking or passing me in excess of the posted speed limit.
Some days I rode my motorcycle to work. It's pretty much the same width and length as my bicycle and I rode in the same lane position at exactly the same speed.
Guess what happened?
Everyone acted completely normal. No speeding, honking or other rude behavior.
The next time I rode my bike -- more honking, speeding, yelling...
The two vehicles took up the same amount of space on the road and were operated in the same manner and at the same speed, but for many people the lack of a motor on one of them somehow made it unworthy of using the road.