Originally Posted by hairyman

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.