Originally Posted by
Chris516
I hope your not implying that, those with supposedly 'extreme' experiences should join the CM crowd?
Doesn't getting passed on the road by a motorized vehicle by less than what the law allows(3-5ft. in certain jurisdictions) bother you?
I guess it depends on the speed. Where I am most often passed in close quarters, cars are probably going anywhere from 20 to 40 mph, so I don't mind a couple feet at those speeds.
My bigger concern is actually when cars get backed up behind me because it increases the odds that someone will get impatient and do something stupid. I quit riding on one road in particular because more than once multiple cars got backed up and then all of them tried to pass and the last guy came too close (for my standards, at least) to a head on collision in the other lane. It would have been his own fault, of course, but I would still be involved and I just don't want that on my conscience so I don't ride there anymore.
Yes, Reactions may seem extreme, but what do you expect when a cyclist has a right to be on the road, yet the motorist certainly doesn't think so and the motorist behaves almost intent on causing the cyclist to crash.
If a motorist is trying to drive unsafe, that's a situation I don't want to be involved in. I would try to get out of the way ASAP by pulling over, taking a different road, etc. I believe in my right to be there, but I'm not going to die over it.
Also, If the same motorist does cause the cyclist to crash(and maybe even get killed) guess what, the motorist won't care.
This is where I have to disagree with you. I doubt that most people who kill others on accident don't care about the tragedy. And, I don't believe there are a bunch of motorists out there hell bent on running down cyclists and killing them just to prove a point. People like that are crazy, and like I said, I don't think most people are crazy.