Originally Posted by
Mr. Hairy Legs
Yeah, no I don't think so. How often do you see motorists get irate and horny at cyclists who are illegally riding on the sidewalk? It doesn't happen.
Most drivers are uneducated, and believe that the cyclists belong on the sidewalk to begin with. So, of course this example would never happen.
I offered my opinion as a motorist because I do not yet, and won't until I get comfortable on my new bike, have any experience as a cyclist riding on the road. Because of the fact that I have not ridden on the road, I have been pondering how I will behave once I begin doing so. I have also been talking to friends, family, and just about anyone else who would listen, and beyond a few who share the "bikes belong on the sidewalk" attitude, every single one of them (none are cyclists by the way) has stated that what annoys them about cyclists is the fact that they seem to believe they don't have to follow the rules of the road. Running of red lights and stop signs has been mentioned by several people, but the overwhelming majority are most annoyed by the cyclists who ride in the traffic lane, then move to the shoulder and pass everyone at traffic lights, causing them to have to pass the cyclist over and over again.
Originally Posted by
Mr. Hairy Legs
It really just boils down to two things:
1) Motorists don't like to have to slow down for cyclists
2) Motorists don't like to have to drive more cautiously around cyclists to avoid killing them, because that takes mental energy
As a general rule, I would say this comment mostly applies to those who; a) are going to hate cyclists no matter what, and/or b) are unaware that cyclists are supposed to ride on the road, and believe they belong on the sidewalk.
Originally Posted by
Mr. Hairy Legs
Go to YouTube and watch some of the many bike vs. car road rage videos and you'll find that the majority (I'm guessing at least 90%) of such incidents are the direct result of a cyclist riding in the middle of the lane for a prolonged stretch and impeding the motorist until his blood boils. Legality is not a factor whatsoever.
If you ride a bike on the streets you will always be hated by a small percentage of drivers, but as someone else here mentioned, the "bicycle drivers" will be hated more.
Anyone who experiences road rage towards a cyclist, or can be inconvenienced to the point of their blood boiling, is someone who this is going to happen to no matter what. Some people are just miserable, hateful people that have and will continue to use cyclists as the target for their rage. As to the cyclist vs "bicycle driver" point, I have talked to enough non-cyclists to be convinced that, at least to start with, I will be a "bicycle driver" when I start riding on the streets, as I believe that will gain the most respect from those drivers that will be around me.
I guess my point is that there are certain people that will always harbor a certain disdain for cyclists, and there is nothing that can be done to change their opinion. But, I feel through my own experiences as a driver, when encountering cyclists on the road, as well as many conversations with non-cyclists, that following the rules of the road will be the best way to improve the other peoples perceptions of cyclists, as well as my own safety when riding. I guess I'll see how that goes when I start riding on the road...