Originally Posted by flipflops
My am commute is about 6 miles and I'm out between 7:30 and 8am. I take pains to follow all the traffic laws-- I signal, I stop at lights, I try not to make any sudden moves that would freak an inexperienced driver out yet I constantly get honked at yelled at tailgated in bike/bus lanes (in alot of places in LA, during rush hour bikes can share lanes reserved for buses-- so these folks aren't even supposed to be in the lane).
Why are people so hostile to cyclists-- I'm just trying to get to class. Can anyone explain this to me? I'm a woman and I ride by myself most of the time so occasionally I get a little freaked out when people are aggressive. Can anyone explain the intense hostility people feel towards cyclists? Is it because we're slower than a car?-- It's not like they can't just pass me. Any thoughts?
I usually spend a week or two once a year in Santa Monica with my aunt. Haven't been on a bike there since the one I kept there was stolen out of her garage 10 years ago, but I'm a ped 90% of my time there. Motorists are really nasty there. Even when I visited as a kid, I nearly got creamed on multiple occasions. I was a pretty car traffic-savvy 12 year old, too. There's something about that area that make even the most reasonable person nuts while driving a car.