Originally Posted by randya
I can go weeks without a significant incident with a motorist, and all in all I don't think cycling is that risky; but all it takes is one distracted, impatient or aggressive motorist to really ruin your day. That's why I don't trust them.
Distracted drivers are a dime a dozen, they don't bother me at all. I think most drivers are distracted most of the time. If I was bothered by distracted drivers, I'd be a wreck (in other words, I'd be Gene
)
I'm sure there are more impatient drivers out there than I realize. Of course, I only know they're impatient if their impatience is manifested in some way that I can recognize. Perhaps following me too closely, or honking, but this is quite rare. It may be more often than I realize because it's so insignificant to me that I forget. When it does happen, it's usually easy to deal with by using a slow/stop signal, looking at them and smiling and/or shrugging shoulders, etc.
Drivers that I would call aggressive are extremely rare. The last one I encountered though, was only a few weeks ago. Before that? I can't remember. Probably years. I wrote about the old geezer who honked aggressively at me and my daughter a few weeks ago. Unbelievably, a police car was right behind him, and pulled him over. Even so, I was able to learn that he was probably a decent guy, who genuinely felt obliged to "teach me a lesson". Ultimately, even though this guy was so out of line he was pulled over by a cop, he was a friend too!
There is no way I would ever allow such silliness to ruin my day. Life is too short for that.
The only trust I have in motorists is that they're trying to get somewhere, and would rather not be delayed if possible. I understand and respect that, and act accordingly. They seem to recognize this, and afford me respect in kind.