Originally Posted by
Treespeed
My commute in Los Angeles is a fairly lonely affair, and I feel like I've done a good job training the motorists I have to share the roads with 5 days a week. I rarely, almost never, get the bird or even honked at, more often it's a smile and a wave. Then this morning I get two newbies weaving through traffic, hugging the curb just generally peaving people off. These folks are obviosly new commuters doing their best to react to the rising fuel prices, but dang talk about erasing years of built up goodwill. I won't say anything to these folks as I know it would be pointless, it just sets an inconsistent example for motorists.
I think it's a bit of a stretch to talk about "erasing years of built up goodwill". It's not like saving S&H Green Stamps -- you don't know that you've even
got "years of built up goodwill", for all you know all those motorists are driving by you thinking, "God that guy is annoying, why doesn't he just get on the sidewalk?" And it's also not like you know that it's been "erased", and that every motorist who encountered those two is now thinking, "^!#$% bikers!". Your whole use of the phrase makes it sound like you believe that you're the angel and those two cyclists are the devil, and furthermore, you believe that drivers see it that way too. Ride your ride and let the rest slide.