We are not defenseless. I know this will upset the more sensitive here, but it works for me. My comments from a previous post:
http://www.bikeforums.net/showthread...it#post6519273

When motorist buzz a cyclist, it is sometimes hard to tell if it was a distracted/inattentive driver or if it was a driver intentionally buzzing the cyclist (especially if the motorist has tinted windows). One tactic I use to judge intent; is when the JAM buzzes me, I will spit on the rear door or rear quarter panel. If it is a distracted/inattentive driver, they just keep going, never knowing they got spat on. On the other hand, if the act was intentional, the driver will be looking in their mirror to see the cyclist reaction. When they see their precious get spit on, they react with a swerve or hitting the brakes. Ensuing conversations have sometimes been humorious:

Motorist: You spit on my car.
Cyclist: You passed me too close.
Motorist: But, you spit on my car.
Cyclist: Yes, you passed me too close.
Motorist: You didn’t have to spit on my car.
Cyclist: You didn’t have to pass me that close.

An advantage to spitting on a car:
Notice how motorist are sheep. They follow the guy in front of them. If the first motorist buzzes you, then without even thinking, the next 2 or 3 motorist buzz you. I have found that if I spit on the first car, the next motorist swerves away from me to prevent the same. And the rest of the sheep follow the second motorist.


The last motor vehicle I spat on, occurred several months ago. The guy was in a pickup and passed about 3 inches from me. I hit my brakes and spat on his rear quarter panel. As soon as I spat, he immediately swung his right arm around to point at me, so I pointed back at him. While he was pointing and looking at me, he banged his right tires into the curb.
He then sped up and tried to figure out how to get me. At that time a car began to safely pass me but the pickup driver decided to hit his brakes in the hope I would move up along side him. The car almost rear ended him. About a block later, the pickup driver completely turned his head around again to see where I was, again he drove his right tires into the curb. So now he decides to pull into a gas station and wait for me to catch up. 100 yards before the gas station was my right turn for my normal commute route. The driver did not see me make that right turn. I wonder how long he waited for me to pass the gas station.

I laughed my ass off the entire rest of my commute.