What exatly is behind nutty motorist rage
 

Hey, just curious what the different opinions are about the source of driver angst with cyclists.
Why exactly do some many motorists hate cyclist as a lot. I know about feeling like we don't respect the road rules, but otherwise is it really THAT bad to share the road with something other then a 4 wheel gas sucker? I mean for example I don't sense the same level of annoyance for pedestrians crossing a street, at least in my area.

Typical human behavior?

We have lots of cyclists with the same behavior, no matter how much in denial they are.

Several times the police have mentioned external events driving folks' anger behind the wheel. Cyclists just become easy targets for this free floating hostility.

The obviously gay, obviously fit, obviously make me feel like a fat, fry hogging tub of quivering lard cyclists seem to attract more ire. That might be some response to how guys in lycra are viewed in general and be tied to "no jeans and no beer belly = gay and therefore must be destroyed."

The race to be ahead of the next car. Coupled with the fact traffic and road conditions , makes it impossible. Plus auto commuting is often self defeating, in that so many cars on the road prevents you from getting where you need be, on time. It's just too much pressure on about 20% of the motoring population. They just go postal and take it out on the rest of us./ Plus I think among many their glamorous car gives them some sense of power and self importance. Challenge their authority to use their auto the way they need and it insults their status.

they're probably sick and tired of being called 'nutty', or outdated and asinine names like 'cager'.

Maybe some have read or heard too many comments from self proclaimed "fit", morally superior smugsters, gloating about the price of gas while stereotyping all motorists as nothing but drunken rednecks, lazy, fat, fry hogging tubs of quivering lards, or latte swilling soccer moms applying makeup in oversize SUVs.

And we are to think cager rage is just vented at cyclists? How about fellow motorists who call them jerks or worse.

The OP in the first sentence specifically asked about rage directed at cyclists. I do agree that Real Jerks act like jerks and don't hold back in the presence of cyclists.

Adjectives used by cyclists or motorists who are in fact still sane: such as jerk, arsehole, M.F., etc. Its all the same , whether originating from cyclists or other victims of motoring rage.

Maybe it's the "I Love OPEC" jersey I wear while filtering through traffic jams.

That would do it!:notamused:

This is simply a response to traffic congestion, crowding, and frustration over long travel times. We are very visible, easy targets.

Now can anyone explain the ILTB rage?

WANT!

I guess you are also an "OPEC lover". No doubt advertising those sentiments will make the "cagers" admire you, too, eh?

Two things: the common road-rage causes (e.g. the stress and frustrations of driving) combined with fear. Yup, I said fear - the motorists are afraid of us.

Motorists do not understand how bikes move on the road, they don't understand how fast we can move, that we may swerve a foot or more to avoid potholes, or that we should be treated like another vehicle. We're a big unknown to them, like seeing a kid playing on the street.

More than once in a conversation with a motorist, the phrase "I'm always afraid to hit them" or "I'm afraid they'll fall and I will hit them" came up.

Translation:

"I'm not a very good driver; I follow them too closely-- more closely and faster than the law allows-- and I do this knowing that if the slightest thing goes wrong, say, they hit a patch of gravel or a pothole or something, they might fall and then I will hit them due to my own negligence. So I hate them for it."

Given the fact that you have people on bicycles (notice I did NOT say "cyclists") meandering down the center turn lane, riding against traffic, riding on sidewalks, blowing red lights and stop signs, etc. What are drivers supposed to do?

Admittedly quite a few drivers should have never been given a license based on the way they drive either.

Aaron:)

Nah, I'm more in the "one less car" camp. As far as I am concerned motorists should "love us," as each cyclist represents a bit less crowed road, and one more open parking space.

Not to mention, a little less demand for their precious gasoline.

And as far as some cyclists breaking laws (stop signs, wrong-way riding, etc) it PALES in comparison to the percentage of motorists that regularly exceed speed limits on surface streets.

So stick that in your pipe, and toke on it, ILTB.

Its not a simple issue, I agree, however I think if all drivers used basic caution - keep appropriate distance to other vehicles, etc. - the fear would be greatly reduced. Its not so much that we have bad drivers (though there are plenty of those!) as a case of sloppy drivers.

Sloppy driving -> a lot of close calls -> increased fear and nervousness -> sloppy driving ...

Nervous and fearful drivers will be bad drivers, a situation which reinforces itself - we basically have a system were is the norm to speed, stop well past the stop line, roll through stops, speed through yellow lights, etc. I saw this in my grandfather several years ago - first accident made him less safe, not more. Two accidents later he stopped driving. I think that whole process took only 2 or 3 years.

:thumb:

If you listen to some on this forum, who we don't need to name because we all know who they are, drivers hatred of cyclists is caused exclusively because some cyclists roll through stop signs, or worse, go through a red light when there is no traffic and because of those morally reprehinsible "violations" all of us god fearing and perfect law abiding cyclists are now hated because of the actions of a few.

But in reality, I agree with others who have said that drivers are afraid, don't know how to deal with cyclists and therefore are resentful.

I would have thought it would have been difficult to pass the LSAT, let alone the Bar Exam, without having a shred of reading comprehension.

Who knew.

As illogical as it is (since we have a right to the road), perhaps drivers don't like to be held up, even for a second. And yes, we DO hold up drivers every once in a while, although it's fully justified.