lineinthewater

I see it ALL the time. And I'm sure the rest of you do too. And it really upsets me, both as a driver and a cyclist. Drivers think they have the right to go over the line if a biker is in their shoulder, without slowing or yielding to oncoming traffic. They often could care less where oncoming traffic is located - they think it is the other driver's responsibility to yield into their shoulder (or off the road). It is like, in their mind, the yellow line has just been extended several yards. I've seen other cars run OFF THE ROAD or forced to slam their brakes. It not only puts me at risk when driving, but any head-on collision when I'm biking is going to likely take me out too.

I guess I'm just venting. I really don't understand how most people get their driver's license. Sometimes I think I should install a micro-videocamera on my handlebars - because one of these times it's going to catch one nasty accident. Hopefully I'm not part of it!!!

genec

Drivers should pass cyclists in the same manner they would pass any other vehicle on the road.

For some reason this logic escapes some motorists.

San Rensho 

The worst or drivers coming in the opposite direction to me when I am riding a bike. If they are passing anything, a car, cyclist or pedestrian in the road going in their direction, they just aim right at me, head on, and expect me to get out of the way. If I yell something at them, they get pissed off, like its my fault.

Widsith

I've heard many times over the years (but never seen it written down anywhere) that the double yellow line is meant only to prohibit passing vehicles that are moving at or near the normal speed of traffic on that road, and that it doesn't apply to passing slow-moving vehicles like farm equipment, bicycles, mail trucks making deliveries, garbage trucks making pickups, etc. Even if this is true (which I've never been able to verify), it ignores the fact that a driver is never supposed to pull into oncoming traffic, even without a yellow line, unless it is safe to do so. It also ignores the fact that bicycles often travel at or near the speed of other traffic.

chipcom 

The issue isn't the line, the issue is the fact that many motorists feel it is ok to pass unsafely...and that the oncoming traffic is supposed to yield to them, rather than the other way around.

What I really get a kick out of is when one of these morans protests that 'the cyclist made me do it', like we somehow got into their head and forced them to do something stoopid.

Widsith

The worst example I've seen of this happened to me about thirty years ago. I was driving in a rural area on a long, straight two-lane highway that was elevated above the surrounding countryside. There was a narrow shoulder on each side, then a sharp drop-off into the back yards of houses built alongside the road. I was traveling at the speed limit (about 55) with three or four cars behind me, and there was a line of seven or eight cars approaching at about the same speed from the other direction. Suddenly the idiot in the back of the line of oncoming traffic decided to pull out and pass all the other cars ahead of him.

I could see at once that he wasn't going to make it so I began slowing down and pulling onto the shoulder. The shoulder was too narrow for me to get more than about halfway off the road, so I was considering running down the embankment and into someone's back yard. Fortunately, all the other drivers behind me and coming toward me realized what was happening, so they all slowed down and pulled over like I was doing. We all passed each other with traffic on both sides running half on and half off the road, while the idiot sailed past all of us right down the middle, straddling the yellow line! He still had at least three cars left to pass on his side of the rood when he went past me. If all the other drivers hadn't realized what was happening and acted accordingly, we all probably would have ended up in a huge pileup together.

lineinthewater

I dare say, admittedly not knowing the exact circumstances, YOU may have saved several lives that day. Specifically because you decided to pull off the road, and the drivers behind you likely spent more attention on the road (rather than passing you). Maybe not the case, but that is the first thing that came to my mind. Good heads-up on your part!!

chipcom 

You mean there was no bike around that made him stoopid?

lineinthewater

The only thing in their head is "I can't believe I'm stuck behind this bicycle". It often doesn't even matter if they are in a rush or not - they just don't want to be behind the cyclist. I have proof of this behavior. My best example:

A few weeks ago, I was just starting an S-turn (going about 18-20mph) and an 18-wheeler fedex truck comes up behind me. He had no visibility. And I assumed he was going to follow me through the turn and pass afterwards. Instead, he immediately starts to pass (giving me a wide berth), and my mouth just dropped. This was a 50mph single-lane road, and he was over halfway into the other lane. If anyone was coming, their life would have been numbered in seconds. Anyway, this guy got REALLY lucky - no oncoming cars. Just after we got through the S-turn, he puts his right blinker on and slowly turns into an industrial complex. I was so close to him when he took the turn that he almost cut me off. Can you believe this?

What really irks drivers, and backing my earlier statement, is when you are going at or above the speed limit. Cars will pass you, then sometimes slow down to the speed limit. Totally absurd. There is something buried in their brains that a motorless bike can't be ahead of them.

nelson249

+1 That has happened numerous times to me as well and nothing pisses me off more.

lineinthewater

+2. Been there, done that. Is it possible to have bike road rage against cars? I've tried to catch these losers before, thinking I would catch up to them at a traffic light up ahead - but no luck. Even if I get their license plates, I don't think anything can be done. Reckless driving?? The police will likely say "no harm, no foul". Or, "where are the witnesses?" I asked a cop about it once, and he said there isn't much they can do. I was like "what about threatening with a deadly weapon". That is basically what is going on.

Digital_Cowboy

I could be mistaken, but I thought that there is/was a limit as to how many cars one could pass at one time.

genec

+1000. Exactly.

genec

Some drivers are just naturally stoopid.

Digital_Cowboy

That and as I've mentioned before the moron's who just have to pass a cyclist just to get to the stoplight ahead of the cyclist. Like they've really "gained" anything by getter there a second or two before the cyclist.

genec

What is even worse is when you are moving at the speed of traffic, and some moron has to pass you anyway. Certainly that moron is the oddball... as they are now also exceeding the speed of all other traffic for their own selfish and dangerous gain.

chipcom 

I've been doing 40-45mph on downhills in a 35mph zone and had cars pass me doing 60+.

One of the root problems facing any effort to make the roadways safer for cycling is the apparent surrender of government when it comes to enforcing speed limits and other traffic laws that are routinely blown off.

Widsith

Thanks. I remember being extremely grateful at the time that the drivers he was passing were paying attention and chose to make more room by pulling over on the shoulder on their side, too. If they hadn't done that, I (and the other cars behind me) would have had to make the choice to be hit head-on or else go crashing through the back of somebody's house.

Widsith

He probably spotted one parked in somebody's back yard and it traumatized him too much to drive responsibly. It's always the bike's fault, right?

Widsith

Some drivers just can't seem to stand to have anything in front of them. I've seen some work their way up to the heads of long lines of cars, one at a time, then slow down and get passed by the others, only to do it all over again.

lineinthewater

See this every day. They finally become the "pace car", and decide they have no balls.

Then there is the driver that tails you in the middle lane of a three-lane road, with no cars for as far as the eye can see. Then when you finally "force" them in front of you, they fall back again to tail you. Mind-boggling stupid and pathetic drivers. But I digress.

Widsith

Most of the drivers I encounter are very courteous, giving me plenty of clearance when they pass, passing only when it's safe, not blowing the horn or yelling at me, etc. But many of the otherwise sensible ones still do the "hurry up and pass, then stop" bit at lights and stop signs. I don't get it, either. Maybe bikes make them nervous, and they just want to get us behind them so they don't have to see us or think about us.

lineinthewater

If there was a speed trap, you probably would have been cited and the car let go.

One time a cop pulled me over on my bike and asked why I wasn't within the shoulder. I was shocked. I walked the cop back to the spot where he claimed I was encroaching the lane and asked him "so how am I suppose to ride on this shoulder?" It was completely crumbled, and the white line was the beginning of ride-able surface. What a dips---t. I couldn't get over the absurdity of this incident. He must have been really bored, or really stupid - or both.

UmneyDurak

I see it all the time. Another of my "favorites" are idiots who pass on the mountain road on blind elfing corners. I saw more then one cyclist, and car, almost get in to head on collision because of these @$@#$#@.

chipcom 

stupid enough to not understand that the shoulder is not part of the roadway, so in most states you are not required to be in it, FRAP or no FRAP.