Met a WWC today at lunch
 

So as I'm riding back to work from lunch a notice a bicycle far ahead of me. Two seconds later realizing that he's a little bigger now I think to myself "oh crap a wrong way cyclist." As he gets closer I call out "you really should be on the other side of the road." No response. He's almost right on top of me now forcing me out further into traffic. I say again, "you really should ride on the right side of the road." Still no response. As he passes I point to the other side of the road, he waves at me. That's when I notice the ear buds. I watch as he moves off in my rear view mirror straight at incoming traffic and say a little prayer for his safety.

WWC's always insist on riding against convention. Rather than pass on your left (staying to their right), they take the line closest to the curb and expect you to pass on your right, pushing you further into traffic. Meanwhile, they have a better view of oncoming traffic than you do, even with a mirror. I usually just take the line closest to the curb and motion for them to pass me on my left. Otherwise, we're going to crash.

i try to do that too. i don't feel i should have to move further into traffic because they're doing the wrong thing. sometimes i even play a little chicken with them and ride straight at them until they move.

WWCs inspire a feeling of road rage in me. The one time I made a point of being heard the dude was not happy to hear it. I posted about it here for sure. I don't recall the exact details but I said something along the lines of "plenty of streets that go in the right direction for ya" and the obviously pissed commuter said in a whiny voice "keep yer comments to yerself". Whatever, dude, I hope you got a ticket from the cops in Times Sq (it was a block or two from there).

Like this?

I generally play chicken with them, and lock up my back tire and do an exaggerated fishtail skid towards them. They generally stop and duck in between parked cars as I pass.

What I do is TOTALLY STOP and wave my arms wildly up and down signaling for them to stop... I literally block their progress. Then I chew them out. I never, ever see them again.

TA-DA !

Nice way to get your a55 kicked. ;) Seriously, who has time to stop?

Hey! That car is driving the wrong side of the road!

I think the NYC cops couldn't be bothered to ticket anyone for riding a bike the wrong way. Of course, they're perfectly happy to write tickets for not having a bell and reflectors (really).

Most of the WWCs that I've encountered are food delivery guys (the messengers seem to be better about riding the right way). They've got a couple of bags of Chinese food hanging off the handlebars of a (no doubt stolen) mountain bike with homemade fenders, and they're going to take the shortest route to their destination no matter what. I try to remember that these guys work like dogs in all weather for very little money, but still, it's annoying.

They'd have to work to kick mine. I just want them GONE, off of the wrong side of the road. Investing 30 seconds in a "teaching moment" is worth not having a head-on later.

That reminds me... yesterday I was headed out over the GWB to do some intervals (working from home these days). A Domino's delivery guy is drafting me on Fort Washington (no kidding) as I approach 177th from the north. As I slow down to make the turn, Domino man starts a little dance, unable to decide whether to go around me to the right (stupid) or left or simply wait for me to make the turn. Well Einstein decides after feinting left, making me think it's safe to dive into my right turn to squeeze in on the right, nearly causing an ugly collision. I screamed at him, of course, and he looked back confused as if he'd done nothing wrong. Note that I had CLEARLY signalled my turn to him with my arm, and was keeping careful track of his little dance with my mirror too. Grrrr!

(In my best Quickdraw McGraw voice) "I'll do the kicking 'round here!":D

Bikebuddha, I'm glad your thread title wasn't, "Ran into a WWC today at lunch."

If there's no other logical argument to convince a wrong-way cyclist to flow with traffic, this is it.

What's worse, a wrong way cyclists or a "normal" cyclist with ear buds? They're both a danger to themselves and others. http://users.telenet.be/eforum/emoti...t/sterb003.gif One can't see traffic or road conditions. The other can't hear squat.
Combine the two and you simply have an accident waiting to happen. Just stay away from him/her.

I've tried to explain to WWC about bicycles being vehicles, just like a car or motorcycle. I ask if they'd ride a motorcycle on the wrong side of the road. I usually get the "deer in the headlights" look or some smarta$$ comment like, "you're not a policeman".
Hey buddy, I'm just trying to save a life ..... or two.

I see it here in Birmingham everyday, I just don't understand how people feel safer riding the wrong way. I've tried to mention it to a few, but I'm always met with a look like I'm the one whose crazy. It's definitely an issue that needs addressed as all cyclist are judged by these few.

I used to ride on the wrong side of one certain street. The east side had a paved shoulder. The west side shoulder was mostly gravel. I met an oncoming cyclist one day. It was so awkward and unsettling. Which side do you pass on? What if there were a jogger there too? Once you start working outside the rules of the road, situations get ambiguous. That was the last time I rode on the left side. I just accepted that its gravel on the way to town. (Note: it's a 50 mph two lane road with fairly wide shoulders).