When I was a messenger I once had two cars right hook me in the span of about 10 seconds. I was furious. They saw me. I had a bright red bag bigger than my torso. They were just in a hurry to save a second.

The first one passed me and immediately made a right turn afterwards. The second car was a cab, and he passed me and immediately pulled to the right to park at a taxi stand. As I passed him, I slammed his window with my hand so hard that the noise actually startled me. I can only imagine what it sounded like inside the car. He honked at me...

There is this biker that scares the crap out of me when I see him on my morning commute. I will periodically look behind me on the street I am on and discover that he's back there (generally he bikes faster than me). He's passed me on the left while I was signaling a left turn and crossed in front of traffic. I had caught up with him and yelled passing on your left when he swerved across traffic and decided to take the sidewalk for awhile. I didn't think I was near him any longer until he came flying on to the street from the sidewalk and blew a stop sign right in front of me. He wears no helmet. And he scares the crap out of me. Never has he taken the same path when I run into him. I'm sure I look really weird frantically looking for where he has gone some days.

I think that's the key. In person, you're somewhat accountable for how you act. Rudeness doesn't usually pay off; there are social checks and balances. But in your car on the road, it's a whole different story. Unless you do something flagrantly illegal or dangerous, you can be as rude as you want, and most likely you won't see any consequences; you're dealing at a safe distance with strangers who you will probably never meet face-to-face. How a person acts when they feel anonymous is probably a truer measure of their character than how they act around people they know.

Do morals hold when they're not enforced? Sadly, I think many people would answer this question differently in their heart of hearts than they do on a regular basis with their behavior. I wish I could exempt myself fully from this criticism.

I read most of this a while back. You might find it interesting if you're an analyitical type:

The Science of Good and Evil

+10, especially the first comment about how folks really do NOT know that cyclist are not only permitted on the road, but actually have equal rights as motorists.

In most cases of speaking to motorists or actually "non-cyclist" I have found exactly the same thing you have... lack of knowledge. The few motorists that did know about cyclists rights were themselves cyclists.

I also get quite peeved at red light running cyclists... Sorry, but if autos are waiting and especially if another cyclist is waiting, there is no reason to run the light.

Very good... with my graying beard and older look I am thinking of working the eccentric old guy routine... still not sure if I can pull it off unless I really dress the part though.

I think using primer on my bike to cover the rust spots will help though. :D

I completely understand.

I've been known to throw my hair around my face and start screaming in gibberish to startle my friends...they call that character the "Mad Native." I'll have to try that on the road one of these days!

You know, I saw the most amazing thing today around Toronto Central Chinatown. There was a guy riding his bicycle in the middle of a narrowish lane (pretty assertively) holding the handlebars with one hand and carrying a HUGE AXE in the other, slung over his shoulder. I kid you not. I never missed my camera SO BADLY.

I bet that cyclist gets lots of respect from motorists, heh heh. :D

Hmmm..... Maybe I could strap that sword that's on my office wall to my back. That'd probably get a little attention.

Or maybe even distribute copies of the "Watchtower". That'll get them to leave you alone.

Eh, if they point a gun at you or throw something just get the lic # and call 911.

Yes, but unless you actually get to see them get what's coming to them, there's really no satisfaction in that. Only once that I've reported anyone to the police was something actually done, and that was only because there was a cop less than a block away, AND a motorist behind us saw the truck chasing me down, and saw the person lean out the truck window to hit me, and called it in (along with the plate number!)

Oh man I am so glad I found this thread haha this topic has been on my mind all day. I started commuting to work a week ago and I have been loving it and have been incident free until today. I had a group of girls swerve from the opposite lane into my lane to act like they were going to hit me! Of course I couldn't think of why someone would try to do that so all they got was a blank stare on my part and when I realized what happened I debated flipping around and going after them but they were doing like 60 (in a 45) and the next stoplight was miles away which is a good thing because I don't think "pretending to hit me" would justify me popping all four of their tires (I later got satisfaction from the image of them just staring stupid while their accord sank a couple of inches to the ground and me not making a single comment, jumping back on my bike, and continuing my commute hahahaha). I like the assault by water bottle idea though I think I'm gonna carry an extra water bottle packed with ammunition for the next piece of trash that decides to mess with me.

how bout a good sized throwing rock in your exta water bottle cage.... would be wieghty, but man could it come in handy when someone f@cks with you and then speeds away....

never mind, you'd probably just end up in jail.

I just smile and give them a thumbs up. Positive, negative, whatever. It's a fitting response to everyone. It pisses off the ******bags. It confuses the clueless. It enhappies the friendly. Perfect.

i have a story
 

if someone pushes you push back it human nature I belive. Its natural to get pissed about people messing with you expecially if its dangerous. Just the other day a woman in an SUV with a mangled front weaved towards me as a "joke" i chased her down. when i caught up to her (which made me feel much better that i can catch a car on my bike) i yelled " are you trying to kill me are you trying to ****ing kill me?" I think this statement gets the point across people think they are being funny when its a serious situation these people need to know its not a joke. just my 2 cents

It's interesting to me, but this just doesn't happen in the UK. EVERYONE knows that it's legal to ride a bike on the road. Also, there's less of this aggression. Not that people don't pass too close, or you don't get the occasional chav moron shout something at you out the window of his boyed-up Fiesta, or once even throw a McDonalds coke, but telling you to get off the road? Trying to hit you? Jumping out and getting threatening? Just doesn't happen. Maybe it's my size (I'm 6'3 and 240 pounds), but whatever, it surely does not encourage me to move the the Land of the Freetoshoutateveryoneandwaveguns!

Oh, goody, this is where I get to unload some of my rage!

There's a road I often take to work with a mixed-use bike/skate/pedestrian path next to it. When I ride in the road, motorists yell at me to ride on the path. When I ride on the path, pedestrians yell at me to ride in the road. I can't win.

A few nights ago, I was going through a well-lit intersection wearing two lights (headlamp and blinky) as well as reflectors when the SUV coming the opposite way turning left decided I didn't actually exist. After realizing that screaming at her to stop was futile, I just concentrated on scrambling out of her way. The result was she only hit my back wheel, turned and looked at me, and then sped off. If only I had the presence of mind to get her licence plate number...

Plus then there's the almost daily harrassment that comes with being a girl on a bike. Seriously dudes, the honking/catcalls/whistles make me wish I had the power to castrate with my mind.

Interesting! But please, do you have to rub it in? :o Some of us on this side of the Atlantic are still sane, I think, or at least trying to retain a degree of sanity. It ain't easy.

It's not easy going against the cultural grain, is it? Cycling doesn't, especially, in the UK (not to the same extent), but I have some experience of it in other ways, and it's exhausting.....

+1

These people drive me nuts, and they're plentiful in Tel Aviv.

I don't remember when I last saw a cyclist waiting at red light on my commute (except outside the city). They all blow right through, sometimes timing it to fit between cars. It doesn't get me too excited - if they want to risk their lives, who am I to stop them.

Round here you get trouble from kids driving too close to you but if thats happening you can normally hear them coming up behind you from the revving of their engines. I pull out and take the lane, if they want to get around me they can overtake normally. If its too late a hand on the roof of their car and a hitch of a ride soon gets them pulling out a bit.

But only other time I've had rage aimed at me was from cocking up at a traffic light, was in too low a gear, legs a spinning and my bike going about 2 miles an hour. I deserved it and I apologised for the cockup (much like stalling in a car really).

I'm fairly new to cycling but dont see why you should lose your temper, regardless of being in the right or wrong I think even a "sorry mate!" and a silent "what a f******ng tosspot" in your head goes well. There are horror stories of cyclists being beaten, and road rage taking over. Why encourage it?!

Granted things do annoy me (people with dogs off of a lead on a bike path and make no attempt to get their animal under control for example), but I find a silent curse makes me feel better and I dont get all riled up and ruin the rather enjoyable journey into work (I use a trail that follows a large river, extremely picturesque in the summer).

I find my anger pretty muted on a bike, even when being provoked. When people yell at me I just smile and wave.

Having money to buy a car or else cycle commuting is not the question. One can be better off than the next driver while joyfully riding one's bike with full rights. The thing is that one shouldn't interact with the thugs. Any attempt at talking them into the respect of other users of the roadway is a waste of effort and time. They don't want to understand. They need that rage outlet. Let them so. Just unyieldingly smile at them.

On the other hand: how come that there are so many commentaries about drivers' ruthlessness, pettiness and aggressivity over there in the United States? Don't want to draw the wrong impression here; I'm sure the vast majority of car-bike interactions are smooth, lawful and right, and that only the despicable ones come to the forums. I've been riding in Skokie, near Chicago, and around Cisne and Swansea (or something similar) Natl Park in Kentucky some ten years ago and I didn't find a nickle of disrespect or rage on the drivers' part... quite on the contrary: exquisite behaviour and manners.

My experience in Spain is that no one would dare telling off any cyclist of riding their bike. Some drivers may despise cycle commuting or whatever, but no one would make it loud let alone have it expressed in their behaviour on the road.

Umm...maybe because there are so many ruthless and aggressive drivers here in the United States? You don't have to be a cyclist to figure that out.

My experience, which is limited (only been city-riding for a few weeks), is that most drivers who are able to pass you in the next lane will not cause any trouble. Some even then will find a way to be rude. On the other hand, most drivers who you force to slow down (by riding in the middle of the lane when it's unsafe to pass) will become impatient and a good portion of those will express their impatience, whether by honking, tailgaiting, yelling, or passing too close.

I would guess only a fraction of the despicable ones -- i.e. those that are particularly memorable or dangerous or frustrating -- come to the forums.

Because the automobile is so dominant in the USA, people are often offended that you're different, or confused that you're riding what they consider a toy (perhaps somewhat like a skateboard or roller skates) in the road, and causing them to slow down for you.

Not everyone is this rude or impatient or aggressive, but an alarming percentage of people are. And you wonder why our government/military invades and occupies foreign countries and bullies the world and tortures people and lies about everything (with the help of our lapdog media) and then we re-elect them, and this sort of thing happens again, and again, and again. Whereas you have a terrorist attack, and you oust the criminals!

Remind me why I still live here...oh yes, American Dream...go back to sleep...zzzzzzzzz

sometimes when i'm riding i think about how it used to be when i was a kid. we'd ride for hours on back roads, through subdivisions, on dirt trails, whatever. we'd ride our bikes to each others houses. never ever had a problem. bike riding was sooooo easy and carefree.

today, it's such a different place. very hostile and unforgiving. people actually speed up when they see you crossing the road. they yell at you, throw things sometimes, and steal your bike when you go watch a movie (true story). i see people cutting each other off for no reason other than to save 1 second. i've seen fights over parking spaces, minor traffic accidents, etc. it's crazy out there. what the hell happened??

Personally, I blame the baby boomers.

There is only one way to diffuse this situation;
HUG IT OUT, B*TCHES!

I've learned at the most to yell out "what?" instead of speaking my mind. I've gotten tired of idiots trying to start a verbal pissing match.

I have had issues here with all kinds of motor vehicles. Motorcycles are by far the most friendly with exception to sportbikes....they are the ones that will idle up to me, then floor it, or pull flybys at speeds far, far beyond the spee limit, etc. To me they ar eworse than the road-ragers.

Someone tells me to get off the road, I usually just wave at them. Name callers...i usually ignore. Hostile ones are pretty rare here...too many true cagers out here....they talk smack since they have this 3000lb steel box around them.

Either way, at least I can fidn a sparking space :)

It's not always futile...

I had a van buzz me while the passenger screamed out the window (six inches or so from my ear) to 'Get the f*** off the road!' ...

I chased them two miles, with them circling around and heading back the way they came from (although on a different road), as the van seemed unwilling to let me find out where they lived / worked / wherever they were going. Lost them at a red light (they ran it!) and they got away.

Two weeks later, the same van comes up behind me, slows down, then passes me, with about 10 feet between me and him. I just smiled and waved.

I guess they didn't want the insane cyclist chasing them down again.

In this case I didn't even get a chance to confront the driver, they were already past me before I recovered my wits enough that I could have responded, but it obviously had an impact on the driver.