+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.