Steeevvvaagggee... Common now.. Were you the one running the ride light? I wanna get down to the real nitty gritty haha Tell us the truth so we can all chastise you for being such a bad cyclist (sarcasm)

Actually I really never honk. The only time I've honked in the past is when I was in extreme anger at another driver and thats been a pretty long time. When I get honked at I always laugh (yes I'm not a perfect driver but - hey - zero close calls with cyclists!) Unless I need to use the horn to alert someone then, meh, there's no use to it for me.

All three of you should have your horns taken away until you grow up enough to use them. It doesn't surprise me that people honk at other cars to make a point -- hell, I see it all the time -- but it surprises me that they would admit to it in a public forum.

The only reason to use your horn is because you need to get someone's attention NOW to avoid a wreck. If you really need to tell someone that you're pissed off at them, use your goddamned finger; at least the rest of us don't have to listen to the noise pollution.

+1

Well "demand" is more strong of a word than I would use to describe my feelings. I was just turning your phrase to show that I'm not a hypocrite. My true feelings are that I want to be treated with indifference when on the road. I'm not making a political statement nor do I believe I'm saving the planet. I don't ride to show the motorists I'm better than them. I'm just going to the grocery store.

I've only been doing this seriously for less than a year, but it's been an eye opener. I've sat at intersections and had people role down their window and tell me to get off the <expletive> road. Hell, I've even had pedestrians yell at me while riding on the road. I can't wait for the day when no one bats an eyelash at my presence.

Quite the first year. I really don`t know what to say. You`re more persistent that I am. I`d probably have taken up running. Here`s to being treated with indifference. Cheers.

I wanna be like Mike, he's smart. Bring your smart self over here to Chattanooga, bring your 'light jumper' counter and a sleeping bag, also. There is no bike friendly attitude allowed here. Stopping at side street Stop signs isn't an option. It's not a consideration at all. When I drive, at least twice a week, I occasionally get honked at from behind, not for running the sign, but for stopping. Mike, when you've dealt with it, then you can expect me to take you seriously.

Kelly,

As I was saying to fetad, he`s much more persistent than I would ever be. From the sounds of it, you are as well. Honestly, I`d completely avoid the bike if I lived in such stunningly `bike unfriendly` places as the two of you. I stand corrected. You both live in cycling hell. I can only thank my lucky stars that I live in San Diego. Best of luck to you both. Cheers.

No badder than the other jerk motorists who honk their horns at cyclists because it makes them feel better to express their displeasure at seeing such a "dangerous" activity as cycling in their presence. Talk about childish behavior!

What a big man you are.

I gave up on street riding right after I moved from Seattle. It's way too dangerous. I'm strictly off road now. Funny thing is, quiet side streets are much more dangerous. Motorists can do what they feel like doing there without being seen. Then the main roads are dangerous because the vehicles are bigger and faster, as well as less attentive. I miss Seattle like an old pair of shoes. The slallom of downtown Seattle, wonderful.

Yeah! And whatz the deal with the backwards apostrophe? It should look like this ' or maybe this ’, not that weird thing.

I know, trust me. You`re pointing out something that`s been driving me crazy for the last 6 weeks. I`m in Japan right now, and have been using a computer with a Japanese keyboard. In addition to the usual 2nd functions found on all keyboards, there`s also an added Japanese character feature which allows the user to enter in Hiragana, Katakana, and Kanji. Each time I try and bring up the quotation mark I end up getting something along the lines of これです。　

I have to agree with you. I always stop at red lights and never blow through them. Cyclists will never receive respect from motorists until they learn to obey the same rules of the road. We may have the right to use roads, but with that right comes the responsibility to obey the rules. Unfortunately, I'm in the minority in that during my commute, I think I'm the only cyclist who stops at red lights. Weird.

Generally I assume that they ran the red light because they didn't see it. That's the only time I've ever run a red light. Honking the horn serves two purposes:

1) telling the runner to wake the hell up and pay attention; if they're asleep enough to run through a red light, who knows what they're going to hit/etc next? I appreciated the honks the two times in my life that I've run red lights.

2) Heads-up to everyone else around that there's something wildly dangerous going on, look out.

"Disciplining" the other driver isn't the goal.

Simple answer: The beep might not be because they think the cyclist is a child, it's just that the cyclist is illegally running a red light -- something that usually isn't ticketed for cyclists in most areas.

I would definitely honk at another car doing it for sure.

But yes, often times they do treat you like children...sometimes it's good, because they actually will give you adequate passing distance and treat you with some care...other times it's bad when they they try to lecture you about the "laws," even when they are ill-informed (clearly I refer to the "you should be on the sidewalk crap").

I've certainly been hassled by drivers when biking and following the laws...I suppose I do bring it on myself; if I didn't want stuff thrown at me or to be yelled at, I shouldn't be riding a bike (really, my area is pretty bike friendly, but there always are a few jackasses).

Perhaps Michigan drivers are just *******s. Here I was, silly me, thinking Califonia was fairly representative of the rest of the USA. Guess I`m just lucky to live in a State filled with ultra-nice drivers. It`s been my experience that if I ride along on the side of the road, keep my eyes peeled for possible hazards, don`t hold up traffic just because the letter of the law says I`m within my rights to do so, etc., I don`t have any problems. 25 years of cruising along without incident has backed that up.

I sympathize with you, corripio. To have to ride in a place where even on your best behavior you still fall victim to jerks. What a drag.

Tad judgemental are we?

Honking at a car running a red light is a multipurpose act. While most red light runners probably do so deliberately, a minority of red light runners do so out of inattention and fatigue, and a honk may wake them up. That possibility alone justifies the honk, and in fact it is irresponsible (of you!) not to alert a driver that they are doing something dangerous, in case they are falling asleep at the wheel. The honk also alerts cross traffic including pedestrians that they are at risk from a rogue vehicle, and may catch the attention of any traffic police in the vicinity who may apprehend the offender. Finally in the majority of cases of deliberate red light running, the honk publically shames the driver, and people do in fact respond to peer pressure and won't engage repeatedly in stuff that draws heavy criticism or negative attention to them.

Go take a look at the `Let`s all be safe out there` thread:https://www.bikeforums.net/foo/454388-let-s-careful-out-there.html


You can see the endless grief I`m taking for calling a guy a complete dumbass for blowing a stop sign into a 55mph, 4 lane highway...and subsequently getting hit by a van. I`m just soooooo judgemental, aren`t I? How dare I criticize that?

I would yell at a cyclist who runs red lights. What makes you think you have the right to run red lights on a bike? You wouldnt do it in a car?

I live within 10 miles of Ann Arbor, and have ridden in Ann Arbor occasionally, and it's been 2 years now since anyone's honked at me, and I've only once ever had anything thrown at me (an empty water bottle that couldn't have hurt me), and the biggest problem that I have is that drivers are far too courteous; they won't pass me sometimes even if there's a clear line of sight; this morning I had to actually pull over and force someone to pass, because I was on a gravel road where the washboarding was so bad the only reasonable place to ride was in the oncoming lane, and I didn't want to do that and force someone to pass me on the right. I had moved to the right so the guy could pass me, but he hung back there, and I was getting beat up by the road. So I had to stop so that he would creep past me at about 15 MPH so I could move back onto ridable road.

I have to do the same for school busses; if they're behind me in a no passing zone, they'll stay back there throughout the zone unless I pull over, even if there is plenty of sight line to pass a bicycle. It's unnerving to have a school bus hanging 50 feet behind you as you try to get up a hill.

It's not about being pissed off, it's about holding a small hope that one can change dangerous behavior that could affect them in a negative way. I like cookers "public shame" and "peer pressure" comments. There is some truth that honking can change peoples behavior. (way more likely than giving the finger) Just look at how many people would never cycle on certain roads because they got (or even just think they would get) honked at.

True. Except when motorists honk at me when I'm cycling, I'm usually not doing anything that could be unsafe to others or even myself. Now if I was juggling a Mayor McCheese while dialing the phone, please let me have it!

I believe what we are witnessing in this thread, in many cases, in a phenomenon I've often noted and call 'Regional Honk Etiquette'. Bottom line: People in different areas honk in different ways for different reasons. Currently I live in a 'if you honk your horn you have insulted me, my family and my values and are the worst person to have ever walked the face of the earth, including most serial killers' state. Even if someone cuts you off on the freeway with no blinker going 30 mph, you better not honk. This is in sharp contrast to, for example, Boston - where I felt like I should start beeping my horn as soon as I left the curb so that I would blend in better

I do get a little bit of pleasure out of the fact that I get encouraged to bike more with the 'get the f*#@ off the road' comments here (on Sunday mornings no less) here far more often than I get honked at.

Haha! that is ssooo my town! First time I went to NY I was just ammaazzzed.. its constant honking! So yea, I gotta agree with you there - Although for all the honking going on in NY I doubt much of it works to serve their purpose.

Purpose?