Sports cams that you can mount to your helmet have become pretty cheap.

I've always wondered if mounting a helmet cam (even a fake one) would change how motorists act

+1

I live in Boston and didn't even know about this two abreast rule... sounds pretty rude to me.

True, but sometimes you have to take one for the team.

There were lots of articles about this in the papers recently, but if I'm not mistaken, the basic idea is that you can ride two abreast ONLY if you're not impeding traffic. So if no one else is around and it's a narrow street, it's ok, and it's also ok if you're on a multiple lane street with plenty of lanes for passing. If you're obstructing traffic, drop into single file. Makes sense to me.

I doubt most people would recognize it as a camera. Most would probably think it was a light, I would guess.

Good on you for not losing your cool. Knowing myself, I would have at least flipped him off. But I have a personality defect.

Riding lawfully within the rules of the road on the public way is not discourteous. You have a funny way of defining courtesy, in my opinion.

When taking the lane is necessary for any reason, riding side-to-side with another cyclist has no practical impact to overtaking traffic. It is therefore just as courteous as riding single file.

People traveling on PUBLIC roads are inconvenienced and impeded constantly. Are you not aware of the impedance caused by trains, buses, parallel parking, signal lights, street sweepers, utility workers, garbage collectors and the like? Cyclists, when taking the lane, cause delays that are typically less than a single cycle of a traffic light.

So in that light, what exactly do you mean when you say; "The last thing I want is to give them a legitimate reason to NOT want to share the road with cyclists"?

In the OP's case, and in the example you provided, the overtaking motorist would have been equally impeded whether the cyclists were riding two abreast or single file. How, in the examples at hand, would a cyclist display "proper" courtesy?

The law in Michigan specifically allows two-abreast cycling, prohibits more than that. I know at least one other state does too but I can't recall which one. I think allowing two-abreast is actually pretty common.

I generally go down to single file IF it's a situation where it's OK and reasonable for the car to pass us within the lane. That is, if there is only one lane in the direction I'm going, if there is oncoming traffic, and if the lane is wide enough for them to pass within the lane. Otherwise, they shouldn't be passing us anyway so why would I move down to single file, giving them the impression that I think it's OK for them to try to squeeze by?

instead of reciting his plate number, I would have pulled out my phone and snapped a photo.

Illinois law permits riding two abreast, as long as it doesn't interfere with the flow of traffic.

I'm not going to flame, but on a road where the motorist is going to have to use the other lane to pass, why not ride two abreast? The answer is because it freaks out the motorists, but they should just get in the other lane and do a proper pass instead of doing the job halfway. For some reason nobody thinks they are blocking the lane when they are driving their car, no matter how slow or stupidly they are driving.

the OP should have called the cops as soon as he figured out the guy was screaming at him.

That. Unless this guy was from out of town (way out of town) it's not as if he hasn't shared the road with cyclists lots of times before...probably on a daily basis. I second the recommendation for the cellphone -- in fact, I almost think that pulling out the cellphone, taking a photo, and then dialing 911 is better than any level of engagement with someone who is so obviously out of his mind. Even the smile and wave is going to provoke a crazy person like this. Deadpan, photo, write the plate number with the sharpie, call 911. If he's got any sanity left, it ought to reassert itself quickly at this point -- there are people who would be active sociopaths if they didn't understand that acting on their impulses will get them locked up.

I sure feel sorry for his kid, though.

If I were in Boston, I would do just what you did. Except I often wear a helmet cam so I would film him and put his dumb mug up on YouTube.

In New Orleans however, it is a common presumption that everyone here in the Steamy South is packing heat. So probably the first time he tried that with someone, they would have waved a gun in his direction and cured him of that behavior.

Too much knee-jerking on this one. There are plenty of streets in Boston where it isn't going to make any difference if you ride one, two, three or six abreast -- there won't be room to pass safely no matter what. And there are streets where, if you can hug the narrow space just to the left of the door zone, there is room for a skilled driver to get by and still remain within his/her lane (Comm Ave by BU comes to mind). The latter can be a little nerve-racking for both driver and cyclist if you're not used to it, but most regular commuters (both bike and car) seem okay with doing things that way. But on a narrow street, staying out of the door zone means not leaving enough room in the lane for a car -- and I refuse to ride in the door zone just because a driver's in a hurry.

What "team"? The cyclists of the world? Do you think that if a cyclist hands a beatdown to a motorist, all motorists elsewhere are going to start cutting cyclists some kind of break? Or that cops are going to become more vigilant in coming down on road rage incidents against cyclists? YMMV, but I don't think it works that way -- I think you'd just go to jail, and whatever you end up "taking" would benefit absolutely no one.

I concur, words are words. However, I am unable to control my tongue in situations like his. I give as good as I get, if not worse.

I've had cagers flip me off, honk at me etc for merely riding my bicycle legally on the road. My middle finger is locked and engaged swiftly, if that doesn't work then a volley of profanity in at least two languages ensues. They sometimes seem surprised to hear such language from a female. :roflmao2:

I have a filthy temper though but I don't do anything remotely violent unless I have no other choice. Sometimes freaks are trying to provoke you into hitting them, for whatever idiotic reason. I refuse to be manipulated like that.

Sounds like I'm just going to work on being faster on the draw with the cell phone, and calling in the license plate. That way I don't escalate, and hopefully the cops might do something about someone like that. Probably not, but maybe.

I don't usually have encounters like this, so I'm not used to having take those types of measures.

As far as the new two abreast law goes, I love it. If I'm not slowing down traffic and there's plenty of room to pass, why shouldn't I be able to talk to the person I'm riding with? Drivers in cars get to talk to their passenger, after all.

Also, is 911 the right number to call for situations like this? I hate to clog those crucial lines with reports of ranting if that's not the right protocol....

And what do you do if you call the police and then the guy drives off (as he is certain to do)? Call them back and say "never mind"? Or just let the officer arrive to find you there all by your lonesome? I would think either would be likely to get you chewed out for frivolous calls.

And...really, what is the deal when one is riding in the street and knows one is slowing down traffic behind? I have just never had the guts to do that. I can only imagine what the drivers would do. I mean, do you pull off to the side and let them pass, or are they stuck behind you going 5-10mph until they can pass you??

The main thing is to be safe. If that means taking the lane, then take it. OTOH, just because you know the law doesn't mean other motorists do. And even if they do, it doesn't mean they will respect them. In this case the driver probably knows road rage/aggressive driving is illegal. Still didn't stop the driver from making threats and other such nonsense, nor did the presence of his son dissuade him. Just think of this as a learning experience. Idiots will be idiots, and you'll have your cellphone or something else more readily available if something like this happens in the future.

Provide them with a license plate, description, account of what happened, and information about which way the perp was headed. What, do you think this is the only kind of crime where the perp leaves the scene? News flash: the guilty generally don't hang around to talk to the cops. If no one reported a crime where the perp wasn't on the scene, very few crimes would ever get reported.

You're wrong.

If the cager tard utters death threats, you are within your rights absolutely to dial 911.

I don't know where you've been but the world has always worked this way. If there's no fear of repurcussions, anything goes. Furthermore, I'd hate to think my life hung on the balance of a 9/11 call.

Just another reason to wear ear buds. :innocent:

edit: I guess that would be rude with another rider though, eh?

It is extremely rare, in my (UK) experience, for a cyclist to hold up following traffic for more than a few seconds. It's also fairly rare for a cyclist to be doing as little as 5mph.

Yes, the kind of driver the OP was describing will go ballistic, regardless of how little time he is held up, but the majority will wait without doing so. You have the right to hold up following vehicles if it is unsafe not to do so, i.e. the road/lane is too narrow for them to overtake safely - and it is your right to decide whether or not that is so.

It is also courtesy (whether common or not) to pull in if you are holding up a line of traffic for an unreasonable length of time, but bear in mind that it is still your decision to do so only if circumstances and safety permit.

As for "what drivers would do", most will do nothing, or, at most, mouth off. Accept that that may happen and shrug it off, unless they then proceed to drive dangerously. What you do then is up to you.

So they'll actually track the guy down? I would've thought they would've had to actually catch him in the act...

If there are witnesses to the act, a report of the crime and witnesses names are sufficient for an investigation to proceed.

...what on earth are you talking about?

Jail looks bad on a resume and you can catch bad diseases in jail/prison.

This is true. Jail bad. Clean record good.

Let's just say some maniac comes after you screaming obscenities. Ready, set, go-you call 9/11. What happens next while the police dispatcher is combing donut shops for help? I don't think calling "timeout" is an option. Too bad that Mitch guy is already in jail. Damn.