Video: An unsettling incident
 

This is the only road in my commute that irritates drivers. I can not move over to the right after the turn, because then I have to merge back in with traffic which is dangerous. Plus I have right of way, so do not have to move over.

Where the moron pulled over is where I turn off , but I had to go straight since I did not want to escalate this by engaging him .

I'm an ass, so I'd have to stop and ask him what his freaking problem was.

Tell him you have the right of way, as you are on a bike and therefore are a vehicle. Alternately, just ignore him, but take note of his license plate in case of further altercations. I'm always tempted to "educate" people but then I remember it's not my responsibility that they know the rules of the road. Also, you don't know who's packin' and looking for a reason to be "forced to use it".

I'd be unsettled too. I get pretty upset if someone else is angry at me. Guy's an *******, we're on your side!

I'm nuking futs, I woulda let loose a war whoop and dialed it up to 400 watts straight at him.

Yeah, they already think you're crazy to be on a bike...why disappoint?

I'm confused by these two statements. You couldn't get right, because you'd have to merge back into traffic...to make a right turn?

Anyways, he's an idiot for actually pulling over to yell, but it probably didn't warrant a honking in the first place. Didn't seem like he passed too close, and there was no one coming the other way. Yes, the line was solid/dashed, so he was technically in a no passing zone and you were occupying the lane. But do you expect no one to pass you on that straight stretch of road?

I don't have to make the right turn till where he pulled off. When I first make my left turn in the beginning of the video,the lane is wide enough where I could move to the right. But then I would be riding in a merge lane, not travel lane. I tried that a few times, but had problems getting back into the travel lane where it narrows.

It's difficult to see the merge lane in the video, but I understand what you're talking about. When the lanes merge, you're on an ordinary two-lane road. From that point on, this looks like a common traffic situation. The driver had a clear line of sight, and passed safely. So I don't know why he would be upset enough to stop and yell at you, except maybe he thought you weren't far enough to the right after the merge.

After the merge, can you move farther to the right?

He stopped because I gave him the middle finger. I think if I had not done that he would not have stopped. In the future I need to resist the urge to do this. It obviously ticks people off a lot more than honking back with my airzound... Maybe it's a cultural thing??

I'd of stopped and called the cops, especially since you have asshat on video.

The video doesn't show it clearly, but he hit the brakes in response to the one finger salute I presume? [Edit: right, see above] Also, what does he say?

I guess I would be the type that stops to 'chat' with him, although where I live its pretty rare to meet anyone who is packing heat so your decision to move on might be wise.

I don't get it. Even when the road width does stabilize, you're still riding in the middle of the lane, without any visible obstructions preventing you from being to the right side, and without any intent to turn left - so why don't you use the right side?

The driver then seems to make an acceptable passing maneuver, and you honk at him and give him the finger. I'm not surprised that he wasn't too happy with you.

My goals in most situations are to stay out of the way of cars and to not aggravate them unless they put me in danger. Your lane positioning and then your honking and gesturing seem to violate both of these goals.

I don't understand why you flipped him off, but he shouldn't have stopped for that.

Ah ok.. Very important piece of omitted info there. Yes, you were wrong. If anything you should have ignored him or at the very most, gave him a wave. Two wrongs don't make a right. I would only get in someone's face if they pulled over if I didn't provoke them.

He did honk at me first, you may have to listen closely to the video. Then the unnecessary engine revving to overtake me ticked me off further.

This. It sounds like to me that the OP was picking a fight.

Edit: and then was too much of a coward when he called you on it.

I fully support your methods of dealing with crappy drivers (i.e. flicking off) when you've been traffic-wronged.

But, sorry, Duke, I think I have to side with the driver on this ... it didn't appear to be that dangerous of a pass. Appears you were a bit mid-lane and he just passed on an empty road.

And people, please don't respond that "the driver was wrong because it was an illegal pass". Traffic laws aren't always correct. Cyclists and drivers break traffic laws all the time because sometimes, there are stupid laws. Traffic engineers aren't perfect, cyclists need to use more common sense than worry about stupid traffic laws.

I have nothing against his pass, it was his honking and engine revving that annoyed me.

I'd have knocked his dentures out.

Not to open a new can of worms, but my lane position is exactly why this moron passed me safely. Had I been too far to the right, this impatient/agressive driver would have buzzed me with no space.

You stayed left when you didn't have to, impeding traffic. A driver gives a quick honk saying move over, and you stay left. Then thecar passed you with plenty of room without endangering you in any way and you rspond with an air horn and a middle finger. Then you think he wronged you? Sorry, but the driver in this instance had every reason to get pissed. IMO you need to rethink your self righteous position, and quit making it difficult for the rest of the riding public,

I have right of way and no safety steel cage and I am supposed to put myself in a dangerous road position when someone honks at me??

You and the driver are both right and wrong. Maybe you can look at this as a learning experience and possibly do something a little different that might not piss people off while still being safe. I think a quick wave after he honked and then you move over to the right a little to let him pass might have defused the situation and it wouldn't have escalated to him pulling over.

Reason you should seek to be friendly with people is that you'll probably see this guy again since it's probably his normal route to work. Last thing you want to do is have someone coming up from behind you with a 3000 pound weapon and a grudge against you.

This is not possible as the road quickly squeezes back to one lane. If there was another car behind this moron I would collide with it as I tried to merge back into the lane that I had right-of-way to.

The last thing I want is people bullying/initimidating me to get what they want. Now when he sees me again he will think twice about honking. He might still do it, but at least he knows it won't get him anything but a honk in return.