megalowmatt

Yeah this one really went sideways.

I-Like-To-Bike

That's an interesting observation. You were riding correctly and were hassled by a motorist and YOU blame your favorite whipping boys for being the inspiration for this act without a shred of evidence.

Very convenient. What else do you acknowledge that those evil salmon are inspiring, besides feel good Internet postings by self appointed bicycling perfectionists?

cycle_maven

I'm a salmon.

There's a busy stretch of 55 MPH 4-lane road that I would otherwise have to turn left across the road (no light), then turn left again (no light) 1 block later. I sure get some foul looks and an odd comment from the occasional holier-than-thou spandex wonderboy in that one block.

That being said, I do know how dangerous it is- but less dangerous IMO than those two left turns crossing a constant stream of rush-hour Texans. Maybe I should walk it.

cycronin

Relax... I'm not trying to wind you up. I understand why you are irritated by the propensity of posters on this forum (and for that matter, just about every internet forum that exists) to generalize and stereotype, and make unwarranted assumptions about others. Ironically, you are so wound up about this that you are making unwarranted assumptions about me. If it upsets you, be above it, don't dish it out yourself.

But anyway, to be clear, "salmons" are not my favorite whipping boys... hell I hadn't even heard the term before I found this thread. Second, I am not blaming "salmons" for the behavior of the motorist. I am saying poor cycling habits CONTRIBUTE to a potentially hostile atmosphere. That's actually what I wrote, almost verbatim. It shouldn't be so easily misunderstood. Yes, idiot motorists shouldn't be venting impotent rage at random passing cyclists. In a la-dee-da world I could snap my fingers and make it go away, but this ain't a la-dee-da world and sometimes there are multiple factors involved that contribute to negative situations. It's okay to acknowledge them without anyone assuming the acknowledged factor is being presented as the lone cause of it.

I-Like-To-Bike

Possibly. Equally possible contributors to a potentially hostile atmosphere, and a more likely CONTRIBUTOR IMO, are cyclists riding legally by taking a lane in traffic or in groups taking up a lane. Such legal cycling is viewed as offensive and provocative to many motorists.

Shall we now post about the potentially hostile atmosphere instigated by these allegedly "knowledgeable" and "trained" cyclists who may be the catalysts for unstable motorists' hostile actions?

cycronin

Well, this is an internet forum dedicating to cycling and a venue for people to express their opinions. If this is your opinion, you should feel free to do so.

wphamilton

I have a block near my apartment where I'll sometimes do that, half of it on a sidewalk even. Otherwise it's an uncontrolled left after the crest of the hill, on a substandard width lane where most people are gunning it up to 45 or 50. You do what's safe at the time and place.

I treat salmons like pedestrians or some other obstacle. It's only when they start to aim at me that I really get unsettled.

mihlbach

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pot_cal...e_kettle_black

djork

What is I-like-to-bike's problem? LOL Relax, man! You're jumping to conclusions and making wild assumptions about other posters here. I think they have a point, but I don't think it's always or 100% true. No one one is being elitist here or *gasp* racist.

I only have a little over a 100 posts to my name, so I'll meekly scamper away and hide behind mihlbach.

alan s 

I like the Punjabi version: You are yourself good for nothing, and still trying to ridicule others