Ditto. I would take it like "Have a safe journey" unless there was some obvious negativity intended.

Then again I also have a tendency to overreact because there are a lot of hateful drivers out there.

It's better than "macht nicht dumas," which is what my dad would tell me

Your get irritated to quickly/easily!
Maybe see your doctor about getting some blood pressure medicine?

Ok... but if you were being honest, you'd probably say, don't tell me to ride safe... stay off the cell phone while driving, don't speed and give people a break once in a while.

The conclusion is that cycling isn't safe, whereas the fact is that car driving isn't safe... it inflicts a lot of damage, much of it to people outside the vehicle like cyclists and peds. Drivers are protected by air bags and a steel cage... great for them. But the damage is there nonetheless.

To whom do you deliver this sermon besides BF? Anyone at work? If so, be prepared for a hostile reaction.

ok ok ok ok

ride safely.

I think in 20 years you might see safe listed as an adverb in many dictionaries though.

You must remember:

Our common interest here is bikes, not grammar.

* This is a public forum, complete with immigrants, grade school dropouts, and people with various types of mental conditions. Some people suffer from a mental condition known as, OCD. That means that there might be certain behaviors that other people exhibit publicly, that they find difficult to tolerate without becoming directly involved. Like correcting spelling and grammar within a public forum, at the expense of another person's dignity or self-esteem.

I thought only my girlfriend took things the wrong way, even if they were nice things like ride safe..

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n0SVG6SgirE

After a bit I thought of this and its relevance to this thread.

I also find it a little irritating for someone to say "ride safe," now I'm going to be annoyed by the bad grammar too. I always take it in the spirit it was intended, that they are wishing me well. Of course, I always think it's funny when someone says that to me and I'm dressed up in safety gear

Maybe the "safety gear" is the catalyst for the safety oriented farewells. I did not wear "safety gear" or any other bicycling oriented clothing when leaving work, and never heard the allegedly offensive phrase. Another possibility is that the headphones prevented my hearing the phrase, however. But I doubt it.

I don't get what the problem is. Just say "thanks" and be on your way. Many more important things in life to be worried about than some phrase that means almost nothing.

"Thanks" may be fighting words for some other super silly cyclist looking for a fight or some insignificant thing to be upset about.

Better to punch the offender in the mouth. Then be on your way. No misunderstanding then.

I've had a driver behind speed up, barely beat me to a yellow light then cut me off on a right hand turn, forcing me to skid the rear, braking hard, and then stopping at the red. The motorist behind him, came up, lowered the passenger window and told me she saw that and what a jerk that driver was in front of her. And then she said to me, "..Ride Safe!"

So I take it as a "take care."

That is pretty ridiculous. In the majority of cases people mean well, but it seems so ironic when you consider that many people drive their vehicles rather carelessly. I read today that the statistics on texting while driving are showing an increase.

A while back I read about the early days of cycling and "pedestrian power" in Holland. People just got really incensed that it was becoming dangerous for their school children to walk or bike to school. Protests were mounted and the government took action. In contrast, the US considers it every driver's right to armor themselves behind pop-up bags and metal cages so they can drive over the speed limit. If you don't have that armor and compressed air available, your only alternative is.. guess what?

The Germans side-stepped this whole issue by not having a distinction between adjectives and adverbs.

I've had it happen a couple of times. Usually it's from someone on the same elevator as I on our way down to the building parking garage at the end of the day. As I was typing this, a co-worker stopped by my desk and asked if I was still riding every day. As she was leaving she said, "Be careful out there."

Yesterday; T type intersection, I was coming from the base of the T waiting to make a right hand turn. I was first in line. Also waiting to turn left, (headed the direction I came from) was a young guy, looked like a construction worker, in a pick-up truck. There's just the single lane between us, his window is down. In between cars he says, "You're gonna get killed."
I replied, "I'll be fine, all the a$$h0!3$ are going the other way."

He laughed hysterically as I made my right and proceeded on...

I just respond "drive safe!"

That's awesome. Thanks for the laugh.