timvan_78

once every couple months. Just when they are being a complete *******. Slightly more frequently I use the "WTF!? gesture" showing them the back of my hand. I go the last one on video when the woman at the stop sign started rolling forward towards my 5 yr old kid...I should post the vid...

phoebeisis

According to the extensive research I just did

shot 1/113,432
hit by car 1/17,312
stabbed 1/734,084
Tire ironed 1/87,534
Pimp slapped 1/17,3222

phoebeisis

But it doesn't do any good! They are almost EXACTLY the same idiots post finger as pre finger-except now they are PISSED OFF IDIOTS
Now if you said you were say-eliminating them- Dexter Like-
yeah that would make some sense-(might get you banned from the forum of course)
but the finger? -now you have pissed them off and they are driving a 4000 lb car

hueyhoolihan

okay...once. but he did it FIRST!

ItsJustMe

I never got in the habit. I do it ironically during conversation (like, when talking about stuff that everyone hates), but I don't do it in anger. It just doesn't occur to me to do so.

TrekCommuter

Yes, "peaceful" is a better word. I don't find my rides boring.

AlmostTrick

Better still, how often does a cyclist who didn't stop and confront a driver get shot?

Seriously. Flip off all the drivers you want. As long as you keep moving and take measures to keep your distance, the chances of a driver ever firing at, let alone hitting his target, seems pretty damn slim to me.

spare_wheel

and lmgtfy only gives irrelevant output reinforcing my point.

the overblown fear that some cyclists have of their motorist neighbors is pure bike stockholm syndrome.

spare_wheel

the fact that this comment follows your criticism of others' immaturity is amusing.

spare_wheel

It's amusing how thin skinned some 'merkins are. Any kind of criticism is akin to a threat that can only be done out of anger.

WonderMonkey

I don't do it. Not that I don't believe in showing displeasure because I certainly do. I don't because it won't solve anything. The person I'm irritated out won't suddenly go "Oh, he's pissed, I am going to change my behavior and learn from what just happened..." Since I am at the disadvantage on my bike there is a higher chance of a negative action happening TO ME.

However... I certainly replay in my head a very physical encounter....

halcyon100

I never have, but I tend to be pretty conflict-avoidant. I have, however, had a few instances of putting my hand in the air and saying "what the f...". When I'm driving, my husband will actually get mad *for me* in response to other drivers. I grew up in a fairly crazy family, so not much fazes me, except maybe direct existential threat to life and limb... I pretty much expect cluelessness and self-absorption from others on the commute. I am pleasantly surprised when I don't find this.

My husband feels it is psychologically healthier to express the frustration in the moment it occurs, so you don't hold it in. To a certain extent, I agree with this, though I also agree with other commenters that "the finger" will likely escalate problems and it is unlikely to cause the recipient to change. It may help them to be aware that they upset a cyclist.

In terms of commuting to work, I would also worry that I might somehow get upset at a driver and then find out they are my new coworker/boss/supervisee...

The people who tend to annoy me most on my commute are not usually drivers. Runners with headphones running in the bike lane on a curvy road against traffic... Homeless people and immigrant labor workers on bmx style bikes, riding against traffic, in the bike lane... Pedestrians on bike paths who are inconsiderate and fan out across the path... The last time I got frustrated about this, I wrote an email to a local transportation official about why I think any type of travel by pedestrians/bikes against traffic, in the bike lane, should be illegal.

EnsitMike

I'm 24 and at the end of my immaturity prime. Now is the best time in life to throw up the finger, but I never have and never will.

If this is an honesty thread, I think it is a terrible way to represent cyclists. On the other hand, I'd never talk someone down from doing it. Everyone can do what they damn well please. Personally, I find it to be overly emotional… and I have some twisted pride in being rational.

To each their own. If you want to throw up the finger, you flick 'em off hard. Having pride in control isn't so bad either, if anyone wants to try that out too.

Jim from Boston

That thought often occurs to me too, especially the closer I get to work.

I have previously posted about my “middle finger” response:

phoebeisis

Good-it was meant to be amusing!

AlmostTrick

Isn't the giving the finger considered an acceptable, or at least tolerable, form of communication in some area's? (Usually high density metropolitan area's)

You flip someone off, they flip back, and everyone goes on their merry way? 30 seconds later all is forgotten.

tigrpal

Never. I keep my hands on the grips except to signal.

I did have a driver give me the finger with both hands on my ride home yesterday. He was on a side road at a stop sign waiting to turn left on to my road. He was there way ahead of me but he waited until I was even with him, he honked twice, I looked and was giving me both barrels. As I passed he had to wait for other cars. He then turned left to pull behind me and laid on the horn again. After about a hundred feet, he turn right onto an on-ramp for the tollway. I looked over my shoulder and he was giving me the finger again. I don't know why. I was just riding along on the right side. Not a lot of traffic. He had plenty of time to pull in front of me but he waited instead. He seemed to want to get a rise out of me.

jrsnr

Reading through these comments I'm suddenly aware that I do it way too much. I guess I should be the bigger person whenever a cab cuts me off, or a bus driver tries to push me off of the road, or a guy leans on his horn while we're both approaching a stoplight - but all too often my first response after the fact is to flip them off, or shout at them.

Mr IGH

I've been riding on the streets for many years. I have several stories, one includes getting a gun pulled on me. Old age and the realization that I'm lucky to be alive and the desire to meet my future grandkids has made me more prudent as time passes.

LOL, PDX has plenty of nuts with guns, good luck to ya!

spare_wheel

A friend's sister's cousin's friend lives in a high density metropolitan area and got shot when we he flipped off a soccer mom in a subaru legacy. She even had a "free tibet" bumper sticker! Ride careful folks -- anyone could be gripping their gun ready to shoot you dead!

Reynolds 

Don't know if "the finger" was involved, but I do know quite a few road rage incidents that degenerated into shootings.

cruiserhead

There are a lot of angry people looking for a reason. These people get off on being indignant.
Road rage is road rage. Doesn't matter if you're on a bike or in a car.

If your ride is this hate-filled or anger inducing, you need to chill out.
I've seen a lot of bike-car encounters and the majority are not intentional, and could be diffused with cool heads.

Problem is, there are a lot of cyclists that get off on being the victim. I guess it's their one power trip of the day.

If you commute for more than a few months, much less years, and still raging and playing victim than you're doing it wrong.

Yes, there are the fair share of raging drivers that one has to contend with but putting yourself into a road rage (i.e. uncontrolled) situation is immature and stupid.
Youtube is full of these peckers, just waiting for some action to film.

The downside is that for the rest of the truly decent bike commuters,
they could be the victim of road rage stemming from encounters with raging cyclists.

It is counterproductive to cycling and keeps people away.
The only thing hate and anger attract are weak minds and other hateful and angry people.
Is that how you really want to represent cycling?

Raging drivers look plain stupid, and dangerous. How do you think raging cyclists look?

Act like you know what you're doing when riding a bike in traffic. That commands respect, it is safer and makes everyone's trip smoother.

FBinNY 

Here in Metro NY the middle finger as protest or insult has lost it's power through overuse. People do it so toutinely that it's impossible to get worked up over it. I've used it from time to drivers when cycling, but the truth of it is that occasions where I might want to are very rare, so it's not that I have restraint, just no reason.

Many, many years ago when I was young and brash (and fast enough to get away with it), I shouted an unfriendly comparison between someone's horn (which he was overusing behind me) and his wife. (use your imagination). Anyway, it took me about 1/2 hours of racing up and down hills in Yonkers before I could finally him going the wrong way on one way streets. That's when I decided that I should tone it down a bit.

Rudz

Generally I throw a someone a dirty look, where I grew up it was called "mad dogging", sometimes I'll accompany the look with an outstretched hand, like wtf? occasionaly I'll curse someone out. I can only think of one time I gave the finger, and he deserved it. I rode by slowly flipped him off and stared him right in the face.

spare_wheel

What the heck does giving someone the finger have to do with hate or anger? It's just sign language for you screwed up badly.