Walter S

This morning I was crossing under the interstate on a thoroughfare on the way to work and heard a loud HONK-H-O-N-K...H-O-N-K. I double-check my position and while not hugging the curb, there's room to safely slide by me. I keep on pedaling and a few seconds later hear HONK-H-O-N-K...H-O-N-K..H-O-N-K, just laying on the horn. I'm starting up a hill and going relatively slow, just maintaining my line and a couple seconds later HONK-H-O-N-K...H-O-N-K. The clear message is "don't you realize you're in the ROAD??!!", as though I'm somewhere I just shouldn't be. I checked back and the car was 40 feet behind me. I pulled well out into the lane and stopped diagonally and sat there glaring at the driver and shrugging and asking what the hell is their problem. She laid on the horn again and I just sat there and listened to that and remained where I was as traffic stacked up behind her. Finally she silenced her horn and I continued up the hill. She road behind me without passing, albeit I was defiant now and way out in the lane.

I don't usually get flustered at drivers but in my mood today this one pushed me over the edge. But it strikes me that people like her used to not be so uncommon. It has been a few years since I had a driver like her behind me. 25-30 years ago episodes like that might be only a few days apart. Maybe I ride a little better now. But I think society has changed for the better

Todzilla

Agreed there is much more acceptance of bikes on the road than there used to be.

Horray for progress!

Despite rampant paranoia, I believe the people on this planet are, on balance, improving.

hyegeek

Around here, it's not so much rare as almost non existent. Much of that is probably because I live pretty rural, but my biggest issue with drivers is that they tend to be over polite giving me right of way when I don't have it or hanging back (without honking) when there is plenty of room to pass. While I appreciate thought (and much prefer it to aggressive anger) I don't think it is safe for me to take a right of way that belongs to the driver, so I end up stopping and waving them through. I haven't figure out what to do for the people who won't pass as I tend to ride where I need to for safety.

Things get rapidly different once I get into town, though the "ridiculous intolerance" is still very low compared to other places I've ridden.

cobrabyte

When this happens (rarely), I take out my digital camera and start filming. Seems to quiet the most aggressive of road beasts.

bmthom.gis

Honk hooooonk, Big Rig Butters is here to help
I meet the occasional butthole, but most people seem to deal with me. If I annoy them, I hardly hear about it. I hear more honking on saturday mornings than I do on workday mornings.

wphamilton

It must be something in the air here today Walter. I had a couple of cars hanging back today, plenty of room and an empty lane beside them. I didn't get subjected to any histrionics fortunately, but both cases they wouldn't go around until I swerved over into a right-turn only and waved them by.

Tundra_Man 

I got honked at yesterday morning. My first thought was, "What's the problem with that idiot?" Then I realized the honking was from a friend coming the other direction and he was waving hello.

jrickards

I'm of the opinion that drivers who don't pass, despite the room to do so, because there is a free adjacent lane or their car is small or they don't want to hug the line to their left, are less capable drivers than those who (even if they slow a bit) confidently pass bikes. I think that this will improve with experience of driving with more cyclists on the road.

mconlonx

When someone honks at me and it is plenty safe to pass, I motion for them to go around me; if someone is trying to communicate with me, I first try to communicate back before escalating the situation...

In my state, when they passed a 3' law, they also passed a law specifically giving motorists permission to pass a cyclist over a double-yellow center line when safe to do so.

spare_wheel

When someone honks at you they have already escalated the situation!

ThermionicScott 

Same here -- I make a big sweeping motion with my left arm for them to come around. Occasionally, they even figure it out!

There is one downhill section of my commuting route where people also park on the side of the road, so I try my best to "shoo" any cars through before I move over and take the lane for that stretch.

Darth Lefty 

I think it sounds like she tolerated you pretty well.

alan s 

I used to think honking was directed at me, but now am pretty sure it is not. Some people just like to honk randomly.

Northwestrider

Agreed, it is better today overall

mconlonx

No.

Papa Tom

By the title, I thought this thread was going to refer to the late 1800's/early 1900's as the time when this behavior was "much more common." If you guys have never read "A Social History of Bicycling" by (I believe) Robert Smith, you've got to grab a used copy somewhere. The progression of cycling and cyclists, from the time they were competing with horse-driven vehicles, is fascinating. The things people (and police) used to do to stop cyclists in their tracks (and sometimes cripple them for life) make honking horns at us seem polite.

tarwheel 

Couple of teenagers once blared their horn repeatedly while passing me on a long hill, on a road that was very wide with lots of room to pass, plus I was riding on the shoulder to the right of the white line. They got caught at the traffic light at the top of the hill, and I chewed them out good. They were very embarrassed and hopefully didn't do that again to another cyclist.

PatrickGSR94

If they're honking, then they've seen you, and are not trying to squeeze by you or about to side-swipe you. So be thankful for that.

I require motorists to change lanes to pass me, so I ride lane center or just left of center in the right lane. I VERY rarely have anyone honk. Like, maybe once or twice this year.

PennyTheDog

We're pretty lucky with that in Twin Cities-- there are enough cyclists out there that drivers expect to deal with them. The last angry driver I had to deal with was almost a year ago, and it was a teenage boy. And if I remember, there's a lot of stuff that makes you angry when you're a teenager!

TransitBiker

Blargh. I'm not gonna get super into this...... However, i will say that people need to wake the **** up and realize that the world does not revolve around them, and no amount of personal struggle or difficulty on that or any day warrants acting like a lunatic, be it a horn or yelling out the window.

If i'm sick and need to go to the bank on a rainy day, do you see me acting jerk-like on my bike? No. Someone sitting in a comfy chair tapping on levers out of the elements has no excuse.

I think the few remaining nutbars are sometimes compensating the overall decline of motorist nutbars. Sooner or later their nutbar ways will land them in court, one hopes.

- Andy

Motolegs

Don't get honked or yelled at very often, but when it does happen it's people who think bikes don't belong on the road. Twice this year was loudly cursed at, told to get the **** out of the way, called an ***hole... all while riding safely and by the book.

Curious to see how the freshly painted bike lanes in town will work out. Motorists have gone public with their dislike for them. One cranky guy complained that "99.99 percent of people drive, not bike" Wonder where he got that number, LOL. They actually eliminate one car lane in sections.

TransitBiker

The real number is more like 72%.

- Andy

Onyxaxe

This is what I deal with everyday. Then they pull up beside you and wanna yell it out with you. I even had a guy follow me to my destination and hang around debating the use of bike lanes.

acidfast7

Interesting. I haven't felt/seen/heard anything like that in a while.

Papa Tom

Out here on Long Island, the problem is less with drivers honking and cursing at me than it is with drivers swerving all over the road while texting and never even realizing that I was there.