Wow, the disgruntled drivers were out in FORCE yesterday. Very odd, since I hardly ever encounter anyone being actively mean, just the usual of folks passing by too closely and that sort of thing. But yesterday I encountered or saw THREE (or maybe four, depending upon how you look at it) frustrated, angry drivers, in Northampton, Massachusetts! Very odd.

Buddy #1 was the guy in the massive manly pickup truck sitting behind me at the first traffic light on Damon Road. After this light is a hill that climbs up to the second light. The lane is a little tight on this hill, so when the light turned, I made a point of staying pretty far to the left. Nonetheless, I heard the (very large) engine of the truck behind me rev as buddy tries to come and pass on the left. Is he crazy!? There's barely enough room for just his truck on this road, and he's gonna try and pass me when I'm practically in the middle of the lane!? Fat chance - I thrust my left arm high and back in a stop/don't even think about it gesture and made sure that I WAS in the middle of the lane. He backed off; I heard someone holler "get off the road, you #&$!" out of his window as I passed him. He must have been jealous, backed up in traffic like that. Anyway, a few seconds later, I hear the buddy in the truck trying to pass me AGAIN. Right. Out goes my left arm again. Don't even think about it, buddy! He backs down. Maybe 20 seconds later, I clear the backed-up traffic filling the lane going to other direction. I pull right and signal buddy to pass me, and he does, flipping me the bird out of his rear window. Whatever. I'm feeling too good to let it bother me. I get to work without further incident.

On the way home, though, I encounter ANOTHER one. This time, I had almost made it all the way down Damon Road to Route 9 in Northampton. People are passing me up the hill, as usual. No big deal. Until some jerk in a Focus honks at me as he goes by. Huh? Jerk. I make my usual (not very intelligent) response by giving him a one-fingered salute as he speeds away. It's not even personal, it's just a reflexive response to people acting like jerks. So I was amazed when I saw this guy signal and actually PULL OVER to the side of the road. Un-freakin'-believable. As I drew closer he pointed to the side of the road, said "pull over here, I want to talk to you." Yeah right. I had no interest in further escalating this situation which I had foolishly provoked. I shook my head at him, and as I passed I gave him a big smile and wave as I said "have a nice day sir. Nice to meet you!" I was pretty scared during this encounter and for the next few minutes. This had a car; would he use it to try and run me off the road or something? Fortunately, he passed a few minutes later with no incident. Perhaps he realized his foolishness in pulling over. I certainly realized mine!

The last one happened while I was sitting at the bus stop waiting for the bus home. I watched in amazement as a guy in a massive black pickup pulled up next to a commuter on the other side of the road and started lecturing him! I couldn't hear most of the conversation, but I heard the cyclist explaining the he didn't BELONG on the sidewalk, he was supposed to ride in the road. Meanwhile, traffic was backing up behind this truck, trying to pass, while he crowded this cyclist in a rude and dangerous way. The guy finally made a left turn, as the cyclist continued on his way. The guy sitting next to me at the stop and I had a grand old time ranting about jerks who don't get it, and about how bikes and cars follow the same rules and drive on the same roads. Cool guy.

Just to cap everything off, when I was about to get on to the bus, there was a *whoosh!* and an idiot riding the wrong way on the sidewalk passed directly between me and the bus, close enough to touch . I was able to collect myself enough to shout "Ride on the street, please!" at buddy, but of course he paid no attention. I got on the bus shaking my head in amazement. Just one of those days, huh? I've only been commuting since December, please don't tell me that this occurs regularly!

On the plus side, I saw a TON of commuters today in Northampton, and that pleased me very much.

If I were you witnessing some d--k lecturing any cyclist why they can't ride on the road, I will go over there and making sure this d--k would go home feeling stupid and insulted. If he still does not get it, I will call the cops and to have them deal with this moron. I am sure at this point this manly pickup truck dude would leave in a hurry.

I always smile and wave - NEVER the one finger salute. If things get nasty I want to be able to say I did everything to avoid having to pound this guy.

Joe

I carry an excerpt of the Texas Transportation Code with me, so if anyone wants to debate me, I can just hand it to him.

I was just thinking of carrying the Colorado statutes with me now.

I carry the relevant WI laws, though I've yet to use them. I also avoid the one fingered salute, in favor of a friendly wave. The finger only confirms the cager's perception that cyclists are *******s. And if you are just trying to piss them off, the wave is sometimes more effective. I do it somewhat patronizingly, but it's totally plausibly deniable.

"I didn't like the way he waved at me. He had a look!" vs. "He flipped the bird."

I have done that with the California Codes... and then had some nut tell me they don't matter.

I had followed him into the parking lot after he came up behind me and then gunned it to the left lane, cutting off a car and then swooping back into my lane... didn't save him any time as I was able to follow him right into the parking lot.

Idiot. After he told me "they don't matter... " and stammered a few other words, we each went our way.

I came back later and taped his windshield with the CVC and that wide packing tape. He did not know where I worked, but I knew where he parked.

BTW I do the wave thing too... act like an old friend...

I'm sure we've all encountered our fair share of morons out there, with practice you learn to ignore them. This is a far more effective means of dealing with it.

Original poster... too much to digest... however...

I sorted through the road rules idea myself. Yeah, that's OK. Around 30 pages, double-sided. THEN I discovered the fines-and-penalties website for our road laws... make that around 60 pages double-sided! You need to hand out more than the bicycle-specific stuff.

Sooooooo, if you want to carry around four or five lengthy volumes of road rules and penalties that apply to everyone including cyclists... I'd say, let it all go... then start identifying your ways around it.

Reference point: In the past three days, I have been run off by a bus driver TWICE within 100 metres, buzzed by drivers who think they own the road ahead of me, and another who wanted to cut me off overtaking on a lane.

I could have devised all sorts of retaliation plans for them, and probably did for two. But I let it go, and by the time I got to work, it was all forgotten. I had the awareness to identify and evade the trouble... and stay unharmed. It's not THAT difficult.

Oh, and yeah, I generally have more trouble with incompetent people-on-bikes than I do with pedestrians and drivers on any trip I do.

I just smile and wave when people lay on their car horn for no reason. Act like I think they know me and am being friendly. Seems to make them even more angry as they think I am the most stupid guy around and don't know they are trying to be rude.

EXACTLY!! It's quite amusing to smile and wave, and watch their expressions change as they try to think of some other way to offend/scare you. If stuck at a light with such an individual, i usually try to act like i don't understand what they meant. If possible, i ask if they need help. They NEVER have anything to say when confronted.

I flipped the bird once during a commute several years ago. The guy actually got out of his car while stopped at a light and started lecturing me about how I should find a different route. I had good reason as the situation was pretty scary. I was crossing a bridge over a railroad which had no shoulder and the guy comes up beside me and honks his horn. I almost went over the bridge railing onto the tracks below, I was so startled. So I flipped him the bird.

Since then, I have limited myself to a simple shout and body language which tells them I'm pissed, but not confrontational. Don't know if this works, but it helps me and other drivers behind me see the situation and hopefully are a little more thoughtful when they pass. The "bird" seems to have the effect of making people fly into a blind rage. Don't know what it is.