I get the wave a lot, I mean when a motorist waves you to go ahead, Funny thing is I get irked because they always look so impatient and condescending. Rarely do I see a smiling, willing face behind the wave. I lump this in with the folks that wave you through a 4 way stop on their turn after you purposely slowed to allow them to go through the intersection so you can roll through without stopping. Funny how a 4 way stop becomes way more complex when there's a bike in the mix.

I usually refuse to go and make them take their turn like they're supposed to. Then of course the jack*ss in the next car back doesn't give me MY turn!

I go when waved while driving, and will go when waved on a bike. (4-way stops, that is)

I can say this about too many who do not ride a bike. It is a miserable and depressing transportation system for cars, I feel sorry for them.

Maybe it's the type of smile you project? I always get smiles when I project my warm smiles.

That's 'cuz you're so ugly. Trust me, I know -- I can speak from experience.



Actually, what I'll bet they're thinking: "Geez, man, there's another one of those bikers. They never stop anyway, so I might as well wave this one on."

The part that disappoints me (and this also applies when I'm on foot and haven't even stepped from the curb yet) is that the whole exchange takes longer than if everyone just went in order like they're supposed to.

The Setup: I get to the intersection and see that a car has gotten there just before me. I expect them to go, so I slow way down, turn my head to look at them, and maybe even dangle a foot to prepare to stop.

Version A: They still sit there, look at me (at least they're looking ), and after some impatient hesitation, wave me through. I get back on the pedals and mash across while they wait some more, and once I'm through, they finally take their turn.

Version B: They see me coming to a stop, so they go. After waiting three seconds or so, it's my turn, and I go.

I pretty much take any wave through I get, even the ones from grumpy bastids.

I only take the wave through if it's my turn, doing otherwise is a good way to get hit by the car you can't see.

According to the hand gesture rule book: a wave is kinder than a finger or a fist!

Wave is annoying, and dangerous (see old threads on subject).

Lately my tendancy when coming to a stop is to put a foot down, let go of my handlebars, and stand upright over the bike with my arms crossed. Cars that had been hesitating about taking their turn since they saw me coming up to the intersection(too many other bikes blow thru) tend to drive off without a second glance.

I've noticed that too, it's always a "hurry the **** up *******" kind of wave.

not to mention they're freaking waving me into traffic alot of the time (stopping and waving me across a 4 lane roadway when the traffic on the other side isn't stopping) or they got to the stop sign first and had the right of way.

For sure. If it's your turn, like at a four way, please go. If it's my turn, sit there and wait. Of course, while I'm going and you are sitting, I will be keeping an eye on you.

Yeah it's even worse since i'm on a fixed gear, so i'm still pedaling even when i'm slowing down, confuses a lot of people.

Drivers waving others to cross out of turn at an intersection is stupid and dangerous. It messes up the flow of traffic. My two strategies are to put a foot down and stretch or rub my bum to show the driver that I'd appreciate a break for a second while they go through, or to yell at them that they have right-of-way.

This can lead to my nightmare scenario of accepting an offer to cross an intersection after an Alphonse moment, only to have the driver decide that they're tired of waiting and then proceed to enter the intersection.

There should be mandatory driver testing for license renewal. Maybe folks would remember the rules of the road if they were forced to study them every few years...

OK, I'll shut up now...

^^^ Or maybe cyclists should be taught to not blow through intersections out of turn, which makes drivers expect us to do it...

Yup, there's that, too. Well said.

Or maybe i blow through intersections because i expect drivers to wave me....


(well not really i just don't like stopping)

In Vermont you will get a cheerful 'wave' at 4-way stops. That's where you can see arguments in Vermont: Each driver demanding the other driver's go first. Really! People here are so polite, it scares visitors. You'd think we all have alien-pods for brains.

It might have something to do with the fact that we don't have ANY gun laws. Don't snatch granny's purse - she could have a sawed-off shotgun under her shawl.

Good point, I guess trackstanding doesn't qualify as a stop to the cagers, as it always seems to hypnotize them. As far as blowing stop signs, I follow the same rules every other country in the world uses but ours: If biking treat it as a yield. I figure the only way to change a law is to show that there is a viable alternative to the status quo by breaking the law and arguing it in court(I have a pro bono lawyer). As with yielding, I wait my turn or come to a complete stop if need be, though people like to honk and yell as they are rolling through the stop sign I just rolled through because they wanted to roll through even more blatantly.

You're right, it doesn't look like a stop. It just looks like some guy wobbling on a bike.