heavyMetal

I'm on my Sunday ride with four others, descending a hill in single file, spaced about 15 yards apart, doing about 30 mph (speed limit is 40 on this road). I'm last in line; the other four riders make it through a light just before it changes to red. I am in the well-marked bike lane, braking for the light, and an SUV is to my left in the lane, signaling for a right turn (which I can't see, since it's to my immediate left). I come to a stop at the light, as does the SUV. After the full stop, the passenger window rolls down and a guy says to me "You should pay attention to our turn signals". There is a woman driving, but she stays out of the conversation. I'm thinking, wtf is up with this guy, but refrain from profanity or bird-flipping, and civilly ask "Why, were you going to run the red light"? He answers "No, you can make a right on red", to which I said ,"Yes, after coming to a full stop." He then says "This is why motorists hate cyclists", rolls his window back up, and when the light changes, the SUV starts to makes a right turn in front of me. I make eye contact with the driver, and motion them to continue.

So, what do you make of this? Hysteria in reaction to some Critical Mass shenanigans, or did I really do something wrong?

uke

You were fine. Driver was an ass. Put it out of your mind.

Hickeydog

There are tons of reasons why motorists hate us. It could be they are scared of us. Or they could be jealous, or they could act out of pure, irrational thought.

Fortunately for you, you encountered one of the few cagers that are semi-reasonable and can hold their temper...

markhr

Passenger sounds like an ass

These may help though:

https://bicyclesafe.com/

https://www.johnforester.com/ - see his Effective Cycling book
https://www.cyclecraft.co.uk/

patentcad

You could have hocked a loogie on his passenger door and said 'No, that's why motorists hate cyclists.'

I wouldn't have acknowledged his idiotic statement with a response. Seriously.

Hickeydog

I can see why you don't have many friends....

patentcad

Oh, that must be it.

dcbikeguy

I have bikes and cars. Do I have to take a side in your imaginary conflict?

azdroptop

Let's be honest, this guy was a tard, but there are a lot of reasons they hate us. There is a certain amount of "deserve it"

schnabler1

Motorists hate us because we're in their way. I rub it in when I can.

pacificaslim

Well, just sitting there on the right at a red light and preventing the car from making a right hand turn certainly isn't going to make them like cyclists anymore. Even I get pissed off about that when I'm driving.

Cyclists should wait at the light far enough to the left that a car who wants to turn right can fit between them and the curb. It's just basic courtesy.

patentcad

That's idiotic. I'm not going to wait on my friggin BICYCLE in the MIDDLE OF THE ROAD so some other idiot can rear end me on my 16 lb racing bike. The ahole can wait until the light changes, and I can move, and then he can make his friggin turn. And if that gives you or anyone else an aneurism, flatten me with your SUV. That's fine.

mr handy

Motorists get mad at other motorist's for no reason what so ever all the time, it's called road rage, (but its hard to take out that rage on a 2000 lb box going 60mph.

People get mad at cyclists, because we are smaller (not in a car) go slower (usually) and are generally better looking and are accessible to aggression.

I honestly don't think that most motorist's hate cyclists I think they are unhappy in general, and a cyclist is a unique target (something different to cause a release of anger from an unhappy motorist)

Driving IMO makes people aggressive, which clouds there judgement, which leads to bad decisions.

A lot of drivers are ignorant of many traffic laws, and there should be a conscious effort made by the driving public to better understand and follow the rules of the road... The OP's story shows a great example of a motorists (or passengers) ignorance of how a right on read is performed legally.

All of these things make cyclists an easy target of unhappy american motorists.

Also, Many cyclists are just as boneheaded on the road as there motorist counterparts.

Drivers ed all around is the answer... "and tougher penalties for parole violaters, Bob."

schnabler1

Yeah, he should have rolled out a red carpet for the motorist, too. Give me a break, you're being silly.

heavyMetal

This is true, but in this case I was deliberately trying to be law-abiding. This guy's attitude was kind of stupid, I thought. Too many cyclists get nailed by the 'right-hook', which was what this SUV would have done, had they not seen me. Then they are pissed at me for being in the bike lane. Go figure.

mr handy

Remember that as a cyclist you are considered a motor vehicle by law in most situations.
when I come to intersections, I take my lane, I am entitled to it and it prevents bonehead motorists from making boneheaded decisions, that will ultimately only hurt me.

If your in such a hurry that you can't wait for me to cross the intersection before making your right, turn on your lights and siren and I will get out of your way so you can get to the fire/ accident/ break in...

medcat4077

Today in "large group ride" ( about 200 peeps) The first few miles all of us were together, and the police blocked traffic for us to get through. After a turn some guy w/o a shirt in a pick up said "Where you all from NY ?" Note we are all in Kentucky. Someone in front of me says "Got a banjo" I chuckled and went on. End of story

mr handy

Next time just take the lane and let the SUV take the bike like like he wanted.

patentcad

As a motorist who is an avid cyclist, I hate myself, which does dovetail nicely with the whole Self Loathing thing.

Grumpy McTrumpy

but you did the right thing.

As long as one of you was paying attention and willing to slow down or stop or just wait patiently for the situation to resolve itself peacefully and without contact between vehicles, then the story will only be one of a verbal exchange, rather than a story of you picking yourself off the floor.

It is good that you were that person.

It is better to have to stop and wait for a careless and inconsiderate driver to go about their impatient business than to stop and wait in the lobby of an emergency room.

fordmanvt

It's an overall lack of respect. People don't have the same sense of community anymore. I've had drivers pull the same stupid maneuvers while I was driving and cycling.

patentcad

Correct.

I've been tempted to lift my bike and jam it through a windshield or two, but I've learned to ignore them, which only infuriates them more.

roccobike

I don't understand all the compliants. I do the same. If I'm blocking a car that wants to make a legal right turn at a light, and I can move over to the left or the right and let them by, why not? I do that all the time.

NomadVW 

This post pained me.

Sorry.... just had to do it!

ridndirty

why were you cycling in kentucky that sounds a bit dangerous. ever seen the movie deliverence? " you got a nice mouth boy" sorry haha!!! so on my first fifty miler yesterday i got called an a- hole by one male driver as i was suffering on a long climb which didn't help my temper then as we where on the flats hauling arse some lady blows around us and and flips us off. what gives? i mean if you suck at driving a cage so much you can't easily pass two cyclists then give up your damn license to the dmv. so my riding partner starts sprinting to catch the lady and literally leaves me in the dust "i was bonked out" but there was no light or stop sign up ahead so he didn't catch her and we resumed normal riding the end...