When I "bend" the rules, I always try to make sure that I don't violate another vehicle's right of way. I've run red lights in front of cops (though not intentionally), and they've never given me grief for it. I just make sure that if I'm doing it, there is so much room that no one has to brake or even think about braking. The city is vocal about wanting to become more bike friendly, and the cops don't, for the most part, seem to have an axe to grind with cyclists.

I hope this is a joke...

Bad behavior by one reflects on all of us.

I wish I lived in a bike only city. Down in Miami you learn to ignore that kind of driver very quick. I am the kind of person that really bothers me to get mad at another human being (exceptions apply) so I just do not pay attention anymore and keep about my ride. I am out to enjoy the ride and that is always my goal.

:roflmao2::roflmao2:


That's what I call "pulling a Cipo"!

I have two recurring fantasies that involve settling the score with purposefully dangerous/aggressive drivers ...

One is a play on James Bond, the other is Dirty Harry....

Imagine a bike equipped with heat seeking missiles, and you just blast one right up the offending drivers tailpipe. Or imagine having a 44 magnum in your jersey and simultaneously blasting out their rear and front windshields with a single shot right after they buzz you.

In my fantasy I slowly peddle by the smoldering wreckage and ask the bleeding, bewildered driver if it was worth it....

I know, I know, I am not well, but riding amongst NC rednecks will break the best man

Ironically, on my commute home tonight I had not one person pass me real close, honk, yell or anything other then give me plenty of room and pass safely. This is the first time I rode my 22 mile commute home without incident since I started commuting 2/3 days a week March 1.

correct.

Its amazing to me how many of these threads insist on passive resistance. Keep in mind, if the driver was trying to run you over, why would you simply ignore them? I understand the smile and wave when someone drops an f-bomb on you, but when they start to use their vehicle as a weapon all bets are off. Call the cops and report their plate. If you feel your life is in danger you need to respond. Remember they are trying to kill you with a vehicle that weighs thousands of pounds. You have a few options.

1. ride somewhere else, less prone to folks that you have encountered in your op
2. I carry OC spray with my anytime I am not on a group ride. It works on people and animals. I recommend these guys: http://www.foxlabs.com/
3. I see you are in Va, get one of these, http://www.vsp.state.va.us/Firearms.shtm and some training

I am not advocating violence but when someone tries to run you over they are trying to KILL YOU. Stop playing games with your life guys, there are a lot of people counting on you to make it to old age.....which I thought was one of these reasons we ride.

I know!
I'm just happy she didn't tell me my ass was big.

they were probably Tony Kornheiser fans, and thought yeah lets give this guy a bump. Don't worry about losing your cool. I probably would of done the exact same thing. the other day some high school kids drove up close to me and yelled "get out of town cock sucker." I luckily caught up to them at the stop light and rolled right up and yelled at them through their window because they were too embarrassed to say anything to my face.

Uh no, not a joke. Someone PURPOSELY moves their 2-3000 pound car towards me while im on a 17 pound bicycle? I dont give a ****. I shouldnt have to "put up" with this **** and niether should you. Nobody should. The amount of ****ing heckling and stupidity from drivers towards cyclist around here is mind blowing. They are in a CAR and im on a BIKE. Get it? No amount of bad behavior by pedestrians ever makes me want to endanger thier lives, how does this change with cyclist? If someone does this to my car? I might reconsider screwing with another cyclist, not mess with another.

^ The most common fault in logical thinking is assuming other people think and act like ones self.

^^ Mkay, im curious how me doing this will now make this driver even worse to other cyclist? There was no way in my situation I was getting his plates, and there wasnt anyone around. Im not one to back down if some ****s with me. Sorry. I like to think of myself in situations that involve me.

I'm not saying you were in the wrong in your actions, but it is perfectly possible that the driver will take it out on other cyclists. To support this, I present the numerous times people have told me something to the effect of "I hate cyclists. They're always running stop signs and hogging the road, so why should I give them room?"

It's perfectly possible that the driver learned a lesson from the encounter with you, it's possible that the driver did not change one bit, it's possible the driver now has a vendetta against cyclists now, and a plethora of other scenerios are possible.

I agree that I hear people *****ing about cyclists often enough. But i feel that people that devote a lot of time to biking and bike defensevly arent causing this problem. I bike like a car. Albeit a slow car that hangs toward the white line a bit and sucks down hammer gel. But if you bike like you are a car (and even a very cautious car that makes eye contact with all drivers). It limits your encounters. I dont think I have been in the wrong about something yet when it comes to the legality of how I use the road. I just wonder how many once a month users almost get hit, or arent paying attention and give us this predisposition.

I'm pretty sure breaking someone's window is illegal, which I assume was what Shuke took exception to in the first place. As for the rest of your opinion, my previous post obviously agrees that driving vehicularly tends to gain more respect from drivers.

...but they love automobile drivers, because they never "roll" stop signs and always obey the speed limit.

Gimmie a break. Drivers don't "hate" cyclists because of their law infractions; if that were the case, they'd "hate" pedesrians (j-walking) or other drivers (speeding, rolling stop signs, etc.). They hate (those drivers that hate us) cyclists becasue they see us as intruders on roads that should only be used by autos.

True, but they know that's a BS reason, so they blame it on what they can. If cyclists didn't habitually make asses of themselves, drivers would not have any leg to stand on. I fully agree that they just want to have a reason to hate us, but why give them a reason?

You're right. I just like to imagine that if they didn't have a "valid" reason to hate on us, maybe a few of them would see the light. I might just be wishing on a star, though.

As much as I'd hate to admit it, I see more cyclists doing worse things than I see with drivers. The worst is done by commuters and messengers, too. Enthusiasts roll signs and go straight from the right-turn lane. Freds downtown ride the wrong way on a one-way street and run reds while threading themselves through busy traffic.