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My apologies if this topic has already been discussed. I looked at bit first and didn't see anything.
On Friday's commute (only my second and my first in rush-hour traffic) I had two near-death experiences with drivers passing me too closely. Either they didn't see me, or they just didn't care. One was going so fast and passed so closely that I felt my bike being sucked toward the car. I really thought I was toast... I have no idea why we didn't crash.
My question is, do you have a strategy for those times when there is no bike lane and the road is not terribly wide? Do you take the whole lane, forcing the car to stay behind you until they can pass like they would another car, or do you get over so that they can try to pass you without getting into a head-on collision with oncoming traffic?
*Most* people on this road gave me half the lane (forcing on-coming traffic to move over, too), but a couple of people just passed right by like I wasn't there at all. Nervewracking to say the least. I'm tempted to take the whole lane, but then I'm afraid someone will run over me, either because they aren't watching or because they're pissed off.
On Friday's commute (only my second and my first in rush-hour traffic) I had two near-death experiences with drivers passing me too closely. Either they didn't see me, or they just didn't care. One was going so fast and passed so closely that I felt my bike being sucked toward the car. I really thought I was toast... I have no idea why we didn't crash.
My question is, do you have a strategy for those times when there is no bike lane and the road is not terribly wide? Do you take the whole lane, forcing the car to stay behind you until they can pass like they would another car, or do you get over so that they can try to pass you without getting into a head-on collision with oncoming traffic?
*Most* people on this road gave me half the lane (forcing on-coming traffic to move over, too), but a couple of people just passed right by like I wasn't there at all. Nervewracking to say the least. I'm tempted to take the whole lane, but then I'm afraid someone will run over me, either because they aren't watching or because they're pissed off.
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Philadelphia
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Re: How do you handle aggressive/oblivious drivers?
Mon, April 21, 2008 - 6:36 PMI stay as far right as possible, but allow myself enough room so that I don't collide with the curb. Try to be as visible as possible. When you can, adjust your route to avoid traffic. I take up a whole lane only when I am turning left on a wide street and the traffic is really slow. My big problem is that around here there are cars parked along the curb. Most of my close calls have involved drivers opening doors in front of me. It happened Friday, but I saw it coming in time to stop. Fortunately my new bike has good brakes. -
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Re: How do you handle aggressive/oblivious drivers?
Mon, April 21, 2008 - 8:41 PM**I stay as far right as possible**
The law is written in every single state (that I've looked it up) to allow cyclists to ride as far to the right as practicable, not possible. That means not stuffing yourself up against the curb where drivers aren't paying attention to you, and definitely not riding in the door zone. I'm not saying that you have to ride in the center of the lane and block up traffic all the time, but don't confine yourself to one little stripe of pavement at the shoulder. Give 'em an inch and they'll take a mile. Make sure that drivers don't think that they can "squeeze past", because that's how you end up getting clipped by a side mirror or decked into a parked car.
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Re: How do you handle aggressive/oblivious drivers?
Mon, April 21, 2008 - 9:00 PMok, this is exactly what a friend told me tonight when I asked him. He said on some of the roads around here you have to take enough of the lane that the driver knows they have to pass you, not just "squeeze past." He used the exact same language you are here. He said he learned his lesson after getting clipped by a side mirror. If they honk, he just uses his arm to motion for them to go around. Nothing aggressive, but definitely holding his ground.
I prefer (and usually ride) roads wide enough or with enough lanes (or hey! maybe with a bike lane!) that this isn't an issue, but I do have two fairly short stretches that I just can't avoid this type of road.
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Re: How do you handle aggressive/oblivious drivers?
Mon, April 21, 2008 - 8:57 PM**On Friday's commute (only my second and my first in rush-hour traffic) I had two near-death experiences with drivers passing me too closely. Either they didn't see me, or they just didn't care. One was going so fast and passed so closely that I felt my bike being sucked toward the car. I really thought I was toast... I have no idea why we didn't crash. **
You can feel the vacuum effect from as far as 4 to 6 feet away if a car is passing you fast enough. If you're not used to riding in/with traffic, then it takes some getting used to before you get really good at judging distance. While these cars were close, they may not have been as close as you think. Really, you'll get used to it.
**My question is, do you have a strategy for those times when there is no bike lane and the road is not terribly wide? Do you take the whole lane, forcing the car to stay behind you until they can pass like they would another car, or do you get over so that they can try to pass you without getting into a head-on collision with oncoming traffic?**
I make drivers do what I want. Command the lane, and direct traffic from your bike. Point and yell at people. Shake your head and mouth the word "NO" while staring down a driver who's inching out from a side street into your right-of-way. Give people the "STOP" palm and mouth a couple of swear words. Scowl a lot. Look angry. Make people afraid. If someone gives you shit, get off your bike and stand with it in between you and their car. Pull out a camera phone and take a very obvious picture of their license plate. Do not let drivers push you around.
**Most* people on this road gave me half the lane (forcing on-coming traffic to move over, too), but a couple of people just passed right by like I wasn't there at all. Nervewracking to say the least. I'm tempted to take the whole lane, but then I'm afraid someone will run over me, either because they aren't watching or because they're pissed off. **
Best thing to get is a mirror. If you know what's coming up behind you, you're never surprised by anything. Watch the mirror and watch your front, command the lane (or at least your part of it), and make yourself very visible. The more visible you are, the less excuse a driver has for a close call... and you've got an automatic leg up if something does need to go to court.
I have 3 rear blinkie lights, a rear reflector, a helmet light, a headlight, front reflector, and reflective tape on my whole frame. I wear a reflective sash (3M SOLAS) and a neon lime Illuminite jersey and 2 reflective ankle bands. -
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Re: How do you handle aggressive/oblivious drivers?
Mon, April 21, 2008 - 9:06 PMWow, thanks for that. Yeah, this all sounds good, more aggressive than the friend I just posted about, but maybe that's necessary at times . Another friend reminded me that bikes have the right-of-way, even if most cars don't understand that. I guess I have to tell them, eh?
I do have the mirror and the blinky lights (front & rear) in addition to the standard-issue reflectors, and I wear reflective gear everytime I go out, because it is bright even during the day when it's not being reflective. I also have two ankle bands. I've just purchased reflective tape for my backpack and I plan to tape it on in an eye-catching design.
Thanks again. -
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Re: How do you handle aggressive/oblivious drivers?
Mon, April 21, 2008 - 9:22 PM**Wow, thanks for that. Yeah, this all sounds good, more aggressive than the friend I just posted about, but maybe that's necessary at times .**
I spent a few years riding courier, so it was my job to play in traffic for 10 hours a day. After a while, you get good at it and don't take crap from drivers. I still don't. I yell, I have a FOX-40 whistle, I smack the hood/roof or knock on the windows of cars that start drifting too close. I've been known to carry a handful of ball bearings or a couple of spark plugs in my jersey pocket, for people who really can't take a freakin' hint. I wear 1/2" track spikes in the toe cleats of my left shoe.
I'm a bit more aggro than most commuters, but I've been at this for 17 years in a lot of cities, and I've been hit by cars in 5 of them. I don't go off half-cocked, but I am fully prepared to sprint a car to a red light to give a driver a good scare if they try and mess with me.
**Another friend reminded me that bikes have the right-of-way, even if most cars don't understand that. I guess I have to tell them, eh? **
Cyclists are required to follow the rules, and the rules don't usually give us any special ROW over other traffic on the road. We have a right to the road, but not necessarily the right of way. Remember, it's the 1% of drivers who act like pricks which tends to flavour our judgement of all drivers, even though 99% of them are fine. Just like it's the 1% of cyclists with no reflective gear or lights, blowing through red lights at night, who bias the views of many drivers to think that ALL cyclists are law-breakers. -
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Re: How do you handle aggressive/oblivious drivers?
Tue, April 22, 2008 - 5:10 PM>>I've been known to carry a handful of ball bearings or a couple of spark plugs in my jersey pocket, for people who really can't take a freakin' hint.
Sorry to be dense, but this reference is lost on me. What do you DO with these things? -
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Re: How do you handle aggressive/oblivious drivers?
Tue, April 22, 2008 - 8:01 PM**Sorry to be dense, but this reference is lost on me. What do you DO with these things?**
Whip them at someone's car, if they've attempted to do me intentional harm. It's on the same level of shittiness as catching someone at a red light, reaching in their window, taking their keys and tossing them down a sewer. You can mess up a windshield with a spark plug.
It's an old motorcyclist's trick: Carry a pocket of lug nuts for people who edge you out of a lane. If you get stopped, the excuse is: "Lug nuts (spark plugs)? Couldn't have come from my vehicle officer. Must have been something got kicked up off the road by another car."
This is a last resort! I am not advocating anything other than yelling and a light rap on someone's hood to wake them up if they're in need of some alertness.
Throwing things at people is ASSAULT, taking someone's keys is THEFT, and you can get arrested for it.
In 17 years of riding, (3 as a profession), I've only needed to seriously damage a car 3 times because someone was being such a persistent prick and attempting to run me down. A light tap on the hood usually gets the point across just fine. -
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Re: How do you handle aggressive/oblivious drivers?
Tue, April 22, 2008 - 8:22 PMI used to carry a Smith and Wesson M59 in a haversack with 14 rounds of 9mm hollow point in the clip and one in the chamber, but it wasn't for problems with drivers. In my 30 years of riding I have never had a problem of any sort with a driver. It's the pedestrians that were always a concern. -
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Re: How do you handle aggressive/oblivious drivers?
Tue, April 22, 2008 - 8:29 PMYowch! Rode through some rough neighbourhoods, did ya?
I rode through some crappy areas in my time, but thankfully nowhere I felt I needed to pack heat.
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Re: How do you handle aggressive/oblivious drivers?
Tue, April 22, 2008 - 11:14 PMWow Jim!
You really do live up in CLEEEE-Land, don'cha?
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Re: How do you handle aggressive/oblivious drivers?
Wed, April 23, 2008 - 4:46 AMCleveland!? Has it gotten that bad since I left? That's where I did most of my courier work in the early 90s. -
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Re: How do you handle aggressive/oblivious drivers?
Wed, April 23, 2008 - 4:55 AMThanks for the explanation. When you said ball bearings, all I could think of were those comic sequences where people are being chased on foot and then toss out something to foil their enemies....but I I knew ball bearings wouldn't foil an SUV!
Seems to me that the aggressive/obliviousness must only be getting worse now that so many pricks are driving around talking on cell phones. -
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Re: How do you handle aggressive/oblivious drivers?
Wed, April 23, 2008 - 7:52 AM**Seems to me that the aggressive/obliviousness must only be getting worse now that so many pricks are driving around talking on cell phones.**
What would really help with this is making cell phone use (including texting, etc.) without a handsfree set a PRIMARY offense. Washington recently passed a law making it illegal to text while driving, and they're enacting a hand-held ban starting in July of this year, however, these are SECONDARY offenses. This means you can drive past the police station texting away, and they can't pull you over. There must be a primary offense.
I'm gonna get a bit rant-y for a while, because this is a subject which pisses me off greatly. I've lost 3 friends in the last year due to "distracted drivers" who got nothing more than court fines and a "now, don't do it again" scolding.
What this law is in place for is attempting to enact harsher penalties when someone finally ends up running over a pedestrian or cyclist, or driving into a storefront, because they were busy texting. Previously, this was the lowest level of misdemeanor moving violation: "Distracted Driving." Yeah, sure... You drift over the fog line in broad daylight on a straight stretch of road on a sunny day and kill a cyclist, but you get away with 1 point on your license? The new laws up the stakes, but the punishment still doesn't fit the crime. There are people constantly getting their licenses revoked for crap like their 7th DUI, or the 3rd pedestrian they've injured, and some douche who's good at finding loopholes manages to get them a reduced sentence of "Driving priveleges to/from work, no time served, court fees and a fine." Screw that noise: Sell the car at auction for the first offense. Second offense: name goes into a database searchable at auto dealerships. The feds have a no-fly list? The state can enforce a no-drive list. Make it so these people can't even buy another car. Make it a hefty fine for any dealer who doesn't comply with the regulation. (E-Bay and CL sales would be handled via the DMV during title transfer or renewal of license tags.)
People seem to forget that driving is a privelege, not an inalienable right. Make the licensing process as difficult and expensive as it is in Germany. Make the penalties for uninsured/unlicensed driving, DUI, texting, etc. commensurate to the severity of the crime. Impound/auction the vehicle. Revocation of a license doesn't stop people from driving. If someone breaks into my house and steals my degrees off my wall, do I immediately become a moron? Hell no.
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Re: How do you handle aggressive/oblivious drivers?
Mon, April 28, 2008 - 6:43 PMClif,
I did most of my urban commuting in the late seventies and early eighties during the beginning of the crack craze. Since then Cleveland has actually gotten safer. I see white women jogging and cycling along MLK Blvd. Downtown has also improved greatly with all the new apartments and condos.
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Re: How do you handle aggressive/oblivious drivers?
Wed, April 23, 2008 - 2:55 PMClif, how is it you haven't been shot yet!! I'm in Philadelphia, you know. I'll be more assertive, that's for sure, but I doubt I'll go anywhere near as far as you have, until I've been at it a few years, of course. Wow! Your experience is very impressive. And you've lived (so far) to tell the tale!! -
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Re: How do you handle aggressive/oblivious drivers?
Wed, April 23, 2008 - 3:18 PM**Clif, how is it you haven't been shot yet!!**
I don't put myself into situations where I'm at high risk for being shot. I don't care how shitty a driver the 22 year old kid with the Sean-John tracksuit cruising a drop top SLK on custom rims is. I'm not smacking his chroma-change paintjob if he cuts me off pulling into a parking lot.
I won't yell at a lifted beater pick up full of guys when I'm on a country road.
A GMC Denali full of high-schoolers who decide to throw a fast food soda at me, then get stuck at a red light in Bellevue, WA? You bet your ass I'm sprinting up and unloading a bottle of Accelerade in their window.
Pick your battles wisely. It's the brave rider who knows when to walk away from a fight.
The only time I ever got my ass whooped on a bike was back in Cleveland in 1990. Some kid clotheslined me with a 2 x 4 out of an alley. Total coldcock, no warning, no reaction time. Woke up and my bike was gone but I still had my bag. (no idea how that happened. Wouldn't you steal a courier's bag, not just his whip?)
Worst places I've heard of to ride (from current mess'rs)
Philly, PA (aka Filthadelphia)
Baltimore, MD (aka Bodymore, Murderland)
Washington, DC
Detroit, MI (MOTOR CITY, yeah, go figure... nobody likes cyclists there? Really?)
Atlanta, GA
The entire effing state of Florida
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Re: How do you handle aggressive/oblivious drivers?
Wed, April 23, 2008 - 10:30 AMI got an airzounds air horn after getting right hooked... I t has worked wonders.
Take the lane when you need to- that includes when there are intermittent parked cars- ie dont drive into someones bumper.
Thats my advice. -
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Re: How do you handle aggressive/oblivious drivers?
Wed, April 23, 2008 - 10:57 AMI've considered the Airzound. So, do you have to give up a bottle cage for the thing? I typically need both bottles on my commute because I ride 30 miles or more.
What's the actual size of the thing?
What kind of a sound is it: Car horn, or more like one of those handheld boat horns?
I've seen a guy with a 12V SLA battery on his rear rack (think: motorcycle battery) and one of those plastic twin-horn truck horns on his front rack. Seriously, the dude has a friggin' truck horn that makes him sound like a tractor-trailer. Scares the hell out of people. -
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Re: How do you handle aggressive/oblivious drivers?
Thu, April 24, 2008 - 3:33 PMit sounds like the hand held boat horn- it is loud.
it comes with stays to mount to the crossbar- I use the cage as my backborn lives on the cross stay already. I use one water cage and a camel back.
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Re: How do you handle aggressive/oblivious drivers?
Mon, April 28, 2008 - 5:35 PM>>People seem to forget that driving is a privelege, not an inalienable right. Make the licensing process as difficult and expensive as it is in Germany. Make the penalties for uninsured/unlicensed driving, DUI, texting, etc. commensurate to the severity of the crime.<<
Amen to that!! -
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Re: How do you handle aggressive/oblivious drivers?
Wed, April 30, 2008 - 8:13 PM
rudeness and obliviousness are one thing, but overt threats and dangerous behavior..get their license number and call 911.
i agree with most of whats been said here. truth is a single cyclist is a tiny voice in a loud mob.
organize with other cyclists and push;;pressure,.. demand that your rights to safe use of streets be assured by the governments you support with your taxes. the 'i pay gas tax so have more rights than your bike' is a cannard. Here in Portland , the Bicycle Transportation Alliance ( bta4bikes.org ) have been working to improve safe access for bikes and peds for over 10 years. they are one reason portland was named a platinum bike city this week. strong advocacy helps insure long term success for a whole cycling community.
but all the bta's in the world cannot stop that one asshole in a car/truck that doesnt mind threatening your safety.
thats what those spark plugs are for... or a convenient kryptonite lock. -
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Re: How do you handle aggressive/oblivious drivers?
Thu, May 1, 2008 - 3:10 PMjOe, great minds think alike! people.tribe.net/kalicleo/...e4c3b873d5
I've already had a paper respond (don't know the publishing date, though) and also a township commissioner. I'm not sure I have time for politics, but for this, I'll give it a try. -
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Re: How do you handle aggressive/oblivious drivers?
Tue, May 6, 2008 - 9:34 PMDiane.. a great start. However, for what you want to do, it would take several lifetimes to make happen. Fortunately, there are many who feel as you do, with varied skills, energy levels and degrees of passion. Join those folks together and make it happen. A guy here whom i admire uses a bromide that seems to fit well.. constant pressure, consistantly applied. Thats what it will take.
Milk the media.. post on blogs, hold meetings,especially in very public places.. ( coffee shops, librariies, bike shops.. and dont forget pedestrian needs also.
I am on a trails advocacy group, npgreenway.org in Portland. our goal is a river level transportation trail along the Willamette River, connecting neighborhoods to work to the central city. Even in a 'bike friendly' community such as Portland, it is a major undertaking, finding support, money and commitment.
I do know many planning professionals are ,while paid to build auto based roads, supportive of bike/ped efforts, knowing that the car is the new dinosaur, and human power will be a big part of the solution to our energy problem. Enlist their support and draw on their experience.
and as Joe Hill would say....ORGANIZE!!
And while separate use trails are often the best possibility, encouraging safe, well designed shared facilities, ( think bike lanes ) as a means to encourage transportation riding in wider areas. We will need all the help we need shaking off the fossilfuel habit..
godspeed! -
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Re: How do you handle aggressive/oblivious drivers?
Tue, May 6, 2008 - 9:49 PMSpeaking of bike lanes and Portland...
Where do you stand on the very heated "bike boxes" debate?
Personally, I think they're a good idea with a need for a more appropriate implementation plan. (Poor choice of where to install them, and monitor use/abuse). I've been following the debate in A&S on bikeforums, and it's getting ugly over there with all the transportation engineers vs. advocacy lawyers vs. internet tough-guy lawyer wannabes vs. car-free zealots who think that bike lanes are the Jim Crow laws of the cycling world vs. the "DIE CAGERS!" Zoobomb kids, etc.... -
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Re: How do you handle aggressive/oblivious drivers?
Tue, May 6, 2008 - 11:24 PMClifton
What is this ""bike boxes" debate" of which you write? -
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Re: How do you handle aggressive/oblivious drivers?
Wed, May 7, 2008 - 5:49 AMPortland is experimenting with a cycling facility which is common across Europe, called the bike box. It's a painted "box" area at the front of the line at a stop light. Cyclists can filter up via the bike lane, then move to the left in front of the cars to keep from getting right hooked when the light goes green.
www.portlandonline.com/transp...dex.cfm
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Re: How do you handle aggressive/oblivious drivers?
Wed, May 7, 2008 - 8:25 PMI am not sure i would call it 'heated'. A few voices have questioned a design unapproved by DOT.
1. The cycling community is large and diverse. We don't march in lockstep.
2. They might be right.
At the same time, they came in quick response to two truck/cyclist collisions where the cyclists were operating legally, yet were killed by trucks who apparently didn't see them. Its rare to see local government react quickly to anything. Its an election year, and no doubt giving the impression of doing SOMETHING was preferable to doing the best thing..
are bike boxes the solution to a problem with using bike lanes?
there is a long debate about effective cycling vs. segragated facilities. I dont have the answer, but i do believe that as cyclists,we are all at different stages of development. A very experienced cyclist may 'share the road' with no problems. a new rider may be scared stiff by the idea. -
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bike boxes
Thu, May 8, 2008 - 12:20 PMI regularly ride through downtown PDX. There is a brand new bike box at Broadway and Taylor. While I like the idea, I have noticed that cars continue to ignore the bicyclists there. They straddle the bike lane while waiting to make the right turn onto Taylor from Broadway and effectively block access to the bike box so that I can't use it as intended, simply because I can't get past the cars waiting to turn. So I wind up going around them on the left, as I did before the bike boxes were installed. All in all, I'm not impressed yet. Maybe someone else has had a better experience or tips on how to get into the bike box in the first place? -
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Re: bike boxes
Thu, May 8, 2008 - 12:59 PMSit on their car hood and leave a sweaty butt-print on it. That should get the point across nicely. -
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Re: bike boxes
Thu, May 8, 2008 - 4:47 PM>leave a sweaty butt-print on it
This still involves being able to get in front of the car ;] I like to shout and wave at the driver through the rear window, less likely to get run over/shot that way. -
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Re: bike boxes
Thu, May 8, 2008 - 9:42 PMIf this all started because a couple cyclists were hit by trucks, it would make sense to examine the visibility issues involved. Perhaps someone ought to look at the legislation regulating the design of truck mirrors and etc... -
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Re: bike boxes
Fri, May 9, 2008 - 7:28 AM<The cycling community is large and diverse. We don't march in lockstep. >
Very sad, very true!
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Re: bike boxes
Fri, May 9, 2008 - 7:57 AMAs much as people try, you can't legislate people into being safe. Passing a vehicle on the right, even in the bike lane, is dangerous. Plenty of people don't use their turn signals, and NO ONE is looking at the bike lane to check if someone is passing them when they're making a right turn. You can load trucks up with mirrors until they look like a mod's Vespa and people will still get run over.
I'm a big advocate for taking the lane when you're doing the same speed as car traffic. It's really difficult to get right-hooked in the center of the RTOL.
We're seeing a similar case up here in Seattle with a notorious intersection. Same situation: Right turning trucks have run over cyclists legally travelling straight through in the bike lane. It's an unfortunate situation which stems from poorly designed integrated traffic facilities. -
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Re: bike boxes
Fri, May 9, 2008 - 8:52 AMWhen I'm in a situation where a car could potentially right hook me, I assume that they will and let them go ahead. Generally, I assume cars don't see me and ride accordingly. -
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Re: bike boxes
Fri, May 9, 2008 - 9:44 AMThat is the safest way, from my experience, to ride. Treat every driver like they don't see you... Even the ones who are looking right at you. -
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Re: bike boxes
Wed, May 21, 2008 - 8:46 AM"Even the ones who are looking right at you."
It's true, they look right at you and then they turn left in front of you or right-hook you. It's amazing. It's also amazing how QUICKLY you learn to handle it. Survival depends on it, I suppose, but the first few rides pretty much teach you almost everything. I rode recently with a friend who had never commuted before and he said he had never done half the things I was doing (basically communicating with drivers). He was used to getting on sidewalks and "getting out of the way" of drivers. He had no experience with people opening car doors or turning right on red, right in front of you. He got wise *really* fast. I also rode with my son to run some errands in town recently. Why start the car just because there are two of you, if you're only going two or three miles? With him -- a 12-year-old on a 24inch 10 speed -- I had to play the "mother duck" role and pretty much point at drivers and tell them what we were doing next, and keep my son between me & the side of the road. Kind of interesting, but I noticed people were *way* more accommodating when he was there. LOL.
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Re: bike boxes
Sat, May 10, 2008 - 9:08 AMThe city of Portland is looking at all those things as well as gaurd rails on the bottom of trucks to prevent bikers from being sucked under. It is only being delt with by the cities trucks as it is hard to tell every vendor entering and leaving the city how they must outfit their trucks. A broken mirror is potentially one of the major contributing reasons to one of this years deaths in Portland.
I have only ridden through one of the new bike boxes my experience was fine. I sat and watched for a couple of red light cycles at another one and all cars and bikes dealt with it properly.
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Re: How do you handle aggressive/oblivious drivers?
Wed, May 21, 2008 - 8:36 AMThanks jOe for your comments and suggestions. I'd personally like to see a policy of "all new road construction includes bike lanes," and I've seen some support for that around here already. We'll see.... -
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Re: How do you handle aggressive/oblivious drivers?
Wed, May 21, 2008 - 11:16 AMAround Cleveland it seems every resurfaced street has a bike lane, even the industrial streets which lead to factories and machine shops.
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Re: How do you handle aggressive/oblivious drivers?
Mon, October 27, 2008 - 11:50 AMPersonally, I get pretty vocal at drivers when they are driving poorly. I will yell whatever I can think of to make my presence known that I am on the road. This seems to work pretty well because it grabs peoples attention and jolts them out of their cage and robot mentality and makes them realize that you are a person on the road. -
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Re: How do you handle aggressive/oblivious drivers?
Mon, October 27, 2008 - 8:21 PMaggressive and oblivious drivers present totally different challenges. so do agressive and oblivious cyclists.
the mantra is 'share the road',not get your #*I$@@ ass off MY road, IDIOT.
perhaps the next step is separated facilities, as opposed to shared? -
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Re: How do you handle aggressive/oblivious drivers?
Tue, October 28, 2008 - 12:37 PMAggressive people are tough to deal with. The safe thing to do is to stay out of their way. Though a nice, healthy ass-kicking might teach them a lesson, most people simply never learn. Oblivious people are the worst, because they simply aren't even on the same planet as you. And it's not just motorists driving in the bike lane, I see asshats riding four abreast all the time (not to mention no lights, no reflectors, etc...). Share the road does indeed mean share it, not hog it to yourself! The important thing I think is to ride defensively. That goes for driving too. You're on your own out there!
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