Well resident bike riders now it is my turn to ventilate some frustration.

I decided to get our early this A.M., and do some nice hill climbing before the winds kicked up later in the day. Got to the top of the climb and felt pretty decent, and turned around at the top and started my descent. The wind at that point really came up to about 30 mph at least and I was actually working just to go down hill!

Finally got down off the hill and had to go through this little town (4 lanes total, 2 east and 2 west.) The wind was a pretty good cross wind and I experienced some difficulty controlling the bike. I managed to keep it on the shoulder when there was one, and made it ot the intersection where my car was parked. At this ( point a new lane develops and is a right turn only lane and the shoulder of the road disappears (or better put is incorporated as a right turn only lane.)

I decide that I need to move over into the next lane over (now the middle lane) because I
need to go straight to get to my vehicle. A white Ford (POS) explorer starts to lay on its horn while I am trying to negotiate the wind and get into the next lane. The driver lays on the horn again (obviously she didn't feel I heard her the first time). I finally make my way across to the next lane without further incident.

Should I have

a. Gotten my firearm and taught the driver manners.

b. Find her vehicle and leave 4 flat tires as my tribute to her discourtesy.

c. Do just what I did and not bother with it.

d. Personally I would prefer the nuclear option, but have no WMD available.

:mad2:

Did you look before the lane change? Did you signal? Where did the Ford come from?

C


...

You too? ....
I was riding the other day, and as I go by a church, a driver pulls out and nearly hits me, I have to go clear to the shoulder to keep from polishing his front fender with my shorts. I yelled hey!!!! and kept going, then as I approach a stoplight up ahead, the driver keeps about a hundred yards back so he [or she] doesn't have to come up beside me and -heaven forbid- apploogize. So as I turned left at the light, so does the driver and passes me without ever once acknowledging my presence on this earth. What a fine Christian. What kind of message of love do they preach at that church? I've got a half a mind to stop in there someday and if I see the same car, leave an invitation to come to our church where we know how to treat our fellow man.

You too? ....
I was riding the other day, and as I go by a church, a driver pulls out and nearly hits me, I have to go clear to the shoulder to keep from polishing his front fender with my shorts. I yelled hey!!!! and kept going, then as I approach a stoplight up ahead, the driver keeps about a hundred yards back so he [or she] doesn't have to come up beside me and -heaven forbid- apploogize. So as I turned left at the light, so does the driver and passes me without ever once acknowledging my presence on this earth. What a fine Christian. What kind of message of love do they preach at that church? I've got a half a mind to stop in there someday and if I see the same car, leave an invitation to come to our church where we know how to treat our fellow man.

Your example was probably not malicious. She didn't see you. It's a simple as that. Sometimes it happens. I got whacked by a car this fall broke me, broke my bike, and it was just an accident. An unfortunate one, but still, just an accident. This woman didn't do anything to you, everyone was fine. Breath easy, and continue.

For the OP, just laugh and wave. They never understand it. I've been in situations before where my middle finger might have come up and I almost got the crap beat out of me about 10 times because of it. Since I've calmed down, gotten a grip, and realized that nobody got hurt, it's no big deal. Smile and wave boys, smile and wave.

What are you other options? Go get your gun because someone is honking a horn at you? Yeah, that would be a GREAT solution right there.

at least you didn't have a clan of butt ninjas on you. windy ride today as well, crazy headwinds from the beginning of the ride. every now and then i glance back and there's some veloninja riding silently in my break. not that i cared, but freaked me out everything i glanced back.

stop it! it's annoying!

Yes, I did look and yes, I did signal appropriately:thumbsup:

You too? ....
I was riding the other day, and as I go by a church, a driver pulls out and nearly hits me, I have to go clear to the shoulder to keep from polishing his front fender with my shorts. I yelled hey!!!! and kept going, then as I approach a stoplight up ahead, the driver keeps about a hundred yards back so he [or she] doesn't have to come up beside me and -heaven forbid- apploogize. So as I turned left at the light, so does the driver and passes me without ever once acknowledging my presence on this earth. What a fine Christian. What kind of message of love do they preach at that church? I've got a half a mind to stop in there someday and if I see the same car, leave an invitation to come to our church where we know how to treat our fellow man.
Maybe they just robbed the church.

Well resident bike riders now it is my turn to ventilate some frustration.

I decided to get our early this A.M., and do some nice hill climbing before the winds kicked up later in the day. Got to the top of the climb and felt pretty decent, and turned around at the top and started my descent. The wind at that point really came up to about 30 mph at least and I was actually working just to go down hill!

Finally got down off the hill and had to go through this little town (4 lanes total, 2 east and 2 west.) The wind was a pretty good cross wind and I experienced some difficulty controlling the bike. I managed to keep it on the shoulder when there was one, and made it ot the intersection where my car was parked. At this ( point a new lane develops and is a right turn only lane and the shoulder of the road disappears (or better put is incorporated as a right turn only lane.)

I decide that I need to move over into the next lane over (now the middle lane) because I
need to go straight to get to my vehicle. A white Ford (POS) explorer starts to lay on its horn while I am trying to negotiate the wind and get into the next lane. The driver lays on the horn again (obviously she didn't feel I heard her the first time). I finally make my way across to the next lane without further incident.

Should I have

a. Gotten my firearm and taught the driver manners.

b. Find her vehicle and leave 4 flat tires as my tribute to her discourtesy.

c. Do just what I did and not bother with it.

d. Personally I would prefer the nuclear option, but have no WMD available.

:mad2:
A,B,and D
Lately I've had EXTREME issues with the lack of respect/politeness/concern
many have for others.

C. Welcome to the real world. Move on. It's not worth wasting time brooding or plotting.

In the fall I was hit, on the elbow, by a bulldozer blade on the back of a speeding semi whose drive believed I really didn't need the road and should instead ride in the deep sand and big rocks of the arroyo. All I got was skin off the elbow. I stopped for about 10 minutes to chill and recommit myself to having that three-way date with Mila Jovovich and Natalie Portman, then I continued my ride. It happens. The expectation value for the variance in the probability distribution of buttheads in the population doesn't really change, whether the people in question are drivers, riders, or any Joe Q. Public.

A.

Sometimes the simplest answer is the best. Shoot, make it look like a suicide and go home. No harm, no foul.

Well resident bike riders now it is my turn to ventilate some frustration.

I decided to get our early this A.M., and do some nice hill climbing before the winds kicked up later in the day. Got to the top of the climb and felt pretty decent, and turned around at the top and started my descent. The wind at that point really came up to about 30 mph at least and I was actually working just to go down hill!

Finally got down off the hill and had to go through this little town (4 lanes total, 2 east and 2 west.) The wind was a pretty good cross wind and I experienced some difficulty controlling the bike. I managed to keep it on the shoulder when there was one, and made it ot the intersection where my car was parked. At this ( point a new lane develops and is a right turn only lane and the shoulder of the road disappears (or better put is incorporated as a right turn only lane.)

I decide that I need to move over into the next lane over (now the middle lane) because I
need to go straight to get to my vehicle. A white Ford (POS) explorer starts to lay on its horn while I am trying to negotiate the wind and get into the next lane. The driver lays on the horn again (obviously she didn't feel I heard her the first time). I finally make my way across to the next lane without further incident.

Should I have

a. Gotten my firearm and taught the driver manners.

b. Find her vehicle and leave 4 flat tires as my tribute to her discourtesy.

c. Do just what I did and not bother with it.

d. Personally I would prefer the nuclear option, but have no WMD available.

:mad2:

amended "C"
sadily, this is quite common. You need to accecpt that this will happen frequently and perhaps some day you could get hurt. How you chose to let these things impact you IS YOUR CHOICE. Don't give them the benifit of it causeing stress on you. They are the one with the problem despite it being US with the risk.

This is the reason I try not to ride on public roads very much. If I lived in an area where people cared for cyclists, or hell even each other then maybe I would. Situations like these when the you're likely to never see the driver again its best to just brush it off. However I've had my neighbors nearly run me off the road and they got a stern talking to next time I saw them. I didn't get into a fight mind you but I did let them know how would they like it if I drove their kids off the road when they were on their bikes . . . no problem from them ever again. If anything I would think they will be more careful with other cyclists in the future.

This is the reason I try not to ride on public roads very much.


Don't ride on public roads? I can't imagine having a road bike and not riding on public roads.

In my mind I see you riding in circles around the cul-de-sac at the end of your private road ;-)

C - I can identify with your frustration, and there have been many times that I have wished I had stinger missles mounted on my top tube. Maybe it's a good thing I didn't. Confucius say, "If you go out seekng revenge, first, dig two graves."

Not ride on public roads? I'm with Steve D - how ya gonna log hours, get in shape or justify that new Pinarello, or even the Zipps? On the stoner-ped packed muts?

Smile wave and be glad she saw you, consider if she hadn't seen you.

at least you didn't have a clan of butt ninjas on you. windy ride today as well, crazy headwinds from the beginning of the ride. every now and then i glance back and there's some veloninja riding silently in my break. not that i cared, but freaked me out everything i glanced back.

stop it! it's annoying!
+1 how hard can it be to cough or fart or someway indicate you are there?

Haven’t you all heard??? Bush singed a bill into effect which gives no-questions-asked right-of-way rights to owners of large gas-guzzling vehicles. Extra rights given to those who drive automatics. Even more rights give to those who accidentally spilled their latte when they had to frantically reach for their horn. :rolleyes:

trying to cross a 50mph highway by merging across lanes to take a left turn...
I timed what I thought was a good move IF cross traffic would have been moving near the speed limit...instead of hitting the brakes, they decide to lay on the horn and almost run me over as I merged across the lane...I was doing 25mph, they must have been doing nearly 80...

its as if a manslaughter charge is better than tapping the brakes for a second...

Another option: Get car make and lic number and call the police when you get home. This is what I did on Sunday as I was cruising home.

Coming home on a fairly narrow Boston 2 lane street with plenty of parked cars, I take my space 3ft out - too many close calls with doors. Cars usually don't mind as I go close to speed limit anyway.

Well on Sunday, with no oncoming traffic a little PT Cruiser passes me and literally brushes me. Did not go down, but damn scary just the same. Caught up with them at the light, took down license plate in clear view of them, told them they would be reported and rode off.

Now I'm not sure that they ultimately suffered any consequences, but it felt good and I didn't have to pull out the Wesson.

As a side note, on many occasions have thought of carrying a big rock that I could just drop through the front windshield of some offending motorist, but alas, thought better of it.

Still, do ponder the idea every now and then, including last Sunday.

The other day I saw a big dude on a hybrid bike wearing his headphones and Im pretty sure he didnt have a helmet. I felt like running him over because he was making cyclists look bad.

The best part is that I saw him on i-540. A 65 mph limited access highway. I figured natural selection will get him so I dont have to.

thats funny i would have just done as you did it is a pain when people get stupid when your riding and sometimes you want to pull a firearm

I minimized main road exposure by routing myself through the residential neighborhoods. The main concern there is woofers but so far...it's been nice. For my area, I'm fortunate to have low traffic alternates though. My props to you who deal with heavy traffic routes. Add in all the cell phone talking, eating, multitasking drivers...it does not make for a good mix to share the roads with.