Road Rage

[ebikemom]

Hi all,

Well, I experienced the nastiness of a motorists' road rage yesterday.

I was ebiking to work in pouring rain, in my bright colored raingear, with my bright lights flashing. I was at a 4-way stop, and stopped, and was waiting my turn for motorists in cars to take their turns before it became my turn to go. I was at this intersection... at this stop sign... waiting right here...

Behind me I hear a very loud, hoarse, awful hollering... something like: "WHAT THE F*** IS WRONG WITH YOU GET OFF THE ROAD".

I had no expectation that the person was hollering at me. I proceeded through the intersection and he hollered again (and it sounded closer and louder), and I turned into a church parking lot. He then hollered something like "YOU DUMBA** SH** STAY OFF THE FU**ING SIDEWALK AND STAY OFF THE FU**ING ROAD".

Ooooookaaaay. Yes, I was rattled.

I decided to pedal s-l-o-w-l-y through that parking lot to let the car get well ahead of me, so I could go on my way and hopefully not encounter him again.

It took me a while to feel calm and enjoy the rest of my wind-and-rainswept ride, but the beauty of a long bridge did the trick.

I'm grateful that nearly all motorists are very courteous. But what's wrong with the few who aren't?

Enjoy your winter riding, and let's hope we don't have to experience these things very often!

 

[JRA]

That is too bad EBM. Some people just don't get the fact that others are different than them and especially living in the Seattle metro area should be used to cyclists by now. Or maybe he just rides around all day picking on people? Who knows but you were not at fault for anything, I would have given the guy the bird.

As an aside I have been missing your input here and was hoping all was well in your world. Sorry that it had to be something as heinous as this to get you to pop up!

 

[fooferdoggie]

thats tame for these times.

 

[inoob]

whelp i got one too.. i flipped the bird to some idiot honking at me the other day .. the lights had just turned green for me to cross and he started to honk at me and made a "wtf gesture" from the the opposite side.. he was trying to make a right and knew i was going to half cross the street on my bike and turn left so he couldn't literally wait maybe 2 seconds for me to actually half cross the road when it had just turned green for me to cross before he started honking.

There idiots out there who treat bikes like vehicles then say we belong on the sidewalk.

 

[Stefan Mikes]

Although it doesn't happen to me very very often, and Polish drivers are surprisingly courteous about cyclists (especially when they can see an aware rider in proper reflective clothes), it happens that a motorist aggressively uses his horn not to warn the rider but to scare him off the street. Even if the cyclist is perfectly legal there. I can bet such motorists are low level people and I would happily shout at him:

-- Did you buy your driving license in the black market?

I don't. He wouldn't hear me in his second-hand BMW anyway.

 

[Solom01]

Unfortunately that's what life has become. The number of cycling/pedestrian fatalities has gone through the roof, to the point where I don't ride anymore unless it's on a trail. There's a neighborhood forum where I live and they were talking about cyclist; the overwhelming sentiment was a belief that bikes shouldn't be on the road, that they had no rights, and so forth. Mind you, this is in a part of Florida where most of the people are retired/snowbirds and so aren't in a hurry to get to work. When the gospel of helmet wearing comes up again keep this in mind. A piece of foam isn't going to help when you're squashed by a 5000 pound suv, but it's a great way of shaming the victim and making it seem like the cyclist is at fault. Every time someone is involved in a cycling accident the first thing the press talks about is about is whether a helmet was worn. Interestingly enough I never hear about car drivers not wearing HANS devices when they're involved in an accident, although they would significantly reduce fatalities in case of an accident.

 

[Stefan Mikes]

To keep you analogy correct, the drivers are checked if they have worn a safety belt...

 

[Solom01]

Not the same thing Stefan. In Florida you are required by law to wear a seat belt in the front seat in cars, but there is no helmet requirement for a bike unless you are under 16 years of age. I used to buy the story of how important bike helmets are until I noticed that the Dutch and Danes don't wear them - since I figured they were pretty avid bikers and not anti-regulation type counties I started reading what I can find on just how much helmets really save lives - and the answer is not very much. In fact some studies have shown that wearing helmets actually increases fatalities, because it appears to encourage riders and car drivers to take more risks. I do think the Dutch and Danes require helmets if you use a higher powered electric bike, but that's more in keeping with the European obsession with limiting electric bike speeds.

 

[Deleted member 18083]

This thread is about motorists raging against cyclists, especially our cautious, courteous and caring Ebike Mom; it's not about cyclists raging against helmets.

 

[PDoz]

I thought it was about morons talking to themselves. : "WHAT THE F*** IS WRONG WITH YOU GET OFF THE ROAD".

Wouldn't it be nice to have a loud horn on your bike that sounded like a police siren.

 

[Dave Sloan]

Someday all roads will have bike lanes.

 

[fooferdoggie]

Not the same thing Stefan. In Florida you are required by law to wear a seat belt in the front seat in cars, but there is no helmet requirement for a bike unless you are under 16 years of age. I used to buy the story of how important bike helmets are until I noticed that the Dutch and Danes don't wear them - since I figured they were pretty avid bikers and not anti-regulation type counties I started reading what I can find on just how much helmets really save lives - and the answer is not very much. In fact some studies have shown that wearing helmets actually increases fatalities, because it appears to encourage riders and car drivers to take more risks. I do think the Dutch and Danes require helmets if you use a higher powered electric bike, but that's more in keeping with the European obsession with limiting electric bike speeds.

the only problem with this argument is injury those countries bicycling is a normal thing that is engrained into the drivers mindset. yes if you feel safe it can cause you you to be unsafe. but hone a helmet keeps your head from bouncing off the pavement like it did for me then it is worth it.

 

[Al P]

If you are yelled at, cursed at, or otherwise harassed by a moron behind the wheel who thinks he owns the road, do not give him the finger. If he is psycho enough, he will get out of the vehicle and possibly hurt you badly and break your bike in the process. That's assuming he doesn't just run you over. The possibility of having him arrested for that isn't worth the aggravation. Ebikemom, you did the right thing.

 

[CCroft]

Agree with Al P. In my younger days I've been more confrontational with this kind of behavior--it's hard not to react that way when you encounter these people. But big picture it just isn't worth the risk. Pulling out your phone (or wearing a gopro helmetcam) is tempting to be able to share with the authorities. But that may antagonize them more. If you're commuting and this a regularly-encountered driver/recurring harrassment some kind of proactive approach might be justified (asking law enforcement to post a car nearby etc.). But otherwise, best to just pull over, let the jack*ass pass, and try to go on with your day it seems to me...

 

[Stefan Mikes]

A situation from today's ride: I'm riding legally on a road, big, lit registration plate on my speed bike and yer another idiot honks at me. I'm making a gesture of surprise and he points at the bike lane where speed e-bikes are not allowed. I'd like to have a chat with that gentleman if I could.

On positive note: some driver overtook me and having parked his car in a safe place well behind a turn he stopped me and we had a pleasant talk about registering European "Class3" e-bikes. He bought himself an S-Pedelec and was wondering how he could register and insure his own e-bike. So he could see my registration plate while the other idiot...

 

[Cowlitz]

It kinda ruins your whole day, or ride when a jerk is encountered. I am a mid 60s old woman and I became so angry after getting "coaled" that I flipped the guy off and tried to catch up. It had been a very pleasant ride up until that moment, and his actions just ruined the ride. I failed to catch up.

I have stopped to educate one horn honker--again I was riding on a straight stretch of deserted road, knew he was coming up and was going to get over. There are no shoulders on most roads here and bike lanes aren't even a thought. That guy was surprised and could only say, you were riding in the middle of the lane! I pointed out that it was legal to ride in the middle of the lane, and that he honked before I had time to get over, no cars were coming, the road was straight, etc. He also seemed to be embarrassed. But still, my mood was turned into
darkness and the happy ride ruined.

I'm thinking that it is time to point out to rude people that I'm going faster than are the numerous tractors, that do block lanes. It's an agricultural area that I live in. Would they honk and coal a tractor?

I have to remember that most people around here are polite drivers, have stopped to let me across busy streets, and are damn nice.

Perhaps the slush will melt today and I can get a little ride in?

 

[antboy]

I'm grateful that nearly all motorists are very courteous. But what's wrong with the few who aren't?

Enjoy your winter riding, and let's hope we don't have to experience these things very often!

Sorry to hear about your experience!

I'm guessing that many drivers who that act like that either have insecurity issues or other stress they haven't dealt with (not joking).

A good friend of mine, I've known for over 30 years, is a very mild mannered person in general, and has self-admitted issues with insecurity.

When he's driving, he turns into a road rage monster.

Heavy on the horn, giving the finger, swearing, aggressively speeding up (and I mean REALLY aggressively) to "beat" pedestrians or cyclists, when there's no need, etc.

That was all within a 500 metre stretch of road.

We've talked about his issues before, and the last time I was in the car with him I said I'd pass on lifts from now on, and that he should seriously address this suppressed rage.

 

[ebikemom]

thats tame for these times.

For that I am grateful!

 

[ebikemom]

I thought it was about morons talking to themselves. : "WHAT THE F*** IS WRONG WITH YOU GET OFF THE ROAD".

Truly--it was a "back at you" kind of moment, but only in imagination. In reality, I just worked to get away from a possibly dangerous person, even though that, to him, may have looked like I was following his instructions!!

I realized in retrospect a better way to get away from him would have been to cross the street and turn *right* after noting that he was going straight. Then I wouldn't have had to think for a moment about running into him again.

I'll save that strategy for next time, if there is a next time!

 

[ebikemom]

the last time I was in the car with him I said I'd pass on lifts from now on

I have a friend who I won't ride with. If we go somewhere together, I pick her up. She said that driving with me is an oddly serene experience, and she doesn't understand why I don't get pissed off at people.