Inconsiderate a**holes on the road.

LordOpie · Oct 6, 2005

Please don't take offense to this, but do you know how to ride in traffic?

And regardless, yes, frustrating, sorry about that crap!! They should all die a firebomb death!

SilentJ · Oct 6, 2005

Generally retaliating does no good since they mostly just suck at driving and at life. It will just piss them off at cyclists in general and make it worse for the next cyclist if you do something unprovoked (in their eyes) to them.

If they did it on purpose, then the gloves come off...there's a 911 Turbo mirror, and an M3 mirror laying in pieces on my old route to work. A fork with the tines ground off also does wonders for paint.

COmtbiker12 · Oct 6, 2005

Thats no fun dude. Fortunately all my road riding experience has been friendly down here in Colorado. Half the roads I ride have narrow shoulders and cars pretty much are always friendly and drive a lane over (or in oncoming traffic if its a 2lane hwy) and give me lots of space.

blt2ride · Oct 6, 2005

SilentJ said:
Generally retaliating does no good since they mostly just suck at driving and at life. It will just piss them off at cyclists in general and make it worse for the next cyclist if you do something unprovoked (in their eyes) to them.

If they did it on purpose, then the gloves come off...there's a 911 Turbo mirror, and an M3 mirror laying in pieces on my old route to work. A fork with the tines ground off also does wonders for paint.

I know the feeling, I live in Los Angeles--there is no shortage of bad drivers here--trust me. I'm convinced that people don't know they are bad drivers and they aren't trying to be p#icks--they're just stupid...

Tenchiro · Oct 6, 2005

robdamanii said:
Inconsiderate a**holes on the road.

Your title is rife with redundancy.

Although a ball bearing to the window of a careless driver does serve as quite the wakeup call. :devil:

Andy_B · Oct 6, 2005

I carry a spare water bottle filled with syrup.... Either to throw or pop the top and sprinkle it on the windshield....

OGRipper · Oct 6, 2005

My 25 minute commute ride across San Francisco is ordinarily way more sketchy than any gnarly DH/hucker run I've ever done. People are clueless at best, intentionally aggressive at worst. Unfortunately, when it comes down to it, right or wrong the biker will pretty much always lose.

SkaredShtles · Oct 6, 2005

robdamanii said:
So I rode 12 miles on the road today, and almost got hit 4 times. First by a student on campus in a jeep, second by an old woman in a Buick (had to put my hand on her passenger window to stop myself), smoe guy in a Dodge pickup coming out of a driveway, and some idiot in a minivan pulling out of the park.

I hate to break it to you, but a cyclist on the road is almost *impossible* to see when you're pulling onto the road. Hell, I've almost pulled out in front of motorcycles because my brain didn't see them until the second time I looked.

Ride very defensively.

SkaredShtles · Oct 6, 2005

robdamanii said:
I'd agree with that, but when you're close enough to see them look right at you, but pull out anyway (or drive right next to you in the case of the old woman) I get a little aggrivated. But you're right, I guess I need to consider everyone an idiot.

Absolutely.

And here's another tidbit - they may be looking right *at* you but may actually be seeing right *through* you. IOW, they don't see you even when they're looking at you.

Sad but true.

Scarpa · Oct 6, 2005

robdamanii said:
But you're right, I guess I need to consider everyone an idiot.

I do that even when I'm driving.

OGRipper · Oct 6, 2005

Scarpa said:
I do that even when I'm driving.

Yeah you can never count on people do to the right thing.

The right of way means very little if you are crumpled up in the gutter. I've been there, it's not fun.

SilentJ · Oct 6, 2005

SkaredShtles said:
Absolutely.

And here's another tidbit - they may be looking right *at* you but may actually be seeing right *through* you. IOW, they don't see you even when they're looking at you.

Sad but true.

Another tidbit is that even if they do see you, they certainly won't think that you're going anywhere near as fast as you're going. It sucks. Be careful.

SkaredShtles · Oct 6, 2005

SilentJ said:
Another tidbit is that even if they do see you, they certainly won't think that you're going anywhere near as fast as you're going. It sucks. Be careful.

Good point. Most drivers probably expect a cyclist to be doing 5-10mph, which on the road is actually fairly difficult to do.

Ciaran · Oct 6, 2005

blt2ride said:
I know the feeling, I live in Los Angeles--there is no shortage of bad drivers here--trust me. I'm convinced that people don't know they are bad drivers and they aren't trying to be p#icks--they're just stupid...

Yup. People think they are decent drivers and just don't know that they suck. I tend to ride very very defensively when I have to ride the road, which I generally do when going somewhere that's five miles away or less. I tend to take residential streets and ride on the sidewalk on the big roads. People are nuts out there.

hooples3 · Oct 6, 2005

well make sue you wear your dam helmet
I always try to make eye contact with the drivers.. there are a lot of the that pull out way past the stop sign at intersections here.. they must be on their way to brain surgery.
I ride a lot in Manhattan so traffic is always present, as are the stupid people.. it actually drains you menatlly trying to figuire out which cab is going to go where.. but eventually you get used to it

JRB · Oct 7, 2005

Most people that ride on the road around here ride like assholes. We deserve every bit of grief we go through. They run lights, blow signs, continue in a stream through intersections. All around idiocy when they ride. No wonder people couldn't care less about cyclists.

Changleen · Oct 7, 2005

robdamanii said:
So I rode 12 miles on the road today, and almost got hit 4 times. First by a student on campus in a jeep, second by an old woman in a Buick (had to put my hand on her passenger window to stop myself), smoe guy in a Dodge pickup coming out of a driveway, and some idiot in a minivan pulling out of the park.

People have no goddamned respect. I'm going to start carrying rocks in my jersey pockets to throw through their windows.

No one can see you. You were killed by the first one and now you're like Bruce Willis in that 'I see dead people' movie.

Changleen · Oct 7, 2005

robdamanii said:
I ALWAYS ALWAYS ALWAYS wear my helmet wherever I ride. Only an idiot doesn't.

Last weekend I went out with lid + gloves, fell and scraped the **** out of my arms and knees. Normally I wear knees+shins and elbows too. If I could be bothered I wouldn't be bruised today.

Skeg · Oct 7, 2005

I have to deal with roadies on my daily commute and find they are the most inconsiderate users of the road. 2-3-4 wide on a tight twisting 2 lane road, blowing through red lights and stop signs. Don't get me wrong, roadies have the same right to use the road as cars and motorcycles but never seem to apply the same rules to themselfs and cop an attitude way, way too quick. I'll tell you this, if a roadie EVER threw something at my vehicle I would not hesitate to pull over and discuss things with them. You want respect...earn it.

ridetoofast · Oct 7, 2005

a long time ago in a galaxy far far away when i was married the ex and i were riding and some drunk squids threw a half empty can of beer out of their vehicle doing ~ 35-40 mph and it hit the ex square in the back...oh the homicidal thoughts i was having then

roadies do bring a certain amount of grief on themselves though i'll agree. stop signs, 3 or mor abreast, etc.

when im on the road i turn my tire white from riding the shoulder line as much as i can

LordOpie · Oct 7, 2005

Skeg said:
2-3-4 wide on a tight twisting 2 lane road, blowing through red lights and stop signs.

tight twisting implies lots of blind spots. If that's the case, they're in the right. When alone going through blind turns, I'll take the entire lane.

Slow down or kill someone.

LordOpie · Oct 7, 2005

ridetoofast said:
when im on the road i turn my tire white from riding the shoulder line as much as i can

that'll get you killed

bluebug32 · Oct 7, 2005

It's strange that Seneca Falls drivers aren't more considerate because there are so many bikers up there. Between that and the occasional Amish buggy, you'd think their eyes would be on the shoulders more.

I tend to ride on roads that have hardly any cars, if any. Since there are so few, I have the luxury of being able to look back when I see one, give a little nod, and make eye contact so we both have a mutual agreement of sorts before they even pass me.

Another thing, if you're riding with music in one ear, you may not hear a car pulling out until it's ride up on you. When I rode with you last weekend, I kept talking to you and you didn't hear me. If you're trying to be defensive, don't give yourself an added distraction.

SkaredShtles · Oct 7, 2005

LordOpie said:
that'll get you killed

That's the problem - ride the line, it'll get you killed. Ride in the middle of the lane, it'll get you killed.

I think I'll stay off the road.

LordOpie · Oct 7, 2005

SkaredShtles said:
That's the problem - ride the line, it'll get you killed. Ride in the middle of the lane, it'll get you killed.

I think I'll stay off the road.

I'm dangerous on dirt. It's safer for me to play with sharks.

Reactor · Oct 7, 2005

People don't see cyclists, because they don't want to see cyclists. I've always been a careful driver but since becoming a cyclist I've noticed I see bikes a lot further away than I use to. I believe it's because I expect to see them, want to see them, and am always curious to see the other person's ride. Other people driving, talking on cell phones, eating their Mc'd, are already overloaded and don't expect t see cyclists, so they don't see them.

Glad to hear you're O.K. Roddamanii. It's usually best to assume people don't see you. I've been in a car vs. bike, and it sucks.

The rest of this post is general commentary.

Cyclists blowing through stop signs and traffic lights irritate me, almost as much as the ones who ride the sidewalks and crosswalks. I try to obey the law, but I admit that at 5:00 am in the morning, if there is no car within sight, and I'm trapped at a sensor triggered traffic light, I will run it after stopping.

As for retaliation, I have to agree, with SilentJ. Most of the the time retaliation doesn't do any good. You're p*ssing off someone with a 3,000 pound death machine, and generally making the situation worse for all cyclists, by increasing the level of conflict. On the other hand, people deliberately harassing cyclists deserve what ever they get.

odiwik · Oct 7, 2005

SkaredShtles said:
I hate to break it to you, but a cyclist on the road is almost *impossible* to see when you're pulling onto the road. Hell, I've almost pulled out in front of motorcycles because my brain didn't see them until the second time I looked.

Ride very defensively.

Please learn from this and share the road; I am a motorcyclist.

Rob, I have always wanted to ask what was with your avatar... It's creepy to me for some reason...

pixelninja · Oct 7, 2005

SkaredShtles said:
I think I'll stay off the road.

sunny · Oct 7, 2005

odiwik said:
Please learn from this and share the road; I am a motorcyclist.

Rob, I have always wanted to ask what was with your avatar... It's creepy to me for some reason...

Whatsamatta? It's just gleeful threatening with a spoon. I imagine him continuing the advance on the photographer and with a spoon jab to the ribs and a lively "En garde!!"
(but maybe I'm just projecting....)

Reactor · Oct 7, 2005

odiwik said:
Rob, I have always wanted to ask what was with your avatar... It's creepy to me for some reason...

It's a still from an indie remake of "the Shining", to be called 'The Spooning'.

SkaredShtles · Oct 7, 2005

odiwik said:
Please learn from this and share the road; I am a motorcyclist.

It's got nothing to do with sharing the road, really - it's about getting your brain to *think* about seeing bikes/motorcycles. Some people look for them, but I'd bet 98% of the drivers on the road don't.

Motorcyclists & road bikers be very, very careful out there guys!

Westy · Oct 7, 2005

SkaredShtles said:
It's got nothing to do with sharing the road, really - it's about getting your brain to *think* about seeing bikes/motorcycles. Some people look for them, but I'd bet 98% of the drivers on the road don't.

Motorcyclists & road bikers be very, very careful out there guys!

I usually assume people don't see me when on the motorcycle, the horn on that thing gets a lot of use. Of course people get pissed off at you when you honk just to make sure they see you, but people tend to see you when they are flipping you off.

That reminds me, I need to upgrade the horn on the bike.

SkaredShtles · Oct 7, 2005

Westy said:
I usually assume people don't see me when on the motorcycle, the horn on that thing gets a lot of use. Of course people get pissed off at you when you honk just to make sure they see you, but people tend to see you when they are flipping you off.

That reminds me, I need to upgrade the horn on the bike.

Absolutely! When I'm on my bike and have to cross streets, parking lots, etc. I assume the same. I'm ready to stop at all times when there are vehicles involved.

Get a pair of horns from a '79 Monte Carlo. :thumb:

Westy · Oct 7, 2005

SkaredShtles said:
Absolutely! When I'm on my bike and have to cross streets, parking lots, etc. I assume the same. I'm ready to stop at all times when there are vehicles involved.

Get a pair of horns from a '79 Monte Carlo.

I put a horn from an F150 into my VFR800, it confused people more than anything.

Inconsiderate a**holes on the road.

OMG! <3 Tom Brady!

MOTHER HEN

trail builder

Turbo Monkey

Turbo Monkey

Attention K Mart Shoppers

Monkey

OMG! <3 Tom Brady!

back alley ripper

Michael Bolton

OMG! <3 Tom Brady!

Michael Bolton

Chimp

back alley ripper

trail builder

Michael Bolton

Fear my banana

OMG! <3 Tom Brady!

Fuggetaboutit!

OMG! <3 Tom Brady!

JRB

Guest

Paranoid Member

Paranoid Member

Chimp

scarred, broken and drunk

MOTHER HEN

MOTHER HEN

Asshat

Michael Bolton

MOTHER HEN

Turbo Monkey

Monkey

Turbo Monkey

Grammar Civil Patrol

Turbo Monkey

Michael Bolton

the teste

Michael Bolton

the teste