Originally Posted by
Mtracer
Concerning assertiveness, that is good if it is done to ensure your safety. But not in the sense of trying to win a pissing contest. Cyclists have rights on the road, but simply asserting your rights becasue you have the right is not necessarily the safest thing to do. It's little consolation laying in a hospital bed to know you had the right of way.
But I do certainly take the lane where appropriate, and other actions, to make it clear what I'm doing and to make it clear to a car behind me to NOT expect to pass me in this lane, unless they are going to change lanes. When safe, I do my best to make it easy for cars to navigate around me.
I'm sure I have drivers behind me on every ride that are likely thinking I should get out of their way. But I've had maybe 3 drivers in the last 4 years or so ever express their displeasure with me by honking or yelling. So, basically no worse than when I'm driving my car.
Put another way, I think the less I ride like an A-hole, the less drivers drive like A-holes.
You might be inclined to think that, and even believe your own actions influence other road users... And in some cases this is true. But for a real eye opener, find a busy intersection that you can quietly observe for a while. I used to take lunch at this cafe with outside seating and just watch drivers interact with one another and pedestrians. There are plenty of A-hole drivers out there.
I used to take long walks along a busy 4 lane boulevard, on the sidewalk. The number of folks doing anything but driving was amazing. I saw loads of cell phone use, and other distractions such as drivers reading books.
Really, just observe; it really is amazing how few collisions occur.