Originally Posted by
shrtdstncrdr
I gotta agree with this. Motorcycles and cars (and trucks) can all go the speed limit for any given road no matter what that speed limit is. Bicycles usually can't. Which is why... the shoulder. Or as far to the right as is reasonable.
The other problem no one seems to be talking about is the guy in the car behind me in my car. I slow down for bicyclist, and the person behind me really has no idea why as my vehicle totally blocks their view of the bicyclist in front of me. Since I'm practically coasting, sans needing brakes anymore the person coming up behind me suspects nothing and nearly plows into me. This has happened more than once. That person is usually fuming over the idiot on the bike not sharing the lane by moving to the right to let faster traffic flow freely. That's how I see it.
Signal the guy behind by tapping your brakes whether you need them or not. The brake lights signal the driver to slow down and the light tap of the brakes doesn't significantly increase the chance of being rear ended. I've found it works like a charm, and the only risk is that the guy behind honks.
I generally ride FRAP, but there's places where that right position is clearly in the traffic lane. Drivers need to understand that and drive accordingly, and that doesn't give them a license to "vent" their frustrations in dangerous and counterproductive ways. In the situation you're describing, no one's safety is going to be enhanced by your honking or yelling at the cyclist whether the cyclist is right or wrong, and I don't think we should be celebrating or justifying such reactions by drivers on a bicycling forum.
Any competent drivers ed will tell you that road rage is a killer. This yelling and honking stuff is just a form of that.