DaveZ

I was coming down this hill and had built up a pretty good head of steam for the upcoming hill. Just as I was starting back up, a car approached from a side street. As soon as the driver saw me she waved. I waved back and passed in front of her with momentum intact.

Why can't everyone drive like that?

BobbyG

Why can't everyone behave like that, in and out of a car? THe world would be a better place.

Paul Barnard

The Golden Rule works.

MoAlpha

There is a strong cognitive bias in favor of remembering hostile interactions on the road and elsewhere. The great majority of motorists I interact with are considerate, often to the point of annoying, and react in a friendly way to a friendly gesture. I always wave my thanks to anyone who hangs back patiently until they can make a safe pass and I almost always get the same when I make room for a working vehicle to pass and motion to them that I'm ready for them to make their move.. I try and remember this when the jerks mess with me.

mcours2006

I'd say that most people do behave this way, and it's a good thing, otherwise it'd make the riding experience pretty unbearable.

Hoopdriver

Why? Because some people don't believe in Karma. Perhaps they will learn eventually that every concession to nicety and neighborliness will be rewarded, but most seem to accept negative events as a motivation to dish out more crap.

f4rrest

I was taking the lane downhill yesterday on a busy main road through town. 2 lanes in either direction.

After a handful of hard acceleration passes in the next lane, I noticed an old F-150 pacing me about 100 ft back for a while. He appeared to be running interference for me.

At the next light, I saw his right blinker, so I stopped to the left a bit to allow him to turn.

He pulled up, window down, and said, "ride safe!"

I tipped my water bottle to him and said, "thanks!"

He made his turn, and I thought that was pretty nice.

mcours2006

Last week I had a guy give me a thumbs up while I was keeping up with him along a residential route, like 40 kph. It could have been a sarcastic thumb as we both rolled through a stop sign.

Rollfast

Hey, a lady waved at you on your bike.

Milton Keynes

I don't believe in Karma, but I still act nice toward others.

rumrunn6

I had a similar experience once, but instead of waving, she jerked her car forward (as if she was going to intentionally hit me) in a joking fashion & then smiled. she was pretty, but I didn't stop to flirt

UniChris

Had a small SUV spot me on the MUP down a slight rise from a road crossing, and very purposefully stop while we were both well short of it. Was thinking "that was uncommonly attentive and nice" then after crossing saw it pull into the trail parking lot. And the bike on a rack on the back.

Ages ago commuting outside Boston, I used to feel that traversing the same streets by all of car, bike, and foot gave a perspective that was most accommodating. Checking the bike lane before making the right turn across it towards home became very habitual; so much that one evening I caught myself turning my head to check for bikes in the bike lane, before remembering that I was a bicycle in a bike lane.

salcedo

I always wave at people on bikes when I'm driving

dennis336

I find, too, that most drivers are respectful and even quite nice to cyclists. A couple of nice experiences:

1) I was going down a fairly steep descent that, after bottoming out, started an immediate lengthy ascent. As I started back up the ascent a guy pulled along side of me in his car - I thought maybe I was too far out in the center of the lane and he was going to yell at me. But, instead, he was as excited as could be, telling me his was following me in his car on the descent and saw that I was going xx miles/hour and he was just barely keeping up and it was amazing. Really nice guy who seemed genuinely impressed at riding a bike down that hill and wanted to let me know. Of course, by slowing down to talk to him and express my appreciation for his kind words I lost all my momentum going up the next hill . Then, as he pulled away, a postal worker drove up next to me laughing at the whole scenario - I think sensing that I had to re-start my momentum right on the ascent. But we both laughed and she wished me a good ride. Funny, two minor encounters but I keep recalling them.


2) Just recently I was riding a road I hadn't cycled on before and came to a place where there was a pretty steep descent (I'm not highly skilled or aggressive with descents). It was one of those steep and fairly winding descents and I came up on a patch - probably a good 30 feet or so - of sand and small debris. I was concerned about riding through it and losing traction and definitely concerned about having to touch my brakes on the sandy patch. So, I went over to the other, oncoming lane to get around it. Sure enough, a car came towards me, around a corner so there wasn't a long line of visibility for either of us. But, thankfully, we saw each other in time - she could slow down some and I had time to react and get back into my lane (just past the sandy patch). I shouted out "I'm sorry" for being in her lane and she yelled out "that's ok" - I think she saw the mess on the other side of the road. I really appreciated that, first she was driving under control on that rural winding road, and that she appreciated the situation I was in and gave me some slack for being temporarily in the wrong lane.