iheartbacon

Ever notice that in a car all the little things other drivers do seem annoying. Like that car in front of you that's driving a little slow and kinda drifting around the lane. Or the teenagers/college kids with their window down yelling and carrying on. How about the people that pass you just to turn into the business 3 driveways down. The guy with the lifted 4x4 with mud coming off the tires in chunks. The 18 wheeler with the trailer tire that's making the "I'm about to explode" noise. All these things are annoying in cars, on a bike they can be downright terrifying. Funny how some metal and glass can alter your perception of the world around you.

I've also noticed that people change when they're in a car. Take my sister for example. She's about the nicest person you could ever hope to meet, but get her behind the wheel of a car and she goes nuts and gets extremely aggressive. Same thing with my mom, several of my friends, and a pastor I know. Even my cool, calm, collected, steely eyed former fighter pilot dad. Shoot a few missiles at him and he doesn't bat an eye, cut him off and he's liable to run you off the road and tear your head off with his bare hands. Somebody should do a study on what happens to people when they get behind the wheel of a car.

Have you ever driven down a road in a car and thought about how smooth the ride is? Then ridden the same road on your bike and cursed at how rough it is? It's amazing what some springs and shocks can do eh? The city just paved a gravel street that I ride down every day. The gravel was pretty bad but the whoop de doos that they made with the asphalt are worse. I need to take a picture, it's like ripples in a lake or something.

What have you noticed?

telkanuru

I've noticed that I look forward to rain.

Also, that I take issue with your signature.

unterhausen

I've noticed that other drivers are all idiots. And that I'm better looking too.

But I do have to say that most BMW drivers should have bought an old person's car

Chris516

Yes, People become a different breed of animal, when they get into the driver's seat, regardless of the quality of the car. They all have the 'me first' attitude when they encounter a cyclist in front of them. They don't care how many traffic laws, they will(or have to) break to get around a cyclist.

iheartbacon

benjdm

It's a territorial thing.

https://www.nature.com/news/2008/0806....2008.889.html

gmt13

Perhaps they are so annoying to me because they do stuff that I would "never" do.

-G

iheartbacon

Another thing, chip trucks. Your average 18 wheeler going down the highway is capped at 80,000lbs. A chip truck is 106,500lbs, so their stopping distance is much longer. Going north they're empty and you can see that massive trailer rocking back and forth just a little bit in the wind. Coming south they're loaded. I've only seen it once but it was jaw dropping. A young lady stepped into a crosswalk and kept on going without looking. A chip truck heading south locked up all his wheels and laid on the horn. She stopped but that chip truck skidded through the crosswalk about 3 feet from her. It really puts that kind of weight into perspective. You'd be toast in a Chevy Suburban, tangle with one on a bicycle and the driver likely wouldn't even know he hit anything.

Log trucks are also prevalent here, from a car you don't really notice how much the logs move. On a bike you can see the logs shimmy around a bit and you can hear the tie down chains creaking. It's pretty kinda scary. I think about that Final Destination movie where the logs broke loose and caused that big pile up.

Farm equipment being moved is kind of cool actually. It's neat to see those big machines in action. Plus if you wave the farmers wave back. You don't have that experience driving a car.

Just a few more things I've noticed.

silmarillion

Yeah, who let's all these asshats drive anyway?

What really curdles my milk is those people who know a merge in traffic is coming, yet they absolutely refuse to yeild to the right of way of the people who have waited for their turn to proceed. I've seen people actually risk damaging their car all in order to be the next in line..

DaveZ

I've noticed
Hills are "steeper" on a bike.
The courtesy shown by drivers is in inverse proportion to their car's level of luxury.
Escalades apparently are not equipped with turn signals.

jjamesstrk

Chris516

Typical moronic driving. The 'me first' attitude.

rumrunn6

interesting

nelson249

Kinda like a lot of cyclists on the MUPs trying to cram their way between a gate and a pedestrian or another cyclist.

JDNM

It is frighteningly easy for me to be a 'glass is half empty' kinda guy. To combat this, I try REALLY hard to notice how many drivers give me LOTS of room when they pass, drivers that respect me just like another vehicle at four-way stops, and dogs that do nothing but wag their tales when I ride by. I say a quick little prayer for safety for those that do otherwise - particularly the teens behaving like teens (sadly, I remember doing that... :-( ). Anything else seems to cause me way too much heartburn and stress.

One thing (of many) that cycling has done to/for me is made me a much more caring/respectful driver towards cyclists. I hope it is noticed...

Chris516

Excellent video!!!! I remember seeing that when I was a kid!!!

Chris516

I have seen them do it squeezing between pedestrians n' other cyclists'. But can you describe the kind of gate you are referring to? Because I can't picture it in my mind.

iheartbacon

I think he's talking about bollards.

Chris516

Ah, ok. I didn't think of that.