urodacus

last thing that honked at me was a large goose.

maybe they were trying to tell you your master link was undone? your chainstay was broken? your arse was hanging out? your cat was stuck in the microwave?

you assume they were being pushy. maybe they wanted your email to arrange a date? or they like vintage steel lugged frames?

lil brown bat

Weeeelll...I think you're overlooking something, and that is that bicyclists have had some successes when they confront bad drivers with their behavior -- particularly when it's done with wit, it can get people thinking. A guy who works at my lbs told me about almost being left-hooked by a woman who could not wait two seconds to pull into a Dunkin Donuts. He cruised into the lot, and when she got out of the car, said to her, "I guess they can just put on my grave, 'He wasn't even worth a cup of coffee.'" Said she got a real thoughtful look on her face.

b_young

I agree with that Bat. But if you go overboard with it, I believe it has a negative effect. Chasing and taking pictures of someone for a little toot of the horn is a little excessive. The example you gave would be perfect.

AGGRO

I got a honk and a finger yesterday. Are both required when passing a cyclist?

Evidently I was in the way of a rather obese woman and stalling her way into a Mexican eatery.


In a hurry to get fat. Oh sweet irony.

AGGRO

You should have called the non emergency number and let him get a lecture and lesson from the dispatcher.

lil brown bat

I think we disagree about where the "little excessive" line lies. Do people get fussed when you take their picture in a situation like that? Sure, because they're now fearful that they're going to somehow be held accountable for their behavior. Again, that can be just the reality check that some people need. Many drivers won't be careful of a cyclist out of altruism, but self-interest servest he purpose just as well: if they think, "If I hit that biker, the best possible outcome for me is going to court and a stiff step up on my auto insurance, and it could get a lot worse than that," then that's enough.

Also, if having your picture taken is the sort of thing that would provoke a shotgun blast from the average driver in your area, then the average driver in your area ought to be locked up, period. Or could it be that you're exaggerating just a wee tiny bit?

b_young

I think it could be a regional issue. The ones that mess with me I wouldn't put the shotgun thing past them. But like I said earlier, that is only the 0.1%. Most people here are very respectful and do not cause problems. The ones with the chip on their shoulder are out looking for something anyway. I commute 10.5 miles one way and I only have 2 traffic lights and 3 stop signs to deal with. If I wanted to catch someone at a light it would be hard to do. I really for the most part have nice traffic. It is mostly 55+ mph so the people that try to be jerks can cause lots of damage.

huhenio

abnormal teenagers ... last time one of sheethaeds assaulted me verbally got the cleat on the door ... of a collectible Ford Ranger

Hard to explain to dad, eh?

Tude 

Ooooo, I've started to tone it down a bit --- I've had two guys that look like screech their car to a stop and jump out at me (I'm a 130ish lb female).

Beeping at me - I'm not noticing as much as I did anymore - not that they're doing it less - I'm just tuning it out more. Idiots anyway. What I'm more of a watch for is people trying to ride close to me, watching for windows to be rolled down etc. Have had a few drivers honk an airhorn at me though - now that is really idiotic.

fordfasterr

Update: guess what ? our friend here got himself a new lincoln town car.

On the way to work (same route as previous) he got impatient behind me as we rounded a 90' turn in the road and he honked at me as he gunned it around (with at leat 3 feet of space).

I thought it was just another one of the airport cabbies in their unmarked transports but about 3/8 of a mile up the road I see our friend from the original pics on this tread walking out of the same car at his parking lot !!!

I ride past him and all I said was:

me: you got a new car huh?
him: no answer, doesn't even look at me and keeps walking towards the door of the warehouse he works at..
me: I bet you like that new car !
him: no answer ... keeps walking
me: I like it too !


I took a few snapshots of his new car and his tag #... I'll post them up later when I can d/l the pics from the phone.

maddyfish

If people don't want their license plate taken pictures of, then they should leave their car in their garage, or better yet in the case of that POS car, in the junkyard.

fordfasterr

Well, as just stated - he already got himself a new(er) car.



He must have got a raise !

fordfasterr

and a pic of his new cage:

gosmsgo

Bikes are toys??

So are minivans, suvs, pick up trucks and sedans.

I wish they would get their toys off my road because I'm trying to get somewhere.

Irvingdog

Wow. You are really provacative. Knowing when to say enough might be a skill you want to add to your toolbox.
Where I'm from, this dude liberating a few teeth from your lower jawbone, although wrong, would be very much expected. You have nothing to gain from these engagements, and plenty to lose. You're never going to educate him.

How is it said? "To an adherant, no evidence is needed, to a detractor, no evidence is enough", or something like that. You hate cars (I have no love for them when I'm biking either), but you've got to know when to pull the horns in.....

Jurgen

One night on an otherwise quiet industrial road I had an Audi full of teenagers pull up beside me to scream "boo!"

They drove off laughing.

I just switched to my biggest gear and went into full sprint mode. It took me about two minutes to catch up with them--I kept watching their taillights in the distance--just as they were in the left turn lane at another intersection. Their window was still lowered. All that cranking had given me a good mouthful of phlegm. I slowed down, pulled up beside them and spit that loogy right at 'em.

And I sprinted the hell out of there.

Not my proudest moment... but damn it felt good.

turtle77

I too am someone who doesn't like to be honked at, because it scares me. If I were used to having people honk all the time, i.e., I lived in a country where this was the norm, I might not think too much of it. Since lots of honking doesn't necessarily happen here in the states, though, I will usually automatically take most any honk as "there is a dangerous situation happening". Realistically, as a cyclist who rides on the road, I KNOW THERE ARE GOING TO BE CARS THERE TOO. I expect it and don't need someone telling me that they are there. Upon hearing a honk, I tend to tense up and feel like I, or someone else, is doing something wrong. I then feel the need to take some sort of action. This is a possible recipe for disaster.

fordfasterr

Well, at least it'll cost less than what my dentist charges !

I_bRAD

OMG he honked.

fordfasterr

Man-oh-man ...

I rode by this morning and the same car is in the same exact spot... I think that it may be possible that I misjudged which car he was walking away from ... I'll have to keep an eye on it for a few days and see what turns up ...

This is not so extremely surprising because I noticed that his old car would stay in the same spot for long periods of time, sometimes what seemed like days at a time.

edzo

you need a life

fordfasterr

Any suggestions?

tjspiel

What do you hope to achieve and are you actually making any progress towards accomplishing it?

The guy honked at you once. You tracked him down, posted his picture, then went on to ridicule his choice of vehicle and associated financial situation. A few months later, he honks at you again.

It's hard to see how confronting him has changed anything.

Personally, I think my commute is a bit more pleasant by not believing that everyone in a car is my bitter enemy. Do you look forward to these encounters?

fordfasterr

A bit, yes.