base2 

Have you ever had to follow a farm tractor for 15 miles?

The law in all 50 states, in all places, and all situations allows for a licensed motor vehicle to pass an unlicensed slow moving vehicle, pedestrian, or fixed roadway obstruction (fallen tree, etc...) when due care & caution deems it possible to do so in a safe and reasonable manner.

It's a thing that a remarkable number of licensed drivers don't know...Almost as if their license was granted in error, or something.

On a cultural level, it's their ignorance that is the source of their entitlement and indignation at all that is perceived as a loss to their "God given rights" in whatever arena they choose to get angry about. (Queue the "You can borrow my shovel" anecdote. Because it's his god given right to litter his gravel in the public space.)

The culture of car dependency/supremacy enabled and fostered by isolation (ever bigger big metal boxes, single family suburban sprawl, low density rural) mated to ignorance has allowed even the most basic understanding of laws regarding respect for others rights to life, liberty to fall by the wayside.

It's a license, not a free pass.

urbanknight

I have one, and while I can't tell if it has helped or not, I can certainly tell you that there are still some drivers who won't notice and/or don't care.

urbanknight

I have never been stuck behind cyclists for that long, but I have been behind a tractor for about that long. Furthermore, I have only had a car stuck behind me for more than 1 minute once... and that's when I pulled over to let them pass.

Chuck Naill

Well, I have driven a farm tractor on the road, if that counts. I know it is slow and I have found a safe place to move over to allow cars to pass. I guess for me that is the issue. If you know others are inconvenienced, it is easy enough to allow them to pass safely.

Spandex_fairy

Cool beans. I've been intentionally targeted while out riding. I carry pepper spray for rabid dogs and anyone that's triggered because I ride a bicycle.

base2 

Well, if you didn't know that you were allowed to pass an unlicensed slow moving road user, that's hardly the farmers fault.

That's called common courtesy. You did the right thing even though the other drivers didn't. As a one time driver of a street sweeper I've had to do the same thing a hundred times a day. To my point above: Being conscious of others is rarely bad policy.

urbanknight

That was rather presumptive of you. I knew I could pass, but there simply was no safe opportunity (ok there were some questionable opportunities, but I prefer to play it safe). Still not the farmer's fault though. The point is that cyclists don't hold drivers back as much as some drivers make it seem, and they're not the only (or the biggest) ones.

Maelochs

I agree that sometimes it is really hard to let a car (or a line iof cars) go past. I usually will Not just pull into the grass or whatever .... who knows what I might hit in the grass? I don't want to fall back into the road just as the whole line of cars speeds up to Finally pass that stupid cyclist.

If the line is long enough and there is no driveway or whatever, i will look for a few feet of grass or dirt of Anything ... because otherwise some guy six cars back who has no idea why everyone is crawling, pops out and roars past the whole line of slow cars and pulls back in ... right on top of me.

Part is courtesy--we share the road, and we both (drivers and cyclists) have to share .... and partly it is survival. if I get a few cars behind me I will find a lace ... or I will get almost on the center line, slow to about three miles an hour, wave a bunch, and then signal a turn. Then when I pull onto the verge I am sure that at least most of the cars will know there is a bike somewhere ahead.

If it is an organized race, the organizers need to either hire police ******* or get cars or bikes with flashing lights to guard the peloton. (I was out shooting a road race last weekend. The organizers sent some guys around in a truck to sweep and shovel the whole course, and had a couple of cops and multiple chase vehicles, pick-up (also wheel truck i think) and a couple bikes so the breakaway and the main peloton could have some protection. If the organizers aren't that organized, maybe don't do that race?

If a group of pleasure riders make a group of cars wait more than a few minutes .... I might suggest that King Richard was offering advice. If there is ZERO inches of safe edge to pull onto ... then slow to a stop, and U-Turn until the cars pass. The u-turn and resume.

It is not the science of the rocket.

ussprinceton

mount a camera, just in case you need to file a police report

genejockey 

Growing up in rural PA, I always found it strange that some of the same people who would be completely understanding of a tractor on the road and would wait patiently would shout "Get off the road!" at me riding a bike and honestly being much easier to pass safely. Hell, I'd lay odds that some of the guys who DROVE the tractors yelled as cyclists.

rsbob 

Was shot at once while riding by a yahoo with a rifle probably drunk and entertaining his buddies. The bullet hit about 6” in front of my front wheel. Rather exciting. Called the Sheriff but the perps were long gone

Had a good friend’s friend taken out by an oncoming overtaking vehicle. Keeps me always on the lookout for bail out spots.