I yelled at a cyclist, today.
#226
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There are differing opinions and then there are derogatory comments and character assassinations that come with those differences. Those are the ones in question. All others are just fine.
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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.
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.
In your situations where the driver almost plowed into you, they were clearly driving too close and/or too fast. Blaming that on the cyclist is nonsense.
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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.
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.
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#229
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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.
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.
I'll do my best to remember your words about tapping the brake lights to warn others when I find myself in this situation in the future. Thanks!
#230
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#231
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When I'm driving or riding a motorcycle or cycling I focus on my place in time and space. I know who is in front to the side and in back. To me it's all an interplay of objects in space/time and their trajectories. From that I have an idea where I am in relation to the other objects and where I need to be and where I will go if something changes.
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When I'm driving or riding a motorcycle or cycling I focus on my place in time and space. I know who is in front to the side and in back. To me it's all an interplay of objects in space/time and their trajectories. From that I have an idea where I am in relation to the other objects and where I need to be and where I will go if something changes.
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#233
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I'm starting to wonder whether the perception of cyclists rights and responsibilities is tied to the general road safety in the posters country of inhabitance.
this idea came from googling South Africa road safety statistics which in turn was inspired by rsbob's post about the driving habits in South Africa combined with his opinions about cycling safety.
road safety in SA is in a word abysmal btw.
this idea came from googling South Africa road safety statistics which in turn was inspired by rsbob's post about the driving habits in South Africa combined with his opinions about cycling safety.
road safety in SA is in a word abysmal btw.
#234
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I understand. Just couldn't resist since I didn't see how post count has anything to do with it.
Cyclists are not the only slow thing on the road, and all of your statements suggest that drivers should not need to be alert for them. God forbid a driver is driving too fast to be able to stop in time should they encounter a stalled vehicle, traffic, car accident, debris, road construction, animal, etc.
In your situations where the driver almost plowed into you, they were clearly driving too close and/or too fast. Blaming that on the cyclist is nonsense.
Cyclists are not the only slow thing on the road, and all of your statements suggest that drivers should not need to be alert for them. God forbid a driver is driving too fast to be able to stop in time should they encounter a stalled vehicle, traffic, car accident, debris, road construction, animal, etc.
In your situations where the driver almost plowed into you, they were clearly driving too close and/or too fast. Blaming that on the cyclist is nonsense.
I'm not expecting you to agree with me. I'm giving my opinion. I think you're wrong. You think I'm wrong. Oh well.
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It isn't nonsense any more than a pedestrian who walks into traffic and isn't suicidal. I wasn't calling the person on the bike ahead of me an idiot, I was referring to people I've seen behind me giving the cyclist "their all" as they pass that person. But yeah, now that I think more about what you wrote, I think anyone who impedes traffic for more than say, negotiating that sweeping bend, really is an idiot.
I'm not expecting you to agree with me. I'm giving my opinion. I think you're wrong. You think I'm wrong. Oh well.
I'm not expecting you to agree with me. I'm giving my opinion. I think you're wrong. You think I'm wrong. Oh well.
I probably won't convince you of anything, but 30+ years of vehicular cycling without incident isn't just sheer luck. I'll keep doing what works for me and you do what works for you.
But back to the nonsense or idiot issue, just because you don't understand a person's reason for doing something, doesn't invalidate their reason.
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Last edited by urbanknight; 05-14-22 at 12:39 AM.
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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.
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Most days I lose count of the jackgas motorists I yell at (whether I'm biking or motoring). Cyclists aren't immune, but the least of my worries....
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Rightly so. I despise cyclists that do moronic, dangerous things like this.
I have no issue running a red light if it is safe to do so, e.g. turning right when no car is coming from left (I believe in the US you can do this anyway, no?), so I really am not a stickler for rules, but on a 4 way intersection? Seen it happen. Just why?
I have no issue running a red light if it is safe to do so, e.g. turning right when no car is coming from left (I believe in the US you can do this anyway, no?), so I really am not a stickler for rules, but on a 4 way intersection? Seen it happen. Just why?
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That's fair, but I don't know how much you have studied bicycle accidents, if at all. My research has shown a higher likelihood of accidents on sidewalks and shoulders than on traffic lanes. Motorists simply aren't expecting anything faster than about 5 mph to be where pedestrians are.
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When I was driving on the autobahn, if there was a sudden unforeseen slowdown, German drivers turn on their flashers (while braking) to notify that this is a sudden slow down or stop. I thought that made a ton of sense. I drive primarily on two lane highways with speeds from 50-60 MPH, and if there is someone turning off and slowing quickly, I now flip on my flashers to notify the vehicle behind me something is happening. Whether they understand or not is up to their perceptiveness. Troul’s idea is also a wiener.
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Often tapping the brakes can be seen as passive aggressive while putting on flashers doesn’t have that connotation - instead, danger ahead. I think most people have been “brake-checked” on time or another.
When I was driving on the autobahn, if there was a sudden unforeseen slowdown, German drivers turn on their flashers (while braking) to notify that this is a sudden slow down or stop. I thought that made a ton of sense. I drive primarily on two lane highways with speeds from 50-60 MPH, and if there is someone turning off and slowing quickly, I now flip on my flashers to notify the vehicle behind me something is happening. Whether they understand or not is up to their perceptiveness. Troul’s idea is also a wiener.
When I was driving on the autobahn, if there was a sudden unforeseen slowdown, German drivers turn on their flashers (while braking) to notify that this is a sudden slow down or stop. I thought that made a ton of sense. I drive primarily on two lane highways with speeds from 50-60 MPH, and if there is someone turning off and slowing quickly, I now flip on my flashers to notify the vehicle behind me something is happening. Whether they understand or not is up to their perceptiveness. Troul’s idea is also a wiener.
Yeah, I can see how the brake tap could be read as a brake check if done too closely. I do think it's just a little easier to do than putting on the hazards (maybe a fraction of a second difference in how long it takes to move your hand to push the button vs. moving your foot from the gas pedal)), so I suspect there's situations where each of them is the better alternative.
TBH, I've never thought of putting on the flashers under these circumstances, so I'm grateful to you guys for adding to the repertory of responses.
.
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I have witnessed it multiple times, and learning from other people's mistakes has served me well. One of those times was on a "bike path", but it had a parking lot exiting next to the corner of the building, obscuring the driver's view. Another was at a crosswalk where the driver wasn't looking for a pedestrian that far back, and the cyclist flew over the hood and landed on the ground on the other side with the bike staying back with a taco'ed wheel and cracked frame.
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He won't tell us where he was so inconvenienced, by these entitled cyclists, that he had to harangue them from the safety of his car... but he'll take me off ignore and summon me back to a thread (that I'd been unsubscribed from for a week and a half) so that he can invite me over and offer refreshments (that I wouldn't need to keep on his wheel).
Sounds legit.
Sounds legit.
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He won't tell us where he was so inconvenienced, by these entitled cyclists, that he had to harangue them from the safety of his car... but he'll take me off ignore and summon me back to a thread (that I'd been unsubscribed from for a week and a half) so that he can invite me over and offer refreshments (that I wouldn't need to keep on his wheel).
Sounds legit.
Sounds legit.
If you don ‘t want to accept my apology, it’s perfectly understandable.
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Last edited by rsbob; 05-17-22 at 08:34 PM.