I got zero respect from motorists (and a few pedestrians) when I used to bicycle commute.
One of the few times I did ride side by side down a road with another cyclist. A man on a big ol cruiser motorcycle began to yell at us.
Four lane road, we too up too much of it for his taste. Kindly suggested we "use the #$%*ing bike lane" - seemed he didn't know "south seattle bike lane" is synonymous with "broken glass collector"
Either way, my experience with bicycling in a metro area led me to the conclusion; if your ride only has two wheels, you're gonna get #$%*ed around by someone with an attitude.
So when I came up on a man riding his (rather beatiful) 07 Orbea Orca down the middle of a country road, I waited for him to move right.
When he didn't, i cruised up next to him, opened the visor, shouted "nice bike", waved, and continued on my way.
Good response Bomber.
I find it incredibly arrogant that drivers feel they have the right of way and anything that impacts that is grounds for abuse.
We all pay for the roads and have the right to use them. Obviously there are rules of the road and should be respected but that goes both ways.
When I encounter motorists that do wonky things I tell them "all we cyclists want is predictable behavior". Drive by the rules of the road and I'll figure out what come next!
A couple of excerpts on the topic from the Washington Post.
https://www.washingtonpost.com/local/trafficandcommuting/what-drivers-should-know-about-sharing-the-road-with-bicyclists-and-vice-versa/2012/09/15/4b8c9426-fe72-11e1-8adc-499661afe377_story.html●Wonder why that bike rider stays five feet away from the row of parked cars as you’re trying to navigate a narrow street? Cyclists call it being “doored.” If someone swings open the door of a parked car, the cyclist who is too close goes down. With many drivers pausing to check text messages or finish phone calls before they get out of a car, there’s no telling when a door will pop open.
●It would be great if every street had a bike lane and every road had a wide shoulder, but they don’t. Even when they do, there are things that you might not notice that push cyclists into the traffic lane. It’s stuff you roll over — potholes, sewer grates, pavement cracks, branches, broken glass, junk that falls off cars or out of trucks and the McDonald’s bag somebody tossed out the window.
●A little patience could save your life. Wait to pass that cyclist until you have a clear view ahead and are sure there’s no oncoming traffic.
●Riders are supposed to stay to the right. Drivers are supposed to stay well clear of them. By law in Maryland and several other states, drivers must stay three feet from a cyclist. Don’t expect to see cops out there with a yard stick, but if you cause a crash, you could be charged with a three-foot violation.
