On Monday, September 2, 2019 at 9:21:38 AM UTC-7, Tom Kunich wrote:
On Sunday, September 1, 2019 at 10:58:43 PM UTC-7, Tim McNamara wrote:
On Sun, 1 Sep 2019 18:16:28 -0700 (PDT), Tom Kunich il.com
wrote:

Why would drivers with an open left lane not only drive adjacent to
bicyclists but as close as they can possibly get: and speeding?

Aggression towards someone perceived as weaker is a time-honored way to
prop up one's own feelings of power. Chickens, chimpanzees and humans
all do it. It's the basis of bullying in all social interactions, and
best of all bullying is now a socially acceptable activity as
demonstrated by our Furor. Who needs Twitter when you have a ton and a
half of steel at your command and pedestrians and bicyclists to
terrorize?

Only a small amount of this close passing is that I believe. If you stare at someone to attempt to miss them yo automatically drive closer than you would looking at the center line. I think this is the cause, But you would think that after people learn to drive they would stop doing that and they don't. Many of them actually slow up while passing so yo can tell it isn't aggression though four-wheel drive pickups are aggressive but they are so with everyone.


Perhaps that's what it is. I'll bet we've all witnessed that weird effect where occasionally a passing car will veer over the fog line into the "bike lane" (just for sake of the discussion--whether there's a lane there or not) shortly after passing you. Perhaps that's the staring effect. I don't *think* it's on purpose, at least in the usual case, but I sure don't like it. It reminds me of how vulnerable I am to everyone out there doing everything right and not making a mistake.

But the bottom line, of course, is that I'm still doing it. Riding, that is.


I don't know about you guys, but the recent three-foot passing rule passed in California--two years ago, now?--has been next to un-noticable. I seem to get the usual number of daily close-calls and close passings.

I also think motorists don't realize that we really can't use the asphalt/concrete interface area of the gutter since it's so easy to get a tire stuck in the "groove" of the poorly maintained streets around here. Maybe it's better where the rest of you are or maybe I'm getting less tolerant in my cranky years.

pH in Aptos