So here's an odd one for the books. I was cycling from work today along a
one-way street with enough clearance to avoid opening car doors. The
street was three lanes wide with one of the lanes reserved for buses at
rush hour. The middle lane was free.

A bus was slowing down to a stop in its lane and I was moving forward when
I heard the ubiquitous blare of a horn from a car in the (clear) middle
lane. Now the car had to pass between the bus and myself, but there was a
whole lane for him to do so, so I wasn't sure what was up.

I caught up to him at the next lights. The car was some souped-up muscle
car and the driver looked pretty tough so I debated whether or not to ask
him what was up. I thought "what the heck" and asked him if I could help
him with something.

He then yelled, very angrily I might add, that with me on one side and the
bus on the other side he barely had room to pass, and that I should have
been off to the side (riding over top of the parked cars I suppose). I was
about to tell him that his whole lane was clear but the light turned green
and he peeled rubber and took off like a bat out of hell.

I caught up two lights later and was going to ask him why he thought an
entire lane of traffic was not sufficient for him but he'd rolled up his
window and was staring straight ahead. That intersection has an advance
green for bikes and I left somewhat befuddled.

Basically, and I hate to say it, he was acting like a big baby. Taking a
fit when things weren't going his way and then sulking later. I doubt
that I intimidated him, I'm don't look that imposing, but if I didn't know
better I'd have thought he was scared.

How much room does someone need anyway? Is one lane not enough for some
people?

--
Ron McKinnon rmckin
spam at sympatico
http://www.magma.ca/~ronmck dot ca