Dealing with traffic while commuting

I ride to work two or three days a week. Lately it seems that the car
drivers are becoming more obnoxious.

Yesterday I took off from a green light after waiting patiently. I was
actually the #1 vehicle at the light and I stayed to the right side of the
lane while waiting. Apparently some people were annoyed that I was on the
road and began honking at me. One irate lady took the time to roll down her
window and yell something at me. I couldn't understand what she was saying.
Usually I just go on with my ride but yesterday I lost it. I yelled back.
She then came to nearly a full stop in the road and turned her car to the
right in an attempt to cut me off. I held back and did not approach her. I
figure someone who purposely is trying to impede my progress may also
purposely run me off the road. The car behind her almost hit her.

What is the best way to handle these situations? Like I said, I usually
just keep on pedaling not yelling or making any gestures one way or the
other.

Thanks for the vent and thanks also for any comments or advise.

--
Heterosexual does NOT mean homophobic
White does NOT mean racist
Male does NOT mean sexist

To reply directly to me use DEODORANT

What is the best way to handle these situations? Like I said, I usually
just keep on pedaling not yelling or making any gestures one way or the
other.


I think you did the right thing. Ignore the shouts. If they do something like
she did, don't go near them. The lady was obviously temporily or even
permanently deranged. You never know when one of these people has a firearm or
something.

Here in Orlando, a guy was shot and killed on a toll road because he took too
long to get the exact change for the exact change bin. That was a bizarre
thing to do. Did they think shooting him was going to make him find the exact
change faster?

Pbwalther wrote:
What is the best way to handle these situations? Like I said, I
usually just keep on pedaling not yelling or making any gestures one
way or the other.


I think you did the right thing. Ignore the shouts. If they do
something like she did, don't go near them. The lady was obviously
temporily or even permanently deranged. You never know when one of
these people has a firearm or something.

Here in Orlando, a guy was shot and killed on a toll road because he
took too long to get the exact change for the exact change bin. That
was a bizarre thing to do. Did they think shooting him was going to
make him find the exact change faster?

It's to encourage the others.

..o0 0o. wrote:
I ride to work two or three days a week. Lately it seems that the car
drivers are becoming more obnoxious.

Yesterday I took off from a green light after waiting patiently. I was
actually the #1 vehicle at the light and I stayed to the right side of the
lane while waiting. Apparently some people were annoyed that I was on the
road and began honking at me. One irate lady took the time to roll down her
window and yell something at me. I couldn't understand what she was saying.
Usually I just go on with my ride but yesterday I lost it. I yelled back.
She then came to nearly a full stop in the road and turned her car to the
right in an attempt to cut me off. I held back and did not approach her. I
figure someone who purposely is trying to impede my progress may also
purposely run me off the road. The car behind her almost hit her.

What is the best way to handle these situations? Like I said, I usually
just keep on pedaling not yelling or making any gestures one way or the
other.

Ignore it and keep on pedaling. She was not about to engage
in rational debate, and you have better things to do than
argue, right? If someone yells at me, I usually give them
a puzzled look. Or I wave.

scott

Scott wrote:
.o0 0o. wrote:
I ride to work two or three days a week. Lately it seems that the car
drivers are becoming more obnoxious.

Yesterday I took off from a green light after waiting patiently. I was
actually the #1 vehicle at the light and I stayed to the right side of the
lane while waiting. Apparently some people were annoyed that I was on the
road and began honking at me. One irate lady took the time to roll down her
window and yell something at me. I couldn't understand what she was saying.
Usually I just go on with my ride but yesterday I lost it. I yelled back.
She then came to nearly a full stop in the road and turned her car to the
right in an attempt to cut me off. I held back and did not approach her. I
figure someone who purposely is trying to impede my progress may also
purposely run me off the road. The car behind her almost hit her.

What is the best way to handle these situations? Like I said, I usually
just keep on pedaling not yelling or making any gestures one way or the
other.

Ignore it and keep on pedaling. She was not about to engage
in rational debate, and you have better things to do than
argue, right? If someone yells at me, I usually give them
a puzzled look. Or I wave.

Smile and wave. Breathe mindfully.

Much easier said than done.

--
Steven O'Neill

Steven M. O'Neill wrote:
Scott wrote:

.o0 0o. wrote:

I ride to work two or three days a week. Lately it seems that the car
drivers are becoming more obnoxious.

Yesterday I took off from a green light after waiting patiently. I was
actually the #1 vehicle at the light and I stayed to the right side of the
lane while waiting. Apparently some people were annoyed that I was on the
road and began honking at me. One irate lady took the time to roll down her
window and yell something at me. I couldn't understand what she was saying.
Usually I just go on with my ride but yesterday I lost it. I yelled back.
She then came to nearly a full stop in the road and turned her car to the
right in an attempt to cut me off. I held back and did not approach her. I
figure someone who purposely is trying to impede my progress may also
purposely run me off the road. The car behind her almost hit her.

What is the best way to handle these situations? Like I said, I usually
just keep on pedaling not yelling or making any gestures one way or the
other.

Ignore it and keep on pedaling. She was not about to engage
in rational debate, and you have better things to do than
argue, right? If someone yells at me, I usually give them
a puzzled look. Or I wave.


Smile and wave. Breathe mindfully.

Much easier said than done.


Depends on your personality, of course. I have zero
interest in what a motorist thinks of me, nor do I
care to enlighten them on the rules of the road while
I'm biking. That's not to say I don't envision my
u-lock catapulting through their windshield at some
point. There's a reason I keep it dangling off
the handlebars

Scott

".o0 0o." wrote in
:

I ride to work two or three days a week. Lately it seems that the
car drivers are becoming more obnoxious.

Yesterday I took off from a green light after waiting patiently. I
was actually the #1 vehicle at the light and I stayed to the right
side of the lane while waiting. Apparently some people were
annoyed that I was on the road and began honking at me. One irate
lady took the time to roll down her window and yell something at
me. I couldn't understand what she was saying. Usually I just go
on with my ride but yesterday I lost it. I yelled back. She then
came to nearly a full stop in the road and turned her car to the
right in an attempt to cut me off. I held back and did not
approach her. I figure someone who purposely is trying to impede
my progress may also purposely run me off the road. The car behind
her almost hit her.

What is the best way to handle these situations? Like I said, I
usually just keep on pedaling not yelling or making any gestures
one way or the other.

Thanks for the vent and thanks also for any comments or advise.


When someone yells at you, just give them a big, cheesy smile, and wave
like you know them!

This may help you: I used to get yelled at about once a week. Just
after the 9-11 attack, I put a little American flag on the back of my
bike. I've only been yelled at (actually, screamed at) once since then,
and it was by a couple punks in a truck, just trying to scare me, as
they raced by. It really helped me. YMMV.

--
Smile!!

__O
_-\ ,_ Eric Babula
(_) / (_) Milwaukee, Wisconsin, USA

wrote:
snipYesterday I took off from a green light
after waiting patiently. I was actually the #1
vehicle at the light and I stayed to the right
side of the lane while waiting.
snip

When I stop at a light I always try to get into the _middle_ of the
lane. This prevents a motor vehicle from squeezing up on my left
shoulder and cutting me off by turning right at the light change.
Generally I remain in the middle of the lane until I'm across the
intersection.

Well, maybe I should say right-center of the lane. Afterall, I was doing a
track stand while waiting so my front wheel was turned to the center of the
lane.


wrote in message
...
wrote:
snipYesterday I took off from a green light
after waiting patiently. I was actually the #1
vehicle at the light and I stayed to the right
side of the lane while waiting.
snip

When I stop at a light I always try to get into the _middle_ of the
lane. This prevents a motor vehicle from squeezing up on my left
shoulder and cutting me off by turning right at the light change.
Generally I remain in the middle of the lane until I'm across the
intersection.

Well, maybe I should say right-center of the lane. Afterall, I was doing a
track stand while waiting so my front wheel was turned to the center of the
lane.

Track stands, unfortunately, are quite annoying to the general public. It
appears to be little more than a cry for attention.

Robert