JERKFACE!

[Evoforce]

What an IDIOT! Story goes... My son was making repairs to his car so he borrowed my motorcycle with sidecar to go pick up parts. He called me saying he was stuck not being able to start the cycle after getting his parts at the zone. Went on an e-bike to the rescue mission. Battery was trash on motorcycle so got it jump started and started riding my e-bike home. Construction work was commencing on the street and the bike lane ended. Also the two street lanes funneled down to one. Speed limit was 25 and I was at it. Big pickup truck had to pass me anyway showing me his impatients all the way and narrowly missed me. Twenty feet farther up the road I was going to jump onto a canal path anyway. SHEESSSS. I'm not necessarily taking it that he was against bicycles, just in too big of a hurry for any vehicle to be in his path. I don't think in this case it would have mattered to him if I was doing 40 mph in this 25 mph construction zone.

 

[itchynackers]

I get the same crap. Doesn't matter if your over the limit. Their little minds/egos can't handle that an insignificant bike is ahead of them. So to help themselves feel better they pass you, usually unsafely. This "little guy" syndrome is rampant, especially on the roads, and its an epidemic with hillbilly truck drivers.

 

[DAND214]

Hillbilly truck driver

Is that what you call them there? I think they are all a$$holes, from trucks to mini cars. They are all the same if you are in front of them. Get that cheap piece of crap out of my $$$$$$ what ever it is piece of crap cause I am bigger and own the road!
Dan

 

[Zoot Katz]

Just more proof that driving makes people stupid.

 

[John in CR]

That's where my high power ebikes come in handy. I often don't let them pass me. I love hitting the throttle and leaving them in back of me when they try to pass when I believe it's inappropriate.

 

[dingoEsride]

Some car drivers just have a serious bad attitude towards cyclers, I had a guy swerve closely towards me as he passed on a dual carraige way light sunday traffic and I shouted out some abuse to him, when I caught up at the lights there he was a typical fatarsed car driver smokes in console in his big old ford I asked him if he had a problem with bike riders he said I was in the middle of the road and I said I was on the edge, you could see some steam coming from him then the lights changed conveniently for him so he took off, another time I had a women pass as I was going down a steep hill with a chicane at the end and of coarse i had to break hard to avoid collision as she negotiated the curves and to top it of she turned hard left in the next street, why she had to pass when I was gaining speed and would be able to fly through the chicane is beyond me, they just have to pass regardless of the situation, I think they see cyclers as second rate to them

 

[Evoforce]

Yea I was on a 40 mph e-bike but I was in a 25 mph construction zone. I knew my turnoff was comming up soon but didn't know exactly where it was but I was still going the posted construction limit. I could have gone 40 but I usually go posted limits within + 5 mph max. Some people just have to get around you even if you were to do 60 mph. Maybe they just want to get the perceived slower moving object out of their mind as quickly as possible so they can resume mindless driving.

 

[John in CR]

Some people just have to get around you even if you were to do 60 mph. Maybe they just want to get the perceived slower moving object out of their mind as quickly as possible so they can resume mindless driving.

I understand completely. That's why I love having the acceleration to be able to deny the pass to typical cars. I've done the same thing while driving though it's less common. My attitude is "Ahole, this is an inappropriate time to pass me, this is my position, and I'm not going to allow you to pass."

The posted speed limit shouldn't have anything to do with it though, and trying to enforce the speed limit on someone else is inappropriate. Courtesy is a two-way street and we have to take a higher road, since we're the ones who want to gain acceptance. Yes we have a legal right to our position on road, but "owning the lane" and riding at the speed limit when traffic flows at a typically higher rate on that road is just as inconsiderate, inappropriate, and dangerous as a fool driving the posted speed limit staying in the left lane on an interstate highway. An exception might be in a residential area where everyone drives too fast and you want to slow them down, but a bike isn't the vehicle to use.

John

 

[johnrobholmes]

I make it a point to not pedal in such situations to let people know that I am not a typical bicycle. I take up the lane, I weave a bit, I am an asshole that they give room.


If the occasion is such that I am riding a stealth bike, then normal car behavior is expected and it is no sweat off my brow. The roads are full of jerkfaces.

 

[Harold in CR]

I am an asshole that they give room

Not down here they dont. You don't Have to hesitate to have someone cut you off.

First time I came down here, in '96, My New found friend picked me up at the airport. It was right at dusk. The Airport is on the "Auotpista" or Pan Am Hwy. It is 2 lanes both ways, with a concrete divider. First time I ever saw a Motorcyclist "Hockey Pucked" all over the Hwy. After the first few cars light up the brake lights, the rest start looking for a problem. All the squirrels don't live in trees.

First time I EVER saw a 2 lane road turn into a 3 and sometimes 4 lane road. EACH WAY. Rush hour here is the worst, from the Airport. Now, with improvements, it's a little better, but, passing on the right or left, or anywhere in between, is fairly common, as I don't get into the "City" as much as John, I just may be lucky enough to see this on my random runs to the Airport.

 

[Evoforce]

Construction zones are double fines here in Arizona. This state loves to collect revenue through tickets. In my case I had nowhere to go when the bike lane ended and the other two lanes funneled down to my lane with barricades. And as I said before my turn onto a canal path was comming up shortly. In arizona, technically a vehicle can not pass you closer than 3 feet. Goes both ways here because riding a bike you cannot pass within 3 feet either. The one I really love is allowing parked cars in bike lanes because you have to swerve out of the bike lane at least missing the car by 3 feet. So... if someone happens to fling their door open in front of you, and you run ito it on your bike, you get the ticket.

 

[John in CR]

Evo,

I didn't mean to insinuate that you did anything wrong, and he was definitely a jerkface. I love having enough power to avoid those situations now. I did the disallowing a pass occasionally before I had as much power, but once I didn't have quite enough power to stay visibly in front and had to brake quickly when I got squeezed.

I move around a lot in the lane too like JohnRob, and it really does cause cars (and motorcycles too) to give me significantly more space, because drivers view you as unpredictable. I don't weave though, because my lane placement has a purpose, which is to first make me more visible to cars entering the road or waiting to turn left in front of me. Then as I approach I move to give myself a better escape route, and have a better angle so my exposure time should they pull out is minimized. Definitely no la-tee-da straight line riding for me. Bike lanes will soon be over-crowded, so start figuring out now how to keep yourself safe mixing it up with cars.

Even though I share the roads with many times more cars than Harold would out where he lives, I'm probably much safer. The traffic on his wide open roads is much faster, so keeping up isn't a realistic option, so all it will take is one jerkface with a bit too much alcohol to clip you just like they do pedestrians. Out where he is I'd have to go with a high power e-velo, so I could match their speeds.

John

 

[Harold in CR]

Out where he is I'd have to go with a high power e-velo, so I could match their speeds.

That's exactly why I want a Trike with plenty of power and speed. Actually a 3 wheel car-Moto of sorts. We're hijacking this thread, ain't we

 

[Evoforce]

I don't mind the hijacking. The thread was meant to help vent peoples frustration including mine. We all make mistakes out on the road so we have to also keep that in mind when judging others. Some drivers can really make you feel as though you have been perpetrated against! Ya know, tread upon. I really wasn't angered much just exasperated and amazed again at the audacity of some humans. And thanks John, I had not taken what you said as unsupportive. Glad to have you adding to the thread.

 

[deardancer3]

Last week there was a cyclist in front of my car right where I needed to be, about 100 feet in front of me-I needed to make a right turn about where I forecasted where he and I would both be if I passed him. So I just waited patiently behind him a ways back; its not even 30 seconds of delay.

But the cars behind me honking! goodness folks, its a nice day! Then I noticed that everyone honking and passing me was on a cellphone.

Its beautiful Colorado springs, its 75F degrees, blue sky, a designated Bike route, two lanes each way, and only a 40mph speed limit. The guy is riding a bike on a bike route to the right on a nice day, and we just passed a "Share the Road" sign.

What gives with these drivers?

D

 

[itchynackers]

I believe, the collective average intelligence of humanity is decreasing for the first time in history. People (drivers) can't think beyond "this guy in front of me is slowing me down". When (if they had half a brain) they should be asking, "I wonder WHY this person is slowing me down?" It's a blatant REFUSAL to use their brain, plain and simple.

 

[John in CR]

I don´t think it´s a REFUSAL, but instead an INABILITY. Like I´ve said before the easy fix to traffic and under-utilization of mass transit is to make test for driver´s licenses of reasonable difficulty. That´s also where we as bikers should direct some effort to include sections of the tests regarding driver courtesy and sharing the roads with vehicles that are smaller and different. Apparently that should start with policemen, many of whom seem to treat cyclists as second class citizens.

 

[Lessss]

Had two incidents with a Jeep driver over the last few weeks.

I passed him climbing a hill as pedestrians were still blocking him but not me. after he passed me he pull ALL the way to the curb at a red light to prevent me from passing him again.

a week later there is a long line at a red so far back it reaches an intersection. Jeep guy is sitting IN the intersection blocking perpendicular traffic. I pass him and just look at him as I pass shaking my head, I reach the red as it turns green and continue on. He catches up at another intersection (me going straight him going right) and he yells that I should be on the sidewalk as he turns. I yell back A$$hole.

 

[Ypedal]

Heh.. i had my " Monthly " yesterday as a matter of fact.....

is this like an AA meeting for e-bikers ?

It's 4 celcius at 7:45am, cold, toque under my Giro helmet, hoodie under coat, gloves, Cycle Lumenator lit up.. riding the Chaos to work, get to an intersection and i turn right, onto a 2 lane avenue with a 3rd merge lane on the far left i need to be in with 60 km/h traffic..

I almost hit a pilon because of construction work, my fault, i was lookine on my left to judge my merge into traffic at full throttle and when i looked in front " Whoa.. pilon !!.. " .. i missed it tho ( Thank you 8" disks !!.. thank you ! ) all that traffic is being funelled into one lane, and yep.. it's that 3rd lane that lets me turn LEFT into my work parking lot..

I want to make a 90 degree left crossing 2 lanes of on-comming traffic, i have to come to a stop and wait for a gap ( and i make due with not much.. but it was bumper to bumper and no way thru... ) I have this feeling of " Look behind you to make sure nobody plows into your ass " and as i turn my head... BEEEEEEEEEEP ..... I make eye contact and pointed to the cars blowing by in the lane i need to turn into.. and point at the lane SHE's in... ie: the wrong one.. and i'm F'n mad.....

Get this.. chick hits the gas, cuts the wheel to her right, runs over a 4ft orange pilon and burns rubber across a yellow light......

I'm of that era that men don't ever hit women.. but ya know what.. i would have made an exception... she was hot.. but i woulda decked her anyways... grrrrr.....

 

[etard]

I'm of that era that men don't ever hit women.. but ya know what.. i would have made an exception... she was hot.. but i woulda decked her anyways... grrrrr.....

Give it to her Ypedal!

Car drivers that don't ride just view bicyclists as objects to get by, moving obstacles on the side of the road that could make me late, if I don't pass it NOW! It's sad and scary to think that my life could be ended at any point on such trivial terms. I want to go out in a blaze of glory, not a smear on the side of the road cuz this 9-5er was on the phone talking about American Idol and not paying attention. Sometimes I want a weapon of sorts, maybe a laser pointer, paintballs filled with paint stripper, but it's probably best I don't. :lol: People need to be taught a lesson though.

What about like a business card you could drop off at lights in a gesture of acceptance. Maybe even something that shows the consequences of a car striking a cyclist, something real gory and vivid to let the driver know what your reality is everyday, scare them straight. Or better yet, maybe there should be lobby group that spends money on accident reality films much like anti-drunk driving safety films. The CHP puts out something called Red Highway or something, where real footage of gory car accidents makes the point well enough, not that I've seen any of these videos, I'm just saying. :lol:

 

[PedalingBiped]

It's not just bikers that have problems.
As a trucker I use the label "trust" on the cars around me. If I don't "trust" you my foot comes off the throttle and hovers on the brake. False alarm and I slow down to remove myself from this "untrustworthy" car. But occasionally I save someone's life, usually once a day.

The other problem is no one wants to be behind me. They speed up, exceeding the speed limit, to cut in front of me to take the next exit.
I use my air horn about once a month. Last Tuesday on a 50 mile run, up and back, I used it 4 times. Cars kept drifting into my lane.


Same problems as on a bike. We are just obstacles to be overcome by some people.

"Never argue with a crazy person"
"Insanity is expecting a different outcome each time you try doing the same thing over again"

 

[etard]

It's not just bikers that have problems.
As a trucker I use the label "trust" on the cars around me. If I don't "trust" you my foot comes off the throttle and hovers on the brake. False alarm and I slow down to remove myself from this "untrustworthy" car. "

This is a very good system, I do the same thing and have never been in an accident. I do the same on my motorcycle as well.

Not to get off topic, but does anybody else sort of "unfocus" to get a better sense of movement in thier periphery? I do this sometimes to scan the road at fast intersections, I don't know of it works all the time, but it does sometimes if I don't have time to look both ways.

 

[John in CR]

I try to put myself in position where I don't have to trust them, because on a bike you simply can't afford to trust any of them. "You can't hit me if you tried" is my moto, and when they do pull JERKFACE moves, I catch up to them and give them an ear full. I ride with the attitude that if I ever have a collision with a car that it's my fault, because I allowed it to happen. Having the right of way means exactly nothing to you personally if you're dead.

Just this morning a pickup pulled an unacceptable move forcing me into an evasive maneuver, and a car with the right of way saw the whole thing even stopped to wave me on to go catch the JERKFACE, because he saw how pissed I was. He must have been a cyclist, because he was waiving me on through a red light that was green for him. This jerkface was a real piece of work. He speeds around me to cut me off with no room, just to run a red light, and then 100ft later blocks traffic making a left at a light where there is no left turn.

 

[thewmatusmoloki]

I've been a professional driver of all sorts of vehicals, heavy and light, road and seagoing for most of my life.

PedalingBiped's advice is sound indeed, as practiced by myself everday.
In Australia it's called "defensive driving" and bugger-all people seem to do it ! In fact I've noticed that alot of driver's don't seem to know what's going on 25 meters in front of the car when traveling at 80+ kph !!

Not to get off topic, but does anybody else sort of "unfocus" to get a better sense of movement in thier periphery? I do this sometimes to scan the road at fast intersections, I don't know of it works all the time, but it does sometimes if I don't have time to look both ways.

I do know what you mean about the peripheral vision thing Etard. Not sure if "unfocussing" whilst driving is the way to go , though .. :lol:

I try to put myself in position where I don't have to trust them, because on a bike you simply can't afford to trust any of them. "You can't hit me if you tried" is my moto, and when they do pull JERKFACE moves, I catch up to them and give them an ear full. I ride with the attitude that if I ever have a collision with a car that it's my fault, because I allowed it to happen. Having the right of way means exactly nothing to you personally if you're dead.

Absolutley spot on John. works for me.

 

[thewmatusmoloki]

Also , happy birthday, PedalingBiped.