For death threats, read the comments on any newspaper or tv station’s comments following any kind of bike/car collision. I wish that IQ tests were required for people to be able to drive (or post to newspaper or tv station’s comments). :/
Yeah, ya gotta be a big hero to threaten someone with your car. In such situations I invite them to hop out and “discuss” things further – generally speaking, the instant they are outside the shell, they lose all their self-confidence and retreat. Must be my rippling muscles
Yeah, funny that isn’t it? Mind you, there are some hard men out there that will get out and assault you just for looking at them ‘funny’… So just be careful who you pick a fight with!
The comments system we currently used is also being retired! We’re busy making arrangements to save all four years worth of these comments and attempting to move them into the new WordPress site. We’re not sure the operation will be a success – JSKit Comments aren’t cooperating. More over the summer as we continue to work this out.
Yes I treat all cars as a potential threat, however, I also believe and know that the vast majority of drivers are ok. They are fine with us on the road and just go on with their lives. I treat them all the same because I know it only takes one ideot (or rightous) or one moment of inattention to kill me. I am sure they also view the vast majority of us are ok, however it only takes one ideot to ruin all cyclist image.
I organize a Ride of Silence where I live, ours is Wednesday night at 7 p.m., for fellow cycilsts killed or injured on the road. When anyone asks, I describe three general types of drivers. There are good drivers who pay attention. We love them. There are the inattentive drivers (cell phones, makeup, food, cigarettes, kids, just plain stupid, etc.), who will run you over and apologize profusely later when the cops arrive. Of course, you are still dead. Then there is that other group — drivers who intentionally want to harm you (teach you a lesson, like the good doctor in Beverly Hills who pulled in front of group of riders and slammed on the brakes). We never know which type we are dealing with, better to assume they are deadly. Why poke a rattle snake with your toe? We will ride Wendesday night to a spot where a bus driven by a senior citizen hit a 14-year-old girl riding her bicycle in a bike lane. But 150 riders with black arm bands and lights are no deterrent, we have had drivers threaten us WHILE we were doing the Ride of Silence. So hey, let’s be careful out there.
Oh, how fortunate I am to live and ride in western Washtenaw County. We ride hassle free 99.9% of the time. Most drivers move completely over into the other lane or wait to crest hills before they pass us. Many wave or give us a thumbs up. It makes riding irresistible.
Death threats in the ‘burbs? Hmmm… Would that be a step up or down from the city? (Down implying that city cycling is nirvana. Up implying that city drivers “Just Do It” without bothering to threaten.)
Sadly, this is not unusual. Suburban monster truck jerks are so self-entitled they actually think that removal by death is a good way to eliminate discomfitting neighbors. If it wasn’t for the laws, a lot of these morons would be murderers (until a real baddy showed up and kicked their lazy butts properly)
i live on a quiet inner-city suburban street. All single housing, grid streets, park, school, kids and puppies, etc., and it’s several times daily that some privately owned truck with too much chrome comes busting down said street at speeds that would be excessive on a main arterial without even slowing for the uncontrolled intersections. It’s amazing I’ve only had one wreck thrown over my fence from the corner, although there’s been a wreck of some kind out there every couple years.
I’ve never had any problem on the local state highway, even though in most places it’s two-lane and there is plenty of fast (55+ mph) traffic. Drivers there have been unfailingly polite. It’s only in the suburban areas that drivers (or passengers) ever make rude comments. The most recent was some guy in a truck driving in the opposite direction on the other side of the street who shouted obscenities as he passed. There was absolutely no way I could have been inconveniencing him at all, but he just couldn’t resist being a jerk.
Like all situations outside of my own house, I try to be situationally aware and on the defense 100% of the time. As an old instructor of mine used to say to his class, “If danger is ‘there,’ don’t be ‘there.’ Avoidance of confrontation is 99% of defense.”
It’s that last 1% where the fight or flight response is most valuable.
“Get a car like the rest of us”?
Why should the ones using the most cost-efficient technology choose to do like the rest and use inefficient technologies? Shouldn’t it be the other way around?
For death threats, read the comments on any newspaper or tv station’s comments following any kind of bike/car collision. I wish that IQ tests were required for people to be able to drive (or post to newspaper or tv station’s comments). :/
I wish IQ test were required for people to breed. Sadly it seems that it’s the idiots that are producing the most crotch-fruit.
I always though Idiocracy was a comedy, now I’m pretty sure it was a documentary.
Perhaps I am paranoid but I see every motor as a death threat until they prove themselves innocent – I still keep a wary watch on them!
Tencon, should you ever see a minivan (my current vehicle) with the license plate “TEN SPD” — that’s me.
I’m one of the good guys, honest!!
Only 10 speeds? I’ve got 81 (3×27)
I didn’t factor in any duplications though.
That’s nothing K’Tesh – my Trandem has 3 infinite ranges!
(NuVinci hub and a triple chainwheel)
Triple with a dual drive? Sounds like a recumbent rider to me!
Na… 2 Mountain Bikes, 1 Hybrid, 27 gears each.
This is why I refer to those near misses with drivers as Assassination Attempts. There’s nothing accidental in these.
Yeah, ya gotta be a big hero to threaten someone with your car. In such situations I invite them to hop out and “discuss” things further – generally speaking, the instant they are outside the shell, they lose all their self-confidence and retreat. Must be my rippling muscles
Yeah, funny that isn’t it? Mind you, there are some hard men out there that will get out and assault you just for looking at them ‘funny’… So just be careful who you pick a fight with!
Hey guys, Google Friend Connect has been retired. Can you add an ability to login with Google+? Thanks! AdamDZ
The comments system we currently used is also being retired! We’re busy making arrangements to save all four years worth of these comments and attempting to move them into the new WordPress site. We’re not sure the operation will be a success – JSKit Comments aren’t cooperating. More over the summer as we continue to work this out.
Oh, cool! Thanks and good luck! Lucky, the credential seem to be cached on this computer so I’m still logged in.
May we could be your ‘cloud’ and save some few months comments each, the whole being orchestrated by Rick & co to make sure of a complete backup?
Incidents like the one in today’s comic are the reason I run a helmet cam everywhere I ride.
Yes I treat all cars as a potential threat, however, I also believe and know that the vast majority of drivers are ok. They are fine with us on the road and just go on with their lives. I treat them all the same because I know it only takes one ideot (or rightous) or one moment of inattention to kill me. I am sure they also view the vast majority of us are ok, however it only takes one ideot to ruin all cyclist image.
For those of you who might have missed this from yesterday: http://blog.bikeleague.org/blog/2012/05/why-i-ride-14-cut-grass-conversation-and-cupcakes/
Oh…. I ride quite a lot and still have to watch my calories
I organize a Ride of Silence where I live, ours is Wednesday night at 7 p.m., for fellow cycilsts killed or injured on the road. When anyone asks, I describe three general types of drivers. There are good drivers who pay attention. We love them. There are the inattentive drivers (cell phones, makeup, food, cigarettes, kids, just plain stupid, etc.), who will run you over and apologize profusely later when the cops arrive. Of course, you are still dead. Then there is that other group — drivers who intentionally want to harm you (teach you a lesson, like the good doctor in Beverly Hills who pulled in front of group of riders and slammed on the brakes). We never know which type we are dealing with, better to assume they are deadly. Why poke a rattle snake with your toe? We will ride Wendesday night to a spot where a bus driven by a senior citizen hit a 14-year-old girl riding her bicycle in a bike lane. But 150 riders with black arm bands and lights are no deterrent, we have had drivers threaten us WHILE we were doing the Ride of Silence. So hey, let’s be careful out there.
Homo Sapiens is pathetic. In NY we have the white ghost bikes where a cyclist was killed. Some low lifes have been stripping them off of parts.
Oh, how fortunate I am to live and ride in western Washtenaw County. We ride hassle free 99.9% of the time. Most drivers move completely over into the other lane or wait to crest hills before they pass us. Many wave or give us a thumbs up. It makes riding irresistible.
Death threats in the ‘burbs? Hmmm… Would that be a step up or down from the city? (Down implying that city cycling is nirvana. Up implying that city drivers “Just Do It” without bothering to threaten.)
Sadly, this is not unusual. Suburban monster truck jerks are so self-entitled they actually think that removal by death is a good way to eliminate discomfitting neighbors. If it wasn’t for the laws, a lot of these morons would be murderers (until a real baddy showed up and kicked their lazy butts properly)
i live on a quiet inner-city suburban street. All single housing, grid streets, park, school, kids and puppies, etc., and it’s several times daily that some privately owned truck with too much chrome comes busting down said street at speeds that would be excessive on a main arterial without even slowing for the uncontrolled intersections. It’s amazing I’ve only had one wreck thrown over my fence from the corner, although there’s been a wreck of some kind out there every couple years.
I have yet to see a “ Suburban monster truck jerk” that didn’t have a case of small wee wee-itis.
I’ve never had any problem on the local state highway, even though in most places it’s two-lane and there is plenty of fast (55+ mph) traffic. Drivers there have been unfailingly polite. It’s only in the suburban areas that drivers (or passengers) ever make rude comments. The most recent was some guy in a truck driving in the opposite direction on the other side of the street who shouted obscenities as he passed. There was absolutely no way I could have been inconveniencing him at all, but he just couldn’t resist being a jerk.
Pedal softly …
Like all situations outside of my own house, I try to be situationally aware and on the defense 100% of the time. As an old instructor of mine used to say to his class, “If danger is ‘there,’ don’t be ‘there.’ Avoidance of confrontation is 99% of defense.”
It’s that last 1% where the fight or flight response is most valuable.
“Get a car like the rest of us”?
Why should the ones using the most cost-efficient technology choose to do like the rest and use inefficient technologies? Shouldn’t it be the other way around?