Aggressive Drivers

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(withersea @ Sep 6 2006, 10:16 AM) [snapback]315125[/snapback]</div>

You forgot "hypermiling hybrid drivers".

 

Well, I picked the rich guys in their Beemers and Mercedes. You know the difference between them and a porcupine, right? The porcupines have the pricks on the outside...but I digress. These folks not only drive agressively but you'll notice that other rules don't apply to THEM as well. They don't have to park in real parking places, they make their own, typically right in front of the door or in a cross walk. I've been known to walk up to their window and ask them if they need help finding a parking spot. I've been very impressed with the creative answers I get. The most typical one, as you can imagine, involves them being at such loss for words that they have to resort to sign language to which I usually compliment them on their extensive vocabulary :lol: and repeat my heartfelt offer to help them if they have difficulty in what is typically an open parking lot... B)

 

I had to vote for 20-something males for a few reasons:

1. They think they are better drivers than EVERYONE so they do stupid aggressive s*#t.

2. They especially think they are better drivers than women, while I think insurance companies might have a different opinion.

3. The guy I ran across yesterday:

I was riding my bike home from work yesterday, and this 20-something male pulled up along side me. I was doing about 35 mph on a downhill, so pretty much flying, and I was slightly outside the traffic lane, as there's a generous "shoulder" on that stretch of road... anyway, this guy started shouting something at me, and I couldn't hear so I gave him a nice smile and a nod. Then he gave me a very enthusiastic middle finger and sped up.

I was quietly laughing to myself at that point beacuse I could only imagine that he hated the idea of having to share the road with a bicycle. There's also a stoplight at the end of that stretch of road, and I knew that I was going to pass him later because I always pass all the cars at that point. As I approached the light I see that he'd pulled pretty far into the shoulder, presumably to stop me when I got there, so I got into the lefdt lane and went around him and through the green light. He was about 8 cars back from the light, and I also knew that he was not going to make the light without doing something illegal, which he proceeded to do. I could hear him screaming obscenities and his tires squeeling as he pulled into the left-turn-only lane to get around other cars, and edge in front of someone else.

The next bit of road is 2 lanes with no shoulder, and this guy was swerving and honking behind me for a second, making other drivers nervous, so they honked back at him... then he pulled into the lane next to me and made a swerve move as if to run me off the road into the curb. I wasn't playing games with him, so I slowed down and let him pass, but he was in a left-only lane again, and he ended up behind some other cars, and I sped by again.

I guess he didn't like that one bit because he pulled out to get behind me again. I had to turn left at the next light, so I signaled and got in the left lane. As he passed me on my right he stuck his head out his window and tried to spit on me... he missed, but he made some kind of face like he had "won the game".

I'm non-violent by nature, but at that point I was wishing I had my kryptonite lock out of my backpack so I could smash his windows in with it.

 

Oh and I should also note that I had been hit by an SUV earlier in the day on my commute TO work. They made a snap right turn into a parking lot without signalling, and I was right on their side. I managed to get onto the sidewalk and almost all the way past before his bumper clipped my tire. To be fair, I could have been riding more conservatively at that point and avoided trouble. The good thing is that I wasn't hurt, and my wheel is only ever-so-slightly out of true now. The guy even offered to pay to fix my wheel but I told him it wasn't necessary... he insisted, and I let him give me $20

And about 5 minutes later I was nearly hit by a large truck that was ignoring traffic rules even though he saw me and made eye contact with me and pretty clearly knew I had right of way and wasn't stopping just because he was bigger. He pulled right out in my way and I gave a nice loud whistle, so he finally let me by.

So, overall, yesterday was a BAD day for bike riding.

 

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(Ichabod @ Sep 6 2006, 09:54 AM) [snapback]315148[/snapback]</div>

Okay, that's pretty tough to beat. My blood pressure went up just reading that. I had a similar situation once too. The great thing was that we passed a cop waiting at an intersection. He took off after the guy...For once, they were there when I needed them

 

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(Ichabod @ Sep 6 2006, 10:54 AM) [snapback]315148[/snapback]</div>

That is quite a story - what a complete *ss!

 

High school boys! I should know, I was one once. I dread having to drive by a high school right around quitting time!

No real driving experience, but the delusion that they are in fact better than all Fourmula 1 drivers combined. Dangerous, dangerous people!

Give 'em a Mustang and Camaro and it's even worse! (or I guess that would be a Impreza WRX or a turbocharged Civic these days...)

 

Wheres the option for "Anyone in a Jetta"?

At least according to the Car Talk Guys.

 

What's up with all those people who slow down, then speed up, then slow down again? Is this called 'passive-aggressive'? (Insert rolling-eyes smiley here.)

Note to Ichabod: You need an airhorn. They're cheap, light, and very loud. A paintball gun might not be a bad idea, either. Make sure your will is up to date before using it, though.

 

You haven't heard me whistle A paintball gun is definitely a good idea though, esp. with those crazies! I'll put it on my list

 

I ride bike fairly often on weekdays, but I live in a tourist destination. The weekends are filled with weekend warriors on bikes many of who seem to take great pleasure in antagonizing autos ( which makes the auto drivers lash out against all bikes), so I have learned to stick to the car on weekends. This way I may be inconvenienced by packs of bikes riding abreast , but at least I am safe. A normal (non-race) weekend will see hundreds of bikes go past my street. Many more starting the week before races and culminating on race days. ...Then there are the Sunday Ride motorcycle packs...

The clashes between bikes and autos is ever present in my county. CHP seems to have given up trying to keep the peace and now just stands by to scrape the bodies off the tarmac.

 

Obviously none of "Y'all" are from Texas, cause I picked Rednecks in pickup trucks!!!



Every time we are tailgated or cut off it is someone in a 'bigger than anyone would need who doesn't own a farm' pickup truck! I even saw one guy literally run a sedan off the highway.

 

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(withersea @ Sep 6 2006, 10:16 AM) [snapback]315125[/snapback]</div>

I recently drove to Jersey City, NJ which was a 12 hr drive from Michigan. 75% of the drivers there are maniacs. Apparently I am spoiled by living in the midwest.

Use your indicators while turning, and if you are on a right only lane, don't go straight!!!
BTW, are drivers in NJ required to pass a written and a road test, or do they just give the license to anyone old enough to drive????

 

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(Michgal007 @ Sep 6 2006, 04:16 PM) [snapback]315370[/snapback]</div>

Our driving test is a little different than other states. Rather than focusing on the rules of the road, it focuses on how to foster our reputation as overly aggressive drivers. It's all part of a larger plan to keep people from moving into the state. :lol:

Of course, now that I've blabbed, I'll probably have to move before "they" find me.

 

Some good responses

I chose teenage boys as well because I know how I drove back then and all the way up into my mid 20s or so. Too agressive and didnt think of the consquences of my aciotns in how they relate to others sharing the road.

I will also state that am prone to violence due to the area I grew up in. I've been in 3 roadside fights with people over stupid road rage crap. Since buying the Prius I have mellowed considerably and most of the time just let it slide right off me and put on some mellow music. Although sometimes I want nothing more than to yank the bastard out of his Escalade on 24s and beat the living crap out of him so everyone in the intersection can witness a Prius driver kickin' some but! lol In seriousness, I've gotten over a lot of that kind of thinking as I'm not in that kind of environment anymore and am older

 

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(withersea @ Sep 6 2006, 01:53 PM) [snapback]315392[/snapback]</div>

Why did you have to go an get racial? Besides, Hobbits dont travel much so they dont drive.