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377

How I feel confronting erratic drivers while riding with my mate (i.imgur.com)

submitted ago by ariz0ner

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[–]yakkafoobmog 21 points22 points ago

I just noticed that the guy in the back starts to laugh right at the end.

[–]Icharus 0 points1 point ago

While waiting for the .gif to load I expected flight of the conchords. Can't say I was disappointed.

[–]Bierski -5 points-4 points ago

we need to see Simon Pegg's face!!

[–]zen8bit 33 points34 points ago

Erratic drivers are almost as annoying as the assholes that ignore right of way when I completely stop at stop signs.

Fucker I stopped for a reason... GO

[–]chairitable 8 points9 points ago

I stopped because rolling stops are illegal here, and we stopped at the same time. I know I have the right of way but it'll take me forever to go and there's no other traffic, please proceed

[–]ElementZeroFuji Sunfire 2.0 1 point2 points ago

I've even had someone stop when they don't have a sign and wave me to turn across traffic. I stop and shake my head, if they had just continued on their way then I wouldn't of had to stop completely when I didn't have a stop sign.

[–]fourvalleys2012 Jamis Ventura, 1982 Schwinn, 1982 Bianchi 5 points6 points ago

I got clipped by a car mirror for the second time in two weeks yesterday while riding in the outside third of the outer lane.

I posted something on Facebook mentioning this and encouraging people to read up on bike laws in their area since both drivers that clipped me said bikes "don't belong in the road" when I caught them at the next light.

I had a friend who rides (mostly trails) tell me I was wasting my time and should focus more on being a safer, more attentive rider than on trying to educate people, since people "will never change." Also, he said that I should do more to get out of the way when a car is coming up behind me.

I get the defensive riding mindset, but my response was basically "I don't want any of my friends who see this to make a fool out of themselves... Or worse."

I ride on the street frequently in an area were it should be an absolute joy (and it is, when there aren't cars). Three lane, winding roads, with lots of scenery and supercars passing me every couple of minutes. I switched to residential streets a few weeks ago, parallel to the old route. Much more pleasant for the ride, but not what I'd love to be doing.

There's one part of the ride (my first and last 2-3 miles) that I can't avoid riding in traffic. I love it, I really do. I love keeping up, both while moving and while pulling away from lights. I just don't get how people essentially refuse to move over to one of the other two lanes when they see my lights. They just repainted the bike lane on about 3/4 mile of it, but that's even scarier sometimes because nobody moves even a foot or two over to give you clearance. And it's filled with pebbles, sand, and water.

I don't know what I'm trying to accomplish here, but I'm frustrated that another rider tried to absolve both of the drivers that brushed me of their responsibility. BOTH of these incidents happened on streets with signs that say "bicycles may use full lane" and "no bicycles on sidewalk" and yet people will still tell me I "shouldn't ride in the road."

I miss riding trails. Amazing since I love urban riding, but unsurprising since I hate stupid BS while I'm riding.

[–]AgentDaedalusGazelle Race - 1992 13 points14 points ago

You and I, friend, except I act kind of differently.

http://i.imgur.com/P1PHZ.gif

Gotta make sure they remember me.

[–]Frogstool2012 Cannondale Synapse 4 points5 points ago

I swear the people driving cars on my campus have never seen a bicycle in their whole life, especially one that follows traffic laws. They get so confused and mad at me for using the road. I don't want to run over all pedestrians, bro!

[–]ScrubTutor 25 points26 points ago

I have more problems with erratic bicyclers than erratic drivers. For the most part, it seems like drivers give me enough space on the road, but bicyclists are constantly pulling in front of me at red lights, blowing past streetcar doors that I'm stopped behind, and generally being dicks. I still make that face, though.

Am I the only one?

[–]porus07 12 points13 points ago

This is why I look forward to the winter cycling season. I bike commute year-round, and in the spring and autumn there are loads of part-time cyclists who can't hold a line and generally don't have good etiquette.

All these noobies disappear in the winter, and it's just the commuter veterans and CX guys on the roads.

[–]generalscruffRidgeback Comet 2 points3 points ago

It's currently rainy as hell here, and I looked out the window and thought 'it's playtime' due to my irrational love of cycling in the rain and having the cycle lanes to myself, away from those types

[–]ScrubTutor 1 point2 points ago

I fucking love this time of the year. I almost never yell at anybody.

[–]bammerburn 1 point2 points ago

Same applies to motorcyclists. A very nice parallel.

[–]lingual_panda80s Niitaka 6 points7 points ago

I open at my (corporate) bike shop on Mondays and my manager, the mechanic, and I have to bike to the bank to make deposits or whatever people do at banks. We have a full hour to bike to the bank that's three blocks away and get back in time to open the store.

I wouldn't say I'm a particularly strong cyclist, nor do I desire to be. I'm not competitive. I commute or I ride to be alone. But it always seems like my 65 year old manager is in a hurry. Or a race.

A few weeks back he almost got hit running a red light. I am never again going to apologize for being slow. The mechanic was following him blindly and had to make a last-second turn, I saw the light changing and slowed down half a block back. It would have been a great start to my day to have to call 911 on this guy.

It's not a race to the stop light, guys. If you don't want to lose your momentum then slow down further back and crawl to the intersection.

[–]ScrubTutor 1 point2 points ago

Slow cyclists who follow proper etiquette are amazing. I pass them, they slow down and stop behind me at intersections, and I never see them again. It's when they pull in front of me, or start up aiming to get into the intersection before the light is green, or pass me while I'm stopped behind an open streetcar door that I get pissed off. I hate passing people 7 or 8 times over the course of a ride because that's 6 or 7 extra times that I have to endanger myself and start taking up the lane to pass them.

[–]pentium4borg2012 Jamis Aurora Elite 0 points1 point ago

Slow cyclists who follow proper etiquette are amazing. I pass them, they slow down and stop behind me at intersections, and I never see them again.

This is one reason I take the lane and stop behind cars at intersections, instead of filtering to the front. Cars only have to pass me once.

because that's 6 or 7 extra times that I have to endanger myself and start taking up the lane to pass them.

You should be taking the lane anyway, it's just good safety practice.

[–]ScrubTutor 0 points1 point ago

I'd point out that the article says

Take the whole lane when appropriate

emphasis mine. There are plenty of times where it is not appropriate to do so, and these times are, unfortunately, on plenty of my routes.

[–]ThrashIt 4 points5 points ago

What's with all the slow ones pulling in front of you at stops? Or the people who race to get in front of you only to slow down?

[–]pentium4borg2012 Jamis Aurora Elite 20 points21 points ago

I'm not sure why you're getting downvoted. I witness plenty of idiots both in cars and on bikes.

[–]ScrubTutor 10 points11 points ago

Am I interrupting the "cyclists can do no wrong" circlejerk? Sorry guys, I'll see myself out.

[–]zen8bit 16 points17 points ago

I'll openly admit that the biggest idiots I've seen on the roads have been cyclists. I bow my head in shame during the monthly bike nights in my town when asshole bikers taunt drivers and try purposely to get hit. They make all of us look bad.

[–]mrva2001 Bianchi Veloce 6 points7 points ago

wtf... where abouts do you live?

[–]zen8bit 2 points3 points ago

San Luis Obispo. There are a few freshmen and sophomore college kids that are a little too immature and entitled for their own good.

[–]JensNorris 3 points4 points ago

Some of those idiots are drivers too.

[–]zen8bit 5 points6 points ago

Agreed, it feels like there's a rule that putting a steering wheel in front of people halves their IQ

[–]ANAL_DEVASTATOR 1 point2 points ago

Who purposely tries to get hit? There are bad bicyclists, but there are way more bad drivers who don't watch for anything other than their cell phone and red lights. I can't tell you how many times I've been nearly hit by cars on my fixie. I ride every day and every day some doucher nearly hits me because he isn't watching the lanes.

[–]mecax 0 points1 point ago

Monthly asshole ride? Must be Critical Mass.

[–]zen8bit 0 points1 point ago

It's an event called "Bike Happening". I can't stress enough how fun it is (despite the occasional idiot). Costumes and decorations aren't mandatory, but highly recommended. Lights, noise, and alcohol are all good things to have for this event.

List of 2012 themes

[–]Ass_Buttler 0 points1 point ago

Hey, in all fairness - I only do that when I see one of those student driver cars being driven by a 15 year old on a residential street.

[–]vanostran 1 point2 points ago

As a pedestrian, I agree. Cyclists seem to think they are the innocent victims of the road. I can't tell you how many times I've received dirty looks from cyclists around my university when they blow through stop signs or red lights and I'm in their way. What cunts.

[–]tha_doodPanasonic DX-1000 6 points7 points ago

There are definitely idiot bikers, but there are more idiot drivers. The ratio is the same. You only dislike cyclists more because they aren't driving.

http://www.slate.com/articles/health_and_science/science/2012/09/cyclists_are_annoying_why_you_think_they_re_a_menace_on_two_wheels_.html

[–]ScrubTutor 0 points1 point ago

I've seen that article, and there are so many problems with it

"Uh, you only dislike cyclists because we're different, and not because cyclists, like myself, are huge toolboxes."

An author that tries to make the case that most cyclers respect the rules of the road but starts off by bragging that he himself completely disregards them isn't going to be very good.

[–]yakkafoobmog 5 points6 points ago

I keep running into (no pun in ten did) cyclists going the wrong way in the bike lanes. They're usually homeless, young, or some variation thereof. Just yesterday I yelled at a guy for doing that and he said, "What, you want to fight me?" Dude was pushing 50 and was wobbling while riding. Sigh.

[–]jazimov 2 points3 points ago

Urgh, yep. Overweight, saddle way too low and wobbling around not yielding for faster cyclists. I mean, I'm all for you going at your own pace but please ride in a straight line so I can safely overtake!

[–]BinaryMn2009 Dawes SST 6 points7 points ago

You fail to understand that cars can easily KILL people. Bicycles don't.

Motor vehicles are nothing more than giant steel death machines.

[–]jazimov 6 points7 points ago

Yeah but if I was driving and hit a cyclist, even if it wasn't my fault I would still take it pretty hard. Even your own death can hurt other people; riding like an adult is all it takes.

[–]BinaryMn2009 Dawes SST 1 point2 points ago

The worst I see are people on bikes on the wrong side of the road. As long as you're paying attention, you won't hit them.

Maybe you see people weaving in and out of moving traffic. It's dickish, but ultimately will only result in the cyclist hurt. Not the driver.

[–]Frogstool2012 Cannondale Synapse 0 points1 point ago

Salmoning makes no sense in my mind. It's like saying "I would really like for you not to make an informed and deliberate decision regarding passing me, and instead would like you to swerve erratically to miss me."

[–]cshivers 2 points3 points ago

Bicycles do kill people

[–]ScrubTutor 0 points1 point ago

I fail to understand nothing - I said that I have more entanglements with cyclists than drivers. I get that entanglements with drivers are more serious - it's a fucking car.

[–]killjobs -2 points-1 points ago

In this sub you are most likely in the minority. Sooo brave tho.

[–]uncanny_valley_girl8spd. FrankenBike 6 points7 points ago

I can't even count how many times I have to make that face EVERY FUCKING DAY, on my 14 mile ride. I can't wait until the cars drive themselves.

[–]lingual_panda80s Niitaka -1 points0 points ago

Are you in the San Fernando Valley?

[–]uncanny_valley_girl8spd. FrankenBike 0 points1 point ago

Boston, MA actually.

[–]lingual_panda80s Niitaka 0 points1 point ago

I'm wondering because of your name.

[–]uncanny_valley_girl8spd. FrankenBike 0 points1 point ago

More of an 80's reference than a location reference. Totally.

[–]KoreanTerran 2 points3 points ago

I've seen that gif at least three dozen times and I've never bothered to find out where it's from.

Source?

[–]Brogasmic2012 Ventura Sport 26 points27 points ago

Hot Fuzz

[–]ACMEexp2008 Specialized Stumpjumper HT 0 points1 point ago

Came here to find this out. Cheers!

[–]astronomical_ldv 0 points1 point ago

Thanks, I knew I had seen this before. Now I wanna watch it again :)

[–]KoreanTerran 1 point2 points ago

Thanks!

[–]khamul 7 points8 points ago

It's a brilliant movie, made by the same people who did Shaun of the Dead and starring lots of the same people.

[–]JimmyHavok 3 points4 points ago

Look for Spaced. It's a TV show by the same crew. It could easily be regarded as the prequel to Shaun of the Dead, because the actors play very similar roles.

[–]puadxe 1 point2 points ago

someone edit the gif so that the guy in the back slides to the left again after he is hidden

[–]kibitzor 0 points1 point ago

I like the part where this is about bicycling :D

I made this more cycling related for those of you who care

[–]uRabbit'81 Sekai 2400 0 points1 point ago

Confronting any driver is asking to get killed...

[–]noidddd 0 points1 point ago

Gotta say, one of the downsides I find about this subreddit is the constant reminder that there are giant pricks out there that I have to worry about cutting me off or opening their doors into traffic making me swerve into traffic or alternatively slam into them and their car.... It's made me a bit paranoid I guess. I am fairly close to unsubscribing just for that reason.

[–]SpinyLumpsucker 0 points1 point ago

source?

[–]kboxCube Acid 2012 0 points1 point ago

I love how andy starts smiling when he realises andy is coming back for another go.

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