Bike safety class

_HD_ wrote:Duck's diplomacy skills save his life...     


[You must be registered and logged in to see this link.]

duck wrote:

_HD_ wrote:Duck's diplomacy skills save his life...     


[You must be registered and logged in to see this link.]

You'd be proud of me, HD.  Recently I was buzzed by a little prick in a fancy little zoom-zoom sports car.  I was going up a steep hill and no one else was on the road going up or down.  Instead of just crossing three feet over slightly pass the yellow line, he stayed in his lane like a stodgy old grandpa and came within a foot of me.

As luck would have it, at the top of the hill, I saw his car parked.  (He must have been walking his dog at a popular site.)  With my key I drew him a nice little picture of a bicycle on his front door.  It wasn't my best artistic rendition but I'm sure he appreciated it.

Don't you think I should be commended for channeling my aggression into a healthy artistic outlet?  I really think more cyclists should do this instead of engaging in pointless verbal confrontations with asshole drivers.

JnC4GB wrote:I'd like to congratulate HD on holding his temper and not clocking those bicyclists in the video.

Good job buddy!  

_HD_ wrote:

duck wrote:

_HD_ wrote:Duck's diplomacy skills save his life...     


[You must be registered and logged in to see this link.]

You'd be proud of me, HD.  Recently I was buzzed by a little prick in a fancy little zoom-zoom sports car.  I was going up a steep hill and no one else was on the road going up or down.  Instead of just crossing three feet over slightly pass the yellow line, he stayed in his lane like a stodgy old grandpa and came within a foot of me.

As luck would have it, at the top of the hill, I saw his car parked.  (He must have been walking his dog at a popular site.)  With my key I drew him a nice little picture of a bicycle on his front door.  It wasn't my best artistic rendition but I'm sure he appreciated it.

Don't you think I should be commended for channeling my aggression into a healthy artistic outlet?  I really think more cyclists should do this instead of engaging in pointless verbal confrontations with asshole drivers.

LOL!  You better be careful with shit like that, Duck...  There are cameras everywhere now and along with them some people who would gladly trade a cell for the rest of their lives for the knowledge of retribution...

_HD_ wrote:

JnC4GB wrote:I'd like to congratulate HD on holding his temper and not clocking those bicyclists in the video.

Good job buddy!  

    (A)  You would never catch me driving a car like that.



       (B)  I don't suffer from short man's disease


       (C)  I do see the guy's point however his demonstration was pointless.


Maybe you can answer this for me, Duck...  Why is it that so many cyclists have such a 'tude?  Hard to answer, since there are as many kinds of cyclist personalities as there are motorists.  From my perspective 99% of the biker-motorost conflicts can be resolved through common sense and mutual respect.  If there is an attitude, however, it comes from the power imbalance and the danger associated with the sport.  Anyone who bikes regularly sees that there is a certain subgroup of motorists who hate cyclists and fuck with them in dangerous ways (like squeezing them close to parked cars).  There are also the idiot drivers (old farts, drunks and texters, etc.) who are perhaps more menacing.  I can see copping an attitude after a few brushes with death.  Why can't they move over to the right?  I always do when possible.  It's part of sharing the road.  Sometimes cyclists wait a bit before going over because there might be an obstacle on the road that the motorist doesn't initially see.  Still, you do realize that legally, a cyclist is entitled to take THE ENTIRE LANE if he so chooses.  Most motorists don't understand that fact.Why are some too good to ride on the bike path like everyone else and instead have to ride on the road?  Some cyclists are assholes, HD.  Especially some of the young yahoos.  I've always acknowledged that.  Heck, if there's a bike path available, a cyclist would be crazy NOT to take it.  Don't let the actions of a small subgroup of cyclists taint your opinion of the entire group.  I can assure you that there are many reasonable and responsible cyclists out there.  What happens to these people when they get their nuts all cinched up in spandex?


Today was one of the most beautiful days I remember in years.  As a result, I said fuck it and my daughter/I went for a nice 18 mile  bike ride down along the river parkway.  The road there is extremely narrow--barely enough room for two cars to safely pass yet one out of every ten cyclists has to ride the road and not the paved trail right next to it and back up traffic along along the parkway.  Why?   And this other asshole who was on the path coming the opposite way--what about him?  My daughter momentarily crossed over the center line as she/I were laughing/talking as we were riding and this asshole motioned with his arm abruptly for her to move over after she had already done so and said *OVER!*  As we passed, I moved over to the center and said *Fuck you, Buddy* about a foot off his face as he zoomed by.  He abruply hit the brakes and turned sideways to look back as me.  Already stopped and looking back at him...he said, WHAT did you sayyyyyy?!  I smiled and said as I dismounted my bike--you feel froggy asshole--you better jump.  The coward muttered fuckin' asshole and started peddling his gutless little spandexed ass away...  Big tough guy to try to scare the little girl, right?

_HD_ wrote:Maybe you can answer this for me, Duck...  Why is it that so many cyclists have such a 'tude?  Hard to answer, since there are as many kinds of cyclist personalities as there are motorists.  From my perspective 99% of the biker-motorost conflicts can be resolved through common sense and mutual respect.  If there is an attitude, however, it comes from the power imbalance and the danger associated with the sport.  Anyone who bikes regularly sees that there is a certain subgroup of motorists who hate cyclists and fuck with them in dangerous ways (like squeezing them close to parked cars).  There are also the idiot drivers (old farts, drunks and texters, etc.) who are perhaps more menacing.  I can see copping an attitude after a few brushes with death.  Why can't they move over to the right?  I always do when possible.  It's part of sharing the road.  Sometimes cyclists wait a bit before going over because there might be an obstacle on the road that the motorist doesn't initially see.  Still, you do realize that legally, a cyclist is entitled to take THE ENTIRE LANE if he so chooses.  Most motorists don't understand that fact.


I do know that to be the law--but, like many laws, it's absurd and likely the source of so many cager/cyclist conflicts.  It's just fucking common sense that a vehicle with a top speed of 15-20 mph should not choke a transit system moving much more quickly.  When I ride a bicycle--I stay to the right.  Why?  Two reasons:  (1)  Self preservation.  On a bike--I'm just not going to win a battle with a car/truck and it doesn't matter if the other person is the one at fault--you're just as fucking dead, amigo.  (2)  Common fucking courtesy.  Why be a prick and get in people's way unnecessarily?  Because the law says you can?  If you truly want to understand why you get buzzed, Duck--it's because of your comrades out there peddling their sorry asses down the middle of the road refusing to move over.  The minute you throw that Lance Armstrong jersey on and those geeky rear-view mirrow glasses--your ass has a target on it purely based on association.  You're like the dude drivin' the pimp-mobile through my neighborhood, Duck.  The cops are going to try to discourage you from coming back...    




Why are some too good to ride on the bike path like everyone else and instead have to ride on the road?  Some cyclists are assholes, HD.  Especially some of the young yahoos.  I've always acknowledged that.  Heck, if there's a bike path available, a cyclist would be crazy NOT to take it.  Don't let the actions of a small subgroup of cyclists taint your opinion of the entire group.  I can assure you that there are many reasonable and responsible cyclists out there.  What happens to these people when they get their nuts all cinched up in spandex?


All very reasonable, Duck.  Surely you see how the behavior of some percentage of cyclists unfortunately makes it dangerous for the rest of you?  You can blames cagers all you want--and some of them deservably so...but I don't care if you're on a bike, a tractor pulling a farm wagon, an amish buggy or your Uncle Chester is giving your ass a piggy back ride down the street to the liquor store for a replenish of micro-brew--common sense dictates that the many should not be inconvenienced at the expense of the few.  We have something called *income* for that...    

duck wrote:

_HD_ wrote:Maybe you can answer this for me, Duck...  Why is it that so many cyclists have such a 'tude?  Hard to answer, since there are as many kinds of cyclist personalities as there are motorists.  From my perspective 99% of the biker-motorost conflicts can be resolved through common sense and mutual respect.  If there is an attitude, however, it comes from the power imbalance and the danger associated with the sport.  Anyone who bikes regularly sees that there is a certain subgroup of motorists who hate cyclists and fuck with them in dangerous ways (like squeezing them close to parked cars).  There are also the idiot drivers (old farts, drunks and texters, etc.) who are perhaps more menacing.  I can see copping an attitude after a few brushes with death.  Why can't they move over to the right?  I always do when possible.  It's part of sharing the road.  Sometimes cyclists wait a bit before going over because there might be an obstacle on the road that the motorist doesn't initially see.  Still, you do realize that legally, a cyclist is entitled to take THE ENTIRE LANE if he so chooses.  Most motorists don't understand that fact.


I do know that to be the law--but, like many laws, it's absurd and likely the source of so many cager/cyclist conflicts.  It's just fucking common sense that a vehicle with a top speed of 15-20 mph should not choke a transit system moving much more quickly.  When I ride a bicycle--I stay to the right.  Why?  Two reasons:  (1)  Self preservation.  On a bike--I'm just not going to win a battle with a car/truck and it doesn't matter if the other person is the one at fault--you're just as fucking dead, amigo.  (2)  Common fucking courtesy.  Why be a prick and get in people's way unnecessarily?  Because the law says you can?  If you truly want to understand why you get buzzed, Duck--it's because of your comrades out there peddling their sorry asses down the middle of the road refusing to move over.  The minute you throw that Lance Armstrong jersey on and those geeky rear-view mirrow glasses--your ass has a target on it purely based on association.  You're like the dude drivin' the pimp-mobile through my neighborhood, Duck.  The cops are going to try to discourage you from coming back...    




Why are some too good to ride on the bike path like everyone else and instead have to ride on the road?  Some cyclists are assholes, HD.  Especially some of the young yahoos.  I've always acknowledged that.  Heck, if there's a bike path available, a cyclist would be crazy NOT to take it.  Don't let the actions of a small subgroup of cyclists taint your opinion of the entire group.  I can assure you that there are many reasonable and responsible cyclists out there.  What happens to these people when they get their nuts all cinched up in spandex?


All very reasonable, Duck.  Surely you see how the behavior of some percentage of cyclists unfortunately makes it dangerous for the rest of you?  You can blames cagers all you want--and some of them deservably so...but I don't care if you're on a bike, a tractor pulling a farm wagon, an amish buggy or your Uncle Chester is giving your ass a piggy back ride down the street to the liquor store for a replenish of micro-brew--common sense dictates that the many should not be inconvenienced at the expense of the few.  We have something called *income* for that...    

Well, duh, HD.  It's a no brainer for me.  I'm an extremely conservative rider.  I always stay right and avoid confrontations with motor vehicles.  I also choose times and routes that have minimal traffic.  I'm now over 30,000 miles on my road bike(s) and I didn't achieve that feat by being reckless and provocative.

However, you're falling into the trap of blaming the cyclist for these conflicts, much as some blame rape on women for dressing provocatively.  As I've acknowledged, there are asshole cyclists and asshole drivers.  However, it is the motorists' responsibility to drive safely under all circumstances, even if he encounters irresponsible behavior from a cyclist, a pedestrian... or another motorist.  Period.

_HD_ wrote:

duck wrote:

_HD_ wrote:Maybe you can answer this for me, Duck...  Why is it that so many cyclists have such a 'tude?  Hard to answer, since there are as many kinds of cyclist personalities as there are motorists.  From my perspective 99% of the biker-motorost conflicts can be resolved through common sense and mutual respect.  If there is an attitude, however, it comes from the power imbalance and the danger associated with the sport.  Anyone who bikes regularly sees that there is a certain subgroup of motorists who hate cyclists and fuck with them in dangerous ways (like squeezing them close to parked cars).  There are also the idiot drivers (old farts, drunks and texters, etc.) who are perhaps more menacing.  I can see copping an attitude after a few brushes with death.  Why can't they move over to the right?  I always do when possible.  It's part of sharing the road.  Sometimes cyclists wait a bit before going over because there might be an obstacle on the road that the motorist doesn't initially see.  Still, you do realize that legally, a cyclist is entitled to take THE ENTIRE LANE if he so chooses.  Most motorists don't understand that fact.


I do know that to be the law--but, like many laws, it's absurd and likely the source of so many cager/cyclist conflicts.  It's just fucking common sense that a vehicle with a top speed of 15-20 mph should not choke a transit system moving much more quickly.  When I ride a bicycle--I stay to the right.  Why?  Two reasons:  (1)  Self preservation.  On a bike--I'm just not going to win a battle with a car/truck and it doesn't matter if the other person is the one at fault--you're just as fucking dead, amigo.  (2)  Common fucking courtesy.  Why be a prick and get in people's way unnecessarily?  Because the law says you can?  If you truly want to understand why you get buzzed, Duck--it's because of your comrades out there peddling their sorry asses down the middle of the road refusing to move over.  The minute you throw that Lance Armstrong jersey on and those geeky rear-view mirrow glasses--your ass has a target on it purely based on association.  You're like the dude drivin' the pimp-mobile through my neighborhood, Duck.  The cops are going to try to discourage you from coming back...    




Why are some too good to ride on the bike path like everyone else and instead have to ride on the road?  Some cyclists are assholes, HD.  Especially some of the young yahoos.  I've always acknowledged that.  Heck, if there's a bike path available, a cyclist would be crazy NOT to take it.  Don't let the actions of a small subgroup of cyclists taint your opinion of the entire group.  I can assure you that there are many reasonable and responsible cyclists out there.  What happens to these people when they get their nuts all cinched up in spandex?


All very reasonable, Duck.  Surely you see how the behavior of some percentage of cyclists unfortunately makes it dangerous for the rest of you?  You can blames cagers all you want--and some of them deservably so...but I don't care if you're on a bike, a tractor pulling a farm wagon, an amish buggy or your Uncle Chester is giving your ass a piggy back ride down the street to the liquor store for a replenish of micro-brew--common sense dictates that the many should not be inconvenienced at the expense of the few.  We have something called *income* for that...    

Well, duh, HD.  It's a no brainer for me.  I'm an extremely conservative rider.  I always stay right and avoid confrontations with motor vehicles.  I also choose times and routes that have minimal traffic.  I'm now over 30,000 miles on my road bike(s) and I didn't achieve that feat by being reckless and provocative.

However, you're falling into the trap of blaming the cyclist for these conflicts, much as some blame rape on women for dressing provocatively.  As I've acknowledged, there are asshole cyclists and asshole drivers.  However, it is the motorists' responsibility to drive safely under all circumstances, even if he encounters irresponsible behavior from a cyclist, a pedestrian... or another motorist.  Period.

Yup...I can confirm that's just what it says here right in the brochure.  In real life--that's why God created car doors...   

duck wrote:

_HD_ wrote:

duck wrote:

_HD_ wrote:Maybe you can answer this for me, Duck...  Why is it that so many cyclists have such a 'tude?  Hard to answer, since there are as many kinds of cyclist personalities as there are motorists.  From my perspective 99% of the biker-motorost conflicts can be resolved through common sense and mutual respect.  If there is an attitude, however, it comes from the power imbalance and the danger associated with the sport.  Anyone who bikes regularly sees that there is a certain subgroup of motorists who hate cyclists and fuck with them in dangerous ways (like squeezing them close to parked cars).  There are also the idiot drivers (old farts, drunks and texters, etc.) who are perhaps more menacing.  I can see copping an attitude after a few brushes with death.  Why can't they move over to the right?  I always do when possible.  It's part of sharing the road.  Sometimes cyclists wait a bit before going over because there might be an obstacle on the road that the motorist doesn't initially see.  Still, you do realize that legally, a cyclist is entitled to take THE ENTIRE LANE if he so chooses.  Most motorists don't understand that fact.


I do know that to be the law--but, like many laws, it's absurd and likely the source of so many cager/cyclist conflicts.  It's just fucking common sense that a vehicle with a top speed of 15-20 mph should not choke a transit system moving much more quickly.  When I ride a bicycle--I stay to the right.  Why?  Two reasons:  (1)  Self preservation.  On a bike--I'm just not going to win a battle with a car/truck and it doesn't matter if the other person is the one at fault--you're just as fucking dead, amigo.  (2)  Common fucking courtesy.  Why be a prick and get in people's way unnecessarily?  Because the law says you can?  If you truly want to understand why you get buzzed, Duck--it's because of your comrades out there peddling their sorry asses down the middle of the road refusing to move over.  The minute you throw that Lance Armstrong jersey on and those geeky rear-view mirrow glasses--your ass has a target on it purely based on association.  You're like the dude drivin' the pimp-mobile through my neighborhood, Duck.  The cops are going to try to discourage you from coming back...    




Why are some too good to ride on the bike path like everyone else and instead have to ride on the road?  Some cyclists are assholes, HD.  Especially some of the young yahoos.  I've always acknowledged that.  Heck, if there's a bike path available, a cyclist would be crazy NOT to take it.  Don't let the actions of a small subgroup of cyclists taint your opinion of the entire group.  I can assure you that there are many reasonable and responsible cyclists out there.  What happens to these people when they get their nuts all cinched up in spandex?


All very reasonable, Duck.  Surely you see how the behavior of some percentage of cyclists unfortunately makes it dangerous for the rest of you?  You can blames cagers all you want--and some of them deservably so...but I don't care if you're on a bike, a tractor pulling a farm wagon, an amish buggy or your Uncle Chester is giving your ass a piggy back ride down the street to the liquor store for a replenish of micro-brew--common sense dictates that the many should not be inconvenienced at the expense of the few.  We have something called *income* for that...    

Well, duh, HD.  It's a no brainer for me.  I'm an extremely conservative rider.  I always stay right and avoid confrontations with motor vehicles.  I also choose times and routes that have minimal traffic.  I'm now over 30,000 miles on my road bike(s) and I didn't achieve that feat by being reckless and provocative.

However, you're falling into the trap of blaming the cyclist for these conflicts, much as some blame rape on women for dressing provocatively.  As I've acknowledged, there are asshole cyclists and asshole drivers.  However, it is the motorists' responsibility to drive safely under all circumstances, even if he encounters irresponsible behavior from a cyclist, a pedestrian... or another motorist.  Period.

Yup...I can confirm that's just what it says here right in the brochure.  In real life--that's why God created car doors...   

I thought God created car doors so cyclists can scratch them with their keys.     

_HD_ wrote:

duck wrote:

_HD_ wrote:

duck wrote:

_HD_ wrote:Maybe you can answer this for me, Duck...  Why is it that so many cyclists have such a 'tude?  Hard to answer, since there are as many kinds of cyclist personalities as there are motorists.  From my perspective 99% of the biker-motorost conflicts can be resolved through common sense and mutual respect.  If there is an attitude, however, it comes from the power imbalance and the danger associated with the sport.  Anyone who bikes regularly sees that there is a certain subgroup of motorists who hate cyclists and fuck with them in dangerous ways (like squeezing them close to parked cars).  There are also the idiot drivers (old farts, drunks and texters, etc.) who are perhaps more menacing.  I can see copping an attitude after a few brushes with death.  Why can't they move over to the right?  I always do when possible.  It's part of sharing the road.  Sometimes cyclists wait a bit before going over because there might be an obstacle on the road that the motorist doesn't initially see.  Still, you do realize that legally, a cyclist is entitled to take THE ENTIRE LANE if he so chooses.  Most motorists don't understand that fact.


I do know that to be the law--but, like many laws, it's absurd and likely the source of so many cager/cyclist conflicts.  It's just fucking common sense that a vehicle with a top speed of 15-20 mph should not choke a transit system moving much more quickly.  When I ride a bicycle--I stay to the right.  Why?  Two reasons:  (1)  Self preservation.  On a bike--I'm just not going to win a battle with a car/truck and it doesn't matter if the other person is the one at fault--you're just as fucking dead, amigo.  (2)  Common fucking courtesy.  Why be a prick and get in people's way unnecessarily?  Because the law says you can?  If you truly want to understand why you get buzzed, Duck--it's because of your comrades out there peddling their sorry asses down the middle of the road refusing to move over.  The minute you throw that Lance Armstrong jersey on and those geeky rear-view mirrow glasses--your ass has a target on it purely based on association.  You're like the dude drivin' the pimp-mobile through my neighborhood, Duck.  The cops are going to try to discourage you from coming back...    




Why are some too good to ride on the bike path like everyone else and instead have to ride on the road?  Some cyclists are assholes, HD.  Especially some of the young yahoos.  I've always acknowledged that.  Heck, if there's a bike path available, a cyclist would be crazy NOT to take it.  Don't let the actions of a small subgroup of cyclists taint your opinion of the entire group.  I can assure you that there are many reasonable and responsible cyclists out there.  What happens to these people when they get their nuts all cinched up in spandex?


All very reasonable, Duck.  Surely you see how the behavior of some percentage of cyclists unfortunately makes it dangerous for the rest of you?  You can blames cagers all you want--and some of them deservably so...but I don't care if you're on a bike, a tractor pulling a farm wagon, an amish buggy or your Uncle Chester is giving your ass a piggy back ride down the street to the liquor store for a replenish of micro-brew--common sense dictates that the many should not be inconvenienced at the expense of the few.  We have something called *income* for that...    

Well, duh, HD.  It's a no brainer for me.  I'm an extremely conservative rider.  I always stay right and avoid confrontations with motor vehicles.  I also choose times and routes that have minimal traffic.  I'm now over 30,000 miles on my road bike(s) and I didn't achieve that feat by being reckless and provocative.

However, you're falling into the trap of blaming the cyclist for these conflicts, much as some blame rape on women for dressing provocatively.  As I've acknowledged, there are asshole cyclists and asshole drivers.  However, it is the motorists' responsibility to drive safely under all circumstances, even if he encounters irresponsible behavior from a cyclist, a pedestrian... or another motorist.  Period.

Yup...I can confirm that's just what it says here right in the brochure.  In real life--that's why God created car doors...   

I thought God created car doors so cyclists can scratch them with their keys.     

A couple of years ago my elderly mother pulled into Cub Foods...parked and went inside to pick up a few things...  When she returned she found the door skin on her driver's door crumpled in and a note under the wiper.  The note said.  *I saw exactly what happened.  If I can help, please contact me* and they wrote their phone number.  
Because this is the type of shit I take care of for her--I, of course, called the number and the woman on the other end told me that she was out in her car in the parking lot reading a book while others in her family were in shopping.  She saw my mother pull in--and said she was positioned very close to the yellow line on the drivers side.  A few minutes later a middle-aged dude came out of Cub Foods and got visibly pissed off that my mother's car was so close to his.  He loaded his groceries...then looked around briefly and placed his ass on the middle of my mother's car door and his feet against the rear wheel of his car and proceeded to collapse the door skin.  He then got in his car and drove away...


You should have heard this guy on the phone, Duck, kissing my ass and begging me to reconsider my directive to the DA to pursue the matter as a Felony...what that would do to his middle-class family-man ass forevermore...    

Like I said--be careful with that shit.  At best you deal with the law.  At worst you deal with some fucking nut-job intent on making you personally pay for the temerity of choosing to fuck with them...

JnC4GB wrote:Conflicts on the road are a given. The wisdom that comes with sharing these roads long enough has grown over time. As such, I have a giant stack of imaginary "Get Out of Jail Free" cards I hand out willy-nilly to the endless parade of assholes and incompetents I encounter on the road. 

It's good policy...and far better than road raging throughout life.

That said, I generally hate bicyclists for their arrogant mindset of always believing they have the right-of-way in EVERY situation. They swivel from the mindset of "I have the rights of a pedestrian" to "I have the rights of a bicyclist" to "I have the rights of a motor vehicle" on the head of a pin depending on the situation.

Not ALL of them Duck. Just MANY of them.

JnC4GB wrote:Conflicts on the road are a given. The wisdom that comes with sharing these roads long enough has grown over time. As such, I have a giant stack of imaginary "Get Out of Jail Free" cards I hand out willy-nilly to the endless parade of assholes and incompetents I encounter on the road. 

It's good policy...and far better than road raging throughout life.

That said, I generally hate bicyclists for their arrogant mindset of always believing they have the right-of-way in EVERY situation. They swivel from the mindset of "I have the rights of a pedestrian" to "I have the rights of a bicyclist" to "I have the rights of a motor vehicle" on the head of a pin depending on the situation.

Not ALL of them Duck. Just MANY of them.

duck wrote:Funny, HD.  You motorcyclists are just such a wild and crazy, fun-loving group.

[You must be registered and logged in to see this image.]

Most of them are jack-hole's, too...just a different flavor.  Pick your poison...    

I'm reminded of this every time we head out west on the bikes and catch the exodus from Sturgis on I-90 through South Dakota on the way back... Thousands and thousands of bikes outnumbering cars/trucks on the interstate by maybe 6/7:1...90% of them POS Harley's.  Crude, rough, loud, slow, uncomfortable and unreliable--these poor bastards can maybe go 60-70 miles before their asses are so sore that a stop is mandatory.  No worries--it gives them a chance to pick the bugs out of their teeth and slap their old lady on the ass to remind them that they're about due for a BJ...      We come upon them--cookin' along smooth as silk with the cruise set at 85.  Primo tunes blasting in your ears...  Full radar detection and navigation all piped through and muting the helmet speakers--maybe 150 miles since our last stop just passing them in/out of traffic in droves...  Like clockwork--the leader of every third or so group decides that they just can't handle the trip on their brains that there are some riceburner GL-1800's rapidly approaching from the rear at a high rate of speed and decide they are going to ramp it up to full warp speed to keep us from passing and thus--maintaining the loyaty/admiration of the rest of the dogs in the pack...  LOL.  You know the instant they catch you in their mirrors--because their pipes get about twice as loud.  But here's the problem about being them--at about 90-100 mph--there isn't a Harley made that the front wheel doesn't start dangerously vibrating/shaking out of control.  That's what we push them to for awhile--laughing back and forth on the intercom as we watch them pushing their complete junk to it's mechanical limits while their old lady's are slapping them on the shoulders in fear for their lives...  After we've had our fun--we'll ramp it up to about 115 and effortlessly blow by them like they're standing still.  Often, the backward flipping of the bird is seen from one of the bitches on the back as this stage begins...    

They just have no concept.  The vast majority buy the Harley because they want to feel like the bad-ass rebel who knows no limits.  It's kinda fun teaching them you can only go so far in life wearing a pair of assless leather chaps...     

duck wrote:

JnC4GB wrote:Conflicts on the road are a given. The wisdom that comes with sharing these roads long enough has grown over time. As such, I have a giant stack of imaginary "Get Out of Jail Free" cards I hand out willy-nilly to the endless parade of assholes and incompetents I encounter on the road. 

It's good policy...and far better than road raging throughout life.

That said, I generally hate bicyclists for their arrogant mindset of always believing they have the right-of-way in EVERY situation. They swivel from the mindset of "I have the rights of a pedestrian" to "I have the rights of a bicyclist" to "I have the rights of a motor vehicle" on the head of a pin depending on the situation.

Not ALL of them Duck. Just MANY of them.

Here's the problem, JnC.  You end your post by acknowledging that some-but-not-all cyclists are assholes... but prior to that you generalized expansively about cyclists for their arrogant mindset, etc.

Many people literally hate cyclists for a variety of reasons.  Some of it, unquestionably, is because a certain percentage of cyclists are jerks.  However, there's often much more going on.  Some folks hate cyclists simply because they're slow and often impede traffic.  Many Type A's fume because a cyclist will delay them 30 seconds from getting to their big meeting.  Some folks hate them because they are trying to be fit.  Let's face it, some fatties just don't like to be confronted with someone who's exercising.  Others hate cyclists because they are environmentally conscious.  Some folks feel guilty about driving so much and they transfer that guilt into a resentment of cyclists.  Still others hate cyclists because they're an easy target.  Put a guy with a little man's complex behind a wheel and watch him try to bully a vulnerable cyclist.

And then there's the jealousy thing.  Some people are just pissed off that bikes are more maneuverable and can weave in and out of traffic situations more easily than cars.

If you're a cyclist, you feel this shit on the road.  Many people flat out hate you, often for completely irrational reasons.  You get the honks and the dirty looks... even if you're doing everything completely right.  You see, JnC, even though a part of you rationally knows that not all cyclists are jerks, you've more or less admitted that you have a deep-rooted generalized (and I would argue irrational) dislike of them.

I just wish it was mandatory for everyone getting a drivers license to pass a test on a bike as well as a car.  If everyone knew what it was like to bike through town, there would be more understanding and fewer confrontations.

If I can get on a political sandbox for a bit, I believe our country's reliance on oil and cars is what's led us on the path to military dominance over the world -- at the expense of our economy and many social benefits.  Every time I venture into rush hour traffic in the Bay Area and find myself in a sea of single-driver vehicles, I am reminded of how completely insane our society is.  IMHO, the more people can get out of their fucking cars and on to a bike, the better our world will be.

JnC4GB wrote:Duck, my man, you are hopelessly defensive.

I was very specific about exactly the behavior from a bicyclist that I find annoying and common. 
Very. 
Specific.

You want to suck the teat of all those other rationalizations? Whatever gets you through the night, man.  

JnC4GB wrote:

If this board were a marriage, I'd say it'd be time for us all to get a divorce.

The sex isn't even good anymore.

JnC4GB wrote:<facepalm>

If this board were a marriage, I'd say it'd be time for us all to get a divorce.

The sex isn't even good anymore.