Act Acting » Acting Lessons » Any one else get road rage?

Any one else get road rage?

Question:

I used to go nuts a couple years ago and confront people, but I’ve stopped doing that. Have to force myself to calm down, too much craziness out there, doesn’t accomplish anything. Still, you just want to beat the crap out of some people. But I’ve watched enough Judge Judy and COPS, I’m a good boy now. Where the hell do all these cars come from?! Is it just California, or is getting bad in fly-over country too? Before you buy.

Response:

- Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – I used to go nuts a couple years ago and confront people, but I’ve stopped doing that. Have to force myself to calm down, too much craziness out there, doesn’t accomplish anything. Still, you just want to beat the crap out of some people. But I’ve watched enough Judge Judy and COPS, I’m a good boy now. Where the hell do all these cars come from?! Is it just California, or is getting bad in fly-over country too? Before you buy.

Response:

Since I’m a smart-ass and rebel, I deliberately ride my bike on errands that most people drive for (as I will this afternoon).

me too.  It’s amazing what you can carry on your bike if you’re determined to swim against the current.  And it’s also amazing how much the sense of an automobile as being the only transportation available is entrenched.  I’ve spoken to people who act like I’m trying to ride to switzerland when I tell them I take my bike to work from where I live.  It’s one of those things that catches them totally and genuinely by surprise.  And not just mild surprise! Same with weather.  Even my wife, who knows the tragic extent of my addiction, is surprised when I take the bike to work on cold, cold ornings.  -22 here this morning.  brrrrrr.

Response:

– Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – I used to go nuts a couple years ago and confront people, but I’ve stopped doing that. Have to force myself to calm down, too much craziness out there, doesn’t accomplish anything. Still, you just want to beat the crap out of some people. But I’ve watched enough Judge Judy and COPS, I’m a good boy now. Where the hell do all these cars come from?! Is it just California, or is getting bad in fly-over country too? I think it’s everywhere.  I don’t think it’s the number of cars either, since I have gotten into it on relatively lightly traveled roads. Sometimes I shudder when I think of the stupid maneuvers I have pulled off after getting into it with someone else on the road.  It seems to happen a lot with people in trucks.  Luckily my little two seaters can burn them on the corners, so I am able to lose people who just won’t give up.  But sometimes I can’t help but hope that some idiot tries to match my speed on a twisty freeway ramp and rolls his SUV. A little protection doesn’t hurt these days either.  It’s no surprise that most people will back off if you show them a .45.

i get it so bad , i don’t drive , never have , never will . but i make a great passenger . —–= Posted via Newsfeeds.Com, Uncensored Usenet News =—– http://www.newsfeeds.com – The #1 Newsgroup Service in the World! —–==  Over 80,000 Newsgroups – 16 Different Servers! =—–

Response:

– Since I’m a smart-ass and rebel, I deliberately ride – my bike on errands that most people drive for (as I will this – afternoon). – -me too.  It’s amazing what you can carry on your bike if you’re determined -to swim against the current. No kidding!  I have a camper’s backpack frame for heavy stuff.   I’ve tied huge packages on it to take them to the post office.  They’re used to me over there.  :)

A camper’s backpack frame!  I never thought of that!  I could probably do the entire family grocery trip with one of those! -And it’s also amazing how much the sense of an -automobile as being the only transportation available is entrenched. I’ve -spoken to people who act like I’m trying to ride to switzerland when I tell -them I take my bike to work from where I live. I had a job a couple of years ago that was only a few miles from our house.  If it was not raining, I’d ride my bike (it was summer, usually 95 degrees with equal humidity).  Company of about 1500 people.  Mine was the only bike there.  They didn’t even have a rack, I locked it onto a stair railing.  Had to get permission from security to do _that_!

Ever heard of Goran Kropp?  He’s a Swedish guy who rode his bike from Stockholm to Everest base camp, solo’ed Everest, then rode his bike back to Stockholm.  He is my sporting hero. -It’s one of those things -that catches them totally and genuinely by surprise.  And not just mild -surprise! It honestly does not occur to people that they do _not_ have to drive. When I was out just an hour ago, I struck up a conversation with a school crossing guard.   She commented that she and her husband _walked_ to a destination for the first time in years.   She looked at my bike and said, "I’m scared of those new things.  I like the old type with the brake in the pedals".   When I told her balloon-tire one-speed cruisers have made a comeback and she could easily get one, she said she was going to look for one this weekend.  EEK!  I’ve corrupted another one!  :P

heh.  lots of those cruisers around here.  my ride to work is 12.5 km one way, and when I tell people I ride it, they act like it’s just the craziest thing they’ve ever heard.  You’re right.  to most folks it just NEVER occurs to them that they don’t have to drive. Walking is _always good_ and dosen’t cost anything.  Try it, folks! -Same with weather.  Even my wife, who knows the tragic extent of my -addiction, is surprised when I take the bike to work on cold, cold -ornings.  -22 here this morning.  brrrrrr. If I were in Chicago, I’d ride unless there was ice on the street. Down here, I ride when most people are hiding behind their air conditioners.

I ride as long as there’s no ice on the street.  Temperature is inconsequential. BTW looked at a Raleigh road bike today. It has all the features I want.  Strong enough frame, suspension fork and seat, good Shimano derailleurs and Grip Shifts.  It’s in my price range!   They had a Specialized mountain bike too.   Drool, drool…  The shop guy took one look at the rear wheel on my current bike and said, "Suspension only goes so far.  Stop hopping curbs."   <giggle

A road bike?  That surprises me.  almost as much as hearing you giggle!

Response:

Road Rage is evil,

My wife doesn’t allow me to use this word.  :-) not only that but it is also a choice you make. Remember that when you are getting all bent out of shape, you are choosing to get bent out of shape. Maybe stress relief in such crises is good, but road rage isn’t the proper place for it.

I did enough stupid shit in my 20’s, I want to live at this point. Here is something that happened to me.

This individual was just plain crazy.  You’re lucky.  We had a 12-yr old shot by some lunatic like you describe.  She’ll never walk again, and he’ll be rotting in prison for a long time (I hope).  For stupid bullshit.  This just proves it has nothing to do with how rushed people are.  It’s all about ego, and having to one-up the guy next to you. Note I’m admitting my ego is weak.  But what drives me nuts is irrationality, not someone going too slow.  People who speed up to a red light or a traffic jam.  People who ride your ass for 5 miles when there are 2 lanes open next to you (aka the passing lanes).  People who weave in traffic jams (i.e. all traffic in California) and go NOWHERE. Now I’m just ranting. Before you buy.

Response:

I find my road rage is the worst in parking lot! Especially Wal-Mart! If its not people who walk so slow they are leaving a snail trail behind them, its a damn shopping basket carriage thingy right smack dab in the middle of a primo parking spot. I used to love it when I had my old chevy Suburban, some friends and I would go behind the store at night and play demolition derby with the shopping carriages that were straying behind.. Don’t worry, no shopping carts were injured during those stunts! Mary! "If you like magic, Heres a trick.  Snap my finger now I’m a lunatic."  -M.Muir, M. Clark-   Suicidal Tendencies " I’m doing the best I ever did.  I’m doing the best that I can.  Now go away."  -Sully&Tony    Godsmack

Response:

-Ever heard of Goran Kropp?  He’s a Swedish guy who rode his bike from -Stockholm to Everest base camp, solo’ed Everest, then rode his bike back to -Stockholm.  He is my sporting hero. Yes, I have heard his story.  I love that sort of determination.  Talk about achieving a goal!   :)

I always wonder how he kept track of where he left his house keys.  I have enough trouble keeping track of mine in my backpack to and from work. Goran’s story astounds me.  Can you imagine biking all that way, much of it through third world countries?  I’m sure that a lot of that trip wasn’t safe. He made it to base camp.  He started his solo ascent, and on his summit day, he turned back less than 300 vertical feet from the summit, because he didn’t think he’d have enough left to descend safely.  The experienced climbers that were also on the mountain that year were floored.  To turn back that close to the top showed AMAZING, I say AMAZING good judgement, and they were in awe of him, especially in light of what he had already done to get to that point.  Judgement that high on the mountain is an exceedingly rare commodity.  He went back to base camp, gathered his strength and made another attempt, which was successful. This was ‘96.  The year that Rob Hall and Scott Fischer, two very experienced and savvy climbers died on the mountain, along with some of their (Hall’s) clients and sherpas, and a few other climbers, notably from a Taiwanese expedition and an Indian expedition.  Crazy, tragic year on the mountain, and Kropp did it right. I’m an Everest geek, too, in case you hadn’t noticed!

Response:

Road Rage is evil, not only that but it is also a choice you make. Saying "Please don’t do anything stupid" outloud to people is also a choice you make.

True, but (maybe I am weak in human nature) it hardly seems like something that justifies getting run over by a car. When I say it it is sorta my way of getting ready for the person to do something stupid.  It is my way of getting my body ready for what could be a really bad thing.  My breaking distance is probably double that of a car at any given speed, and cars don’t realize this.  Not to mention I am often trapped between a curb which I cannot hop, traffic I cannot see (I ride with traffic, as everyone should) and there car. If they choose to start pulling out in such a situation when I am only 20 feet away I need to be prepared to either do something outragous (like going into traffic) or hitting there car. If people would just give in and view me as traffic instead of some sort of obstacle I wouldnt have to think like this.  The problem is people have no respect for bicyclists.  I swear to you that there are a lot of people out there that will have to hit someone and maybe kill them before they get a clue in this department.  I AM ONE OF THOSE PEOPLE THAT HAS TO DIE.  I go out and ride 50, 100 miles at a time, several times a week sometimes.   And as far as that crazy look in someones eyes.  It is hard to describe.  It is sorta like you can see them see you, then you can see them decide you are some sort of ghost.  It is weird.  It doesnt happen every time either.  It is only occasionally.  It is a lot like how an animal senses that a predator is in his midst even though the animal hasnt figured out exactly where or what the predator is.  It is a survival mentality.   Oh and by the way this is hardly an isolated incident.  I have been egged by moving cars, I have had cars come up to me and litterally run me off the road, and laugh at me when I wrecked.  I have been hit by people ignoring the rules of the road and then screamed at for it. This is a real problem that cyclists in this country have to deal with. So I made bicycling sound pretty scary huh?  Well I wouldnt be doing it if it was all that.  Luckily for me bicycling offers experiences that transcend all that hate and those bad feelings.  I cant explain to you what it is like on a hot day to ride 10 minutes through a freak thunderstorm, then to have the clouds part and the warm sun beat on your back.  I cant explain how wonderful it is to be on some lonely road somewhere and just have the birds nature and yourself.  It is so wonderful that I cant give it up.  Everytime I talk about this subject and get angry I just sit back and think of all those wonderful experiences in my life and realize that they outweigh the negative by a factor of 10 or even 100. I have been riding to work recently and it wakes me up and energizes me for my day like nothing else could.  Not to mention with gas prices what they are it sure is cheaper. So I make the choice to go defensive.  Well maybe I make the choice because you have already decided that it is all right to act all crazy behind the wheel of a big 1000+plus box of metal.   Tell you what I will make a deal with you. If you ever see me riding (and you will know me too, I am the one on the bycicle, I would say wehter I am male or female, black, white brown or green, old or young but that would ruin the puzzle) if you choose not to accept road rage and to take out your aggravation after you get out of the car I will choose not to view you as threat to my life and go defensive.  We can coexist on the road in harmony. Do I have a deal?

Response:

Road Rage is evil, not only that but it is also a choice you make. Remember that when you are getting all bent out of shape, you are choosing to get bent out of shape.   Maybe stress relief in such crises is good, but road rage isn’t the proper place for it. Here is something that happened to me. I was riding my bicycle along some roads just outside of town that I don’t know very well.  I don’t know if you do any bicycling, but when I go out and ride on long trips I tend to get lost.  And this day I was thouroughly lost. Lost and running out of time, I had a 5 hour split between shifts and I was getting nervous. So I found a road that I knew took me back into town, I just wasn’t certain which direction was town, so I followed my gut and figured it was a 50-50 chance. At this point in my story I would like to point out that cars have no respect for bicycles.  I guess when you are in your mom mobile you figure you can swat us off like flies, thing is you are right, never forget that.  Car and bike fight, car wins every time.  That is always in the back of my head as I ride. So I am riding down this hill and see this car come to a stop in front of me, he was going to turn onto the road I was riding on.  I made eye contact with him and he just had this look, this look like he was just waiting to do something stupid.  Well I had the right of way, I was going downhill at a conciderable pace, I put my hand on my brake lever and as I passed the point of no return I said the same prayer I have said a thousand times before in just this situation. It is a quick one as I have no time for long ones. This is it, in its entirety. "Please don’t do anything stupid.". Short and effective, just what I needed. Trouble is I said it outloud, and apperently loud enough he heard me. So right in front of me, close enough that if he had hit me I would have charged him with manslaughter (or rather my parents cause he would have killed me, never forget car wins) he spins his tires.  I start going defensive and by a miracle I don’t hit his car.  At this same time he is screaming an obsenity at me. He turns left and I pray that it is the last I see of this phsycho. I could not be so lucky. A few minutes later I am riding and he pulls up along side of me and starts screaming obscenities again, things along the line of pull over, I am gonna kick your ass, that sort of stuff.   Now two things are going through my mind.  I was wondering if he had a gun, seriously, there was little doubt in my mind if he did I was about to be shot.  And I was wondering if this was all I needed to start carrying one.   He drives past and pulls over. I look over my left shoulder, no traffic good.  I pull literally into the middle of the road, this is a real road, not a backroad mind you, and put my left hand out in a sign for ‘watch out, I might do something unpredictable’ and rode past him. I was in the center of the road cause I was scared he would reach out for my bike, or pull out a bat or something. Man I was scared. I go past. Well he drove past me twice more before he got bored with me. Point of the story?  Road rage isn’t harmless. You might feel justified, god knows he did.  But never forget that you are in a thousand pound plus block of steel, that isn’t a game.  You could kill or seriously hurt someone. I mean that guy had me beat coming and going.  Even if he somehow got me while I was not riding, like surprised me at a stoplight, he would have killed me.  I had been riding for 3 hours, I was in no shape to fight someone.   – Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – I used to go nuts a couple years ago and confront people, but I’ve stopped doing that. Have to force myself to calm down, too much craziness out there, doesn’t accomplish anything. Still, you just want to beat the crap out of some people. But I’ve watched enough Judge Judy and COPS, I’m a good boy now. Where the hell do all these cars come from?! Is it just California, or is getting bad in fly-over country too? Before you buy.

Response:

I find my road rage is the worst in parking lot! Especially Wal-Mart! If its not people who walk so slow they are leaving a snail trail behind them, its a grrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr yes.  I call it the "la-de-da *I* am in no hurry so why should anyone else be?" walk.

I can handle those people, what I can’t stand are the people who just stop in the middle of the lane and wait for someone to come to their car.  Even if there isn’t a pedestrian in sight!  They will just sit there blocking the lane and pissing off the rest of us.  Like it would kill them to walk an extra ten feet to the door.  grrrrrrrrr Monica Tittle   Bad habits are hard to break.  Especially if you like them.                                   –Found inside a fortune cookie

Response:

Where the hell do all these cars come from?! Is it just California, or is getting bad in fly-over country too?

No it’s not just California.  I think that all the DOT’s in the nation got together one day and said, "Ok, let’s just give these things out to anyone who walks in, even if they are brain dead idiots." Monica Tittle   Bad habits are hard to break.  Especially if you like them.                                   –Found inside a fortune cookie

Response:

which country?  I don’t know if I’m just lucky, or if I choose the right roads, or a combination of many factors, but I always hear these stories, and they’ve never happened to me.  I’ve never had even one incident of trouble, and I’ve probably just cursed myself.

I don’t know about other countries, but definitely the US.  I think that most people view bikes as a child’s toy instead of a viable means of transportation and just get annoyed when they meet up with someone on one. Monica Tittle   Bad habits are hard to break.  Especially if you like them.                                   –Found inside a fortune cookie

Response:

– Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – Road Rage is evil, not only that but it is also a choice you make. Saying "Please don’t do anything stupid" outloud to people is also a choice you make. True, but (maybe I am weak in human nature) it hardly seems like something that justifies getting run over by a car. But you weren’t run over by a car.  The person was just acting like a jerk.   I see your point.  You have no idea what they are capable of.

For the record I have been hit by cars, several times.  And it was always there fault, legally and morally. When I say it it is sorta my way of getting ready for the person to do something stupid.  It is my way of getting my body ready for what could be a really bad thing.  My breaking distance is probably double that of a car at any given speed, and cars don’t realize this. That is true.  But when it comes to accidents between cars and bikes, the vast majority are the cyclists fault.  The same holds true for pedestrians and cars.

Oh I see.  I might weigh in at 200 pounds.  I can travel at speeds of excess of 20 MPH!!!! But normally I average 12.  I always obey all traffic signs, I stop for stop signs, I stop for red lights, I always signal (which is a lot more than I can say for cars) and if possible I ride on the shoulder, if not possible I stay as far right as I can safely stay. Actually it is pretty rare it is the cyclists fault. – Hide quoted text — Show quoted text -Tell you what I will make a deal with you. If you ever see me riding (and you will know me too, I am the one on the bycicle, I would say wehter I am male or female, black, white brown or green, old or young but that would ruin the puzzle) if you choose not to accept road rage and to take out your aggravation after you get out of the car I will choose not to view you as threat to my life and go defensive.  We can coexist on the road in harmony. Do I have a deal? No need for any deal.  I don’t pick fights with bicyclists.  The only time I get angry on the road is with other people in cars. Then again, I don’t drive into oncoming traffic to avoid bicyclists either.  I zip right past them while staying in my lane.  If they can’t hold their line, it’s going to be their loss…

Okay when I am riding on a busy street with cars parked on the right side of me no more than 4 or 5 inches from me, and other cars passing me on the left side of me no more than 5 or 6 inches I do have some choices to make. I can hold my line and let the traffic pass me.  Normally I do this, I have been riding like this for well over 20 years now and am very skilled at what I am doing. However sometimes, and always for my safety, and you better believe and accept that my safety is 1 million times more important to me than if you get to work on time, I have to assume the lane position of a car and ride in the middle of the road.  There are lots of reasons for this.  I may be intending to make a left turn.  I may have spotted a car pulling out that makes me nervous, the shoulder (and this is something that cars don’t realise is important, but it is tragically important) may simply not be rideable.  I have thin tires and it only takes a few small stones to put me under the wheels of your car, and that would be your fault by the way (legally you are required to stay behind someone enough that you can always come to a full stop), and there are a million other reasons and things I look for in this situation. There is something else that can happen to, I might need to jump into the lane in front of your car. Understand that between the right clearence and the left clearence I may only have 1 1/2 or 2 feet to maneuver.  If someone opens a car door in front of me and I continue straight I will run into that car door and probably break some bones.  And I understand that people are not always looking for me when I am riding.  I stay alive by being defesive.  If I have the room I have to swing around that door, in front of you.  I am sorry but if it is a road that has a 25 mph speed limit I can do this safely, it is only for 20 or so feet.   Understand something else too.  It is possible for you to place me in a situation where I have to choose between running into your car, which is moving or running into a parked car.  I will choose the parked car.   I ask for you not to put me into that position. I mean, why are you not capable of showing a little bit of curtisy and common sense.  Stay behind the cyclist untill it is safe to go around him.  You will know,  it will be a moment when there wont be any parked cars and he can get out of your way if he feels the need. Don’t beep your horn. People think they are doing the cyclist a favor. The truth is that one of the first lessons learned in riding in traffic is to always assume a car is behind you, always.  I always ride like that.  I am checking constantly.  I know and assume you are behind me.   But I may be so concentrating on staying in line, not going in front of your car and watching the parked cars for anything that will ruin my day that if you beep at me I might jump.  That is an involuntary action and could put me into your side, or under your wheels. Why is it sooo freakin hard to get it through peopls heads that when they are behind a wheel they have 1000+pounds of metal and 90 horses at there disposal. They are in control of that, there is some responsibility that comes with that.  If you people could see yourselves it would make you sick.  If you saw your own kid acting like you do with a video game you would discipline him. YOU HAVE TO TAKE RESPONSIBILITY FOR YOUR ACTIONS.   AND IF YOU CANNOT DRIVE RESPONSIBLY, IF YOU CANNOT DRIVE WITHOUT BEING BLINDED BY ANGER YOU SHOULD NOT BE DRIVING AT ALL.  I HAVE TO SHARE THE ROAD WITH YOU AND I DO NOT LIKE IT.  YOU SCARE ME.

Response:

So which country are you from?

canada

Response:

I’m a bike fiend.  my goal is 10,000 accumulated km by the end of summer. which country?  I don’t know if I’m just lucky, or if I choose the right roads, or a combination of many factors, but I always hear these stories, and they’ve never happened to me.  I’ve never had even one incident of trouble, and I’ve probably just cursed myself.

10,000 KM is a worthy goal, I wish you luck on that.  I am in the US and I firmly believe that there are countries that are a lot more firendly to cyclists than the US.  There just seems to be this overwhelming attitude in this country that all is fine and good untill it affects ‘me’.  When it affects ‘me’ then ‘I’ have every right to get pissed off and nasty until the offending person realises he is holding ‘me’ up, maybe if ‘I’ yell loud enough that person will realise he has is interfering with ‘my rights’ and get out of ‘my’ way. It is this attitude that has made this country outright dangerous for cyclists.  I do not believe that the rest of the world is like this though.  Consider yourself lucky. So I made bicycling sound pretty scary huh?  Well I wouldnt be doing it if it was all that.  Luckily for me bicycling offers experiences that transcend all that hate and those bad feelings.  I cant explain to you what it is like on a hot day to ride 10 minutes through a freak thunderstorm, then to have the clouds part and the warm sun beat on your back.  I cant explain how wonderful it is to be on some lonely road somewhere and just have the birds nature and yourself.  It is so wonderful that I cant give it up.  Everytime I talk about this subject and get angry I just sit back and think of all those wonderful experiences in my life and realize that they outweigh the negative by a factor of 10 or even 100. ahhhhhhh…  you ARE one of us!!!  the ultimate antidepressant for me has 2 wheels and grip shifts.

You are so right it is scary.  Sometimes I am soo bummed that I don’t think I have the energy to ride. I put it off and finally get off my lazy ass to do it.  I always end up riding farther than I plan and it always picks me up, never fails. – Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – I have been riding to work recently and it wakes me up and energizes me for my day like nothing else could.  Not to mention with gas prices what they are it sure is cheaper. damn straight!  not to mention the environment!!! So I make the choice to go defensive.  Well maybe I make the choice because you have already decided that it is all right to act all crazy behind the wheel of a big 1000+plus box of metal. Tell you what I will make a deal with you. If you ever see me riding (and you will know me too, I am the one on the bycicle, I would say wehter I am male or female, black, white brown or green, old or young but that would ruin the puzzle) if you choose not to accept road rage and to take out your aggravation after you get out of the car I will choose not to view you as threat to my life and go defensive.  We can coexist on the road in harmony. Do I have a deal? yes.  talk about biking again.

So which country are you from? – Hide quoted text — Show quoted text –

Response:

Aparently I have upset Storm.  Is it that cyclists don’t pay gasoline tax?  Is that it?  Is she (or he) jealous that I am bettering myself and society, and he (or she) is not? Please don’t use vulgarities Storm, it hurst my sensetive ears. And for the record I stay off of 2 lane highways as much as possible. They are dangerous like you said.  Problem is when I want to ride to something 50 or 100 miles away it isn’t always possible.  Still I manage to stay off them with the exception of occaisional 1 or 2 mile stints where I am looking for a connector road.  I don’t think I do that bad at all with it really. Oh and I do follow the law, I never ride on limited access roads, that is illegal. And what makes you think that you don’t have to stay far enough behind me to stop in a reasonable distance?   See I told you you were one of those crazy people that wants to kill me.  It was sooo obvious by your original post. Yep Storm, you are nothing but a killer at heart.  Too caught up in your own petty self interests to give a little bit of curtosy so that someone else in this world might be safe.  Funny how I pose no danger to you whatsoever, none.  And you pose a huge risk to me.  You could bounce me off your bumper like an insect and keep on going, you might never even know you had killed me.  I on the other hand, tough luck for me. Answer me this, what is so wrong with you showing just the slightest bit of curtosy to your fellow people when you drive?  Why is it everyone elses responsibility to get out of your way?   See that is the point I was driving home.  That is the heart of road rage.  I hit it a long time ago, I have just been stringing you along, making you look sorta foolish, cause it is.   Road rage boils down to people that are so caught up in themselves, so self centered that when they drive they are incapable of showing the common curtosies of the road that are needed to keep everyone safe. Sooner or later you end up with shootings, needless accidents, people driving 65 mph through construction zones, passing stopped schoolbuses, throwing dogs into traffic all those nasty things that didn’t seem to happen 10 years ago.  Funny how they started to happen just before the term Road Rage existed eh?  Road Rage is a way for the people who do those things to justify there actions, it is how the look themselves in the mirror the next morning and say, ‘You know once again I was right, and that construction worker was wrong.  What the hell was he doing standing there with that flag anyways, doesn’t he know people have to work for a living?’. Here is a bit of therapy for you, maybe it could make a decent person out of you yet.  Oh and here is the best part, it doesnt necasarily involve cyclits.  Everytime you catch yourself acting like an ass (read feeling road rage) force yourself to do 2 acts of kindness to other people you encounter while your driving.   Keep a log.  I bet it helps.   When was the last time you let someone out in front of you or did something good for someone else? Now do us all a favor and don’t answer this post.  Just let this post sit.  Here is why.  If you answer you will feel the need of justifying to everyone why it is that I am wrong and it will go on and on.   Instead just think about what I said.  Don’t discuss it with anyone, just let it bounce around your ears.  Maybe even try it, secretly. Don’t admit it to anyone.  Do it without saying anything.  And if you ever do, take credit for it, go ahead. – Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – Oh I see.  I might weigh in at 200 pounds.  I can travel at speeds of excess of 20 MPH!!!! But normally I average 12.  I always obey all traffic signs, I stop for stop signs, I stop for red lights, I always signal (which is a lot more than I can say for cars) and if possible I ride on the shoulder, if not possible I stay as far right as I can safely stay. Actually it is pretty rare it is the cyclists fault. Statistics (in the U.S.) show that most car/bike accidents are the cyclists fault. To many cyclists think and act like pedestrians. However sometimes, and always for my safety, and you better believe and accept that my safety is 1 million times more important to me than if you get to work on time, I have to assume the lane position of a car and ride in the middle of the road.  There are lots of reasons for this.  I may be intending to make a left turn.  I may have spotted a car pulling out that makes me nervous, the shoulder (and this is something that cars don’t realise is important, but it is tragically important) may simply not be rideable.  I have thin tires and it only takes a few small stones to put me under the wheels of your car, and that would be your fault by the way (legally you are required to stay behind someone enough that you can always come to a full stop), and there are a million other reasons and things I look for in this situation. Cars are not required to stay far enough behind bikes so they can come to a complete stop – not on a two-lane county highway with a speed limit of 50 MPH.  These are the majority of cyclists I run into in my area.  Some are even stupid enough to ride side-by-side, which is illegal. Why is it sooo freakin hard to get it through peopls heads that when they are behind a wheel they have 1000+pounds of metal and 90 horses at there disposal. They are in control of that, there is some responsibility that comes with that.  If you people could see yourselves it would make you sick.  If you saw your own kid acting like you do with a video game you would discipline him. YOU HAVE TO TAKE RESPONSIBILITY FOR YOUR ACTIONS.   AND IF YOU CANNOT DRIVE RESPONSIBLY, IF YOU CANNOT DRIVE WITHOUT BEING BLINDED BY ANGER YOU SHOULD NOT BE DRIVING AT ALL.  I HAVE TO SHARE THE ROAD WITH YOU AND I DO NOT LIKE IT.  YOU SCARE ME. Maybe when cyclists start paying gasoline tax I will change my opinion.  Until then GET THE FUCK OFF OF TWO LANE HIGHWAYS.  YOU SCARE ME.

Response:

ahhhh… you’re one of us…. have you met Chimera? I’m a bike fiend.  my goal is 10,000 accumulated km by the end of summer. If people would just give in and view me as traffic instead of some sort of obstacle I wouldnt have to think like this.  The problem is people have no respect for bicyclists.  I swear to you that there are a lot of people out there that will have to hit someone and maybe kill them before they get a clue in this department.  I AM ONE OF THOSE PEOPLE THAT HAS TO DIE.  I go out and ride 50, 100 miles at a time, several times a week sometimes. Oh and by the way this is hardly an isolated incident.  I have been egged by moving cars, I have had cars come up to me and litterally run me off the road, and laugh at me when I wrecked.  I have been hit by people ignoring the rules of the road and then screamed at for it. This is a real problem that cyclists in this country have to deal with.

which country?  I don’t know if I’m just lucky, or if I choose the right roads, or a combination of many factors, but I always hear these stories, and they’ve never happened to me.  I’ve never had even one incident of trouble, and I’ve probably just cursed myself. So I made bicycling sound pretty scary huh?  Well I wouldnt be doing it if it was all that.  Luckily for me bicycling offers experiences that transcend all that hate and those bad feelings.  I cant explain to you what it is like on a hot day to ride 10 minutes through a freak thunderstorm, then to have the clouds part and the warm sun beat on your back.  I cant explain how wonderful it is to be on some lonely road somewhere and just have the birds nature and yourself.  It is so wonderful that I cant give it up.  Everytime I talk about this subject and get angry I just sit back and think of all those wonderful experiences in my life and realize that they outweigh the negative by a factor of 10 or even 100.

ahhhhhhh…  you ARE one of us!!!  the ultimate antidepressant for me has 2 wheels and grip shifts. I have been riding to work recently and it wakes me up and energizes me for my day like nothing else could.  Not to mention with gas prices what they are it sure is cheaper.

damn straight!  not to mention the environment!!! So I make the choice to go defensive.  Well maybe I make the choice because you have already decided that it is all right to act all crazy behind the wheel of a big 1000+plus box of metal. Tell you what I will make a deal with you. If you ever see me riding (and you will know me too, I am the one on the bycicle, I would say wehter I am male or female, black, white brown or green, old or young but that would ruin the puzzle) if you choose not to accept road rage and to take out your aggravation after you get out of the car I will choose not to view you as threat to my life and go defensive.  We can coexist on the road in harmony. Do I have a deal?

yes.  talk about biking again.

Response:

cyclists don’t pay gasoline tax?

but… cyclists don’t use gasolene. what scares me when I’m cycling… the way people assume that the cycle lane is part of the pavement (sidewalk to those in the US).  I have had to throw my bike over and take a fall a few times to avoid people who just decide to meander in front of me even though I’m on the cycle lane. the way some idiots in cars think it’s funny to pass so close to a cyclist that the bike wobbles out of control, or oh, even funnier – let’s just aim for the cyclist, yeah!   people like that make me sick. the way that the majority (maybe it isn’t the majority, but it seems like it) of drivers are selectively blind.  they can see the grey car but they can’t see the loudly-dressed cyclist, the one wearing the reflective safety gear and everything?  apparently the act of being a cyclist renders me and the bike invisible.  we aren’t there.  So the part of the road (and there aren’t enough cycle lanes for me not to have to use the road) that I’m on is actually totally unoccupied, I’m not really there… no need to take any notice of me because I’m not there. Just swerve right in to the same space, I’m not really there.   the way people assume that because I’m on a bike I should be riding the "advised" 10 inches from the kerb.  Well, in my experience 10 inches from the kerb is full of rubbish, roadside drains, broken glass…. in short it’s usually totally unusable. — Laz Spashett       "damaged people are dangerous, they know they can survive" "I can categorically say that you are not a bigger banana head." (Empire Records) * Please visit European Relief Aid and help our work with Romanian children * *                   http://www.gwenhwys.demon.co.uk/era/                    *

Response:

cyclists don’t pay gasoline tax? but… cyclists don’t use gasolene. In most parts of the U.S., gasoline taxes pay for the roads.  What do you expect for free?

so what about all the other taxes that cyclists *do* pay?  here we have VAT, income tax, council tax… it’s the council tax that goes on such things, as well as "road tax". — Laz Spashett       "damaged people are dangerous, they know they can survive" "I can categorically say that you are not a bigger banana head." (Empire Records) * Please visit European Relief Aid and help our work with Romanian children * *                   http://www.gwenhwys.demon.co.uk/era/                    *

Response:

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