[ckohler]

F*&k you.

Offensive photo of injuries

Seriously, what the hell is your deal? It's Father's Day and I'm just out trying to exercise on my new bike. Not only do I get honked at by people at least six times (they wait until they are right on you to honk in hopes it spooks you) but then one ass threw a half-eaten orange at me! It hit me square in the shoulder, nearly knocked me off my bike, when I was just five minutes from a family reunion!

Then, after the reunion, I start riding back home and some other douche in a large pickup truck decides it would be fun to play chicken with a man on a 7-speed. It landed me in a five foot ditch. After making sure my brand new bike wasn't ruined I continued on my way only to get honked at some more. WTF!? My faith in the human race fell about 10 points today.

[xxracerxx]

Fuck people who do not respect cyclists.

Luckily I do not get a lot of that here, but once you are out of the city limits it can get pretty bad.

I don't know if I could handle riding in Indiana, I would have a hard time not firing back insults.

EDIT: That injury is nothing really. Sorry man :p, it does get your adrenaline up though.

[Ninja Scooter]

I never even knew this was a widespread issue. Do people just really hate cyclists where you live?

[DJ_Lae]

Man, that sucks.

I didn't realize people actually did that - then again I guess I am living in a relatively hippy town (Victoria) and there are lots of cycling lanes and even more people that use them. I've never been honked at while riding.

I have almost been hit a few times, but that's to be expected given how much attention drivers don't pay to anything else.

[filler]

ride around with a shotgun on your back

[SquiddyCracker]

Please tell me where you live so I can avoid biking there :p
It's a big shame you can't bike in peace - it is such a cheap, healthy, and eco-friendly mode of transportation.

[SeanR1221]

People really do this?

I always make sure to slow down a little and give them a bit of extra room.

[ckohler]

I live in southern Indiana, and yes, it's a thing. I get honked at EVERY TIME I ride. Lots of near misses. Even in this somewhat rural area where traffic is light, drivers don't care. They think it's a joke, I guess.

[Why would you do that?]

I never even knew this was a widespread issue.

Yeah, me neither. Though I don't drive or ride a bike, so I'm very ignorant when it comes to anything on the road.

It's a shame, though.

[Yaboosh]

I have never even heard of this happening.

[CornBurrito]

Never knew people did this. What....

[shadyspace]

it's because you're not man enough to sit in a chair while you move your foot up and down, OP.

[Suite Pee]

Everything about biking just makes me feel better. Those people are just assholes who think it's above them for some inane reason.

I'm a paranoid biker, though, so if there's no dedicated bike lane and the road is not wide enough, I'll risk getting yelled at by a pedestrian and take a slow cruise on the sidewalk.

[Big-E]

Bicyclists and drivers will always be at war because there are idiots on both sides. Can't count the number of times I have seen cyclists run red lights.

[XANDER CAGE]

That sounds awful.

I have the opposite problem where I live, where a lot of (mostly young, college-aged) cyclists wantonly ignore road rules and put themselves and pedestrians in a lot of danger. It makes me really, really paranoid when I drive around certain parts of town.

[Fusebox]

I've heard of people getting beeped at, but not so many in such a short time.

Are you wearing the full cyclist uniform with the tight shorts and matching top and fancy helmet and stuff?

[Soda]

What? Who does this? That's horrible dude.

[Kung Fu Jedi]

I don't have it happen often, but I have had it occur once in awhile as well. I'm a cyclist who not only obeys the traffic rules but is also super-cognizant of staying out of the way of traffic. Austin also is a fairly bike-friendly town, so that helps too.

[carlo6529]

Were you biking while waving that finger up in the air?

[ameratsu]

I hear ya. I was riding today and some dude in a lifted diesel truck let off the throttle when he was approaching me, only to gun it right behind me so he let out a huge cloud of diesel smoke, intended for me, but it was windy and it blew in the opposite direction. He did the same to another cyclist about 100m in front of me.

[ckohler]

You only have my word that I try diligently to be a friendly, careful rider but it's true. I always do my very best to give cars as much room as possible. Some times it's tough and cars might have to slow down. I hate that but it's just reality. However, that doesn't give the car the right to risk my f!&king life, especially for a joke.

[xxracerxx]

Everything about biking just makes me feel better. Those people are just assholes who think it's above them for some inane reason. I'm a paranoid biker, though, so if there's no dedicated bike lane and the road is not wide enough, I'll risk getting yelled at by a pedestrian and take a slow cruise on the sidewalk.

Playing a dangerous game by riding on the sidewalks my kind sir. Better to ride in the road and take up some space than to be invisible on the sidewalk.

[Sho_Nuff82]

Kind of relieved that Boston has bike lanes everywhere now. I don't bike, but I have plenty of friends who do.

[ckohler]

Were you biking while waving that finger up in the air?

No. However, I did flip off that orange thrower. Was that acceptable? I might have yelled something at the trucker before smashing face first into the ditch.

[MedHead]

I get honked at by people when I'm walking, too. I don't really understand the reasoning behind the act, as the driver is too far away from the person who was affected to be able to see the reaction of the pedestrian.

[SnakeswithLasers]

In Berkeley it's illegal to intimidate bike riders. Considered moving?

[Lactose_Intolerant]

I live in southern Indiana, and yes, it's a thing. I get honked at EVERY TIME I ride. Lots of near misses. Even in this somewhat rural area where traffic is light, drivers don't care. They think it's a joke, I guess.

Evansville didn't even have crosswalks when I was growing up there. Fuck that town. Just a bunch of fat people with nothing to do.

[Power Glove]

Here in Austin, home of Lance Armstrong, messing with cyclists is punishable by death.

[SteveWinwood]

I hadn't seen this until I spent a weekend in Bloomington, Indiana. Maybe it's an Indiana thing. Move to Minnesota. We're nice to bicyclists.

Also worth mentioning that supposedly Bloomington loves bicyclists because of little 5. Not from what I saw though.

[Insane Metal]

WTF? I never saw that. Where do you live? (which country, I mean)

[SolKane]

Here in Austin, home of Lance Armstrong, messing with cyclists is punishable by death.

That would be great if it were true, but cyclists are killed pretty often here.

[FStop7]

We have some punk ass kids in the neighborhood that have been throwing stuff like trash cans and debris into the street. There are a lot of cyclists here. Not just serious cyclists, but families on casual rides. One of the cyclists hit some of the stuff that was in the road, got thrown over the handlebars, and had to be taken to the hospital. Trying to injure people like that should be treated as a serious crime. Currently it isn't, and that's total bullshit.

[Mudkips]

Bicyclists and drivers will always be at war because there are idiots on both sides. Can't count the number of times I have seen cyclists run red lights.

I have never in my entire life seen a person on a bicycle respect a stop sign or red light without traffic already in their way.

[BigBlue1974]

I'm going to be careful here as I'm definitely *NOT* blaming the victim, but it seems a little odd that you were being honked at by multiple people.

Were you following all the rules of the road? When I bike, I consider myself just another vehicle on the road and follow the rules accordingly. Today, while driving, I saw a guy on a bike drive through an intersection during the red light, get to the median and switched to the sidewalk and then continue to run through the intersection back onto the main road. This is not valid in any way and it's what will piss drivers off pretty fast. I try to hug the curb as much as possible as well to allow vehicles to pass(we don't have a ton of bike lanes in my city).

Having said all that, I can totally relate because even when doing everything right, there's always going to be jerks out there.

[bangai-o]

mabe find solace in that you are in good enough shape that a bicycle can be ridden for more than a mile before being drenched in fatty sweat.

[xxracerxx]

I have never in my entire life seen a person on a bicycle respect a stop sign or red light without traffic already in their way.

Wait, what do you mean by this?

[Baconsaurus Rex]

You should come to Europe, Holland in particular. Best bicycle infrastructure there is with dedicated bicycle lanes going pretty much anywhere. Plus hardly any annoying pick up truck assholes.

[computers putin']

Had no idea people did that to bicyclists, not surprised though, alot of asshole drivers out there.Still, I can't stand bicyclists who take up too much room on the road, and don't understand why they do it considering how dangerous it seems.

[Fusebox]

I'm going to be careful here as I'm definitely *NOT* blaming the victim, but it seems a little odd that you were being honked at by multiple people.

I blame his outfit:

[xxracerxx]

Had no idea people did that to bicyclists, not surprised though, alot of asshole drivers out there.Still, I can't stand bicyclists who take up too much room on the road, and don't understand why they do it considering how dangerous it seems.

Because then you are more visible and cars can go around you.

[ckohler]

I'm going to be careful here as I'm definitely *NOT* blaming the victim, but it seems a little odd that you were being honked at by multiple people. Were you following all the rules of the road? When I bike, I consider myself just another vehicle on the road and follow the rules accordingly.

Totally. I stop at every sign/light. I ride as close to the curb as I can and I never ride on the sidewalk unless there are no pedestrians (there are few people on sidewalks where I live. Hell, there are few sidewalks... period).

Consider this: Some of the people honking were in the opposite lane, far away from me. My riding had ZERO impact on them. They just do it to be jerks. The guy who threw the orange was on the street and I was on an empty side walk. It was just some punk kid, probably.

For what it's worth, there was someone in a car right behind the douche who threw the orange who witnessed the whole thing. He honked too for a long time but I think he was honking at the thrower in anger at seeing what he had done. Then again, it might have just been another rude honker. I was going the opposite direction.

[Dr. Feel Good]

In high school I would blast Bicycle by Queen on my stereo and drive really slow by cyclists. Is that wrong?

[H.Protagonist]

Playing a dangerous game by riding on the sidewalks my kind sir. Better to ride in the road and take up some space than to be invisible on the sidewalk.

I also go on the sidewalks, albeit very slowly with light on and always give way to pedestrians, because the first two times I tried riding in the road here after getting my bike I got run off, honked at constantly, and cars actually seem to notice me less on the road, perversely.

[JoeBoy101]

I treat cyclists with respect on the road, the same as I do with pedestrians really, but that aside, they annoy the shit out of me.

But then, I'm predisposed against them ever since a cyclist caused over a $1,000 in damage to my car when he hit it. When it was parked in front of my house. With me not in it.

[ruxtpin]

I'm a runner and have had to deal with this also. Fuck shitty people

[Culebra 64]

They do it to walkers/runners too. I used to walk an hour a night when I was keeping a strict regiment, and almost not a single night went by without cars harassing me.

Got messed with by groups of people hanging around drinking too, so I started carrying a 27" retractable steel baton with me. Makes a statement when you extend one, but they can be annoying to close up.

Now I have a carrying permit, but I've only gone walking a few times since I've had it.

[Emerson]

Cyclists get a bad rap due to the large number of absolute shits who go out riding on the roads. One second it's "share the road!" which is all well and good until they have to stop at a light or abide by other laws that cars do.

Not to imply that you were doing that, and I'm sorry you got hurt.

[Anbokr]

I don't often bike in the US due to reasons highlighted by this thread. But on my vacation to Germany, biking was a blast--went around everywhere with wide dedicated bike lanes etched into sidewalks.

[xxracerxx]

I also go on the sidewalks, albeit very slowly with light on and always give way to pedestrians, because the first two times I tried riding in the road here after getting my bike I got run off, honked at constantly, and cars actually seem to notice me less on the road, perversely.

Always been my experience that riding on a sidewalk will make it less likely to be seen.

I treat cyclists with respect on the road, the same as I do with pedestrians really, but that aside, they annoy the shit out of me. But then, I'm predisposed against them ever since a cyclist caused over a $1,000 in damage to my car when he hit it. When it was parked in front of my house. With me not in it.

Sucks about your car but you shouldn't be annoyed at people for not driving and being out and about.

[Steelrain]

Stay out of my way next time, asshole.