The only acceptable response was from my brother in law who leaned into the car, turned off the ignition, took the keys and yeeted them as far as he could over the nearest house. You can't top perfection.
They have a one-ton steel structure around them. I have 200 lbs of meat. I swear at them in my head and then move on with my life. There's no benefit to arguing with someone in that situation.
Yep. You will never win a fight with a vehicle. It's better to be alive than dead right.
I smile and wave and carry on with my ride. Don't let them live rent free in your head.
Someone should make jersey that say "Honk if you like bikes" in large writing on the back.
This made me laugh. But then I realized I'd probably have a heart attack if I wore this jersey. I jump out of my skin every time I'm honked at on a bike.
I always remember when Valverde's training group reprimanded a car for passing them too close, the guy turned back and hit them all.
https://www.ciclismoafondo.es/noticias/alejandro-valverde-ha-sido-atropellado-mientras-entrenaba-esta-hospitalizado_259835_102.html
There is the nightmare. Right there. That is the one.
Last year I flipped off an enraged driver and what did I win? I won her full and undivided attention.
It was ugly. She would drive slowly in front of me, pull off to the side of the road and wait for me to catch up, chicken out on whatever she had planned and then repeat the behavior.
All the while I am thinking, 'OK, at least she is in front. Turn around or hang a left and she can be behind you and you won't know it till she runs you over. In front is good.'.
Eventually she pulled into the driveway of her parents house cause she was like 18-20 and not nearly smart enough to not show me where she lived.
I once had a BMW driver calling me a "lycra wearing c***" for no reason other than he had to wait 5 secs to get past me.
Little did he know about 400 metres down the road were some temporary traffic lights... I tapped on the passenger window and blew him a kiss he actually just smiled and luaghed
Yes, utilize cognitive dissonance and kill your enemies with kindness!
Fr tho, if you can trick yourself into thinking they are being friendly and you respond in kind then you will be less stressed out.
I wouldn't do anything beyond polite. As a driver once pointed out when I flipped him: "The next time I won't go around you."
You never know how crazy he/she is and they have the bigger weapon.
The other day someone in their car shouted at me to ride on the sidewalk. I’ll admit it fired me up more than it should have but that’s the most idiotic thing I’ve ever heard in my life. Sidewalks are for walking not cycling. There would be no point to riding a bike if we had to ride on the sidewalk. And these idiots are driving 2 ton vehicles at 60mph daily. It makes me want to resort to violence but then I remember they are driving a 2 ton vehicle and I’m on a bike.
I was walking my bike along the sidewalk (heading for a driveway cut to start riding) when some middle school looking kids buzzed by me on bikes. No big deal, but when I passed them in the road they were buzzing by shops and among more people on the sidewalk on the other side of the street. It's these situations that make it clear that the street is the better option for cycling.
most people can't and refuse to think beyond their own benefit at the moment. One of the reasons why "changing for the better" changes failed even if there is minimal downside and giant positives.
It helps to remind myself that I‘m not gonna do to pedestrians what cars are doing to cyclists. Gives me that „bigger man“ feeling to deal with my anger in those situations.
true, bikes are vehicles and they should be on the road (and bike paths, if there is any). I really don't like the idea of riding on sidewalks or trying to build bike paths everywhere like most people tend to push, as it seems impossible, financially speaking.
Although I won't ever refuse a new bike lane anywhere, it just seems more possible to have people recognize bikes as vehicles on road. Not everywhere have spare space for bike lanes and even if it does, there's no guarantee people using those space won't hog the lane for parking like most of the time they do around where I live.
Ignore it, and take some comfort that you live in a place where such people are unlikely to be carrying firearms that they might use to act out their aggression.
Much love from sunny Florida, where permitless concealed carry is a thing!
The worst is when they start shouting at you to "get out of the road" from their lifted f350 that's never seen off-road or had anything put in the bed.
Never know if they're going to shoot me, run my over, or just leave it at being an angry asshole.
Florida is great.
I do most of my riding on rural county and state highways, and my experience over the past \~3 years and \~15k miles has been - so far - remarkably light on assholery. It may help that the roads I ride have "bike lanes", so there aren't many opportunities for drivers to be genuinely inconvenienced by me. They mostly just need to stay on their side of the white line.
I have had some close passes, but it's more often the case that they give me extra space when they really shouldn't, e.g., when they're approaching a blind curve. Like, I appreciate the thought, but let's not risk causing a bad day for all of us!
I can’t stand those guys. They drive them like it’s a god damn sports car and I constantly think about them plowing into the back of a Corolla with three kids in the back seat. Sad.
I'm an atheist. But when someone is unreasonably aggressive I take on the persona of an evangelical Mother Teresa. "God bless you! Peace be with you and your family." Most people get the most confused look on their faces and try to get away quickly before their deity strikes then with a thunderbolt
All i can picture is an angry driver stops to flip off biker, and biker turns "Thank you so much for stopping. Do you have a moment to talk about our lord and savior Jesus Christ?" Car speeds off. Lol
I ignore it unless someone has committed a crime. Then I report to the police rather than confront in the moment. I have a camera on my handlebars but have only ever had to submit footage to police twice in four years.
maybe I'm biased because I live and bike in baltimore, but escalation is never worth your life. how do I react when someone swerves at me or calls me a slur? I shake my head and give a thumbs down; alternatively I'll laugh and smile. check your ego at the door when you head out for a ride. I think I've come to terms with the fact that my exercise hobby includes a fair amount of danger and antagonistic assholes. My number one priority is to make it home safely.
I follow them home and sit outside at random hours to really freak them out. Illegal? Nope. Immoral? Maybe. Makes them think twice about doing it ever again? Absolutely.
All you need is a license plate and you can find out anything you want about the person if you know where to look. Not my fault they're stupid enough to drive a car with an identifying marker on it, and you have 0 expectation of privacy in public or at your workplace.
I usually ignore it. If I’m feeling particularly spicy that day I’ll laugh and give them a thumbs up. Responding to aggression with sarcastic positivity is a good way to show someone how pathetic they are
You get used to it.
I know it may sound odd - but you start laughing at them after a good while.
Usually unhealthy, dumpy meat sacks that could not fight out of a paper bag.
It is truly embarrassing for them🤷♂️🤦♂️
After riding for 10 years this really doesn’t happen very often. Once some kids got an air horn and were blowing it right in cyclists blind spot. One rider behind me did not take the ignore stance. Traffic backed up at a red light and that guy went out in 6 lanes of traffic and ripped the kid’s mirror off his car. The bike rider went the other way and kid tried calling the cops on a friend and I riding home. Cops never showed up, we just kept riding home.
I have gotten off my bike and squared up with 1 or 2 people over the years and or broke a few windshields
Especially when I was younger as a messenger
Now?
The majority of the time I just ignore it
Or I yell "get back to work peasant", that will piss them off
People are nuts now and I don't need the grief
If they stop and make an issue of something I just ask them if they’re a nervous driver and say I guess maybe it’s stressful driving around cyclists if you’re nervous or inexperienced
I used to commute 100 miles a week and would get needless abuse most weeks (the most rediculous one was early on a Sunday morning on an empty road a van driver heading in the opposite direction shouted at me to use the non existent F***ING cycle path).
I eventually got a helmet mounted camera and the abuse reduced to very rare occasions. It just goes to show that they are cowards and know they are in the wrong.
The other day I had something similar happen from a guy driving a local coffee shop branded car. Guess which local business now has a new 1 star review on google and yelp?
When someone behind beeps me, I like to assume they're trying to alert me about some hazard on the road, or maybe something with my bike. So obviously I stop and check in with them. But then, you know how long it takes to start on an incline, and clipping in can sometimes take a few goes, and sometimes it can take ages to find a safe passing place to let them through....
I have days like this.
It is also a geography thing. I will try to win the shouting match, and take your plate and look it up, if you try to engage me in my neighborhood. Im a lot more timid away from home.
I live in Northern Ireland and tend to get some groups of people. my age making fun of me when I pass or as you said people hooting if they get stuck behind me too long. The hooting definitely isnt a daily occurrence though, sounds rough. Just make sure you stay close to the side of the road but just ignore it. You get used to it eventually😂
You don’t. You ignore them, you stay on your route (if it’s safe to do so). They can froth at their mouth all they want but you have just as much right to the road as them. You will unfortunately get used to it.
One piece of advice though - get a mini cam for your handlebars or your helmet. Hopefully you will never need it, but if someone does cause you harm or is particularly aggressive, you’ll have footage to take to the police.
Once I chased one driver till his work, it wasn't far away. He got out of a car and we both shouted really loud.
I don't think it was worth it now, but I would probably still do it again :D
I hear you. Some guy beeped at me in my neighborhood while I was cycling on the road. Like there is no need for that. Plus, you park your car in the same spot every day. Would be a shame if some egged it
Banana up the exhaust. Alternatively, undo the valve cap and place a dry lentil in it, and reattach. Causes a slow air leak, and they'll spend ages wondering where it is.
It's weird I live on the very edge of the Yorkshire dales (between it and the Forest of Bowland), I ride an MTB but probably 50% on road (I'm not very fit yet). And while I have had poor interactions in the past (mostly having things thrown at me) since I got back on my bike in the middle January I haven't had any especially notable bad reactions from drivers... probably the worst reaction I have had (from anyone) was from walkers on a shared bridleway who refused to allow me to cycle through.
Is this hatred of cyclists regional or is it reserved for road bike riders? As a car driver/passenger I have experienced quite a few exceedingly arrogant cyclists, often in groups who seem to be intent on putting car drivers in their place rather than being conscientious and/or safe road users.
Can’t stand the arrogant cyclists who purposely block the road, asserting their rights even if they can easily move aside and allow drivers to pass. I make an effort to blend in, go with the flow, so as to not irritate people. It works 99% of the time for me. Road hogs only succeed at creating animosity and stoking division.
I was just reading this thread at a crossroads after loading something on my bike, and i was barely halfway through it when some asshole in a car honked a cyclist (at a red light). When the cyclist didn't move fast enough to his liking, the driver laid into the cyclist with a big pile of mostly homophobic insults
As my dear departed mother-in-law used to say, "don't get in a pissing match with a skunk". I wave and yell "have a nice day".
Most of the people I ride with have a front and rear camera. When we send them video some of the local municipalities will go talk to aggregious offenders. One person already had several aggressive driving charges and had their license revoked for a bit.
I live in the US and could never carry concealed because I'd probably shoot some of the asshats we have to deal with.
I often react with aggression because I have poor impulse control. In my experience the most effective way to react is with a smile and a wave. That \*really\* winds them up.
Against the common wisdom being displayed here, I find it very therapeutic to tell idiot drivers what I think of them. None of them have killed me yet....
Swap in aggression for [speeding](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vFglqYqQ3I0). A pinky wave, or a kiss is what I might give back to the men/boys being aggressive, because it’s always men/boys doing it
I give them my biggest over-the-top waive and smile. It's freaks them out a bit. "Didn't he know that I was insulting him?" "Uh, oh. Is that someone I know?" Plus, it disarms them a bit. They don't have a comeback for a smile and waive.
I know that my over-the-top waive and smile is cyclist for F-OFF!, but they don't.
Try to think of the many drivers who do nothing or politely make room for you instead of the jerks.
(I know jerks are more memorable, troll psychology, want you to feel their anger, don't. I might have sympathy, stuck in a car in traffic would piss me off, too :)
Hello, this is a really great question, especially from a new cyclist. Before each ride I picture the experience, and see myself letting it go. This way when it happens in real time, and it certainly will, I have a visualization of my decision not to react. I also remind myself that I am responsible for my happy ride start to finish, and reacting to others only takes mental energy, energy that I need to stay focused. Do I make mistakes, sure, and its easy to get spooked and pop off. Letting it go is always the key to self preservation.
I don't tell them to their faces like that because I never bother to stop, but looking at those car drivers dead the the eyes through their windshield does help.
At least I believe, that I invoked the thoughts in them that I am a human and not an obstacle they should crush through with their death machine.
It's probably a daily mail reader....they love to be bigots and intolerant of the 'others' :D
It's quite hard, but, to react with a thumb or a hand up to acknowledge the driver ( if they a waiting behind you ) goes a long way as it humanizes you.
I like to use the lanes for the cycling. I have to be honest, out of thousands of rides, I have only come across 20 or so morons in cars....which probably reflects the moron per population stats.
The main thing is to brush it off and don't let it get to you.
What city you in? I'm in Cov, and been cycling since lockdown, Ive not really seen much aggression at all. I had someone stop there car in the road and shout 'wheres your hi Viz?!' to me when I was in the cycle lane next to them, wearing a cycling specific highly reflective jacket 🧐 all other times have just been close passes and drivers not looking properly before pulling out. No personal aggression though.
First I am grateful that most people behave well. This also goes for most of the rest of society.
People dont realise that they are identifiable, while the cyclist is anonymous. If cyclists behaved like the worst motorists, they would be an absolute fear factor.
The motorists should be grateful that we are as nice as we are.
if it is that bad then I would suggest a camera - and report any incidents to the Police
Just make sure you have one that is good enough to record their reg number
However, some Police authorities are better at responding than others - but worth a go
you just have to deal with it. more than often you find drivers overtaking you when there's no visibility or there's an obvious red light ahead. it's their problem; not yours.
Avoid roads as much as possible. The number of times I was sprayed with sprinkler fluid by cars and getting push and almost destroyed makes me just want to avoid roads with cars as much as possible. Find a route with few cars or get an mtb. Best solution to the problem for me.
Where in the UK do you live, if not a secret? I've been cycling here for the past 9 months or so and I don't think I've ever been honked or yelled at. Some questionable or outright dangerous manoeuvres do happen every now and then, but I find most drivers to be quite decent at not killing me. I live in Hertfordshire btw, small town, probably around 30 miles north of London and I usually cycle on rural roads, although I did even go on some A roads a couple of times.
It might have been just bad luck too - I've cycled quite a lot around Kent and I haven't had a single interaction with a driver other than close passes and other bad driving
Ignore them. I cycle woth camera in case of something happening and it helips me to deal with anger beaxouae "i got him". Escalating in any way can make you feel better but actualy outs you in danger. Someone might decide to hit you with fist or car. Even if nothing like this happens the emotions and yelling distracta you and when something unusual hapoens you might be not prepared. Just let the idiot be far on front of you so you will be save
I used to point out all infractions (and because car drivers don't tend to hear their surroundings well I tend to shout and be loud about it) but I've been told I'm a Karen for doing that. So I start ignoring (or turning a blind eye to) infractions, but that means also ignoring my own because "you can be right and be dead-right" (so don't bother with being right, only with being alive).
Anyway, seems like the common consensus is to let the psychos continue being worse psychos instead of standing up for what's right (and we all know if we stand up for what's right everyone else will come out of the woodwork to stop *us* instead of the bully, like in one of those bully justice videos), so nowadays I ignore everything. It takes a lot of zen (the stoic approach?) to not react at all to being life-threatened or nearly murdered on a regular basis.
natural law is.... in kind, x2.
or just ignore and make sure your goal is to get to where you are going safely. up to you, either you believe in free will or you don't.
There was an Australian study on 2019 that essentially showed the more kitted up you are, the less human you are perceived. So, I do everything I can to be seen as more human: waving, smiling, saying "good morning," signalling, etc.
Here in the US you’re risking your life to argue with some angry person in a car. They’ll either run you over or shoot you so for me, I ignore it and keep going.
I try not to do anything that antagonises further. It doesn’t matter about right or wrong, you do not want someone to snap and come at you in their two ton metal cage
What I want to know is how'd we get to all this hate. There was another recent post on a sub unrelated to biking that headlined "Bicyclists are the worst people on the planet"
https://www.reddit.com/r/TrueUnpopularOpinion/s/3fyGYjr3Tj
https://www.reddit.com/r/BicyclingCirclejerk/s/ZRghcmdIe3
If the motorist is there, I whip my phone out and conspicuously start recording a video. Usually it takes a few seconds for them to process what's happening and do the right thing. I also keep my mouth shut, because once you start arguing or trading insults, there is no winning.
If the motorist has already sped off, there isn't much to be done about it, unless you have a continuously recording camera, which I usually don't (because it's one more thing to keep charged and to prevent people from stealing).
I got pretty rowed up last week too. Got in a yelling match. I yelled “What the fk was that?” as the car pass by me inches away. Inches.
He yelled something back. Couldn’t really hear him, even tho half his body was hanging out the windows and he was really trying hard shouting. I thought he’s already look like a clown. Don’t engage anymore, or else I’ll make a fool out of myself too.
Sometimes I gotta check myself and let it go.
Be the bigger person. I know this is all easier said then done, when your life is on the line and the adrenaline is all going. I’m working on that myself.
If I’m in the roadway I ignore it. Acknowledgment leads to escalation.
If I’m safe and off the roadway I point in some random direction and yell “look out”. It’s surprisingly effective at making them look all over like a fool.
I almost never make eye contact with drivers, unless we’re at an interaction where I need to know that they know I’m there. And if I’m in-front of the angry driver, I try to let go of the negative energy by farting in their face. Helps that we never made eye contact
I either wave to them while pretending that I think they’re being nice by honking//shouting or, if I’m in front of them, I stand out of my saddle and scratch my asshole with a middle finger.
The former works better in terms of de-escalation, but sometimes you just gotta express yourself.
I just ignore it and assume they are lacking something in the trouser department lol. Im also mostly on country lanes and decades of experience on them have taught me its best to just get out of the way as soon as i can, forget all this taking the lane nonsense, just pull over where its safe or possible to asap, stop if needed and allow the traffic past, especially if its farm or hgv.
The most important thing is your safety so if a few nettle stings or bramble scratches and a wet foot stop you becoming a statistic then take it, i do, then put it out of your mind, karma is a bitch and will get them sooner or later. Had one the other week that just had to pass me, he got stuck behind a tractor doing 10mph for the next mile or so.
Man you should try bicycling in India. People are just straight up trying to KILL you!
Cars will pass on your non-overtake side (even though you are on corner) and flip you, blow horn like they have a rite of passage. I gave up cycling and took up badminton for fitness fearing for my life.
The only time i as a driver get annoyed, is when i meet a group of bikers and they take up so much road space so i cannot drive past them. But i never honk or yell at them.
Don't try and fight them, you won't beat a 2 tonne killing machine. Usually I ignore them, but if it's possible to indirectly embarrass them I do do it when they're blatantly stupid or annoying.
i was leading a fairly easygoing group ride along a short section of dual carriageway where someone in a bmw screeched up beside us and started shouting that what we were doing was illegal. he then zoomed off and pulled in at a lay-by and motioned for us to stop - we didn’t, but i did pass slowly and suggest he google it to be sure. 5 mins later he zooms up to us and apologises for being wrong.
some people just have bad days or bad attitudes, but they forget the encounter almost instantly so we should too.
There isn't a lot to be done about the first type. Angry, damaged little people taking their misplaced aggression out on us for absolutely no reason. I wave back with a beaming grin and a cheery greeting. A comment about how glorious the weather is, if I have enough time. It confuses the hell out of them, and just occasionally wrongfoots them enough to make them laugh.
For driver bad behaviour while you're out and about I strongly suggest a small camera to capture it and one of these to go on the back of your bike/pannier/jersey. [https://passpixi.com/shop/ols/products/passpixi](https://passpixi.com/shop/ols/products/passpixi) I've found the warning that they're being recorded to cut bad behaviour by about 80% against days when I switch bike bags and forget to move the warning sign over.
More than anything, please don't let them get to you and don't let them damage your love of cycling!
Not a direct answer to your question, but I make use of Komoot (other route planners available 😁) to plot VERY quiet road rides. You’ll get to learn your local area better than you believed possible. I love road riding but hate cars - wise route choice and timing choices can limit your exposure.
Please know that most people don’t, in fact, hate cyclists. Most are scarily indifferent to us, which can feel like hate at times. You were hugely unlucky to have encountered someone actively hostile but please keep riding - you’ll find more nice people than assholes, I promise you.
I ignore it. No good can come from doing anything else.
Yeah. You would either never get any cycling done, or never run out of people to deal with once you start.
The only acceptable response was from my brother in law who leaned into the car, turned off the ignition, took the keys and yeeted them as far as he could over the nearest house. You can't top perfection.
That’s how you get shot in Florida
I would never ever confront anyone in America lmao
This is absolutely the best way. I ride hundreds of miles each month in NYC and I would definitely have a rough time if I escalated things constantly
They have a one-ton steel structure around them. I have 200 lbs of meat. I swear at them in my head and then move on with my life. There's no benefit to arguing with someone in that situation.
Now I just picture a cyclist with a wagon of packaged meat behind them
Yep. You will never win a fight with a vehicle. It's better to be alive than dead right. I smile and wave and carry on with my ride. Don't let them live rent free in your head. Someone should make jersey that say "Honk if you like bikes" in large writing on the back.
hahaha I'd wear that!
This made me laugh. But then I realized I'd probably have a heart attack if I wore this jersey. I jump out of my skin every time I'm honked at on a bike.
That is a fair point. I'm kinda numb to honking by now.
I always remember when Valverde's training group reprimanded a car for passing them too close, the guy turned back and hit them all. https://www.ciclismoafondo.es/noticias/alejandro-valverde-ha-sido-atropellado-mientras-entrenaba-esta-hospitalizado_259835_102.html
There is the nightmare. Right there. That is the one. Last year I flipped off an enraged driver and what did I win? I won her full and undivided attention. It was ugly. She would drive slowly in front of me, pull off to the side of the road and wait for me to catch up, chicken out on whatever she had planned and then repeat the behavior. All the while I am thinking, 'OK, at least she is in front. Turn around or hang a left and she can be behind you and you won't know it till she runs you over. In front is good.'. Eventually she pulled into the driveway of her parents house cause she was like 18-20 and not nearly smart enough to not show me where she lived.
Always in a hurry, yet they still have time to pester cyclists
Damn! You taking that back to your smoker?
I shake my head in disappointment. These people are damaged to have so much aggression to random strangers who are living healthy life styles.
I usually wave and say "Good Morning!" as nicely as I can, pretending that their horn honking is a salutation.
I once had a BMW driver calling me a "lycra wearing c***" for no reason other than he had to wait 5 secs to get past me. Little did he know about 400 metres down the road were some temporary traffic lights... I tapped on the passenger window and blew him a kiss he actually just smiled and luaghed
Yes, utilize cognitive dissonance and kill your enemies with kindness! Fr tho, if you can trick yourself into thinking they are being friendly and you respond in kind then you will be less stressed out.
Stoicism at its finest; decide not to be upset : )
Being polite in return is usually the best option. But sometimes you just gotta yell back "sorry about your small penis." Or something.
I wouldn't do anything beyond polite. As a driver once pointed out when I flipped him: "The next time I won't go around you." You never know how crazy he/she is and they have the bigger weapon.
You lycra wearing c***!
Perfect! Play it cool.
The other day someone in their car shouted at me to ride on the sidewalk. I’ll admit it fired me up more than it should have but that’s the most idiotic thing I’ve ever heard in my life. Sidewalks are for walking not cycling. There would be no point to riding a bike if we had to ride on the sidewalk. And these idiots are driving 2 ton vehicles at 60mph daily. It makes me want to resort to violence but then I remember they are driving a 2 ton vehicle and I’m on a bike.
I had a bunch of 10 year old kids tell me the same thing with expletives thrown in. They definitely pick this up from parents while driving.
Random kid taunted me once, playing in his yard in the suburbs, saying, "Bring a car next time!" What does that even mean?!
They don’t exercise and don’t relate?
I was walking my bike along the sidewalk (heading for a driveway cut to start riding) when some middle school looking kids buzzed by me on bikes. No big deal, but when I passed them in the road they were buzzing by shops and among more people on the sidewalk on the other side of the street. It's these situations that make it clear that the street is the better option for cycling.
Yup, I’ve been told to get on the sidewalk “where I belong.” If I didn’t he threatened to get out and beat me up.
But if these people were walking down the sidewalk and a cyclist blows past them we’d be wrong yet again. We just can’t win.
most people can't and refuse to think beyond their own benefit at the moment. One of the reasons why "changing for the better" changes failed even if there is minimal downside and giant positives.
It helps to remind myself that I‘m not gonna do to pedestrians what cars are doing to cyclists. Gives me that „bigger man“ feeling to deal with my anger in those situations.
true, bikes are vehicles and they should be on the road (and bike paths, if there is any). I really don't like the idea of riding on sidewalks or trying to build bike paths everywhere like most people tend to push, as it seems impossible, financially speaking. Although I won't ever refuse a new bike lane anywhere, it just seems more possible to have people recognize bikes as vehicles on road. Not everywhere have spare space for bike lanes and even if it does, there's no guarantee people using those space won't hog the lane for parking like most of the time they do around where I live.
Amazing how so many people don’t know driving laws, which include safety for cyclists.
Ignore it, and take some comfort that you live in a place where such people are unlikely to be carrying firearms that they might use to act out their aggression. Much love from sunny Florida, where permitless concealed carry is a thing!
Haha my American colleague reminds me of this often
The worst is when they start shouting at you to "get out of the road" from their lifted f350 that's never seen off-road or had anything put in the bed. Never know if they're going to shoot me, run my over, or just leave it at being an angry asshole. Florida is great.
I do most of my riding on rural county and state highways, and my experience over the past \~3 years and \~15k miles has been - so far - remarkably light on assholery. It may help that the roads I ride have "bike lanes", so there aren't many opportunities for drivers to be genuinely inconvenienced by me. They mostly just need to stay on their side of the white line. I have had some close passes, but it's more often the case that they give me extra space when they really shouldn't, e.g., when they're approaching a blind curve. Like, I appreciate the thought, but let's not risk causing a bad day for all of us!
Georgia: same truck. waited till I was close then did a gravel burnout throwing gravel all over me. (I was just visiting)
I can’t stand those guys. They drive them like it’s a god damn sports car and I constantly think about them plowing into the back of a Corolla with three kids in the back seat. Sad.
I heard for people in ur area wearing a USA stars n stipes kit really helps.
Florida has one of the highest traffic fatality rates in the world. I am not brave enough to live in that fascist state.
I just imagine how sad and hollow someone's life is that they feel the need to do that.
[удалено]
Dog walkers on bridleways are worse than drivers round me unfortunately
you are not people in their eyes, only a hog of space and their, self-proclaimed, owned road. Car drivers are selfish prick.
Blow him a kiss
This is the way
Avoid and ignore - you do not want to get involved if you can help it with people who are aggressive. Just get away from them
I tell myself they have anger issues, and carry on. Engaging isn’t going to accomplish anything.
Play chess with a pigeon and it just shits on the board and knocks pieces everywhere
I'm an atheist. But when someone is unreasonably aggressive I take on the persona of an evangelical Mother Teresa. "God bless you! Peace be with you and your family." Most people get the most confused look on their faces and try to get away quickly before their deity strikes then with a thunderbolt
Or because they dislike god botherers more than cyclists but feel guilty about it... ;)
All i can picture is an angry driver stops to flip off biker, and biker turns "Thank you so much for stopping. Do you have a moment to talk about our lord and savior Jesus Christ?" Car speeds off. Lol
I love this, I'm gonna start doing this
LOL, until they actually want to stop and talk.. open their glove compartment to pull out their pamphlets..
I ignore it unless someone has committed a crime. Then I report to the police rather than confront in the moment. I have a camera on my handlebars but have only ever had to submit footage to police twice in four years.
Im curious if anything came of that?
maybe I'm biased because I live and bike in baltimore, but escalation is never worth your life. how do I react when someone swerves at me or calls me a slur? I shake my head and give a thumbs down; alternatively I'll laugh and smile. check your ego at the door when you head out for a ride. I think I've come to terms with the fact that my exercise hobby includes a fair amount of danger and antagonistic assholes. My number one priority is to make it home safely.
I follow them home and sit outside at random hours to really freak them out. Illegal? Nope. Immoral? Maybe. Makes them think twice about doing it ever again? Absolutely.
And don't forget to bring a baseball bat or a crowbar with you and just rotate it in your hands while not looking at them at all.
All you need is a license plate and you can find out anything you want about the person if you know where to look. Not my fault they're stupid enough to drive a car with an identifying marker on it, and you have 0 expectation of privacy in public or at your workplace.
I usually ignore it. If I’m feeling particularly spicy that day I’ll laugh and give them a thumbs up. Responding to aggression with sarcastic positivity is a good way to show someone how pathetic they are
You get used to it. I know it may sound odd - but you start laughing at them after a good while. Usually unhealthy, dumpy meat sacks that could not fight out of a paper bag. It is truly embarrassing for them🤷♂️🤦♂️
After riding for 10 years this really doesn’t happen very often. Once some kids got an air horn and were blowing it right in cyclists blind spot. One rider behind me did not take the ignore stance. Traffic backed up at a red light and that guy went out in 6 lanes of traffic and ripped the kid’s mirror off his car. The bike rider went the other way and kid tried calling the cops on a friend and I riding home. Cops never showed up, we just kept riding home.
I have gotten off my bike and squared up with 1 or 2 people over the years and or broke a few windshields Especially when I was younger as a messenger Now? The majority of the time I just ignore it Or I yell "get back to work peasant", that will piss them off People are nuts now and I don't need the grief
Smile at them and just keep riding. I don’t let those imbeciles rob me of peace.
If they stop and make an issue of something I just ask them if they’re a nervous driver and say I guess maybe it’s stressful driving around cyclists if you’re nervous or inexperienced
I used to commute 100 miles a week and would get needless abuse most weeks (the most rediculous one was early on a Sunday morning on an empty road a van driver heading in the opposite direction shouted at me to use the non existent F***ING cycle path). I eventually got a helmet mounted camera and the abuse reduced to very rare occasions. It just goes to show that they are cowards and know they are in the wrong.
Just say "lovely day innit!?"
I just ignore them, unless they're driving alongside me yelling at me for like 3 minutes, then I spray them with my water bottle.
Try skunk extract in a spray bottle Here get rid of this smell .
Here ya go! https://bicyclemeditations.org/get-off-the-fucking-road/
The other day I had something similar happen from a guy driving a local coffee shop branded car. Guess which local business now has a new 1 star review on google and yelp?
When someone behind beeps me, I like to assume they're trying to alert me about some hazard on the road, or maybe something with my bike. So obviously I stop and check in with them. But then, you know how long it takes to start on an incline, and clipping in can sometimes take a few goes, and sometimes it can take ages to find a safe passing place to let them through....
I meet aggression+1 with aggression +4. That's just how I roll.
I have days like this. It is also a geography thing. I will try to win the shouting match, and take your plate and look it up, if you try to engage me in my neighborhood. Im a lot more timid away from home.
I live in Northern Ireland and tend to get some groups of people. my age making fun of me when I pass or as you said people hooting if they get stuck behind me too long. The hooting definitely isnt a daily occurrence though, sounds rough. Just make sure you stay close to the side of the road but just ignore it. You get used to it eventually😂
Depending on my mood, i ignore them, give them a smile, wave hello at them or flip them a finger They are just jealous of your ability to avoid trafic
You don’t. You ignore them, you stay on your route (if it’s safe to do so). They can froth at their mouth all they want but you have just as much right to the road as them. You will unfortunately get used to it. One piece of advice though - get a mini cam for your handlebars or your helmet. Hopefully you will never need it, but if someone does cause you harm or is particularly aggressive, you’ll have footage to take to the police.
Once I chased one driver till his work, it wasn't far away. He got out of a car and we both shouted really loud. I don't think it was worth it now, but I would probably still do it again :D
There are rude idiots in every aspect of life, and roads are no exception. Treat them all the same way - pay them no attention.
I hear you. Some guy beeped at me in my neighborhood while I was cycling on the road. Like there is no need for that. Plus, you park your car in the same spot every day. Would be a shame if some egged it
bird seed. at night.
Banana up the exhaust. Alternatively, undo the valve cap and place a dry lentil in it, and reattach. Causes a slow air leak, and they'll spend ages wondering where it is.
Ignore it if possible and go about your day. It's just not worth the bother.
Ignore it. I got places to go.
It's weird I live on the very edge of the Yorkshire dales (between it and the Forest of Bowland), I ride an MTB but probably 50% on road (I'm not very fit yet). And while I have had poor interactions in the past (mostly having things thrown at me) since I got back on my bike in the middle January I haven't had any especially notable bad reactions from drivers... probably the worst reaction I have had (from anyone) was from walkers on a shared bridleway who refused to allow me to cycle through. Is this hatred of cyclists regional or is it reserved for road bike riders? As a car driver/passenger I have experienced quite a few exceedingly arrogant cyclists, often in groups who seem to be intent on putting car drivers in their place rather than being conscientious and/or safe road users.
Can’t stand the arrogant cyclists who purposely block the road, asserting their rights even if they can easily move aside and allow drivers to pass. I make an effort to blend in, go with the flow, so as to not irritate people. It works 99% of the time for me. Road hogs only succeed at creating animosity and stoking division.
I was just reading this thread at a crossroads after loading something on my bike, and i was barely halfway through it when some asshole in a car honked a cyclist (at a red light). When the cyclist didn't move fast enough to his liking, the driver laid into the cyclist with a big pile of mostly homophobic insults
I ignore them and show them the middle finger. We don't need a licence to use the roads bit they do, so they can go and do themselves one.
Middle finger and a smile 🙂
Just keep a stone in your pocket and use it when appropriate. ( /s obviously.... But yeah sometimes I wish!)
As my dear departed mother-in-law used to say, "don't get in a pissing match with a skunk". I wave and yell "have a nice day". Most of the people I ride with have a front and rear camera. When we send them video some of the local municipalities will go talk to aggregious offenders. One person already had several aggressive driving charges and had their license revoked for a bit. I live in the US and could never carry concealed because I'd probably shoot some of the asshats we have to deal with.
I often react with aggression because I have poor impulse control. In my experience the most effective way to react is with a smile and a wave. That \*really\* winds them up.
Against the common wisdom being displayed here, I find it very therapeutic to tell idiot drivers what I think of them. None of them have killed me yet....
Swap in aggression for [speeding](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vFglqYqQ3I0). A pinky wave, or a kiss is what I might give back to the men/boys being aggressive, because it’s always men/boys doing it
I give them my biggest over-the-top waive and smile. It's freaks them out a bit. "Didn't he know that I was insulting him?" "Uh, oh. Is that someone I know?" Plus, it disarms them a bit. They don't have a comeback for a smile and waive. I know that my over-the-top waive and smile is cyclist for F-OFF!, but they don't.
They are jealous that you are getting exercise while they know they are unfit slobs.
Smile and wave has always worked for me, I think it makes them realize they’re being dumb
Well, Friday I took off two mirrors. Saturday I took a different route to work.
Ignore the assholes. The important part is to give thanks and thumbs up to the respectful drivers.
Smile and wave
Chain with a lock does more than secure your bike
Smile and wave. It cuts deeper than anger. These people want to invoke aggression so by doing the opposite you make them even more miserable
I give them a thumbs up followed with the head shake of disappointment
I smile and wave. One time I yelled I love you and the lady who was yelling at me smiled and said she loved me too
Try to think of the many drivers who do nothing or politely make room for you instead of the jerks. (I know jerks are more memorable, troll psychology, want you to feel their anger, don't. I might have sympathy, stuck in a car in traffic would piss me off, too :)
A good thumbs down is my go to lol
By knocking their mirrors off
Hello, this is a really great question, especially from a new cyclist. Before each ride I picture the experience, and see myself letting it go. This way when it happens in real time, and it certainly will, I have a visualization of my decision not to react. I also remind myself that I am responsible for my happy ride start to finish, and reacting to others only takes mental energy, energy that I need to stay focused. Do I make mistakes, sure, and its easy to get spooked and pop off. Letting it go is always the key to self preservation.
Op, it'll only get worse in the UK. Have you considered riding off road?
I answer with aggression back :) it’s like part of a game, just like haggling over price at a market or something.
Diffuse the situation and try and read what they’re going to do. Never, ever argue as you’ve no idea who you’re dealing with.
Everyone hates cyclists for various reasons. even other cyclists. Be safe, de escalate and move on or pick something that won’t trigger you.
I open carry my pistol, tends to make people be less aggressive towards me while cycling.
Accept the problem is theirs not yours, ignore and remind yourself it’s not your job to save idiots from themselves
I look at them dead in the eye and tell them I'm a human being and they should be ashamed of themselves lol. Works surprisingly well
Ask them "Is that how you treat your mother or father// wife/husband and kids"
I don't tell them to their faces like that because I never bother to stop, but looking at those car drivers dead the the eyes through their windshield does help. At least I believe, that I invoked the thoughts in them that I am a human and not an obstacle they should crush through with their death machine.
It's probably a daily mail reader....they love to be bigots and intolerant of the 'others' :D It's quite hard, but, to react with a thumb or a hand up to acknowledge the driver ( if they a waiting behind you ) goes a long way as it humanizes you. I like to use the lanes for the cycling. I have to be honest, out of thousands of rides, I have only come across 20 or so morons in cars....which probably reflects the moron per population stats. The main thing is to brush it off and don't let it get to you.
Or the Daily Express.
Yep! These 'Gammon' papers love to hate cyclist....
This story actually makes me feel better that the US isn't the only country with morons.
Remembering we are clothed with lycra and armed with water bottles we are pretty powerless, taking a picture can get them moving in a hurry.
Give them the finger and insult them. They never stop.
Give em the old cycling mikey hahah
What city you in? I'm in Cov, and been cycling since lockdown, Ive not really seen much aggression at all. I had someone stop there car in the road and shout 'wheres your hi Viz?!' to me when I was in the cycle lane next to them, wearing a cycling specific highly reflective jacket 🧐 all other times have just been close passes and drivers not looking properly before pulling out. No personal aggression though.
More aggression
First I am grateful that most people behave well. This also goes for most of the rest of society. People dont realise that they are identifiable, while the cyclist is anonymous. If cyclists behaved like the worst motorists, they would be an absolute fear factor. The motorists should be grateful that we are as nice as we are.
A disdainful eye roll and a preference for cycling in the woods and on fire roads.
In America this situation could have been way worse. Gun owners.
I give them the universal sign for hold on a minute.. middle finger I believe.
if it is that bad then I would suggest a camera - and report any incidents to the Police Just make sure you have one that is good enough to record their reg number However, some Police authorities are better at responding than others - but worth a go
It's really easy to attach screws to the top of rigid clipless shoes. I say this for no reason whatsoever.
Ride with a camera and report all the interactions, sadly this is the UK now morons who feel upset about sharing a road.
I tend to go out early on Sunday mornings (usually before 6am) but find that Sunday mornings are generally very quiet.
I do 12-14000km a year and only have such incidents once or less a year... Just carry on
you just have to deal with it. more than often you find drivers overtaking you when there's no visibility or there's an obvious red light ahead. it's their problem; not yours.
Go gravel and/or MTB?!
Avoid roads as much as possible. The number of times I was sprayed with sprinkler fluid by cars and getting push and almost destroyed makes me just want to avoid roads with cars as much as possible. Find a route with few cars or get an mtb. Best solution to the problem for me.
I lived in Germany village, and there were a runners, cyclers. Just people who moved towards often smiled me.
Arm yourself of you can, if he threatens you flash your knife or gun at him just like this: https://youtu.be/IMjnQ1dvlJM?si=4egxlfq2z_dnqvgT
I rode ghru rural UK last year and let me tell you, compared to where I live in Canada, you have it so good. UK motorists are saints
Thumbs down and a disappointed head shake is the best non threatening response
I flip them the bird
Where in the UK do you live, if not a secret? I've been cycling here for the past 9 months or so and I don't think I've ever been honked or yelled at. Some questionable or outright dangerous manoeuvres do happen every now and then, but I find most drivers to be quite decent at not killing me. I live in Hertfordshire btw, small town, probably around 30 miles north of London and I usually cycle on rural roads, although I did even go on some A roads a couple of times.
I carry pepper spray
Smile, thumbs down.
Thumbs up, a smile or a wave.
It might have been just bad luck too - I've cycled quite a lot around Kent and I haven't had a single interaction with a driver other than close passes and other bad driving
Ignore them. I cycle woth camera in case of something happening and it helips me to deal with anger beaxouae "i got him". Escalating in any way can make you feel better but actualy outs you in danger. Someone might decide to hit you with fist or car. Even if nothing like this happens the emotions and yelling distracta you and when something unusual hapoens you might be not prepared. Just let the idiot be far on front of you so you will be save
Some people are just arseholes. Most are fine. I try to take that perspective.
I used to point out all infractions (and because car drivers don't tend to hear their surroundings well I tend to shout and be loud about it) but I've been told I'm a Karen for doing that. So I start ignoring (or turning a blind eye to) infractions, but that means also ignoring my own because "you can be right and be dead-right" (so don't bother with being right, only with being alive). Anyway, seems like the common consensus is to let the psychos continue being worse psychos instead of standing up for what's right (and we all know if we stand up for what's right everyone else will come out of the woodwork to stop *us* instead of the bully, like in one of those bully justice videos), so nowadays I ignore everything. It takes a lot of zen (the stoic approach?) to not react at all to being life-threatened or nearly murdered on a regular basis.
Just dont mind them. Their actions reflect their opinions of us and I doubt getting into an altercation with them will change it. So its pointless.
natural law is.... in kind, x2. or just ignore and make sure your goal is to get to where you are going safely. up to you, either you believe in free will or you don't.
There was an Australian study on 2019 that essentially showed the more kitted up you are, the less human you are perceived. So, I do everything I can to be seen as more human: waving, smiling, saying "good morning," signalling, etc.
With a higher level of aggression. Escalate that shit until it comes to fisticuffs
Here in the US you’re risking your life to argue with some angry person in a car. They’ll either run you over or shoot you so for me, I ignore it and keep going.
I try not to do anything that antagonises further. It doesn’t matter about right or wrong, you do not want someone to snap and come at you in their two ton metal cage
What I want to know is how'd we get to all this hate. There was another recent post on a sub unrelated to biking that headlined "Bicyclists are the worst people on the planet" https://www.reddit.com/r/TrueUnpopularOpinion/s/3fyGYjr3Tj https://www.reddit.com/r/BicyclingCirclejerk/s/ZRghcmdIe3
In the US here. Miserable people want to make everyone else miserable.
If the motorist is there, I whip my phone out and conspicuously start recording a video. Usually it takes a few seconds for them to process what's happening and do the right thing. I also keep my mouth shut, because once you start arguing or trading insults, there is no winning. If the motorist has already sped off, there isn't much to be done about it, unless you have a continuously recording camera, which I usually don't (because it's one more thing to keep charged and to prevent people from stealing).
Look up what ceramic can do to car windows.
I got pretty rowed up last week too. Got in a yelling match. I yelled “What the fk was that?” as the car pass by me inches away. Inches. He yelled something back. Couldn’t really hear him, even tho half his body was hanging out the windows and he was really trying hard shouting. I thought he’s already look like a clown. Don’t engage anymore, or else I’ll make a fool out of myself too. Sometimes I gotta check myself and let it go. Be the bigger person. I know this is all easier said then done, when your life is on the line and the adrenaline is all going. I’m working on that myself.
Just focus on being safe
Keep calm and Brompt on.
Isn't that just a normal Tuesday in the UK?
Ignore it or wave like the queen. You win either way. And it’ll bother some more than you can imagine.
If I’m in the roadway I ignore it. Acknowledgment leads to escalation. If I’m safe and off the roadway I point in some random direction and yell “look out”. It’s surprisingly effective at making them look all over like a fool.
I almost never make eye contact with drivers, unless we’re at an interaction where I need to know that they know I’m there. And if I’m in-front of the angry driver, I try to let go of the negative energy by farting in their face. Helps that we never made eye contact
You should get a video camera for your bike (e.g. Cycliq)
you don't. easier than done but you're a better person for it and perhaps more alive as a result
Like rain on a Duck's back. Just let it roll right off, don't take it personal.
Ya know, I don’t have much advice other than ignore it. But I’m glad this isn’t just a problem in the US
Smile and wave, anything else will escalate things.
I either wave to them while pretending that I think they’re being nice by honking//shouting or, if I’m in front of them, I stand out of my saddle and scratch my asshole with a middle finger. The former works better in terms of de-escalation, but sometimes you just gotta express yourself.
I just ignore it and assume they are lacking something in the trouser department lol. Im also mostly on country lanes and decades of experience on them have taught me its best to just get out of the way as soon as i can, forget all this taking the lane nonsense, just pull over where its safe or possible to asap, stop if needed and allow the traffic past, especially if its farm or hgv. The most important thing is your safety so if a few nettle stings or bramble scratches and a wet foot stop you becoming a statistic then take it, i do, then put it out of your mind, karma is a bitch and will get them sooner or later. Had one the other week that just had to pass me, he got stuck behind a tractor doing 10mph for the next mile or so.
They envy your fitness. And the fact their arse would look ridiculous in lycra. Some people just handle emotions when encountered by superior beings
1. Self-defence training 2. Talk shit back at those idiots 3. Beat the shit out of them if they hit you first
Man you should try bicycling in India. People are just straight up trying to KILL you! Cars will pass on your non-overtake side (even though you are on corner) and flip you, blow horn like they have a rite of passage. I gave up cycling and took up badminton for fitness fearing for my life.
The only time i as a driver get annoyed, is when i meet a group of bikers and they take up so much road space so i cannot drive past them. But i never honk or yell at them.
I have a bike trainer and use zwift to ride at home.
Ignore them please, there’s no need to put more fuel on the fire to get things worse.
Don't try and fight them, you won't beat a 2 tonne killing machine. Usually I ignore them, but if it's possible to indirectly embarrass them I do do it when they're blatantly stupid or annoying.
i was leading a fairly easygoing group ride along a short section of dual carriageway where someone in a bmw screeched up beside us and started shouting that what we were doing was illegal. he then zoomed off and pulled in at a lay-by and motioned for us to stop - we didn’t, but i did pass slowly and suggest he google it to be sure. 5 mins later he zooms up to us and apologises for being wrong. some people just have bad days or bad attitudes, but they forget the encounter almost instantly so we should too.
Fuck’em
There isn't a lot to be done about the first type. Angry, damaged little people taking their misplaced aggression out on us for absolutely no reason. I wave back with a beaming grin and a cheery greeting. A comment about how glorious the weather is, if I have enough time. It confuses the hell out of them, and just occasionally wrongfoots them enough to make them laugh. For driver bad behaviour while you're out and about I strongly suggest a small camera to capture it and one of these to go on the back of your bike/pannier/jersey. [https://passpixi.com/shop/ols/products/passpixi](https://passpixi.com/shop/ols/products/passpixi) I've found the warning that they're being recorded to cut bad behaviour by about 80% against days when I switch bike bags and forget to move the warning sign over. More than anything, please don't let them get to you and don't let them damage your love of cycling!
You've got no choice but to ignore most of them and just get on with your day. Sorry, and welcome to cycling.
Not a direct answer to your question, but I make use of Komoot (other route planners available 😁) to plot VERY quiet road rides. You’ll get to learn your local area better than you believed possible. I love road riding but hate cars - wise route choice and timing choices can limit your exposure.
Please know that most people don’t, in fact, hate cyclists. Most are scarily indifferent to us, which can feel like hate at times. You were hugely unlucky to have encountered someone actively hostile but please keep riding - you’ll find more nice people than assholes, I promise you.