What do you do.....?

[RossputiN]

....when someone honks at you on your commute?
Usually, I just give honky a look or hold up a hand (not really a wave, not really a thanks). But today, I flipped honky the bird.
I don't get honked at much mind you. I wear a helmet. I have lights front and back. I ride in the far right of the lane and stay to side streets/bikepaths as often as possible. I don't take a lot of risks on my commute: I go fast, I blow the odd light or stop sign if the intersection is free (totally free) but that's about it.

But today, in full daylight on my commute home, I cut accross the road at a good clip some 30-40m away from the closest car and they gave me a sustained honk of the horn. They were so far away that I couldnt tell if the driver was man/woman. After I fingered them I felt stupid. Whoever it was probably had a s**t day in their cubicle, spent the last hour or so driving from Van to New West and saw me as their worst enemy. I dunno.

[mace2]

you clearly need a train horn

if you can drown them out you're not in the wrong!

[gary j]

when people having a bad day see someone having a good one it seems to stress them out even more. and instead of going down to their level, and letting it pi$$ you off, you stay in a good mood enjoying a nice ride.


or at least thats what works for me.


as for the finger, don't beat yourself up. it happens to all of us from time to time.

keep up the good fight,
gary

[Dave K]

Usually ignore them. If I'm in a good mood I wave and smile. Usually I'm just happy that they see me (if they didn't they wouldn't honk).

[the Master Plan Dan]

Yeah... they had a crappy day and them in their car... it could be any car... even one of them Smart Cars... that they feel bigger than you and their aggression is taken out on you.

It is crappy but when we feel bad... most of us take it out on others... usually so that we feel better about ourselves.

I have caught myself doing... not honking at bikers... I give them the right of way... but with other things.

Just everyone get out on a bike and be happy!

Cheers!

[XXX_er]

I got a good one for ya

My ski/paddle bud who is also a lawyer is commuting to work on his 97 rocky element .In PG bikes are not allowed on 5th between hy97 and downtown cuz the road is too narrow but you can zip over a block and yer fine ... much quieter ride too .I say this cuz we figure this is why the old lady was honking at my buddy mkaybe she thot he shouldnt be on the road BUT he was on the section of road BEFORE hy 97 where bikes are ok and the road is 6 lanes wide

she honks at him up the road and again at the stop light,he puts his bike down in the middle of the road where he was in line with the other cars and goes up to her window to ask what the prob is ? she hits the power locks and won't talk ,he takes out his newdigital pocket camera and takes pictures of her car,her plate, her ,she freaks some more and drives off ... except his bike is on the road ands she runs over it

he calls icbc and even tho he has pictures/witnesses ect they gave him the run around SO he is sueing her ... mostly to find out why she was honking

a nice christian lady in a big van gave glen a ride to work with his MANGLED rocky ,she had some kinda legal problem and no money so glen helped her out ... there are good people out there

[Circlip]

she honks at him up the road and again at the stop light,he puts his bike down in the middle of the road where he was in line with the other cars and goes up to her window to ask what the prob is ?

Reminds me of last summer coming down Cambie around 16th Ave when a large tour bus passed me from behind and nearly squeezed me over into the row of parked cars (guess I should have been even more obvious about taking my entire lane...).

I eventually caught up a couple of lights later and plunked my bike down in front of the bus, then made the driver come get out a talk to me for a couple of minutes before moving my bike. When I figured he'd gotten the point of the conversation I finally agreed to move my bike so that he and his bus full of passengers could proceed. I figured the bus driver couldn't reasonably go postal on me and run over my bike, but I'm not sure if I would do that with any miscellaneous car.

[XXX_er]

Well by the law he IS entitled to the complete road at least till he crossed the highway where he MUST cut over to 8th

a 10 year old element relegated to the comute maybe 500$?

this court case ... priceless


its all good ,glen picked up a used titanium hummer which is a way better bike especialy for the commute

[Bukkake]

gotta take a lane, the door zone is no place to ride a bike...

[old_school_n00b]

you clearly need a train horn



As the number of years spent commuting increases, the probability of purchasing air horns (http://fearlessgearless.com/2006/09/blowing-my-own-horn) approaches 1.

Getting honked at is a very good thing. It means that someone has seen you, and has therefore not hit you. When this happens, I breathe a quiet sigh of relief and keep on moving. Time is money, and I refuse to waste either of them getting into a pointless exchange with some clueless driver.

Really, you never know what kind of troglodyte you're dealing with anyway, and it's generally best just to step lively and avoid confrontation to begin with.

Don't get angry. Heckle them and leave them behind in the gridlock. :)

[rideitall]

I also commute to work most days on my bike into downtown Vancouver. It is a short ride, but if I wanted to I could likely tell someone off everyday.

I am conservative on the bike when on the road, I always wear a helmet, lights in the winter months and almost all of my ride is on bike routes or on side streets.

Twice, I have almost been hit while crossing Broadway (at Ontario). Both times I had the walk light and it was the driver of the car that was a total idiot. The first time I almost followed the car down Broadway to blast the driver or kick in a window or door panel or ??? The second time I did follow the car, got the plate number and called into the police to report the woman tried to hit me with her car. I actually felt pretty good about staying cool and reporting the person. Yes, the woman actually stepped on the gas to try and hit me, stopping about 2 feet from me.

I have thought about strapping my old bike pump onto my bike, as it is an old metal Petzel (sp?) pump that could really do some damage to a vehicle if used effectively, but then thought I don't want that. I have even heard of bike couriers carrying a small bottle of brake fluid for special occasions and really special people.

I guess I look at it an can say, I do like to ride to work over driving, even in crappy raining winter weather, but sometimes it is frustrating. I can be 100% in the right and have a car pull out of an alley or run a stop sign or red light and wipe me out, causing serious injury or death, all to get 1 stop light ahead or to/from the office 2 minutes faster.

How do you think drivers would act if pulling a bone-head move like running a stop sign of red light meant they could have some renegade bike rider beat the crap out of them or their vehicle. Perhaps, a little mutual respect might result for those who choose to ride to work rather than always taking a car.

I feel better now for this venting. It should be a nice ride home today. Hot and sunny, perhaps a little detour around the False Creek seawall for that extra scenic ride home.

[the flying moose]

i enjoy giving them the thumbsup and a wave.

[rasd1]

amazingly I also fingered a guy today..the diff is I didnt feel bad.

[Wayne P]

I'm a very happy, relaxed guy, but I have a short fuse. I usually flip 'em off or something similar. I've chased down vehicles and punched the hood of cars because of drivers who are endangering my life. Sad but true.

[gary j]

any regulars notice it's not just the 12 month warriors out there lately.

maybe the change in weather, ride to work week, more light, but the roads seem to be packed with cyclists this week.

how cool!!

i've also noticed cars seem to be taking more notice, (haven't been cut off all week)

every rider i see i wish them a happy ride to work week and carry on.

it has been a very, very good week.

[LeeLau]

Lots of people out commuting by bike.

I was out running errands in van and saw some poor guy get crunched by a door near Hemlock and Broadway - ambulances, crunched wheels the whole bit. I hope he was ok.

I rarely react to catcalls or honks.

[Poz]

I was driving yesterday waiting to make a right turn. Guy on a bmx bails while riding across the crosswalk, he picks himself up fast. Someone in a car about 30 yards away, not even in the intersection, lays on the horn.

Seriously, was it really necesary to remind the guy that "HEY you fell on the road and cars are coming." Kind of added insult to injury.

[forest]

I flip 'em the bird, then stare at them like I'm thinking about dragging their fat ass out of their car and beating the crap out to them.

I'm constantly amazed by the complete lack of concern that people in their monster suv's show for their fellow humans. Some woman, in a rush from the late shop to yoga class, driving her esclade will swerve in front of you, pinch you into the curve, slam on the brakes, whatever. From what I've seen, they could give 2 shits about you or your life. I treat everyone of them like their out to get me, or they are dreaming while talking on their cell phone.

Thats how I got hit last year, a drifter on a cell phone, not paying attention pinched me over. Luckily Jonathan > Jeep and they got a huge dent in their door.

[the Master Plan Dan]

Thats how I got hit last year, a drifter on a cell phone, not paying attention pinched me over. Luckily Jonathan > Jeep and they got a huge dent in their door.


Why to go... normally just looking at them and shaking my head leads to the "oh shit" look and then the avoidance action.

[forest]

Why to go... normally just looking at them and shaking my head leads to the "oh shit" look and then the avoidance action.

I didn't have much choice in the situation, it was my head that made the dent.

[the Master Plan Dan]

I didn't have much choice in the situation, it was my head that made the dent.

My typo made that sound odd... I meant to say... WAY to go... I can't stand people that don't pay attention. I have been driving and Blond Bimbo in the huge SUV doing her hair, nails, the pool boy in the passenger seat... slides over into my lane... and then has the nerve to give me the finger when I hit the horn.

It has only happened once on the bike... I taped the door with my foot and shook my head.

She looked up, dear in headlights and then sped off.....

Johnny when your mom said use your head.. she didn't mean that way!

You ready to ride yet?

[Couch_Surfer]

Why is thread making me want to go ride through downtown?

[sanrensho]

Why is thread making me want to go ride through downtown?

Funny, I was thinking the same thing.

But more along the lines of riding through downtown naked on a fixie bike with no brakes...





















It must be the heat.

[biggles604]

Why is thread making me want to go ride through downtown?

I used to ride around downtown following the rules: Red light= go right if legal. Green = go left if legal and possible, else go straight. It's amazing how long you can stay stuck on the same 4 blocks.

I don't get honked at much mind you. I wear a helmet.

Don't you remember that English research that proved wearing a helmet caused people to drive more dangerously near you?

[connor]

yeah I was riding home along 49th last night around 7pm or so and some Ho-bag in her Beamer sped up to pass me and turned right, right in front of me, so I had to jam my brakes. Obviously she was talking on her phone, but not for long as I flipped her off pretty good, and yelled in her open window, "WATCH WHAT YOUR F_ING DOING.." I may have also used the term rhyming with witch.

[old_school_n00b]

But more along the lines of riding through downtown naked on a fixie bike with no brakes...



...I saw some guy rolling around brakeless and shoeless today. It was pretty awesome.