Hacker News Reader

When I'm cycling, I'm more than fine with drivers who stop at stop signs, use turn signals to show their intentions, don't slowly drift into the bike lane, etc. The conscientious ones will, if they have to go into your lane (for instance to unload passengers at the curb), signal and merge, slow down carefully, then get out of the lane as soon as they're done unloading passengers. I think this is more than fair if you're sharing the road with bicycles.

However, a lot of drivers do do infuriating, selfish things. From what I've generalized over time, they are either the inexperienced ones who don't really think about what's going on around them, are too impatient to make logical/informed decisions, or they are dipsticks on cell phones who break all the rules because it's just too inconvenient or because they are just so hip the rules don't apply.

I don't think there's some deeper meaning behind it all, I think that some drivers are courteous and skillful when sharing the road, but many of them don't really know what they're doing or think that the world owes them something because what kind of asshole rides a bicycle anyway?!?! It's the latter ones that ruin it for everyone.

Cyclists insist on their rights but do not accept their responsibilities. Once I was walking in a crosswalk with the light when the guy zooms through the crosswalk a foot in front of my face face. I swear at him and he stops says "What did you say?" "I said pedestrians have right of over bikes way in a crosswalk" He says "I knew that" I said "Then act like you f*ing know that!"

Would you be angry at a cyclist who rode in front of your car, taking the full lane, at a speed significantly below the speed limit, on a busy two lane road?

I have been yelled at by a motorist in that situation before.

Of course, they only had time to roll down their window because they flew past, honking, and then hit the red light at the end of the block, so we both had to stop and wait.

No, I wouldn't. I'd wait for a chance to pass then pass. The situation has happened to me many times, and you know what? I just don't care. I never have to be somewhere so ridiculously fucking fast that anyone who dares slowing me down needs to be screamed at. I think most people forget: your life is not so important that you need to rush everywhere. If someone's about to have a baby or something, a friendly honk to get someone slow out of the way can be useful. The problem is that too many people think what they are doing is soooo important that they need to honk and scream at anything that gets in their way.

Too many people are in a rush to get somewhere they don't want to be. What's the point?