Moron Driver

jaybird said:

This rant is aimed at the guy in the full size pickup with his mountain bike in the truck bed heading out to McDowell Mtn park on Saturday around 11am.

I was the roadie heading back into FH on McDowell Mtn road when you decided to pass the car you were behind and come at me head on. This is my favorite - looking up from the road and seeing about a ton of truck driven by an impatient driver throttling at me at 70+ mph. It's bad enough I've got to worry about the morons from behind, now I've got some @sshat passing against traffic. WTF!? Next time try waiting 5 freaking seconds.

Click to expand...

I'm shocked -- shocked -- that a fellow cyclist would also be an idiot driver.

p.

I see your idiot and raise you a Phx cop doing the same thing to me on my commute home last week in a school zone. with kids out. no lights. no sirens.
no brain.

Paul B said:

I'm shocked -- shocked -- that a fellow cyclist would also be an idiot driver.

p.

Click to expand...

I assume you're being sarcastic.I'm fess up and admit I'm an idiot driver sometimes, even to cyclists, but only when they are. For instance, like the time I was turning left onto 32nd street from Mt View. There were a couple cyclists looking to cross 32 from the west side. We made eye contact, I waited and waited (maybe 10 secs). I assume they are giving me the right away after I waited so long, so I pull out. As soon as I'm in the middle of the road, they decide now is time to cross. I stop, and they both give me a dirty look.

But to the original poster, yep, that dude was an idiot.

I misunderstood....

I thought this string was about the jerk in the black limo who had his whole entourage in tow and made me stand around at stop sign in the cold for 20 min. He didn't even say excuse me, and I was late to work.

oh you were there?

bike=good said:

I thought this string was about the jerk in the black limo who had his whole entourage in tow and made me stand around at stop sign in the cold for 20 min. He didn't even say excuse me, and I was late to work.

Click to expand...

glad he was going double the speed limit with throngs of kids around.

Yup I was there...

...and apparently, riding up to the cop with the motorcade passing makes them very nervous and angry.

My Issue with the Rules of the Road

My biggest issue with drivers is the classic intersection scenario when buttwipe drivers decide they are doing to do you a big favor by waiving you through the intersection even though it is clearly their turn to go. The rules of the road are there for a reason. Follow them. If it is your turn, go dammit. The world won't collapse if you go in turn ahead of a bike.

My favorite response is to then waive the driver through. Then a battle ensues. You waive me through, I waive you through. The one that goes through first is the loser.

When I am driver and another driver waives me through the intersection even though it is really his/her turn to go, I pretend to not see his/her waive. This is my favorite. They go through and I win. Nobody, and I mean nobody is going to take control from me. The waiver is not doing me any favors. Rather, they are asserting their control. Stick your "favor" up the deep end. I am in control dammit.

Agreed 110%! If they'd just treat bikes like cars there'd generally be no problem at all. Except for the morons who simply don't see you and run you down anyway.

p.

bike=good said:

I thought this string was about the jerk in the black limo who had his whole entourage in tow and made me stand around at stop sign in the cold for 20 min. He didn't even say excuse me, and I was late to work.

Click to expand...

Come on now. That jerk is entitled to amnesty. No wait, amnesty would be wrong. He is entitled to permanent temporary forgiveness.