The first instance was the other day, as I was biking home along a busy but comfortably-wide three-lane road. I was cruising at a good pace and the lanes were wide enough that I was not impeding the traffic flow at all. I emphasize this fact because, in spite of it, a driver in the lane next to me, who I was not affecting in any way, screamed at me to "get on the fucking sidewalk!" It was jarring not just because of what he said (bikes are absolutely allowed on the road), but because of how genuinely angry he was at my mere presence among traffic. Sadly, this is not an isolated incident, and cyclists frequently report verbal abuse from angry drivers.
 |
| How I picture these drivers |
First off, A+ for making such an astute fucking observation. As most two-year-olds could point out, no, I am not a car. Neither is my bike, for that matter. But guess what? I'm still allowed on the same roads, subject to the same laws, and entitled to the same rights as a person operating a motor vehicle. (Click to Tweet) Yes, I am slower than most vehicles. I realize that and genuinely try to be considerate and to not impede traffic, as long as it doesn't jeopardize my safety. To be honest, the majority of drivers I share the road with are fairly courteous in return - waiting to pass until it is safe for everyone. When both drivers and cyclists work to share the road in this manner, it goes quite well: no one dies or gets in a wreck, and there are only minimal delays for drivers.
So why is it so hard for some people to accept that bikes are a part of traffic? More importantly, why does the sight of a cyclist make them angry enough to yell obscenities at a complete stranger? I honestly don't know - maybe it's a sense of entitlement that has come from the predominance of car culture, or maybe it's the same anonymity that contributes to road rage. Maybe some people are just angry in general. Either way, it's something that we need to address, because cyclists aren't going anywhere. Maybe drivers-ed classes need to include a section on cycling and sharing the road? (Click to Tweet)
Why do you think cyclists make some drivers so angry? I'd love to hear your thoughts in the comment section!
The drivers that yell at you are the same drivers that yell at other drivers and pedestrians and at their children in their own cars. They are angry at their own lives and any little thing that diverts their attention away from whatever they are doing. When these people get into their cars they feel safely powerful and exert this energy whenever they can to feel like their unhappy lives are justified. These people are dangerous and need to be avoided whenever possible. As a biker, you need to just be on the lookout for them and stay out of their way to be safe, because they will cause an accident at some point in time.
ReplyDeleteAgree - I think it's the same mindset that causes road rage. Personal anger, coupled with the anonymity of being in a vehicle. Definitely people to avoid.
DeleteBoth commenters are right, but there is more to it. I think that just being behind the wheel of a car makes people more likely to get impatient and angry. I don't know why this is, but it happens to me, even on short drives when I'm not in any rush. I believe it happens to a lot of people, probably to widely varying degrees.
ReplyDeleteI want to share a great observation someone posted on this thread on Reddit (http://www.reddit.com/r/bikecommuting/comments/2f37cd/why_do_drivers_get_so_angry_at_cyclists/):
ReplyDelete"Because in a lot of places, bike infrastructure is not great, and cyclists do have to do nerve-wracking things thanks to their environment, and this makes drivers nervous and irritated at what they perceive as reckless behavior. If you don't bike yourself it's not obvious that sometimes it's not the fault of the cyclist. Sometimes I have to do things that would probably seem stupid or dangerous to a driver if that driver had never considered the road from the point of view of a bike."