Thick Skin
It’s not good to honk at a cyclist because, well, it’s startlingly loud:
I can understand the need to communicate, but horns don’t do the trick. But even when some folks use their words, they don’t really do much better…
So when find myself the target of horns or yells, I simply don’t respond.
They’re not looking for a reasonable conversation. And engaging with them might make it worse. I don’t really want to see how unreasonable things could go.
After all, does this ever happen?
So I try to let it go.
I have a zero engagement policy with aggressive honkers. I am deaf to their horns. Bid them good day and ride on. They have nothing for me, and I have nothing for them. Honkers=non-entities.
There’s a well-used truck parked around the corner from me that has a bumper sticker: “Horn broken. Watch for finger.”
It always makes me smile, maybe because of the obvious truth of it. Wouldn’t it be better if all cars just came with that sticker and no horn?
I’ve never got the ‘Nice butt’ comment but most of the rest, especially ‘Get onto the sidewalk’ are regular classics. It’s a small wonder over half the riders we counted at two Dot intersections were ‘Sidewalkers.’ They’re only doing what they’re told!
I’m working hard to be NICER to people that drive like idiots on my commute, but this is really challenging.
Recently, a city driver in a mini trash truck was in a hurry and swerved into empty parallel spots to make a right, nearly taking out a cyclist. Of course, he was completely oblivious, so when I stopped at the red light beside him, I nicely said, “Hey buddy, watch for bikes,” he spewed a bunch of angry mumbo-jumbo that could have easily been, “I hate my life so I’m going to take it out on you!”
There is only so much we can do!
“Can you move out of the road so I can turn right?”
Problem: This illustration is obviously of Springfield St at Cambridge St and, if I’m not mistaken, there is a no right on red for cars at that light no?
Problem: you’re assuming that drivers actually pay attention to those no turn on red signs. 🙂
Happened to me at at red on Waltham St. at Harrison Avenue – woman honked, “excuse me!” “excuse me, I want to turn right and I don’t want to hit you”. When I refused to move and she finally was able to go she says, “you’re a bicyclist!”.
Oh really? Thanks for letting me know!!
I had one tell me she had the right to turn! She was angry that I wouldn’t move out of her way. She didn’t seem to get that I was blocking her way because I was attempting to trigger the lights so I could proceed by standing on the sensors on the road for that very purpose. She didn’t seem to understand that whoever gets to the stop/curb/light first has the “right” and not the cyclist or driver behind them.
Just this morning I had a driver yell at me because I made a left turn hand signal and didn’t let her pass me before turning left. She saw the hand signal, what did she think was going to happen?
“Can you move out of the road so I can turn right?”
Answer: “I didn’t realize it was your private road. Since I was here first, can you wait there just a minute while I go straight?”