OK, this is dumb: I find myself getting into mental conflicts with other road users (mostly the drivers of automobiles) even when nothing remotely bad has occurred. I see a potential situation, and I begin thinking how I’m going to handle the resulting conflict. (This is especially odd because I have been cultivating a “no-react” policy, i.e. car honks and I pretend like it has not happened — going on my merry way.)
Now it makes perfectly good sense to identify potential conflicts in order to avoid them. That’s not what I’m talking about here. I’m talking about the interior dialogue (that’s scary) that goes on in my head even when no conflict arises.
You’d think I could rationally consider my everyday riding experience and simply enjoy the ride. Well, I do enjoy the ride. These moments simply intrude briefly upon what is a very conflict-free experience the vast majority of the time.
People tell me they think riding a bicycle in Springfield must be terribly frustrating or dangerous because they assume drivers are just itching to honk or worse. I tell them it just ain’t so. I ride weeks and weeks between relatively minor incidents (honking or the “frat-boy shout”). And I ride like I mean it. I’m in the lane. I’m nearly always in the left-most position that I should occupy. If anyone is going to get honked at it should be me.
Ah, but that last assertion is based on an odd assumption. Am I selling my fellow road users short ? When people tell me they get honked at, I ask them under what circumstances. And much of the time they describe doing something that, IMO, they should not be doing. Hmmmmm… Could it be — hmmmm– I wonder.
Man, I gotta relax.
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That’s funny. I do the same thing.
I have a no-react policy, too. It seems a better “punishment” to completely ignore them and leave them feeling impotent. But more than anything, it makes the event have less impact on my day if I don’t contribute.
A lot of the people I see riding bikes around here make *me* want to honk at them. Rarely a day goes by that I don’t say “Dude! What the ___ are you doing?”
Imagine what a positive impact we could have on bicycling, the perception of bicycling, the appeal of bicycling, if we could get more people to ride like they mean it!
Posted 11 Jun 2009 at 1:40 pm ¶A friend just called me and told me of a loved one riding a bicycle who was killed by an auto driver. Happened in Texas and alcohol on the part of the auto was involved. So sad.
I thought of you. You could start a BADD group.
Posted 11 Jun 2009 at 2:19 pm ¶Kansas. It happened in Kansas. Sorry for the Texas thing. I don’t know where that came from.
Posted 11 Jun 2009 at 2:19 pm ¶Jack… That just sucks. I’m sorry to hear it.
Posted 11 Jun 2009 at 2:26 pm ¶About 3 weeks ago someone with an aftermarket airhorn scared me so much it almost caused me to fall off my bike. I was waiting for a signal to change so I could cross national and he passed and honked and it was louder than a firetruck’s horn.
Posted 11 Jun 2009 at 2:41 pm ¶James… You can get portable air horns like that for bicycles. Sounds just like a truck. Blast ‘em back!
Posted 11 Jun 2009 at 5:16 pm ¶It is getting real gnarly here in Jacksonville. Two times did an angry motorist pull over in front of me and the passenger you out to pick a fight. I did show the finger both times after being honked at and verbally abused.
I am training myself on the no reaction policy but the honkings don’t stop. This is on 2 miles of road between my office and apartment 95% of all trips.
Is is even worth trying to change peoples attitudes? Why do I feel less and less like an advocate and more like a martyr? How do we reduce this distaste? Is it probable? I am thinking of moving to a city that has it right, like Portland of even getting the hell out of this car loving country.
Posted 12 Jun 2009 at 12:11 pm ¶Shek… Perhaps a move? How about Springfield? We could use the advocacy help, and it’s really a pretty good town for getting around on a bicycle. Columbia, MO is looking good there days. And Kansas City is now making a play for bicycle friendliness. Hang in there, man!
Posted 12 Jun 2009 at 1:19 pm ¶Maybe I can work on David Hembrow adopting me.
Posted 13 Jun 2009 at 4:23 pm ¶
Posted 14 Jun 2009 at 10:43 am ¶