everyday i ride 7 miles to class during peak traffic hours. it takes me a good 40 mins to get there, so i take my time and obey the laws but when i do that, i get honked at. drivers think i'm in their way although i have a right to be in the lane just as much as they do. i'm not an entitled cyclist, trust me there is nothing in that word that can deem a cyclist entitled especially when you have streets and laws that serve the purpose of vehicles. telegraph street in Oakland is a bustling road with wide lanes to fit lots of cars and parking but no bike lanes until you enter Berkeley. i see lots of cyclist riding this street, especially students. i don't like my rides to be stressful at all, and i like to think that i'll get to my class safely, but when somebody comes at me all crazy because they can't wait for the light to turn green, i get little miss smart ass on a bicycle to reply "aw, you can't wait two seconds for the light to turn green? that's too bad." i'm not going to lie, i won't move for drivers if they are name calling, acting irrationally, honking, and getting too close when they are a threat to me and the environment, even if it is just for two seconds. to be a cyclist in a city, you have to always be on guard, never distracted, always looking for risk, always having a plan for the next two seconds before you. this is your brain working for survival.
so, the moral here is that like the message in the photo above, no matter how many hatters be honking at you because they can't wait for two second for the light to turn green,
ride responsibly and be awesome.
Well said!
I always find it ironic that people call cyclists entitled, but not the businessman in his shiny Chrysler SUV who is yelling at me "get the fuck out of the road, asshole!" out his window, as I'm riding down a tiny, neighborhood street with room for only one lane of traffic (not one each way, just one), who then takes off at 35mph as soon as I turn out of his way.
That road BELONGS to him, as far as he is concerned.
I'm happy to share it with him and anyone else, as long as they're willing to return the favor. But if I feel threatened, I'm going to act accordingly, whether it serves anyone else's convenience or not.
true dat sister! ride and be awesome and then those annoying mean drivers will slip right off your back. what i like to do is give them a BIG smile and wave, like hey, are you saying hi! hehe they never know what to do after that! hehe
xo,
cb
I don't move for the name-callers either, heck no. I try to also remember not to take the jerkitude personally, since it's likely that people in cars who yell at cyclists probably cut off other cars and otherwise drive dangerously in traffic, too.
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