Why are people so rude?

[FJRJeff]

Is it because there's more of us? Is it because it's becoming acceptable to be nasty to people - almost expected?

I'm driving in today, pass by this bicyclist over on the right of my lane, with plenty of room. I stop at a light, and I hear this screaming. I look over, and he's next to my car. I rolled down my window, and he's calling me all kinds of names, f-this, f-that, swearing up a storm, saying I almost hit him, he only had 4", etc.

I've been driving long enough to notice when I'm 4" from an object. I gave him plenty of room, though I didn't swerve out of my lane because there was a car next to me. I said "Hey, why do you have to be so rude and swear at me? Can't you just say, 'Hey man, you got a little close, keep an eye out!'?" He kept going on and on.

I finally got pissed off. I said "Hey, next time maybe I'll do the world a favor and run your ass over because you're a dick!"

WTF? Can you imagine if everytime we got cut off on our motorcycle (or anything bad, really), we got off the bike and ripped someone up and down what kind of impression they would have of us?

If I see the guy tomorrow, I may illustrate the difference between 4" and 4' to him.

 

[Grumpy]

Send him over here to Western NC where he's lucky to have a lane that measures 8'. Sounds like he hasn't been riding all that long. when I was biking, all I asked for was that the passing car didn't hit me.....close only counts in horseshoes and handgrinades!

jim

 

[Leartech]

Bummer. Such a crappy thing to be bitched out for something you didn't do. I think intelligence and common sense are both becoming lost art forms here in the good old US of A. Sad, sad thing.............

Catch him riding in a cross walk and run his bitch ass over.............................ooops, did I say that out loud?

Rude people suck!

Sorry man,

Bryan

 

[juniorfjr]

I always try to share the road with bicyles. I just want anything above 8 inches

 

[Mike-H]

If you believe in karma....what goes around comes around..... ....

 

[ponyfool]

It's because in the Portland Metro area, many bicyclists (not all of them, but certainly this one) believe they are entitled to anything and everything they want. It's part of the "I'm better than you because I'm not burning any hydrocarbons" mentality. But hey, maybe I'm wrong. Sure as hell wouldn't be the first time!

 

[Jeff Tate]

It's because in the Portland Metro area, many bicyclists (not all of them, but certainly this one) believe they are entitled to anything and everything they want. It's part of the "I'm better than you because I'm not burning any hydrocarbons" mentality. But hey, maybe I'm wrong. Sure as hell wouldn't be the first time!

Sad... But it's the absolute truth around here.Tree huggers/rolling roadblocks suck.

 

[markjenn]

I'd like to hear the bicyclist's side of this story. "Plenty of room" is pretty subjective.

- Mark

 

[FJRMGM]

as a long-time, high mileage bicycle rider myself, we don't tend to go out of our way to yell at people who leave "plenty of room". Matter of fact, we usually just wave at them and go on.

BUT - we do go out of our way to let people know when they got closer than they had to when there was, in fact, plenty of room to leave plenty of room, but didn't. Usually it's because of mirrors that stick waaaay out from the vehicle. Or because someone passed and pulled in right in front of them ten feet from a stop light.

So, please rethink the situation and ask yourself: "did I really leave him plenty of room?"

As for the comments about bicyclist being "entitled to anything they want", well, I can think of many examples where fellow motorcycle riding members seemed to have that same attitude.

 

[Geezer]

Where I live bicycles are required to ride in the lane with traffic and are entitled to the lane. Of course, in reality they all keep to the right for self-preservation.

Never the less, the guy is definately a dick head for the way he reacted. The title of the post is about people being rude, and no matter how close you came to him he was in the wrong by confronting you in that manner. We talk about not intentionally getting the cagers mad at us when we're on the FJR because we don't want to be a target, imagine what's eventually going to happen to this guy.

 

[ponyfool]

as a long-time, high mileage bicycle rider myself, we don't tend to go out of our way to yell at people who leave "plenty of room". Matter of fact, we usually just wave at them and go on.
BUT - we do go out of our way to let people know when they got closer than they had to when there was, in fact, plenty of room to leave plenty of room, but didn't. Usually it's because of mirrors that stick waaaay out from the vehicle. Or because someone passed and pulled in right in front of them ten feet from a stop light.

So, please rethink the situation and ask yourself: "did I really leave him plenty of room?"

As for the comments about bicyclist being "entitled to anything they want", well, I can think of many examples where fellow motorcycle riding members seemed to have that same attitude.

You also don't live in the Portland Metro area. Because of my position at work, I will not go into the politics of bicycling in our community, I'll let one of the other Portland folks do that, but I assure you, we have a different model than anywhere else in the world who truly believe they are entitled to anything they want.

Now, don't get me wrong, intertwined in the outrageous group, we have some people making legitimate strides in sharing the road. But sadly, those legitimate folks are outnumbered by countless others that are lawless, and damn proud of it.

 

[donaldb]

WTF? Can you imagine if everytime we got cut off on our motorcycle (or anything bad, really), we got off the bike and ripped someone up and down what kind of impression they would have of us?

been there done that :angry:

 

[FJRJeff]

I'd like to hear the bicyclist's side of this story. "Plenty of room" is pretty subjective.
- Mark

There is nothing subjective about his claim I was 4" from him (he actually showed me with his hands).

I was not within 4' of him, let alone 4".

But you're right, I'm sure he saw it differently. Perhaps I got to close to his ego.

Jeff

as a long-time, high mileage bicycle rider myself, we don't tend to go out of our way to yell at people who leave "plenty of room". Matter of fact, we usually just wave at them and go on.
BUT - we do go out of our way to let people know when they got closer than they had to when there was, in fact, plenty of room to leave plenty of room, but didn't. Usually it's because of mirrors that stick waaaay out from the vehicle. Or because someone passed and pulled in right in front of them ten feet from a stop light.

So, please rethink the situation and ask yourself: "did I really leave him plenty of room?"

As for the comments about bicyclist being "entitled to anything they want", well, I can think of many examples where fellow motorcycle riding members seemed to have that same attitude.

While not a high miler, I also ride a bicycle on surface streets and trails around here, so I understand the concerns of bikers on busy streets. My car is a Toyota Corolla. Not a lane hog, no wide mirrors.

Jeff

 

[evil_henchman]

Maybe we should do like they do down under. My little brother spent some time in Australia as a mormon missionary. You know the guys in the white shirts, always on bicycles. The Aussies would make a sport of trying to knock them off their bikes as they went by while yelling things like "bloody bible bashers"! They would get punched, slapped and even had car doors opened and used as bike swatters. :lol:

I was behind a lady once who was driving just fine as she passed a bicycle rider. This jerk caught up at a light and went off on her just like you described. Just a typical Lance Armstrong wannabe thinking the road belongs to him and him alone. Me being a foul tempered a$$hole that I am I paced him for probably half a mile badgering him the whole time and threatening to run him off the road and shove his precious bike up his a$$. I felt a lot better after that.

 

[FJRJeff]

You also don't live in the Portland Metro area. Because of my position at work, I will not go into the politics of bicycling in our community, I'll let one of the other Portland folks do that, but I assure you, we have a different model than anywhere else in the world who truly believe they are entitled to anything they want.
Now, don't get me wrong, intertwined in the outrageous group, we have some people making legitimate strides in sharing the road. But sadly, those legitimate folks are outnumbered by countless others that are lawless, and damn proud of it.

Scott makes a good point here regarding Portland. I also won't go in to the details, but the law allowing them to run red lights drives me nuts.

I know how much room I gave him, regardless of the reasonable questions raised here. I've come close to stuff before. I know what the difference is. You can bet I'll be keeping an eye out for him in the future. :evil2:

Jeff

 

[05fjrBluedevil]

I know how much room I gave him, regardless of the reasonable questions raised here. I've come close to stuff before. I know what the difference is. You can bet I'll be keeping an eye out for him in the future. :evil2:

Jeff

Yeah open up that maze on him next time you roll the window down :dribble:

I know someone did that one time around here and had ever reason too, but the driver of that truck towing a boat took issue and they got out of their vechical and &^(^^&*^%&^$%&%&^ out of that guy!

BTW it was not me, and I did not see it happen, but I have plenty of bicyclist on my road and surrounding area to see why it could happen.

I do not mind sharing the road with them as I too would like to start riding around here, but they are anoying, because they do not know how to hug the white line out of the way.

 

[jwilly]

There's a battle going on in Metro Atlanta with some rude bikers as well. These guys meet and practice in a residential area, sometimes riding 3-5 wide and blocking traffic. Below is a quote from the news article this morning.

"Some of these guys get out of control," said resident Lawrie Jordan. "One time, there were four of them riding together, and we gently hit the horn. One of them started following us home, and verbally abusing my wife."

 

[FJRMGM]

"Me being a foul tempered a$$hole that I am I paced him for probably half a mile badgering him the whole time and threatening to run him off the road and shove his precious bike up his a$$."

I have a solution for A-holes like you - it's called speed dial on the cell to the police to report a description of you, your vehicle and license plate number. Badger them with your A-hole attitude.

 

[650cent]

Hey Jeff, you know how Portland is, Nazi bicyclist run a red light and get creamed, its the motorist fault. When the mayor can do it anybody can. It won't be long and cars will not be allowed in downtown and you must take the light rail to go anywhere because there won't be anyplace to park. It would be nice if these bicyclist were registered and had to pay a road tax.

I'm sure you gave him plenty of room, he just had to show how much better than everyone else he is.

Bill