Comment 33308

By mikeonthemountain (registered) | Posted September 09, 2009 at 12:21:01

Biking on roads can be a damned if you do damned if you don't situation. I ride on the road lawfully, obey signals, queue with traffic and everything, and 99% of the time it is fine but I have been at the receiving end of road rage with frightening regularity. Latest examples:

Last week a minivan drove behind me in the right lane honking. The left lane and the rest of the road was completely empty. I kept pedaling with no response or change; I don't respond to bullies. The minivan eventually wrapped around me angrily - only to move into the left lane anyway seconds later because of a stopped truck ahead!!

Yesterday on Fairview (just before the bike lane mercifully starts at the Walmart near Brant) a young female driver did the same thing. I was trying to stay at the road edge as much as possible but the pavement is all busted in spots. She drove behind me honking and eventually passed angrily while her boyfriend swore and shouted at me to get on the sidewalk - only to almost plow into a second cyclist ahead of me using the road in the same way! The car behind her was an angel and gave us space while this lunatic went by ... and the bike lane began seconds later and we were able to get out of traffic's way.

What about the bike lanes that end abruptly and spit you out into a dangerous spot? For example the Plains Road bike lane ends abruptly and turns into a third traffic lane at the QEW/403 on ramps. I ride a meter out in the right lane and pedal hard to get through that spot quickly. If I ride on the lane edge I almost get run over. If I ride a meter out per Canbike best practices (take the lane temporarily) I get honked and yelled at occasionally, but I do not get almost run over - at least I'm passed properly till I can get through and out of the way. I hate spots like that, they leave you vulnerable to lunatics.

The Jolley Cut repaving has started and I see no sign of a bike lane there either so far, still leaving upbound traffic to deal with cyclists. I feel bad for the buses ... they are professionally trained drivers and pass bikes properly but I wish they didn't have to.

Yeah this place is totally assimilated by the Borg. What to do but keep cycling and getting through tough spots patiently and with soundness of mind, and ignoring bullies. Hope I don't have to die for that. Numerous people are going to bike on the sidewalk while stuff like this goes on. Using the road is an extreme sport.

I wondered about attaching a mini sports camera to the bike and posting to the internet video of some of the more demented acts of road rage. I want to be humble and not provoke any negativity though ... is that a wise thing to do?

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