Bicycle commute + Road Rage...?

[ronin74]

This wasn't road road rage but just shows that sh!t happens, just being in the wrong place at the wrong time. An on-duty Santa Clara deputy fell asleep at the wheel and veered across a winding road and killed two bicyclist, March 2008.

So Kramer for crissake be careful out there, I think you've got mouths to feed, college tuitions to pay for.

 

[Marl]

I'm buying a bicycle this weekend. I plan on riding it in Indianapolis, the second worst place for bicycles in the US. I'm still pretty excited.

I plan on using it to commute, starting in Mid-June. Thanks for the tips.

 

[acidbasement]

When I lived in Winnipeg I rode a bike everywhere. That is a very bike-unfriendly city! I found that often the safest thing was to claim an entire lane, because otherwise motorists would try to pass me with less than a foot of clearance and there would be nowhere to swerve when encountering one of the many potholes on the far right edge of streets.

In general it's good to follow the rules of the road, but common sense should always trump the rules. Do whatever you have to do to make people in cars notice you, because that is how you stay safe. A bit of eye contact, a smile and a wave go a long way toward smoothing over ruffled feathers if someone driving a car gives you the impression they would rather not have to pay attention to you.

Of course, there will always be idiots who take out their commuting frustrations on their neighbours. Mostly I prefer to ignore them, but I confess that on some occassions I have gone out of my way to make them madder.

 

[TSi]

Quote:

Originally Posted by ecclesand /img/forum/go_quote.gif You should carry one of those expandable rods that you can fully extend with a flick of your wrist and promptly pummel the offending vehicle. Or the driver if you're close enough.

You mean an extendo? lol