Yesterday after I got off work I took a ride on my bike. There’s a local 14-mile loop that I ride regularly. It takes me westbound on Temple Ave in Pomona towards Cal Poly Pomona University. The streets I ride are generally fairly busy, depending on the time of day, and cars travel 45-50 mph and faster. Most of this route has a bike lane available, but not all of it and some of the streets without bike lanes are narrow although they have 2 lanes for motor traffic in each direction.
So last night about 6:30 PM as I road west on Temple approaching Valley Blvd a motorist in a large SUV whizzed past me in the left lane, honking, and then swerved just ahead of me into the right lane where I was riding.
There is no bike lane on this street and the lane is not wide enough for me to ride to the side and still accomodate a passing car, so I ride smack-dab in the center of the lane. This is for my own safety. I want cars to see me and to know that they need to change lanes to go around me. I don’t want them to try to pass me closely in the same lane.
As it turns out the light at Temple and Valley was red and the motorist had to stop at the light, about 3rd car back. I was close and approaching the car. Her driver’s side window was down. So I pulled up alongside her and said, “Were you honking at me?”
“You need to get over to the right. You were riding right in the middle of the lane!” she informed me.
“There is no bike lane here. I have a right to use the lane.” I replied.
Really, she was not listening to me or receptive to anything I said. And the light turned green and we both took off.
But it was really ridiculous, because the left lane had been completely open and there were no other cars around. It was really no inconvenience to her to change into the left lane to go around me. She was just pissed that a cyclist would think they had a right to occupy the lane. And driving so quickly past me, honking, trying to intimidate me…that is just wrong. Motorists who try to intimidate cyclists should be cited for unsafe, wreckless driving. Such tactics can lead to accidents and the cyclist will always lose against a car, frequently with extremely serious consequences.
So I went off on the rest of my ride, fuming as I rode. But I was destined to have another incident with a motorist last night. Coming southbound on Brea Canyon Rd approaching Golden Springs Dr. in Walnut, I have to ride past a freeway onramp. There is a right-turn-only lane for the motorists entering the freeway. I do not want to ride in that lane. Obviously it’s wrong, as I’m not getting on the freeway. Also, if there are any cars in that lane, I hold them up. So I move over one lane to the left into one of the two lanes that goes straight through. This is a busy intersection and I watch carefully. I look behind me to check traffic. I put my left arm out, slightly down, waggling my fingers to make sure cars see me and understand I’m intentionally moving into the lane and please slow down or go around me.
Last night I looked behind me and it was pretty wide open. No cars there immediately. I moved over cautiously. All of a sudden there was a car…camaro? something sporty like that… zooming along in my lane, speeding I’m sure, and honking at me. Note that the lane to the left was wide open and no other cars. But this car had to stay in my lane, honking and speeding warning me to stay out of his way. Obviously I yielded and got into the right-turn-only lane. There were fortunately no cars in that lane at the time and I certainly wasn’t going to insist on my right to use the other lane.
But why would a motorist do this? Just want to make sure those cyclists know they’re in his way and to make sure we stay the hell out of his way and not inconvenience him. God forbid he should have to change lanes to safely go around me. What if I had not gotten out of his way? Uggg!
Really, not a good night with the motorists last night. Generally the motorists in our area are pretty cooperative and respectful. I just got two rotten apples on the same night. But it is scary because it takes only one to put the cyclist out of commission. I sure wish I could ride the streets and feel safe.
#1 by Jen Blalock on July 25, 2010 - 9:10 am
I’ve talked to many people who just hate cyclists. At least where I live. They feel cyclists have no rights to be on the road and then they complain that cyclists don’t follow the rules of the road and hog the road. They (the motorists) really do believe that they should be able to get around a cyclist no matter what and if they have to tap the brakes then the cyclist is at fault. I guess I am at the age where I feel that most people’s minds cannot be changed. I don’t ride on any main streets around here anymore. I know too many people who have been hit and some killed. I don’t like the odds. Perhaps someday if we move to a more bicycle friendly area I’ll get back out there.
#2 by Ann on July 25, 2010 - 9:37 am
There is a road I ride near my house. It is a neighborhood road that connects to a bike trail and it is the only way to get to that trail from our neighborhood. Along the trail there is a great park with a working farm and a playground so I will often ride this short road to get to the trail and take my son (on a seat on the back of my bike) to the park. Even with the seat on the back of the car I have had motorists treat me aggressively, either not scooting over in the lane to allow ample room or honking and screaming at me to get off the road with my bike. It drives me crazy and is completely inexcusable. I agree, there should be a rule about treating cyclists aggressively. Thanks for writing this. I am going to share it with everybody.
#3 by Gina Harris on July 25, 2010 - 9:51 am
Sheila, I can SO relate to this. Normally motorists are courteous, but lately I’ve run into some really nasty ones. One lady backed out in front of me and I actually had to slam on my brakes to miss her. Then she waited for me and yelled at me. Go figure that! I ride in the country so there are NO bike lanes, I HAVE to ride in the road. The worst motorists are the ones driving huge trucks – they pass me with about 12 inches or less between us. If I were to swerve or wobble, I’d be dead. Where are their minds?
#4 by sheila on July 25, 2010 - 12:26 pm
Where do you live? (Out of curiousity.) Some cyclists may not follow the rules of the road, or hog the road, but to penalize all cyclists for that is unreasonable. The cyclists who do so need to also behave better because they are making it worse for all of us.
I can understand choosing to not ride on the roads. It has certainly crossed my mind more than once.
#5 by sheila on July 25, 2010 - 12:29 pm
I would have asked her why she was yelling at me (had it been me).
Yeah, the narrow passing is unnerving, and yes, I do worry about if I would wobble or swerve. Even on the streets with bike lanes, some of them are narrow and I swear the cars are going by me at 40-50 mph. It would be ugly. Sobering.
#6 by Tanya on July 25, 2010 - 12:53 pm
Dealing with motorists is my biggest fear when cycling. I’m fortunate to have a lot of local options as far as roads with bike lanes, but even with those, some of the motorists are less than courteous.
#7 by john on July 29, 2010 - 10:51 pm
i do not cycle and i do not think that bikes and cars belong on the same road anymore than golfers belong on a bike trail. simple fact – most roads are designed for motor vehicles just like bike trails are designed for bikes – what is so hard to get? i dont really even feel safe in a car on the road let alone a bike or motorcycle. i live in a large midwest city and i see many cyclists daily – literally none of them obey traffic laws. they will ride two and three wide and block lanes and then pull up next to you at a stoplight in the same lane just a few inches from the side of the vehicle – just seems kind of stupid to be so arrogant and aggressive towards a several thiousands pound hunk of metal. also i have literally never seen bicycle riders or motorcycle riders ever use hand turn signals – pointing doesnt count. bottom line – this is a fast paced world and getting faster – ride you bike where it wont get you killed and wont slow down the trafic corridors. but the worst thing is middle aged dudes and spandex – uh do yall own a mirror? i mean really – its offensive to me to display your mashed up old crooked lumpy cockandballs.
#8 by sheila on July 29, 2010 - 11:09 pm
John, I can’t speak for your state, as I don’t know the rules of the road there. But here in California the laws are that both cars and bikes can use the road. I use hand signals and the cyclists I ride with do also. It’s a shame that you haven’t seen that with the cyclists you’ve observed, but that’s still no reason for motorists to be aggressive and unsafe towards cyclists. And your comments on cycling apparel are just…well, I have no response to that.
#9 by Gregg Shanefelt (grshane) on July 30, 2010 - 10:19 am
I had a pickup truck speed towards me in my lane last night and then swerve at the last second. I ride a 10-20 hours a week and that is the most scared I have ever been on my bike. I was as far over as I could be and I still had to duck to miss the mirror on his lifted truck. I didn’t have the time to turn and see the plate on the truck all I cared about was getting home and off my bike.
#10 by Ann on July 30, 2010 - 2:33 pm
Sheila, Seriously. Is John for real. It reminds me of a letter to the editor I just read about the local Sea Gull Century. The guy spent the entire letter complaining about allowing the event – never mind that it raises several hundred thousand dollars for charity. Oh well, I guess this is why cyclists and motorist are never going to see eye to eye.
#11 by Vicky on July 30, 2010 - 4:36 pm
CA Motorists are the exact reason why I am terrified to ride a bike. I won’t do it. The drivers here are insane and don’t understand the rules of the road. If their car is bigger than your car, they own you.
These motorists who showed aggression toward you will only learn their lesson when they seriously injure or kill a pedestrian/cyclist and need to have the Judge inform them that they were in the wrong. They can get mad at you all they want to, take their anger out on you with aggressive driving if they think it’s necessary, but if they were to injure or kill you, they’ll learn pretty fast they were wrong.
Chances are they already know they’re wrong, but whizzing past you is more enjoyable to them, it sends out their message that you ticked them off by simply being in their way. Heaven forbid.
#12 by sheila on July 30, 2010 - 6:32 pm
Yes, the idea that cyclists should just give up and stay off the roads is so backwards. Instead of that we should be thinking of ways to make cyclists safe on the road and encourage more people to ride bikes. More exercise for the population, less pollution, less traffic, less fossil fuel consumption.
And the idea that cyclists should be confined to bike paths…nutty? What if someone wants to do a cycling vacation down the coast of California? Or our nation’s capital? Or something like this? There are no bike paths that would suffice for such trips. So I guess they just shouldn’t have that opportunity?
I’m taking John at face value, but yeah…there’s some serious disconnect going on here.
#13 by sheila on August 9, 2010 - 8:01 am
Here is a similar article blogged by another cyclist. This cyclist certainly got the punchline of his article right:
http://brad.sweat365.com/2010/07/31/what-does-it-mean-to-share-the-road/
#14 by sheila on August 27, 2010 - 7:40 pm
Another good blog post on this topic:
http://www.eyeonannapolis.net/2010/08/26/i-just-want-to-say/