I have my morning commute worked out for ultimate efficiency, where I meet the bus en route, by bike, two miles downhill from my house. It's great: most of the way is even on the good old BGT (the only place where bikes are even remotely tolerated)! However, at the end, I must cross the Montlake bridge... during the morning rush. Sometimes I'll take the pedestrian walkway, because the cars are too densely packed and obviously motivated by harried commuters, but navigating around the pedestrians is slow and can cost me my bus.
Today, the way looked relatively clear, so I assertively merged into the stream of southbound cars, stayed to the right of the lane, and put on the "hyperdrive" (pedaled like crazy) to try and be as little of a nuisance as possible. The car immediately behind me went into the left lane to pass me with lots of room. The car behind her began to honk.
She pulled up, alongside me, in the still clear left lane, rolled her window down, and screeched "You've GOT to be KIDDING me!" with the raw, ragged, hysterical voice of a mother whose infant-in-arms has just been struck by a stray bullet. As she pulled in front of me, I smiled at the back of her car with all the teeth I could muster. As I watched her disappear down the 520 entrance ramp, I felt that familiar feeling welling up in my chest. I pedaled the remaining 50 yards to the pedestrian-inhospitable bus island on the bridge, pulled my bike over the curb and began to cry freely.
 |
| remote bus island in a sea of traffic |
Strangely enough, these experiences serve to reinforce my determination to maintain my bi-wheeled presence on the road. If this defeats me, the assholes win.
(My morning bike route illustrated by Google Maps. Thanks, Google!)
I want you to make that sign and wear it! Teeshirts! Cafe Press! I want that lady's phone number, too!!!!!
ReplyDeleteI laughed so hard! I WILL make these shirts! No, really! I'm going to!!!
DeleteMy reaction to that sort of situation is to either pull out my U-lock and wave it threateningly, or just pull up in front of the car if it comes to a stop light and not bother to move when the light turns.
ReplyDeleteI think people are unnecessarily angry or confrontational when they're driving because they feel removed enough from the situation, or like they can easily get away if they need to. That woman wouldn't have yelled at you if you two were both walking down the street, because you could have turned around and punched her in the face if you felt like it. In a car, though, she is free to honk and yell until her sadistic little heart is satisfied, then step on the gas and drive away.
Next time, if you angrily yell something like, "I know where you live! I'm going to break into your house and tie you down and ..." as they drive away, they might think twice about harassing bikes next time.
Haha! That is a very satisfying idea... But being that my reaction sometimes is to cry, I like to push that awkwardness in their face if I can! One time I succeeded in making a car full of bros feel REALLY bad that way after they yelled at me. I didn't cry exactly, but I plaintively demanded, "What am I supposed to do? Where am I supposed to go? etc..." While they were held captive at a stop light. Yessss!!!
DeleteI think it's a little counterproductive for the "greater good" to antagonize the asshole drivers, because it sort of justifies their opinion. I want to change people's minds! I do like to make them squirm though. I love when they get trapped with me at a stop light.
My family just came up with a really good idea for something to yell in these situations: Calmly yell "You're on camera!"
Huzzah, Maddie! Keep on pedaling. There are lots of us right alongside you. I too have wanted to pull over and cry after being yelled/honked/gestured at because I have the incredible nerve to commute on a vehicle that's not powered by an internal combustion engine. And I too have occasionally given in to the urge to gesture right back (though I'd never thought of Kris's suggestion to brandish a U-lock threateningly ;)). Usually that has escalated things in a way that scared me, though---when it's all said and done me and my vehicle weigh a tiny fraction of them and theirs, and they could literally crush me---so lately I've been trying to retrain myself to gesture only with the peace sign, no matter what. (This goes for when I'm driving my car too. And god is it hard to remember and do! Flipping the bird is so much more satisfying...) A few times I've been so angry at being cut off or crowded off the road by a driver that I've put on the "hyperdrive" and chased them. Nuts, I know. The most chilling thing to me has been that every time thus far I've chased someone down to tell them that they just endangered me on the road, they've been very apologetic and said, "I never saw you." WTF?!? I'm on a vehicle, on the road, with flashing lights and reflective tape all over me, and you DIDN'T SEE ME?! Now that's scary. *sigh*
ReplyDeleteYou asked for a few more accounts, here are some of the more notable ones:
ReplyDeleteOnce I was riding on Eastlake when a car had opened the passenger side door and swerved so the door swung out right in front of me.
I've also had a car full of guys throw a Dick's milkshake and fries at me on 50th, just a few blocks from my house.
I've found the best response is not to escalate, but to just shout, "WTF." Keep up the good fight. Although, there still are certain areas I try to avoid and the Montlake interchange is definitely on my list.
I'm lucky that I can take the Greenway bike path for most of my commute, and don't have to deal with motor vehicles. But I've had my share of incidents too. Most recently I was a few blocks from home, where I have to leave the bike path and go on the road. Outside the city limits here, there are fewer bikers, and drivers aren't looking out for us. I was riding on the sidewalk to try to avoid the cars, when someone failed to yield and almost turned into me, and then proceed to curse me out. I tend to get more mad that sad, and get in the mindset where I don't want to back down, which is not a good mindset to be in when riding a bike. I can't decide whether it's safer to ride in the road where I'm easier to be seen, but need to be seen by more people, or to ride on the sidewalk where I'm harder to see, but only people turning need to see me.
ReplyDeleteI always have to remind myself that it's better to let some jerk be wrong than to assert myself and get hit. In the last couple months I've already been in a head-on collision with another biker who swerved into my lane, been hit by a shoe throw at me from an overpass, and kicked by a landscape worker as I rode past, I'd like to avoid adding a collision with a car to the list.
carry a gun, and shoot them next time. problem solved. thank me later
ReplyDelete