I was listening to an interview with Sally Carson (Fixpert) on Bike Talk on KPFK today and she was saying cool stuff about the way you should act as a cyclist. About not being all aggro and flipping the bird, but just trucking along in all weather having a good time. When you send out positive vibes to drivers, you inspire them to bike because it looks so fun (and then you won’t inspire drivers to hate cyclists more).
I needed to hear that. I sometimes get really frustrated with cars and suvs cutting me off or almost hitting me and I yell and flip the bird. It can really get to me, about how cars have more rights, and can just run you off the road, and that the police or whoever would take their side. And how cars contribute to smog and exhaust just choking me and shortening my life. Bitches.
But like Laura tells me, it is not worth getting so mad and worked up over. Also, like Sally said, you can inspire them to ride bikes, which is like better for the whole world. And they were talking about on the show that anyone on any kind of bike (road, mountain, beach cruiser, fixed gear, whatever) is GREAT because it is SO MUCH BETTER than them driving around in SUVs. There is no reason to be an elitist about it. The main goals of the cycling community should always to have more people riding.
I have always been inspired by people like that, being so cool and nice to everyone. I feel like there are elitist and accepting cool people in any community. I would like to be more like that, not all aggro and elitist all the time, but be really cool, positive, and accepting. We all have a right to love life and not to be shamed for trying.
i am a big believer in nice.
I didn’t even know such a thing as biketalk existed!
And, even though you always think it will be so satisfying to flip someone off, in the end it just makes you hang onto it that much longer. Plus once it was nighttime and I was driving trying to go from a right turn lane to the straight-ahead lane (via an honest mistake) and the car turning left ahead of me, unbeknownst to me because of the brightness of the car lights, had a biker right behind it. Well, the biker hit my trunk and called me a fucking asshole or something, and maybe he had a point, but I honestly just didn’t see him. I really really like the idea of a friendly warning in the form of a magnet (the yellow card).
I think it should be said, that although I do not condone being overly hostile and flipping the bird, I think it is OK to yell to get the attention of a driver who might be endangering you. It is the same as honking your horn to avoid an accident.
Hey Matthew, thanks for the write-up and the link love. I’m glad you liked the show! (this is Sally from that Bike Talk episode)
I totally agree, if you need to yell to avoid getting hurt, by all means do so! My top priorities while riding are: don’t hurt anyone, and don’t get hurt myself — those take precedence over all else including composure & politeness.
And I hope it was clear in the interview, I was not always so well-behaved. My current philosophy developed after years of messengering in hostile conditions and being hostile myself. I finally found a way to be that helps me enjoy my riding more instead of being angry all the time.
Thanks again!
My favorite response to drivers is sarcasm. I can’t think of anything more satisfying and fun then grinning and yelling “Are you kidding me?” or, as a car is getting a bit too close, “hello?!” It’s been really important for me to learn to stick up for myself and make noise. When you are feeling timid and see other cyclists stand up for themselves in a cool way, it sobers everyone up and helps everyone on the rode remember that we’re all just dudes trying to get somewhere. And that is something I think we can all get behind! Cheers!