So, I was riding my bike down Farmington Ave this morning. It was pretty pleasant, no one was driving strangely. Then, a red Jetta that was behind me honked at me and passed me with about a foot and a half of room between me and their rear view mirror. I did what I always do in situations like that: I flipped him off.
Right after that, a gray Audi passed me at a much slower speed and gave me a lot of room. The driver of that car waved and gave me a thumbs up, I'm assuming for flipping off the Jetta. I waved back. It's nice to know that some drivers are on our side.
Some more silly stuff after the jump!
Right after that, a gray Audi passed me at a much slower speed and gave me a lot of room. The driver of that car waved and gave me a thumbs up, I'm assuming for flipping off the Jetta. I waved back. It's nice to know that some drivers are on our side.
Some more silly stuff after the jump!
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Another thing: has anyone but noticed that unlike the vast majority of national political blogs, blogs about local and municipal politics are extremely conservative?
Funny video
Funny video
The hills of Connecticut this weekend
12 comments:
i saw joe barber jogging this afternoon on new britian avenue. i didn't pass too close to him, nor was i able to give him any thumbs up. (not sure how this relates to the post)
i like yer hand signals tie-in thingee. (that however, relates to the post)
We need to develop and publicize a hand signal that means, "Check yourself before you wreck yourself," because that is a sentiment I often need to convey to motorists. The middle finger is similar, but not quite the same.
"because U-locks are bad for your health"
It may bring some personal satisfaction to flip off an idiot on four wheels.... but then again 3000 lbs. of automobile vs aluminum frame is no contest.
You could do the old draw a line across your neck, which I guess is miming cutting off your head.
Occasionally, I employ the hang-up-the-phone gesture by slamming my hand-phone on to an invisible receiver. I haven't figure out the effectiveness of that one yet because I can't tell if those drivers even see me.
Tom:
I've found that most motorists, if they really want to bring the ruckus, will get out of their cars to do it, perhaps recognizing that a mere fistfight will constitute a lesser criminal offense than assault by means of a car. Of course, even in that scenario, you're looking at a fistfight, which is not the funnest thing ever. That's why I make sure to be 6'5" before flipping people off - it is a great deterrent.
Admittedly irrelevant...
but except for my mountain bike, all my frames are steel baby! STEEL!
I feel I'm a master of the hand-phone slam gesture. I find myself doing that everywhere...in my car, on my bike, while walking. Most of the time, people either ignore me or give me a dirty look. I'll continue to do it if only to try to make people feel guilty or think about what they're doing. The way I see it, on my bike, my survival depends on drivers being alert and undistracted.
The NY cell phone law saw initial success after passing in 2001. Use creeped back up, however. The main difference I've observed between the NY and CT bans? Enforcement. CT usage isn't changing because there isn't any threat or disincentive to do so. A "click-it-or-ticket" style blitz may help.
(sorry for the digression...you hit a big pet peeve of mine)
Did anyone look at the funny video? I actually was trying to link a Jobst Brandt article about the undirected anger of motorists, but instead I found that bollard video.
Like Josh, I make sure that motorists know that I'm 5'8" and 145 lbs of terror before they get out of the car.
I only got to see the funny video after getting home, since my company's new network blocks anything that moves.
Since this is the comment thread for "things that don't relate to the post," I'll just say this: For all the boasting the Brits do about their sophisticated sense of humour, they sure do have a lot of bloopers and hidden camera shows. The rest of it seems to be "awkward social situations." Except Monty Python and Benny Hill. They ruled.
I find that I get much more of te type of response im looking for from the angry motorist if I blow them a kiss rather than flick them off... that or the simple thumbs up and a few choice words. Ive found that the more I ride the less im scared of how ever many lbs of steel they can muster. Hopefully im on my Vega b/c that thing weighs almost as muh as a car.
rich, the video is germany!
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