[rkm625]

I get atleast 1 person a day (just riding to and from work) that will either pull out in front of me, cut across the road, try and merge into my lane or just ignore that I'm there. I'm about to start following these people and slashing their tires

 

[FightingFalcon]

i repay the favor by lane-splitting the tons of traffic on the way home. i get to my house while everyone else is still sitting in traffic

 

[HDRydr2]

Golf balls, start carrying golf balls. Just keep one or two in your jacket pocket. When you need one, just grab and throw.

 

[iroman]

When I used to ride my bike to work that was the norm as well and guess what, it's never going to change. You can continue to get worked-up about it or you can learn to ignore the idiots and make your ride less stressful. I know that it is easier said than done, I still have a hard time controlling my temper when shit happens, but I don't ride my bike on a daily basis; if I did, I would definitely have to learn to control myself more before I pulled some ass-wipe out of their car and kicked their head-in (or got my head kicked-in for that matter).

 

[senfo]

For a while there, I started really paying attention to what it took to get myself to work the quickest. I planned out my route by time, payed attention to which lanes moved at what sections, and basically had everything down to a science. I cut my commute time by an entire two-three minutes. WOW! More importantly, what I had done was made my trip a living hell. I got real aggressive. I hated when anybody got in front of me, I figured nobody knew how to merge and basically started getting pissed off at anything even slightly stupid people did around me. My trip to work had become VERY stressful.

I did this for about a year before it finally occurred to me the nut I had become. Getting pissed off at all the people cutting me off and going too slow never solved a thing. Now when it happens, I try as hard as I can to just let it go. Believe it or not, I find my commute to work (which is usually in a truck) a LOT less stressful. Yeah, it sucks when people cut me off or try to share my lane when I'm on the bike, and from time to time, you'll still see me vent, but like ironman said, there isn't much you can do about it other than learn to live with it.

 

[trashmonkey]

Originally posted by senfo
For a while there, I started really paying attention to what it took to get myself to work the quickest. I planned out my route by time, payed attention to which lanes moved at what sections, and basically had everything down to a science. I cut my commute time by an entire two-three minutes. WOW! More importantly, what I had done was made my trip a living hell. I got real aggressive. I hated when anybody got in front of me, I figured nobody knew how to merge and basically started getting pissed off at anything even slightly stupid people did around me. My trip to work had become VERY stressful.

I did this for about a year before it finally occurred to me the nut I had become. Getting pissed off at all the people cutting me off and going too slow never solved a thing. Now when it happens, I try as hard as I can to just let it go. Believe it or not, I find my commute to work (which is usually in a truck) a LOT less stressful. Yeah, it sucks when people cut me off or try to share my lane when I'm on the bike, and from time to time, you'll still see me vent, but like ironman said, there isn't much you can do about it other than learn to live with it.

I have to agree with you on this. I mean look at what time you save v.s. how you feel when you get where you're going. I mean how many times have you seen someone weaving in and out of traffic, just to meet up with them at a traffic light down the road. He was stressing trying to get around everyone and still ended up right back where he started. On the freeway/interstate, unless you are traveling for a hundred or so miles...I mean really, how much time will you really save, and at what cost. I'd rather leave my house 15 minutes earlier and enjoy my ride to work, so I get there ready to work, not stressed out.

 

[rkm625]

its not that i'm in a hurry and tryin to get in and out of traffic and in front of people to save time. I'm a fairly new rider and still ride pretty slow. slowing down and taking my time isn't the issue..... its the morons not payin attention to me and the fact that they could serisouly injure me because they are ignorant.

 

[anarion55]

I'm one of those guys who rages to himself when some ass-hat does something stupid on the road... which is pretty much all the time. I don't do anything to the ass-hat (so many ass-hats; so little time); and Florida is a "right to carry" state, so confronting every moron in a cage is a quick way to get yourself shot. But still; I rant, whether in the truck or on the bike.

On the bike, no one hears it but me, but in the truck, it never really occured to me that my passengers were not of similar sentiments... Oh, they agree that the bonehead(s) pulled a stunt that should rate slow disembowelment... but, as my g/f wisely pointed out, my ranting only gets me uspset and makes her uncomfortable. The ass-hat doesn't hear it, and it doesn't have any affect on them in the least.

So, at the risk of my head exploding from pent-up, un-vented pressure, I'm now trying to reduce my vehicular rants... *sigh*. The things we do for our chick-critters...

 

[senfo]

Originally posted by anarion55
On the bike, no one hears it but me, but in the truck, it never really occured to me that my passengers were not of similar sentiments... Oh, they agree that the bonehead(s) pulled a stunt that should rate slow disembowelment... but, as my g/f wisely pointed out, my ranting only gets me uspset and makes her uncomfortable. The ass-hat doesn't hear it, and it doesn't have any affect on them in the least.

You know, that's actually a good point. When I'm a passenger and the driver starts screaming and driving aggressively over some idiot, I get freaked out, big time. I guess I never really thought about what my passenger is thinking when I get all angry.

 

[tweakmon]

A few ideas for you all:

1) Be sure you have your high beams on 24/7. Make sure you have on visible clothing. A loud pipe helps if you revv it right beside someone who needs to be woken up.

2) Don't EVER sit back and 'relax' in your lane thinking you are OK. This is the mother of all fuck ups. ALWAYS be on the offense and keep yourself in as safe of a spot as you can.

3) Try to get into a lane that will have a minimal amount of traffic moving in and out of it, like the far left lane or carpool lane. This will reduce the possibility of you getting cut off because usually people in this lane are going to be there for a while. By contrast, the far right lane is the absolute worst lane to be in because people are constantly coming and going out of it.

4)Always take note of the vehicles around you and contemplate your 'out' should the need arise.

I commute 50 miles each day on one of the most congested roads in the nation, and I do not have issues like you all are talking about. Perhaps I am lucky, but I am rarely in one spot for very long, so I don't give anyone a chance to get in my way.

Just remember that there's nothing you can really do except make sure you arrive alive by being super alert and using your riding skills to keep yourself out of possible trouble. Anticipate the stupidest thing someone around you could possibly do and you will then be ready when they actually do it.

 

[Marlboroman]

Originally posted by tweakmon
A few ideas for you all:

1) Be sure you have your high beams on 24/7. Make sure you have on visible clothing. A loud pipe helps if you revv it right beside someone who needs to be woken up.

2) Don't EVER sit back and 'relax' in your lane thinking you are OK. This is the mother of all fuck ups. ALWAYS be on the offense and keep yourself in as safe of a spot as you can.

3) Try to get into a lane that will have a minimal amount of traffic moving in and out of it, like the far left lane or carpool lane. This will reduce the possibility of you getting cut off because usually people in this lane are going to be there for a while. By contrast, the far right lane is the absolute worst lane to be in because people are constantly coming and going out of it.

4)Always take note of the vehicles around you and contemplate your 'out' should the need arise.

I commute 50 miles each day on one of the most congested roads in the nation, and I do not have issues like you all are talking about. Perhaps I am lucky, but I am rarely in one spot for very long, so I don't give anyone a chance to get in my way.

Just remember that there's nothing you can really do except make sure you arrive alive by being super alert and using your riding skills to keep yourself out of possible trouble. Anticipate the stupidest thing someone around you could possibly do and you will then be ready when they actually do it.

We have a winner here folks! Tweak said it all!

On a side note, I dont ride my bike to work to "save" time.... Even tho it does...... I ride it because it saves gas money.......
also it's a great way to prepare for the workday and a great way to wind down after work. 23 miles one way and a limited amount of "ass hats".

 

[bladecutter]

Forget about all that other stuff.
Just mount the biggest airhorn that you can to the rear seat of your bike, and anytime someone does something stupid, just press the button in a nice, solid, firm way, and watch as the braindead moron craps his or her pants when they think they're about to get t-boned by a Mack Truck.

BC.

 

[rkm625]

hahahaha I like that idea ^

 

[tweakmon]

Originally posted by bladecutter
Forget about all that other stuff.
Just mount the biggest airhorn that you can to the rear seat of your bike, and anytime someone does something stupid, just press the button in a nice, solid, firm way, and watch as the braindead moron craps his or her pants when they think they're about to get t-boned by a Mack Truck.

BC.

Nice one. That'd be awesome, but better watch out for when you get blamed for actually causing a pile up[:0]

That would suck.

 

[anarion55]

Originally posted by senfo



You know, that's actually a good point. When I'm a passenger and the driver starts screaming and driving aggressively over some idiot, I get freaked out, big time. I guess I never really thought about what my passenger is thinking when I get all angry.

I don't think many folks do... and it's a hard habit to break. I probably will never just ignore some of the sh*t that morons do on the road; all I can do is try not to go ballistic over it.

 

[tweakmon]

Prime example from today:

Was sitting at a light which is a loong red. Light finally turns green, but the fellow in front of me doesnt move. So I honk the horn. I see another head (female) come up in the passenger seat and he finally goes.

Mofo was getting a blowjob, so I could hardly get too mad.