Why are holiday drivers such A-holes?

[shinomaster]

Yesterday I went on a beautiful, turbo, hilly, sick ride with my big brother. We did about 56 miles in the lovely west hills of Portland. Some of the people waved to us from their lovely homes! What a wonderful place I thought.
There were few cars on the road but most seemed to be either speeding or driving aggressively. On the way home on a highway we saw a big pickup towing a boat waiting to make a left turn. We continued forward close to the truck when he suddenly turned right in front of us. I saw that he was giving us the finger while turning! The best part is that he could have waited for us to pass, as there were no cars behind us. My brother was so pissed he chased the meat head in a vain attempt to get his plate number.
I thought the 4th was a day to celebrate? How did you all fare yesterday?

[onekgguy]

I thought it was a beautiful day for riding in the Minneapolis area with very little traffic on the road...but...I did have a close call with a young woman on a cellphone who came up along side me and turned right causing me to have to turn in her direction or be sideswiped. She was lost and mumbling something into her phone and she avoided making eye contact with me as I caught her when she stopped to turn around. An apology would've been nice. It's possible that she was entirely clueless about what had just happened.

Kevin

[Kahuna]

Shino, You don't mince words, that's what I love about you. We all know there's no shortage of A-holes, but the thing that helps me get through the day is the knowledge that I'm not one of them, nor are most of the people I associate with. They're out there and they're the unfortunate ones who have to live with themselves. Can you imagine being an A-hole stuck inside an A-hole's body with nothing to do except flounder around in your blithering A-holeness embarrasing everybody you come into contact with? Talk about an albatross around one's neck.

Hope you had an otherwise great ride and a great 4th of July!

-K

[dgauthier]

Because they're drunk.

On my July 4th ride I passed a single car accident: some bonehead in a 5 series bimmer lost it on a curve (going *uphill*, yet) on the north side of Sepulveda Blvd, and planted their car into the trees. I passed just as the towtruck was getting itself into position and the cops were still writing it up, at about 3 pm. This section of Sepulveda is a wide, clear 4 lane road with long sweeping curves and a 45 mph limit. God knows how fast you have to be going/how drunk you have to be to lose control on this main thoroughfare on a clear sunny afternoon.

And yes, the car sailed right through the bike lane on its journey to the ditch, a fact that was not lost on me.

[coylifut]

I saw this article the other day. http://www.pennlive.com/news/patriotnews/index.ssf?/base/news/1151718922322800.xml&coll=1

[dgauthier]

Can you imagine being an A-hole stuck inside an A-hole's body with nothing to do except flounder around in your blithering A-holeness embarrasing everybody you come into contact with? Talk about an albatross around one's neck.

LOL! :beer: All the best to you and yours K!

[taz-t]

I thought it was a beautiful day for riding in the Minneapolis area with very little traffic on the road...but...I did have a close call with a young woman on a cellphone who came up along side me and turned right causing me to have to turn in her direction or be sideswiped. She was lost and mumbling something into her phone and she avoided making eye contact with me as I caught her when she stopped to turn around. An apology would've been nice. It's possible that she was entirely clueless about what had just happened.

Kevin

This will usually get their attention...

[shinomaster]

Kahuna...You are the only person who appreciates my honesty. My female co-workers don't seem to for some reason. I don't think they like it when I tell them they are fat for eating a Starbucks croisant every morning, then a big helping of creamy pasta, or a pile of oily Pad Thai for lunch every day....
Hey, I'm just here to help! :banana:

[ti_boi]

[QUOTE=shinomaster]On the way home on a highway we saw a big pickup towing a boat waiting to make a left turn. We continued forward close to the truck when he suddenly turned right in front of us. I saw that he was giving us the finger while turning! The best part is that he could have waited for us to pass, as there were no cars behind us. QUOTE]


the guy was probably thrown into a psychotic episode when he remembered he forgot to make his monthly payment on the boat....just 96 more and it is all his! :rolleyes:

[Too Tall]

You ment car drivers right???
Day of the 4th I was riding on a narrow bike path or rather a broken mass of asphalt that passed as a narrow bike path :rolleyes: Several rec. riders were in front...I'm chill...meanwhile behind me are several LOUD RuDe people on bikes "dinging" their bike bells for me to move out of the way so they can ride behind the rec. riders and wait just like me for a place to pass???? Go figure. I finally had enough, turned to them ala "Chef Ramsey" told them to "shut it please". :cool:

Dead silence.

[bshell]

Yeah, my desire to ride won out over my better judgement and I came to the same conclusion about holiday traffic. Everyone was coming to the coast for the 4th to get drunk and look at girls and fireworks. There were multiple cars I wanted to vaporize.

At one point we were descending at 44.4mph on a road posted 40mph so we were taking the lane for safety and we had people passing us on completely blind turns. Where do you think that driver is going to swerve if he/she encounters oncoming traffic?

So much for being respectful and appreciative. Apparently part of celebrating freedom and independence includes leaning on a loud car horn right when you get behind and to the side of a cyclist and/or screaming "you f'ing f**gots". It embarasses/depresses me about America.

[Avispa]

I normally ride South on the 4th. And I love it! The roads are empty and now that gas prices have gone crazy, you don't see too many cars pulling boats!

I did a nice 3+ hour ride.... using my "Proud to be" socks with the Old Glory... The sad thing is that during the entire ride, I just saw a total of Four flags in front of the houses. This made me think how artificially patriotic many of us are. Not celebrating our 230th bithday as a nation, but waving flags and putting yellow ribbons only when the crap hits the fan!

[Marburg]

After a little data gathering yesterday, I can report the stupid juice was still flowing on the fifth.

Or as my wife noted, "maybe its hard to drive with only eight fingers"


On the same morbid note, did anyone else notice the front-page banner at Speedgoat to the tune of "We'll be closed ... Remember you need fingers to shift. Singlespeeders, knock yourself out."

[Kevan]

Days off are for not thinking. So they think.


Umm... Shino... you're fetchin' for some female friendship ain't ya?

Before you close tonight, tell the ladies breakfast is on you tomorrow and bring them something healthy, but good too. You'll be back in their good graces. And don't ever...EVER say that "fat" word again. Consider this a dry run (practice) for more desirable types if you wish.

[shinomaster]

No, I only give them eating tips when they complain that they are fat and on a diet. I never just point out the obvious without reason. :fight:

[67-59]

This made me think how artificially patriotic many of us are.

Sad but true about many holidays. What percentage of people do you think spend a significant portion of their time on the Fourth really thinking about what it took to gain independence? Or on Memorial Day thinking about fallen veterans? Etc, etc.

Now, what percentage would tell you that one of the aforementioned holidays is one of their favorite days of the year because they get an extra day off to fish, drink, etc?

And a belated Merry X-mas....

[shinomaster]

Sadly there are not many revolutionary patriots left. Who cares about our nations past? Maybe historians and people who got their masters in American history, and named their son after Thomas Jefferson, like my dear Dad? Or maybe NASCAR fans I suppose...