Full Moon Fever yesterday! Motorists freaking!

[avalonracing]

Yesterday afternoon I got a call from a friend who said that while she was driving her SUV some guy cut her off so she lightly tapped her horn. The guy then spent the next two minutes taunting her (tailgating, slowing down in front of her and making a "gun" with his hand and shooting at her). She got a number in called the police... Anyway that is an aside to this story:

What in the hell was up with the motorists yesterday? It was a PERFECT day in Maryland. Mid 70ºs, low humidity, sunny, just amazing. I went on a ride starting at 3:30 with three other guys on moderately rural roads west of my home. We were in a line, straddling the shoulder line whenever we were near any traffic. Anyway, in the course of a 35 mile ride we were literally flipped off, honked at, yelled at or buzzed over 20 times!!!! I've been riding for 20 years and I have never had this ratio of maniacs to miles.

It wasn't just motorists that felt we were in the way it was also drivers going the other direction on the other side of a double yellow with no opposing traffic yelling "Get the eff off the road!".

I do know that a full moon can make people nuts but what the hell?!!!

[GuyGadois]

It's obviously the Hindenburg Omen or maybe the President's fault?

In some seriouslness, I have been thinking more and more about taking on mtn biking to get off the roads. As my kids are now of the age to ride on the road with me there is no way in hell I am taking them on the same roads I ride on (except for a few that I see as safe). To answer your question, maybe it is the stress level that the economic slowdown has produced and the ever increasing need for people to be as efficient as possible at every moment of life.

[MattTuck]

It's funny, I have not found the drivers to be too bad lately.

I have started riding with several blinking red LEDs... I actually think that does cause them to give me more room when passing and they go a bit slower. May just be in my head though.

On the positive side, you're unlikely to experience that level of hostility again for quite some time.


Also, fwiw, some drivers are under the false idea that the white line is meant to delineate where cars have dominion from where pedestrians/bikes are allowed to be. Trying to explain to them the reasons we don't always ride to the right of that helps... as they usually understand it once you explain bike tire width, pavement cracks, broken glass, sand, etc. But there are many who never have the pleasure of hearing my sermon.

[johnnymossville]

Speaking of Crazy Drivers. Did you guys hear about the cyclist killed on Sunday in Prince George's County. A real tragedy. just terrible, just heard about it this morning.

http://www.latimes.com/news/politics/bs-md-pettigrew-killed-20100921,0,6892851.story

[avalonracing]

Speaking of Crazy Drivers. Did you guys hear about the cyclist killed on Sunday in Prince George's County. A real tragedy. just terrible, just heard about it this morning.

http://www.latimes.com/news/politics/bs-md-pettigrew-killed-20100921,0,6892851.story


"The SUV did not stop. A severely injured Pettigrew was taken to Prince George's Hospital Center. While police were at the scene of the accident, the SUV driver, Christy R. Littleford, 41, of Upper Marlboro, called Prince George's County Police to report that she had struck something.

Littleford told police she assumed she had hit an animal but when she arrived home found a bicycle lodged under her vehicle, Shipley said."

[yashcha]

Coming from boston, I usually find drivers in DC much more courteous to cyclists. Today was totally different though. I was rolling up Mcarthur blvd from georgetown and up into MD around three pm and in those ten miles I was buzzed three times and some guy completely ran through a stop sign while texting. I got a bit freaked out and ended up taking the bike trail all the way home. I knew something felt strange when I did not see one cyclist the whole time when this route is usually really busy with cyclists. Please stay safe out there.

[rugbysecondrow]

Agreed, usually it is not bad like that, actually I have never had a ride like that around here. I typically feel very fortunate when I ride here because bikes and cars seem to coexist well.

I did have a ride one afternoon where I was about 10 miles in to a 30 mile ride. People we acting crazy, driving like **** and I saw 3 near accidents and one actual accident. It hit me, this was the first day of school and I am out riding at the same time the high schoolers got out from school. I remember that feeling as a high schooler so I can understand how good it felt, but they were just oblivious and reckless and I decided to cut my ride a little short.

Yesterday afternoon I got a call from a friend who said that while she was driving her SUV some guy cut her off so she lightly tapped her horn. The guy then spent the next two minutes taunting her (tailgating, slowing down in front of her and making a "gun" with his hand and shooting at her). She got a number in called the police... Anyway that is an aside to this story:

What in the hell was up with the motorists yesterday? It was a PERFECT day in Maryland. Mid 70ºs, low humidity, sunny, just amazing. I went on a ride starting at 3:30 with three other guys on moderately rural roads west of my home. We were in a line, straddling the shoulder line whenever we were near any traffic. Anyway, in the course of a 35 mile ride we were literally flipped off, honked at, yelled at or buzzed over 20 times!!!! I've been riding for 20 years and I have never had this ratio of maniacs to miles.

It wasn't just motorists that felt we were in the way it was also drivers going the other direction on the other side of a double yellow with no opposing traffic yelling "Get the eff off the road!".

I do know that a full moon can make people nuts but what the hell?!!!