the etiquette-to-ethics spectrum

[motive-nuance.livejournal.com]

A note to users of the road (esp. the dude in the silver SUV headed past the T stop on College Ave. ca. 10:30 p.m.):

Yelling at cyclists to, "Get off the *** road, ***!": Annoying, but the kind of thing we learn to shrug off.

Mistaking this for a command the cyclist is legitimately obliged to obey: Much less cool.

Correcting said miscreant by assuming the Weberian mantle of authority to threaten the offending party with threats of mortal violence: Totally unacceptable.

(It's like the guy seriously expected me to be like "Oh duh! Bicycles don't belong on the road!", pull over, and walk my bike home on the sidewalk.)

Comments

on the flip side

[rmd.livejournal.com]

i wish there was some way of expressing happiness at other people when on the road. every time i see a bicyclist using hand signals and generally riding in a way that makes it easy to know what they're about to do and thus share the road safely with then, it makes me want to say "thank you".

Re: on the flip side

[elusiveat.livejournal.com]

Twice in the past couple weeks I've seen drivers use a "thumbs up" signal. The intent is not quite clear. In once instance they had braked suddenly and the car I was in had nearly hit them, and our best guess was that this meant something along the lines of "my bad... are we cool?". We weren't sure, though.

I don't quite remember what the other circumstance was, whether it looked more like a "thanks" or "sorry" but I remember it could have been interpretted as one of those.

[prunesnprisms.livejournal.com]

Not that this was you, specifically, but lately there have been tons of cyclists blatantly going the wrong way up Elm/Highland in the middle of a lane and not understanding why the cars are very upset (that someone is speeding at them and about to cause a head-on collision). Profanity in that case should be expected and warranted.

[heliopsis.livejournal.com]

Did you get his license plate? It would be understandable if you did not have the presence of mind to do so, but if you did, you could lay charges. Threatening assault is a crime, if I'm not mistaken.

[turil.livejournal.com]

The police generally ignore these kinds of things. They usually say that if you didn't get hit and injured or a vehicle got damaged, then they won't file a compliant. At least that's been my experience.

[elusiveat.livejournal.com]

Bicyclists riding on the correct (right) side of the street don't like this either. Coming close to a head-on collision with someone making a left turn? Not cool.

That said, my understanding is that some bicyclists have been taught that the left side is safer, and profanity may not be the best strategy for reeducation.

[usernamenumber.livejournal.com]

Ugh. I had the same thing happen to me in Davis Square a ways back. The guy went all the way through the square cursing me out, and when I talked back to him practically challenged me to a fight. In the middle of Elm St! I guess some drivers just missed the "share the road" memo, or assume it's only a suggestion from the local Hippie Council. :\

[srakkt.livejournal.com]

That's an extension of the "bikes are pedestrians" fallacy. When I was young, the received wisdom *for pedestrians* was to face traffic so that you could see it and react to it.

[srakkt.livejournal.com]

I enjoy the Hippie Council's other suggestions, as well "Get along with eachother, Man." is a really good one.

[ocschwar.livejournal.com]

It's that time of the year, when a lot of people are driving into the Commonwealth and are not aware of our quaint ways and customs. You didn't say you got the plates, and I'm going to guess they were out-of-staters.

If this happens to you again (never happens to me. Seems my size is above the DO NOT MESS WITH threshold...), yell back "this is Massachusetts" and yell back the plate number.

Expect the problem to recede after September.

Kind of related...

[oneagain.livejournal.com]

I was driving in Union Square recently--I had gone off to the side to take Bow Street rather than Webster (on the left) or Beacon (straight ahead). As I was waiting for the light, this cyclist seemed to come out of no where and passed in front of me to (illegally) cross from the right side of where my car was to the left side. This itself did not bother me. However, she gave me a very strange look as she was doing so, and I was not sure if it was a dirty look or not; seemed like it might have been, like her stare was trying to indicate I'd done something wrong. On occasion when I mess up near cyclists, I will open my window and say I'm sorry. I was too confused to do so this time because I could not figure out what I'd done wrong. I thought to roll down the window to ask her if she'd thought I'd done something wrong, but I was taken a bit off balance by my own confusion.

I get nervous that I have some very ingrained driving habits. I try pretty hard to be conscious of cyclists, but I am not sure when I am failing. Guess I'll have to set an intention to be even more vigilant; it will require changes I am not sure of how to make yet, but I guess I'll figure it out. It's just strange when a cyclist appears to come out of nowhere.

[kpht.livejournal.com]

our next door neighbor did this to us. last week. on our own side street. i hate the world.

[thetathx1138.livejournal.com]

That's correct. It is necessary to use violence on people that stupid.

[thetathx1138.livejournal.com]

On a related note, thank you to all the cyclists who use the road properly, use hand signals, and behave properly. These are the people I wait to pass through crosswalks.

The guys trying to blow through a red light can just hit the brakes.

[geekpixie.livejournal.com]

Actually, it's what I was told growing up in a rural area when cycling, by teachers and police for that matter (not that they're the authority on this kind of thing_) . Cars are far enough in between and streets lit so poorly that being in front of them was recommended. Now that I ride more often I still don't understand that logic.

Re: Kind of related...

[benndragon.livejournal.com]

It's possible she was trying to make sure you wouldn't be an asshole about it, or she was challenging you to make a big deal out of her being an asshole, or she got pinkslipped an hour previous. Trying to communicate non-verbally that quickly with a completely stranger doesn't work so well.

[usernamenumber.livejournal.com]

Their meetings always have the best snacks, too. :)

[daviscubed.livejournal.com]

"Car drivers are jerks" is the new "wtf is with all these airplanes?"

[srakkt.livejournal.com]

We also seem to see kind of an 'Endless September' effect among *cyclists* in town, who don't understand that they're expected to follow all the same rules as motor vehicles. :/

Re: Kind of related...

[ukelele.livejournal.com]

I admit I often glare a bit at drivers when I'm cycling -- basically I'm trying to make eye contact (i.e. establish that the driver knows I am there) assertively (as I am otherwise small and crunchy, and no one ever went astray assuming that Boston drivers are crazy). Making clear eye contact back, possibly with a pleasant expression, will totally mollify me in this situation -- all I'm trying to convey is "I'm here and you don't get to kill me", so if you convey back "I totally see you and do not want to kill you", we're good.

[ukelele.livejournal.com]

OMG and cars make noise. ALL THE TIME. Maybe we can route them over the Atlantic.

[clevernonsense.livejournal.com]

I'm pretty sure we have that same effect with an endless supply of motorists who don't understand they are supposed to follow rules while on the road.

[qwrrty.livejournal.com]

I just don't get why all these car drivers drive on the streets all the time when there are all these perfectly good highways for them to use if they want to take a drive!

[srakkt.livejournal.com]

Absolutely. I figured that goes without saying.

The school/cycling thing though seems (I have no data, just feelings here, so beware) to follow from my model, here. Students come to town, adopt cycling as transport, aren't ever taught the rules (lighting, signalling, where to cycle and where not to) and so don't actually *realize* that they're doing anything wrong.

[clevernonsense.livejournal.com]

Oh god, I really hate biking in September (not to mention being outside in general).