(Don't) Honk if you love cyclists! And 4 other things your bike commuter wants to tell you...

TODAY was quite an adventure.  No worries, there were no close calls, but a few "incidents" got me thinking about a few things that I would love for all motorists to know, but I never have the chance to share.

Today's and last week's data recorded here or on the right.
Five things your cyclist wants to tell you after the jump...




1) PLEASE, DON'T HONK UNLESS THERE'S DANGER.
It may come as quite a surprise to the folks who are sitting inside of a cage made of steel and glass, but car horns are SUPER loud!  If you were twenty feet from the front of a car and were unexpectedly assaulted by a horn blast, you'd jump involuntarily.  This becomes exceedingly dangerous when you're moving at 20+ mph and so is the traffic alongside and behind you.
I'm beginning to discern the different horn patterns (a quick double "TOOT" is encouragement or approval, several repeated "HONKS" of various lengths are an attempt to get my attention while waving enthusiastically, one very long "BLAST" is disapproval or "Get the heck outta the way I'm in a hurry!!"), but this doesn't change the fact that every type of honk scares the bezeesus out of me.
By all means, if I'm about to die because of some unseen danger (e.g. your bumper), let me know - otherwise, please keep your "toots" to yourself.

2) I DON'T LIKE BEING SHOUTED AT.
A lot of folks like to share their thoughts with me as they are passing by at twice my speed, as if I'm their own mobile facebook wall upon which they can paste their observations, both inane and profound.  Everything from "LANCE!" (a reference to 7-time Tour-de-France champion Lance Armstrong), to "HEY, BABY" (yes, this happened today for the very first time - never thought bike commuting to be an occasion for cat-calls), to "GET OFF THE %&*#ING ROAD!" (while I relate to and empathize with those suffering from road-rage, please cut me a little slack).
By far, the words of encouragement outweigh those of a hurtful nature, but easily the most commonly heard phrase is "___---***AAA***---___".  In other words, that which is shouted out of the window of a moving car at a (relatively) stationary object sounds like gibberish.  No offense, but more often than not, I cannot understand a word you are saying.

3) MY GREATEST FEAR IS BEING UNSEEN.
I can do everything in my power, from lights, to bright and even reflective clothing, to increase my visibility.  But if you aren't looking for me, you're not going to see me.  I'm smaller, my lights aren't as bright and I'm moving slower than most other vehicles on the road.  I'm also much easier to miss as you're looking out for potential hazards.
As motorist myself, I've observed (and even guiltily performed) some pretty distracting behavior - eating, texting, putting on makeup, dealing with kids in the backseat, switching the radio, shaving (really?), the list goes on.  I'm out here doing everything I can to be as visible as possible, but if you take your eyes off the road for just a few seconds, that's when things get scary for me.

4) I'M ACTUALLY VERY COURTEOUS.
You know how occasionally, you will find yourself behind a vehicle going JUST below the speed limit and is holding up traffic?  That's not me.  Do you remember that car that cut you off to get into the far lane, only to make an illegal left turn? That wasn't me either.  And the time you were nearly killed by the car zooming though the intersection to beat the red light, but blew right through it instead? Not me.
I make every effort to be as courteous as possible, because any accident on my commute could be my last.  I'm happy to let you come around me to make that right turn on red.  I stay as close to the right as is safe so that you can pass me easily.  And if you come to the four-way stop at the same time as me, I'll wave you through, EVERY TIME.  The reason for this is simple: if your path and mine collide, I will lose every time.  It doesn't matter whose fault it was, it doesn't matter if there was a police report or if my insurance will cover it - avoiding accidents is ALWAYS a life-and-death priority for me.
So, as I'm approaching the intersecting cross-street, and see a car pulling through the stop sign right in front of me, I'll gently squeeze my brakes and then proceed with caution.

5) I DON'T HATE YOU. PROMISE.
I'm afraid that there's a bit of baseless tension between cyclists and motorists.

Calvin's dad, feeding the monster

 

I don't think I'm better than you.  I don't think you're evil.  I don't envision a world completely free of automobiles where human beings of all creeds and colors will ride bicycles made of candy to sky dwellings attached to the earth by rainbows.  I don't think that you personally are turning the earth into a dusty, smoky wasteland devoid of meaning, life or love.

I just want us to to be able to share the limited infrastructures present in our community to accomplish our individual goals as efficiently as possible.  Do I prefer riding to driving? Yes. Do I believe it's for everyone? No.  Do I wish that you could ride alongside of me rather being trapped behind a sheet of metal? Yes. Do I hate you because this is not the case? No.