What is the right attitude to have with drivers or cars on the road as someone who bikes, or walks, or uses another mode of transportation.
I’m looking to adjust my behaviour and want some opinions. How do you treat cars on the road (shared bike/car roads, bike lanes only)
I think there is a good case for adding ‘friction’ to the lives of drivers. But I’m less sure today. I’m conflicted. Friction comes in a variety of ways, but basically I think of it as me not contributing to the driving experience in a positive way. Eg. if you’re a car rushing up to a stop sign with a light on a bike path… we’ll I’m not pushing the pedestrian button. I can wait. Good luck turning left on this 4 lane road during rush hour :) I’m not like this if I’m a pedestrian.
Do communities like fuckcars encourage people to adopt a more extreme response to cars? Is the internet radicalizing me? Is it worth it?
The majority of the time biking is great and I’m happy to not be driving around, but sometimes I’m done with cars being cars: dangerous, entitled, and they stink and I lose my patience. Car blocking the entire road? I’m saying something. Car tail gating me? I’m moving to the center of the road until it’s safe to pass.
I’m in a Canadian city. I’ve never had any incidents with cars and I’ve been commuting on my bike in bike lanes/roads for like 8 years.
I frequently don’t get off my bike and stand aside when a large SUV comes barrelling down the tiny road I live on. I can tell it pisses them off, but I can also tell that they’re only one person so I don’t see why it’s my problem that they have a car that doesn’t fit on the road. I have as much right to this road as they do.
I’ve had a similar experience and tried to adjust my road related interactions with cars when walking or cycling not in an aggressive way but in a “I get to occupy space too” kind of way.
Just because it’s the “road” and you’re in a car and I’m not doesn’t mean that you’re royalty. Take your time, exist, make them wait.
One thing I do is when I have to share the road with cars, I make sure to go in the middle of the lane to discourage cars from passing in the same lane where I am biking.
When entering a pedestrian crossing, I don’t hesitate when entering to assert that I have the right of way. I also make sure to make direct eye contact with any nearby drivers that are approaching the crossing.
I think this past week in particular I’ve been high energy and stressed out and this puts me in an irritable mood. Maybe my general approach is OK, but I could be more aware of my headspace and what kind of decisions it leads me towards. I can bus if I’m not clear headed enough to deal with inevitable conflicts with cars on the road.
