Tailgate me?

[EasyCompany]

Three mean tail gaters on today's ride.

All in a hurry to:

1. Get to their parking space, 500 feet ahead to sit in the car
2. Get up a 200 foot hill with a stop sign right past the crest
3. Queue up to a stop sign at 30mph, 300 feet down the road.

One beeped at me. She got to her house 10 seconds later, and when I
passed her, after turning around, about 30 seconds after that, she was
sitting in the car, window down. What's the hurry?

Second one got within 2 feet of my back tire. Maybe he was reading the
brand name of my saddle. Narrow road, nowhere to move to the 'curb'. I
signalled him to pass when I got to the crest. He zooms to the stop
sign, squeals the brakes, stops then zooms off - there's a speed bump
not 200 feet down the road, followed by another 50 feet past that,
then a stop sign. Why?

Last one squeals the tires, distracted by his cell phone, nearly
running me over - not on a stretch of road, but within 3-5 car lengths
from a stop sign.

This is an area with dead end streets, little hills, narrow roads and
15mph signs and speed bumps. I live there, along with them.

Short track NASCAR wannabes? I'm mystified.

[alanstew@sbcglobal.net]

On Mar 11, 4:11*pm, EasyCompany <SgtR...@verizon.net> wrote:
> Three mean tail gaters on today's ride.
>
> All in a hurry to:
>
> 1. Get to their parking space, 500 feet ahead to sit in the car
> 2. Get up a 200 foot hill with a stop sign right past the crest
> 3. Queue up to a stop sign at 30mph, 300 feet down the road.
>
> One beeped at me. She got to her house 10 seconds later, and when I
> passed her, after turning around, about 30 seconds after that, she was
> sitting in the car, window down. What's the hurry?
>
> Second one got within 2 feet of my back tire. Maybe he was reading the
> brand name of my saddle. Narrow road, nowhere to move to the 'curb'. I
> signalled him to pass when I got to the crest. He zooms to the stop
> sign, squeals the brakes, stops then zooms off - there's a speed bump
> not 200 feet down the road, followed by another 50 feet past that,
> then a stop sign. Why?
>
> Last one squeals the tires, distracted by his cell phone, nearly
> running me over - not on a stretch of road, but within 3-5 car lengths
> from a stop sign.
>
> This is an area with dead end streets, little hills, narrow roads and
> 15mph signs and speed bumps. I live there, along with them.
>
> Short track NASCAR wannabes? I'm mystified.

Easy,
Yeah, what the hell is wrong with everybody these days?
The instances you cite are just like the things I see around here
daily.
It's as if everyone is annoyed already before the cyclist comes on the
scene
and they must express their indignation that someone is IN THEIR WAY
for 3 or 4 seconds.
I am becoming convinced that we are either in the Decline, or the
Fall.
ABS

[Gooserider]

"EasyCompany" <SgtRock@verizon.net> wrote in message
news:fd7et3dm195me542au99s9stj5sqmt6ki5@4ax.com...
> Three mean tail gaters on today's ride.
>
> All in a hurry to:
>
> 1. Get to their parking space, 500 feet ahead to sit in the car
> 2. Get up a 200 foot hill with a stop sign right past the crest
> 3. Queue up to a stop sign at 30mph, 300 feet down the road.
>
> One beeped at me. She got to her house 10 seconds later, and when I
> passed her, after turning around, about 30 seconds after that, she was
> sitting in the car, window down. What's the hurry?
>
> Second one got within 2 feet of my back tire. Maybe he was reading the
> brand name of my saddle. Narrow road, nowhere to move to the 'curb'. I
> signalled him to pass when I got to the crest. He zooms to the stop
> sign, squeals the brakes, stops then zooms off - there's a speed bump
> not 200 feet down the road, followed by another 50 feet past that,
> then a stop sign. Why?
>
> Last one squeals the tires, distracted by his cell phone, nearly
> running me over - not on a stretch of road, but within 3-5 car lengths
> from a stop sign.
>
> This is an area with dead end streets, little hills, narrow roads and
> 15mph signs and speed bumps. I live there, along with them.
>
> Short track NASCAR wannabes? I'm mystified.


Tailgating is infuriating. I hate it when I'm driving, and I hate it even
more when I'm riding. Being rear ended on both two and four wheels will do
that to you. I don't get it.

[Stephen Harding]

EasyCompany wrote:
> Three mean tail gaters on today's ride.
>
> All in a hurry to:
>
> 1. Get to their parking space, 500 feet ahead to sit in the car
> 2. Get up a 200 foot hill with a stop sign right past the crest
> 3. Queue up to a stop sign at 30mph, 300 feet down the road.

[...]

> Short track NASCAR wannabes? I'm mystified.

Don't take it personal as a cyclist.

They do it to other motorists as well.

Why?

Just the general "coursening of society" that's been
underway for some time now.


SMH

[Zoot Katz]

On Tue, 11 Mar 2008 22:56:27 -0700 (PDT), alanstew@sbcglobal.net
wrote:

>On Mar 11, 4:11*pm, EasyCompany <SgtR...@verizon.net> wrote:
>> Three mean tail gaters on today's ride.
>>
>> All in a hurry to:
>>
>> 1. Get to their parking space, 500 feet ahead to sit in the car
>> 2. Get up a 200 foot hill with a stop sign right past the crest
>> 3. Queue up to a stop sign at 30mph, 300 feet down the road.
>>
>> One beeped at me. She got to her house 10 seconds later, and when I
>> passed her, after turning around, about 30 seconds after that, she was
>> sitting in the car, window down. What's the hurry?
>>
>> Second one got within 2 feet of my back tire. Maybe he was reading the
>> brand name of my saddle. Narrow road, nowhere to move to the 'curb'. I
>> signalled him to pass when I got to the crest. He zooms to the stop
>> sign, squeals the brakes, stops then zooms off - there's a speed bump
>> not 200 feet down the road, followed by another 50 feet past that,
>> then a stop sign. Why?
>>
>> Last one squeals the tires, distracted by his cell phone, nearly
>> running me over - not on a stretch of road, but within 3-5 car lengths
>> from a stop sign.
>>
>> This is an area with dead end streets, little hills, narrow roads and
>> 15mph signs and speed bumps. I live there, along with them.
>>
>> Short track NASCAR wannabes? I'm mystified.
>
>Easy,
>Yeah, what the hell is wrong with everybody these days?
>The instances you cite are just like the things I see around here
>daily.
>It's as if everyone is annoyed already before the cyclist comes on the
>scene
>and they must express their indignation that someone is IN THEIR WAY
>for 3 or 4 seconds.
>I am becoming convinced that we are either in the Decline, or the
>Fall.
>ABS

It's merely business-as-usual for cyclists - just more of it.

We've been buggy whipped, spat on, and spoked with walking sticks
since we've been awheel. Dodging rocks, manure and bottles, both
stationary and airborne, have always been part of cycling.
--
zk

[Doug Smith W9WI]

On Wed, 12 Mar 2008 06:05:22 -0400, Gooserider wrote:
> Tailgating is infuriating. I hate it when I'm driving, and I hate it even
> more when I'm riding. Being rear ended on both two and four wheels will do
> that to you. I don't get it.

It's simple: they think they can intimidate you into sacrificing your
interests so they can keep speeding. Unfortunately, they've learned that
it usually works.

[Jym Dyer]

> Don't take it personal as a cyclist.
>
> They do it to other motorists as well.


=v= Yes, but the overall guiding principle is to get away with
as much as possible, and they see possibilities to threaten us
that they don't see with other motorists.

=v= Even if it was equal treatment, equal treatment is far from
appropriate. We're not seatbelted into a foam environment and
cushioned by airbags and crumple zones.
<_Jym_>

[Grolsch]

"Jym Dyer" <jym@econet.org> wrote in message
news:Jym.12Mar2008.47d7ff59@scorcher.org...
>> Don't take it personal as a cyclist.
>>
>> They do it to other motorists as well.
>
>
> =v= Yes, but the overall guiding principle is to get away with
> as much as possible, and they see possibilities to threaten us
> that they don't see with other motorists.
>
> =v= Even if it was equal treatment, equal treatment is far from
> appropriate. We're not seatbelted into a foam environment and
> cushioned by airbags and crumple zones.
> <_Jym_>
>

And here I am jumping on their bandwagon when I confront them... can't
always but if they have to stop, I'll usually give it to them. Then, I go
ride and end up feeling like such a schmuck. How agressive I must be, for
shame. I think that's why I stick as much as possible to trailways and quiet
roads. And you're right, thats the way things seem to be in this "age of
entitlement". Where is this age of enlightenment I keep hearing about. Ego,
get thee behind me.

Grolsch