Contained Road Rage: Driving Stories

[Jamie01]

Your supposed to remain in bike lanes here, but a lot of people don’t. They leave the bike lane to weave between cars when convenient etc. it is really annoying because the lanes exist for a reason and it’s nerve racking when suddenly a guy darts out into the car lane because traffic slows. The bikers here hate the cars and drivers hate the bikes. It’s on the city to build proper bike lanes however and until then the highway is for cars first imo. Two people have died on the bend just above my house in like 8 months from head on collisions.

I thought about getting an e bike to use in summer for surfing but there’s honestly just no safe way to make it worthwhile atm.

2 weeks ago a biker took out and killed a pedestrian so in reality everyone should be careful. We are all dangerous.

 

[ommani]

The issue with transportation

As I have said, many times, this isn’t about transportation. The cyclists on the road I’m referring to are not riding their bikes for transport, but purely for recreational purposes. On no city street or highway would it be acceptable or appropriate for someone to ride their bike in the middle of the road and have the cars behind them slow down to their cycling speed. Yet, that is exactly what happens on mountain roads without bike lanes, which creates a dangerous situation, as people inevitably pass the cyclists at various points in the road, going into the opposite lane (of oncoming traffic) to do so.

It would be a completely different conversation if these poor little cyclists were riding their bikes to work for environmental reasons, or due to a lack of resources. However, that would be unrealistic and impractical in the area that I live in, especially in the wintertime, and simply isn’t a thing. Rather, it is people riding their bikes purely for their enjoyment/exercise on roads that are not built to accommodate them, when there are countless other options in the area, as I’ve already described.

 

[Jamie01]

It’s a lot of recreation around here too but I live in a very touristy area that draws everyone from the city as well as international travellers. The highway has some amazing ocean/mountain scenery so it’s a popular destination for cyclists and motorcycle groups etc.

To be fair I drive a Corolla. It’s tiny and the highway is dominated by mostly rednecks with lifted pickups etc that want to speed in excess and tailgate in a one lane until you go off the road…which incidentally I did 2 winters ago in a snowstorm because a monster truck wanted to go faster on a downhill corner and thank god for jersey barriers or I would have been so screwed. I saw one guy go off with a whole yacht in tow on a dry road in summer, trying to go fast.

Those people are the most dangerous

 

[Transform]

Rather an idiot on a pushbike than an idiot in charge of a SUV

Incdentally, there's a curious parallel with road deaths caused by cyclists, and drug deaths caused by, say, MDMA - something to do with reporting bias.

In any case, this whole thing is less my personal line in the sand and more a ravine, complete with lions.

I find having a go at people using an environmentally sustainable form of transport for any purpose - yes, leisure riding is a perfectly acceptable pastime as well - this kind of cheap and lazy jibe is beyond lame and should be sidelined in the strongest terms possible.

Anything else and you're turning a blind eye towards the destruction meted out by the auto industry and its cohorts.

Spoiler

 

[ommani]

yes, leisure riding is a perfectly acceptable pastime as well - this kind of cheap and lazy jibe is beyond lame and should be sidelined in the strongest terms possible.

Anything else and you're turning a blind eye towards the destruction meted out by the auto industry and its cohorts.

I never said that it wasn’t. As you’ve been doing repeatedly throughout this thread, you’re making points that are irrelevant to what I’m saying, while projecting your grievances on me, and making straw man arguments - all indicators of that “special” quality you seem to have, which I previously alluded to.

Funny enough, I reached out to a friend who is into bike riding, of all kinds, and lives in the same area, to get his thoughts. Suffice it to say, I was not surprised to learn that he feels the same way as I do. I bet that if I asked my neighbors, they would say the same thing. Point being, you have no idea what you’re talking about, in a literal sense, and are having an argument with your own projections.

 

[The Kraken]

@Transform

Respectful communication

Watch your language. Communication is comprised of not only the explicit but also the implicit messages, which are transmitted through choice of words and general tone of speech. We do not want curse words and immature slang in the Nexus! Please use language in a dignified manner.

I've never wanted to do this, but here we are. You're blowing this out of proportion and alluded to people in this thread being idiots. I respect your passion on this topic, but it ain't that deep and it's not your kids he's talking about, and him venting his frustration is more productive than him stewing on it. I'm not going to let you bully him like this, especially since you're not understanding the specifics of his circumstance. You're just blindly advocating for cyclists are always right, and this is more nuanced than that, as is your thinking usually.

Stop insulting people, stop creating a problem. If he had requested that i shoot them then I could see a bit more of an issue with the joke, but the way he framed appealed to the absurd which makes it more benign.

Regardless, people are going fo feel emotion. If @ommani is frustrated by a regular circumstance they can share that without you telling them their feelings are wrong while you're not even understanding them.

 

[blig-blug]

As I have said, many times, this isn’t about transportation

Doesn't affect my argument at all. That's what I was pointing out with my now-deleted example of kicking old ladies who are in the way for non-essential reasons such as wanting to take a walk. I see no difference. My own comment says that I don't think it's really about cars, bikes, or anything of the sort.

Stop insulting people

Only @Transform knows what he meant, but what I read is that an idiot in a bike will cause much less problems than an idiot in a SUV. Which is true. That doesn't mean that anyone in this thread is an idiot.

There is a problem with defending an idea while presenting your personal experience related to it: any opinion that dissents from your idea can be construed as denying your experience, personal attacks, etc. That's why I don't think it's a good way to proceed. But in any case, when someone expresses an opinion, he exposes himself to people disagreeing. That the opinion is emotionally linked to frustration changes nothing.

This is presumably why the politics subforum was killed, and why this particular conversation should not continue (IMO, obviously). People state opinions with high emotional charge that to them are obvious assuming that everyone else agrees (as it's an obvious fact that no rational person would disagree with), and when other people don't, it gets awkward and it's very difficult for the conversation to proceed in a calm manner.

 

[The Kraken]

He alluded to ommani being an idiot. Read through it again.

Locked, smh

 

[Prima Materia]

There seems to be some confusion in the traffic.

 

[ommani]

Spoiler

I’m not sure if you were insinuating something about me with that mask emoji, but if so, here’s my response.

I never pretended to be anything that I’m not. I work 50 hours/week, across two non-profits, with marginalized individuals experiencing severe mental illness, substance addiction, and risk of homelessness. In order to get to work everyday, I have to deal with the cyclists who treat the road like their personal playground. Meanwhile, there is a bike path that goes for miles in the adjacent canyon, but I guess it’s not cool enough. Defending the presence of cyclists on the mountain roads is like defending that of scooter kids at the skatepark - a ridiculous and dogmatic position that reflects poorly on your level of intelligence.

 

[blig-blug]

I don't think anyone here REALLY thinks anyone else here is an idiot, of low intelligence, etc., regardless of any statements to the contrary.
It's getting pretty heated and going in circles, and may end up causing a problem and hard feelings for no real reason other than misunderstandings.

I'm leaving this conversation, and I suggest everyone else to do the same. There's really no point: neither reality nor anyone's mind is going to change by anything said here.

 

[Transform]

I’m not sure if you were insinuating something about me with that mask emoji, but if so, here’s my response.

I never pretended to be anything that I’m not. I work 50 hours/week, across two non-profits, with marginalized individuals experiencing severe mental illness, substance addiction, and risk of homelessness. In order to get to work everyday, I have to deal with the cyclists who treat the road like their personal playground. Meanwhile, there is a bike path that goes for miles in the adjacent canyon, but I guess it’s not cool enough. Defending the presence of cyclists on the mountain roads is like defending that of scooter kids at the skatepark - a ridiculous and dogmatic position that reflects poorly on your level of intelligence.

Oh no, seriously the mask was all about me, and intended to provide a hint that I might be aware of having turned up a couple of dials beyond 11, while also acknowledging that we're in the humor and fun thread!

I probably should have posted under a more clown-like alt, especially given the power imbalance that exists in this online relationship (it's tricky mixing being a mod with saying what one feels).

Please, with the utmost respect, accept my humblest apologies for any instances of raised blood pressure as a result of overstepping some marks on the social register.

Self-expression was never really my forte when I have an iron in the fire - my literal existence is predicated on road cycling, for that's how my parents met. As such, I see any attack on road cycling as an unconscionable reproach. Subsequent involvement in diverse areas of environmental campaigning has only compounded this viewpoint.

Again, none of this is intended to denigrate you as a person, nor the admirable work that you do - and I quite understand the immense pressure that you are under as a result. It was, perhaps, unfair of me to single out your particular expression of frustration in relation to all of this.

I still stand by my vehement defence of the right for people to ride bicycles on roads, and would urge anyone who hasn't recently ridden a bicycle to reconsider their position.

Thank you for giving the opportunity to explore my feelings on this matter to some considerable depth. There really are no hard feelings on my front, and I hope you will be able to say the same.

 

[Sakkadelic]

 

[Jamie01]

I’m not sure if you were insinuating something about me with that mask emoji, but if so, here’s my response.

I never pretended to be anything that I’m not. I work 50 hours/week, across two non-profits, with marginalized individuals experiencing severe mental illness, substance addiction, and risk of homelessness. In order to get to work everyday, I have to deal with the cyclists who treat the road like their personal playground. Meanwhile, there is a bike path that goes for miles in the adjacent canyon, but I guess it’s not cool enough. Defending the presence of cyclists on the mountain roads is like defending that of scooter kids at the skatepark - a ridiculous and dogmatic position that reflects poorly on your level of intelligence.

Hey the scooter kids aren’t so bad!

This all brings to mind fights in the beach parking lot between surfers, foilers, kiters, paddleboarders. The rage is real,!but it’s also childish.

 

[ommani]

Hey the scooter kids aren’t so bad!

This all brings to mind fights in the beach parking lot between surfers, foilers, kiters, paddleboarders. The rage is real,!but it’s also childish.

Yeah I’m not talking about kids on scooters using the skatepark for its intended purpose. I’m talking about children rolling around in the park, getting in the way, and creating a safety hazard for themselves and others.

 

[The Kraken]

Oh no, seriously the mask was all about me, and intended to provide a hint that I might be aware of having turned up a couple of dials beyond 11, while also acknowledging that we're in the humor and fun thread!

I probably should have posted under a more clown-like alt, especially given the power imbalance that exists in this online relationship (it's tricky mixing being a mod with saying what one feels).

Please, with the utmost respect, accept my humblest apologies for any instances of raised blood pressure as a result of overstepping some marks on the social register.

Self-expression was never really my forte when I have an iron in the fire - my literal existence is predicated on road cycling, for that's how my parents met. As such, I see any attack on road cycling as an unconscionable reproach. Subsequent involvement in diverse areas of environmental campaigning has only compounded this viewpoint.

Again, none of this is intended to denigrate you as a person, nor the admirable work that you do - and I quite understand the immense pressure that you are under as a result. It was, perhaps, unfair of me to single out your particular expression of frustration in relation to all of this.

I still stand by my vehement defence of the right for people to ride bicycles on roads, and would urge anyone who hasn't recently ridden a bicycle to reconsider their position.

Thank you for giving the opportunity to explore my feelings on this matter to some considerable depth. There really are no hard feelings on my front, and I hope you will be able to say the same.

I still stand by my vehement defence of the right for people to ride bicycles on roads, and would urge anyone who hasn't recently ridden a bicycle to reconsider their position.

Thank you for giving the opportunity to explore my feelings on this matter to some considerable depth. There really are no hard feelings on my front, and I hope you will be able to say the same.

This was very beautiful. Thank you @Transform your care, passion, and vulnerability. It's humbling to view.

To clarify, one can be an advocate for cyclists, even the ones that may annoy them, and still an advocate while annoyed. We should advocate for anyone being on the road in responsible ways.

 

[Transform]

Now here's something that provides a great perspective on the whole thing. It's almost like NJB caught wind of this thread and jumped into action

 

[ommani]

Between my nightly amanita tea, daily rue, and increasing the amount of hemp in my weed blend, I have entered perma-sloth mode. It’s not always great for productivity, but it does help me to be more chill, so if being a sloth-human hybrid is the price I have to pay, so be it.

Subsequently, if the driving speed of my commute needs to be cut in half because of some canyon-loving, recreational sports enthusiasts who I can’t pass on a winding road, no problem. Running late to work? I could have left earlier. People waiting for me? I’ll be there when I get there.

Not everyone is cut out to live their lives in perma-sloth mode, and it’s not a path that I would have chosen, but a higher calling that I have been chosen by.