Getting Angry...
Comments
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Go with the flow.
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sharp exit
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EKE_38BPM wrote:
Its not a self driving car (yet). There is a driver behind the wheel, so look at them. A quick glance in the general direction of the vehicle behind you doesn't tell you if the driver has seen you and doesn't tell the driver that you have actually seen them. Eye contact is two way communication.Kurako wrote:Everything vimfuego said....
Smile, relax, be calm. If you wanted to be miserable you'd take PT. If you wanted to be angry you'd drive. Just rise above all the petty bull. You don't want to get angry then make a stupid mistake while the adreniline is pumping.
I'll offer some dissent on the eye contact thing. If a car is coming out of a side road you want to make sure it is stopping. You should look at the wheels. Is the car slowing? Has the driver seen you? If there's traffic the biggest danger is the car next to you being 'nice' and flashing them out. Look out for it. If no traffic move to the middle of the lane so you're more visible.
@EKE eye contact while shoulder checking really? Do they teach that? That's way too much time looking behind for me. Quick glance is all you need. Move out early for obstructions. If a car is close wait and let it pass.
In general be prepared to slow down or stop. Someone at some point will do something stupid.
I understand looking at the wheels, but that only tells you if the vehicle is still moving, not if the driver has seen you.
When passing side roads I teach kids to give drivers a dirty look.
Three anecdotes:
1: This morning I was passing a minor road on my left and a driver was approaching, looking to to turn left into the small gap in front of me. I made eye contact (with the aforementiontioned dirty look) and the driver slammed on the brakes once they realised I had no intention of stopping.
2: Last year I was teaching a group of 9 & 10 year old and told them about the power of a dirty look. They laughed but when they were practising one of the group, a TINY nine year old girl who wouldn't say boo to a goose, had WVM (complete with McDonalds wrappers and copy of The Sun stuffed between the dashboard and the windscreen) about to pull out in front of her. She gave him the dirtiest look she could muster and he slammed on the brakes.
3: Earlier this year a group of trainees were practicing on a busy, but residential, road. One driver seemed to think that reaching his destination a few seconds quicker was more important than the safety of a small child and revved his engine as a prelude to a dodgy/dangerous overtake. My trainee heard the engine rev and shoulder checked, giving the driver a great dirty look. Again, the driver became all sweetness and light.
The trainees in the above anecdotes both recieved my highest form of praise for trainees, a high five.
I think there may be times where watching the wheels for movement may be better, but generally eye contact is the way to go. If the phrase 'dirty look' doesn't sit right with you, replace it with 'good, hard stare'.
I just go on the driver is a blithering idiot and has not seen me and ride accordingly. If you assume the worst you can only be pleasantly surprised. And I understand your point about eye contact being two way communication. That's why I try to avoid it unless I really want to. To you eye contact means "that driver has seen me they won't pull out". To the driver it means "that cyclist has seen me he won't ride into me so I can pull out". If I am stopping and letting someone go then eye contact, smile, nod. The rest of the time thousand yard stare while actually watching them like a hawk.
The other thing people do is if someone makes a bad pass or does something else dodgy then they go in front to 'teach them a lesson'. F*ck that! If someone is a horrible driver or a psychotic maniac the last place I want them and their several tonnes of metal is behind me.0
