My friend, I feel your pain. I am an urban cyclist, and all too often have I had to slam on my brakes, dodge opening doors, and smack hoods of drivers who either have a massive sense of entitlement about their 1-ton hunks of four-wheeling metal, or are too blinking stupid to realise they are driving in the bike lane. I’ve actually now gone Zen about the whole thing, and ignore them, unless my life was seriously endangered. Or if I’m feeling really pissy, I have been known to punch a car.

Back to the bike thing, my brother’s motorcycle instructor relayed a story how he almost got side-swiped by some well-meaning gentleman. When asked whether he had failed to notice the approaching bike in his side-mirror before changing lanes, the gentleman informed our biker friend that no, he had not noticed him. Our biker friend proceeded to smash off the gentleman’s mirror, since obviously, he did not need it.

The moral of these stories: if you are behind the wheel of a four-wheeled vehicle, in the presence of either bikers or cyclists, if you are an idiot, you are also by definition an a$$hole, since we don’t have the benefit of four sides of metal surrounding us. Drive safe and pay attention!

My rant is finished. SL, glad to hear you’re safe.

Hey, at least 2/3 of your trip is on PATHS. My whole 15 minute jaunt is on Toronto city streets. I luckily get some bike lane, for about half of the trip, though I do have to share with the (albeit infrequent) bus. This city is crap for cycling, though with the price of gas the way it is, maybe more people will get out of the cars, so we can get a cycling critical mass! And maybe the Leafs will win the cup.

I avoid the mirror smashing when on a cycle. On a bike you can at least get away, on a bicycle you have to go “off-road” to escape. No too tough though, zip up a few one-way streets, and you’ve lost them.

I’m with you on the random road tests.
I gave up motorcycling a long time ago after a few close calls of my own and knowing some some less fortunate people who were skinned alive, pulped or decapitated.

I do not expect a heck of a lot out of my balance challenged four wheeled brethren … but I do expect them not to be stupid

You’ve got it backwards. You’re supposed to expect them to be stupid although they’re sometimes more creative than one might imagine possible :)

I spent a few years as an “urban cyclist”, but never on a motorcycle, and I also do a fair amount of walking. My bicycle (with me on it, moving at 30km/h+) was once struck by a motorist who was paying insufficient attention and failed to stop completely at a red light.

It’s true there are large numbers of underqualified drivers on the road: people who don’t understand the necessity of keeping their attention on their driving, people who are obviously incapable of handling a vehicle deftly (and aware of their incompetence, to judge by their hesitancy), and people who simply do not know the rules for basic traffic manoeuvres. Some people should never have anything in their hands but a steering wheel and, only when necessary, other controls necessary to safely operate the vehicle: not a cup of coffee, not a CD, not makeup, not a cellphone.

Nevertheless, the proportion of irresponsible drivers is much smaller in the 4+ wheel community than in the 2 wheel community. Very few people drive their 4+ wheel vehicles up the middle between lanes to come to the front at a stop light, use shoulders as a travelling lane (except when nearing an exit ramp in heavy traffic, which is at least a customary practice), weave in and out of dense multi-lane vehicle concentrations, routinely pass on the right where a significant part of the flow of traffic ahead is likely to be attempting to turn right, travel at a speed which makes it unlikely under given conditions that any overtaken driver could anticipate or recognize their presence, alternate between road and sidewalk as convenient to avoid stopping, etc, etc. A large fraction of the 2 wheel community - motorized and unmotorized - behave as if the conventions and rules of the road do not apply as long as there is visibly room to squeeze in somewhere. (And I have been cut off by motorcycle drivers who seem to forget their braking power is better than most 4+ wheel vehicles.) They execute manoeuvres unlikely or impossible - and therefore unanticipated - by motorists with no experience on 2 wheels.

As a car driver, I know what things to not attempt as a pedestrian and cyclist. I know how different weather conditions affect visibility from the point of view of the motorist. I know where the motorist’s attention is likely to be in different situations, and I assure you that it is not glued to the right-hand side view mirror. It is mostly to the front where it should be, and a reasonably good driver will also be estimating from when and where he is likely to be overtaken (a habit not at all customary in parts of Europe, and good luck to you there if you expect drivers to be watching your approach from the rear). This will not account for rapidly approaching motorcyles concealed by the cars to the immediate rear or bicycles approaching from the rear in traffic which is otherwise at a dead halt.

That said, the problem is not that we need random testing; what is needed is more rigorous initial testing. Right now obtaining a driver’s licence is barely a step above obtaining a prize from a box of cereal. Once we screen out the people who are (and some always will be) merely incapable, the random checks should just be traffic citations resulting in one month suspensions to the irresponsible.

I get pissed off but I’ve never lost it to the point where I get road rage. Road rage, air rage and any other modern “Rage” the media wants to roll out result from a combination of instant gratification, self-righteous anger and notions of entitlement. Nastydad always told me never let anyone see you lose your temper. Then they know they’ve gotten one over on you.

The other day I was waiting at a yield sign for some broad to drive by. She stops, even though she has no sign or signal indicating she had to stop and just sits and stares at me. Then she starts getting mad staring at me and waving at me to make my turn, like we were in some imaginary 4 way stop. I waited because I had no idea what the hell she was doing. Finally she floors it and gives me the finger like I was the asshole.

That one didn’t give me the rage, just made me laugh.

Random checks would be nice, but toughening up the drivers tests makes more sense. Nobody knows the basic rules of the road. I have patience for honest misakes, nobody’s perfect. It’s the stupid shit like tailgating, lane changes in intersections, lane changes over solid lines and talking on cell phones that bothers me.

I have been almost run off the road, almost crashed into etc. by drivers of all stripes.
Including motorcyclists.

This isn’t a one time occurence. ( the area I live in is a biker favorite. Oceanside highway, LOTS of curves)
Passing me on a blind curve, and swerving in like I wasn’t there in the first place after encountering an oncoming semi.
Cutting around and passing me on the right? When there is no right lane?
I Drive up to a light, and then a bike pulls up beside me in my lane and then guns it so they are ahead when it changes.
Tailgating. Big problem for many. Had quite a few motorbikes do it to me too.
I don’t drive too slow, although I have truly been trying to stick to the speed limits. (I am a leadfoot, but I like my 43% insurance discount too much)
Stoopid can happen whether the driver is in a car, or a motorbike. There is a greater number of them in cars, a good reason being that the cars outnumber the bikes.

I think re-testing all drivers every 5 years would be expensive, but a good idea. I am teaching my son to drive right now, and have had to actually look up some things I had forgotten.

My biggest beef on the road at the moment are those using cell fones while driving or getting otherwise distracted. ( I knew someone who had an accident because his G/F was “performing” summin. He lost control, and ummmm. Lost control. Dumbass. )
People who think stop signs and lights are merely a suggestion should be trounced into the ground.
I think I am a average, competent driver.
Apparently a lot of people feel they are above average. Cocky is dangerous.

Question - who is more foolish: the fool or the fool who drives an unprotected rocket-on-2-wheels surrounded by fools?

I’m a 4-wheels type of guy. I signal, I use my mirrors, I have even taken a defensive driving course (Young Drivers of Canada).

I bear no ill will towards those on 2 wheels - looks like ALOT of fun when they cruise (or zoom) by me. However, I will say that the road in front of me, immediately to the left and right of me, and a small portion of the road behind me belongs exclusively and without exception to ME.

I operate under the assumption that I will be surrounded by cars 99% of the time. If I see you coming in the mirrors (which I check regularly) on a bike, I’ll pay attention and make sure I don’t cause you any problems. But if you are driving so fast or in such a position where I can’t see you with my Young-Driver-trained-triple-mirror-plus-blind-spot-check, then I’m afraid you’re shit outta luck.

BTW - if I saw someone tailing me in my car, and I could see that it wasn’t a cop, I’d be pulling over in a heartbeat. Too many weirdos out there.

PS - I thought it was interesting how you advocate for increased road-related-regulations considering our previous discussions on cell-phone use in the car. And gun control for that matter.

I did not imply that I have no respect for others on the road SL - don’t put words in my mouth.

What I did say was that every driver has their own personal space on the road - rather than a principled view it’s a practical view. What happens in the immediate surrounding of my vehicle concerns me greatly - expecially with that child seat in the back.

As I mentioned, I believe I am usually quite aware of my surroundings at all times. And like I said, I give a special leeway to motorcyclists WHEN I CAN SEE THEM COMING. My point was not that I own the roads so beware - it was that if I drive the way I typically drive, and I ever had a run in with another vehicle (motorcycle included), it would most likely be due to the speed at which they were driving, or the manner in which they were driving.

The whole point of my “….. the road in front of me, immediately to the left and right of me, and a small portion of the road behind me belongs exclusively and without exception to ME.” statement was exactly what you seem to be advocating - a healthy respect for other vehicles on the road - I am essentially saying “don’t screw up around me” as much as you are.

Originally Posted By stageleftOh yeah… about that blind spot, didn’t they tell you in driving school that it’s your responsibility to know what’s going on it it, not some other driver?

I am aware it is my responsibility, hence the “…where I can’t see you with my Young-Driver-trained-triple-mirror-plus-blind-spot-check, then I’m afraid you’re shit outta luck.” I regularly check my blind spots - before every lane change and every turn as a matter of fact. Should start double-reading those posts SL.

Additional regulation requiring agents of the state to tail others to test for driving acuity is exactly that - regulation.

From Dictionary.com - Reg-u-la-tion, –noun 1. a law, rule, or other order prescribed by authority, esp. to regulate conduct.

An order to state agents to patrol the roads (in addition to Police officers, that is) to randomly test drivers on their abilities sounds an awful lot like “or other order prescribed by authority, esp. to regulate conduct”.

If the ultimate goal of random tailings is not to regulate conduct, then I’m not sure what it is.

I have driven cars, trucks, motorcycles and airplanes. And I managed to get old. So here’s a couple of observations from Some Old Guy:

1) The right of way ain’t somethin’ you GOT, it’s somethin’ that someone GIVES to ya. And if he don’t give it to ya - you ain’t got it!!

2) In all these years, there are two things I have never heard anybody cop to: not havin’ a sense of humour, and bein’ a shitty driver.

3) Most motorcycle accidents happen the first year of driving. And most of THEM - first time on the bike.

Take care out there, kiddies. Don’t get brave.

Get OLD!!!