Dealing with Wrong-Way Riders

Pete

"AustinMN" <tacooperX@Xatt.net> wrote

> > Question One: What's the best way to pass this bozo?
>
> I ride closer to the right, so that he is forced to pass me on my left.
If
> it doesn't look like he's going to move left, I stop completely. These
are
> the same things I would do for a wrong way car, whether on my bike or in
my
> car (OK, I admit it. For a wrong way car I'd go in the ditch to avoid a
> head-on collision). In the car, I'd add a long blast on the horn to try
to
> wake him up.

I tried that once. At the last second, he dove between me and the curb.
Handlebars couldn't have been more than an inch apart as he passed.

Now, I always give them a wide berth.

Pete

Bestest Handsander

I second this approach. People are free to be idiots in this country, and
it has been my experience that idiots get awfully upset when you question
their idiocy. I like the idea of hopping off your bike and waiting for him
to pass. That at least lets him know you consider him careless and
potentially dangerous.

"Tom Kunich" <cyclintom@yahoo.com> wrote in message
news:eE%bc.15055$Dv2.11580@newsread2.news.pas.earthlink.net...
> <moonshdw@xmissionz.com> wrote in message
> news:c4pteg$q6m$1@terabinaries.xmission.com...
> > Question Two: What, if anything, would you say to him about his
> > illegal, inefficient, unsafe, stupid way of riding?
>
> If the guy hasn't gotten the idea himself after several encounters what
> could you possibly say that would break through his thick skull. Ignore
the
> clown and avoid him as best you can.
>
>

Mike McGuire

Bestest Handsander wrote:
> I second this approach. People are free to be idiots in this country, and
> it has been my experience that idiots get awfully upset when you question
> their idiocy. I like the idea of hopping off your bike and waiting for him
> to pass. That at least lets him know you consider him careless and
> potentially dangerous.
>
Sh*t happens...karma works... We've all heard of the Darwin Awards. A
related concept I like is "Darwin Points", sort of like points on your
driver's license. They are awarded for taking stupid risks. Get too many
within a given time frame and your right to be a member of the genepool
is revoked. Fred is slowly but surely accumulating them...

Mike

Dennis P. Harris

On Mon, 05 Apr 2004 03:46:45 GMT in rec.bicycles.misc, "Pete"
<ptr@usaf.com> wrote:

> I tried that once. At the last second, he dove between me and the curb.
> Handlebars couldn't have been more than an inch apart as he passed.
>
> Now, I always give them a wide berth.

I turn sideways and block the lane, and then tell them that it's
illegal for them to ride facing traffic and they will cause an
accident where the court will say that they are at fault.

Kyralessa

"Matt O'Toole" <matt@deltanet.com> wrote in message
news:7d0cc.9672$Zw.4811@nwrddc02.gnilink.net...
> moonshdw@xmissionz.com wrote:
>
> > There's one Fred in particular that I (almost) run into quite
> > frequently. This dope is a regular commuter, but he doesn't wear a
> > helmet, he hauls a large load in a backpack, and he invariably rides
> > on the wrong side of the road. (This being in the USA, that's on the
> > left.) Question One: What's the best way to pass this bozo?
> > Question Two: What, if anything, would you say to him about his
> > illegal, inefficient, unsafe, stupid way of riding?
>
> Ask him to stop so you can speak to him. Politely explain why he should
be
> riding on the right side of the road. I wouldn't even approach the helmet
> issue -- the other one is the biggie anyway, and if you get too preachy
you
> won't accomplish anything.

I second this approach. I tried it once when I met a junior-high-age kid
riding on the wrong side, and not only did he head off in the correct
direction this time, but he even said "Thanks." It restored my faith in
humanity for a day or two.

jeffbonny

So moonshdw@xmissionz.com says:

> I hesitate to use epithets like "Fred," because the way I figure it, to
>Lance Armstrong we're all Freds. But...
> There's one Fred in particular that I (almost) run into quite
>frequently. This dope is a regular commuter, but he doesn't wear a
>helmet, he hauls a large load in a backpack, and he invariably rides on
>the wrong side of the road. (This being in the USA, that's on the left.)
> Question One: What's the best way to pass this bozo?

With a straight-arm into his bars so he crashes away from you.

> Question Two: What, if anything, would you say to him about his
>illegal, inefficient, unsafe, stupid way of riding?
>
The straight-arm will say it all
jb

Q.

"Tom Sherman" <tsherman@qconline.com> wrote in message
news:c4qjth$2m4qfo$1@ID-81487.news.uni-berlin.de...

> I suggest a bike such as the RANS Rocket [1] I have. The exposed 62T
> chainring out front will increase the intimidation factor.
>
> [1] <http://www.ransbikes.com/2004Bikes/Rocket.htm>.

And throw one of these chain guards on it too ...

http://circlecitybicycles.com/chop/cguard.htm

C.Q.C.

loki

"jeffbonny" <jeffbonny@REMCAPSshaw.ca> wrote in message
news:7g1270977hcinrd2e6jkn6a02117ht1jdn@4ax.com...
> So moonshdw@xmissionz.com says:
[...]
> >he invariably rides on
> >the wrong side of the road. (This being in the USA, that's on the left.)
> > Question One: What's the best way to pass this bozo?
>
> With a straight-arm into his bars so he crashes away from you.
>
> > Question Two: What, if anything, would you say to him about his
> >illegal, inefficient, unsafe, stupid way of riding?
> >
> The straight-arm will say it all

And I thought I was the crown prince of over reaction.



I've passed one twice on my commute over the winter. I'm thinking if I do
meet him again I will not swing wide; force him to cede the right-of-way. If
he wants to take issue with it we can discuss rules of the road.


--
'If I seem unduly clear to you,
you must have misunderstood what I said'
-alan greenspan

Graydon

Call the police, and report it as you would a motorist doing something
wrong. If Fred has a routine, it should be easy for them to pick him
off.


On Sun, 4 Apr 2004 21:07:28 +0000 (UTC), moonshdw@xmissionz.com wrote:

> I hesitate to use epithets like "Fred," because the way I figure it, to
>Lance Armstrong we're all Freds. But...
> There's one Fred in particular that I (almost) run into quite
>frequently. This dope is a regular commuter, but he doesn't wear a
>helmet, he hauls a large load in a backpack, and he invariably rides on
>the wrong side of the road. (This being in the USA, that's on the left.)
> Question One: What's the best way to pass this bozo?
> Question Two: What, if anything, would you say to him about his
>illegal, inefficient, unsafe, stupid way of riding?
>
> -----------------------------------------------------------------
>| Nonspammers please remove the "z" from address above to reply. |
> -----------------------------------------------------------------

MP

One thing to keep in mind is that these people are not necessarily
idiots. One friend of mine was recently talking about taking up
cycling. He's a pretty bright guy, and is starting with a high degree
of fitness. He runs regularly and works out. He threw me by saying,
"of course, I'd ride against traffic, it's safer." I think I
eventually persuaded him that he was wrong, that he would be creating
a hazard for law abiding cyclists. I'm not sure, though, because he
hasn't bought a bike yet.

Still, this idea is, unfortunately, very common among people who don't
know anything about cycling. It's one of those notions that seems
like common sense to those who think that cyclists are second class
citizens.

When I see a wrong way cyclist coming, I start making frequent checks
for traffic behind me. If it's safe, I pull over to the left well in
advance to make it clear what I'm doing. If there isn't room, I come
to a stop in my lane. Either way, I loudly say "Hey, wrong way, wrong
way!" I try not to sound belligerent.

I've noticed that one guy who I used to see around here frequently
riding the wrong way, has started obeying the law. I have no idea if
it was what I said, or if someone else persuaded him.

MP

On Sun, 4 Apr 2004 21:07:28 +0000 (UTC), moonshdw@xmissionz.com wrote:

> I hesitate to use epithets like "Fred," because the way I figure it, to
>Lance Armstrong we're all Freds. But...
> There's one Fred in particular that I (almost) run into quite
>frequently. This dope is a regular commuter, but he doesn't wear a
>helmet, he hauls a large load in a backpack, and he invariably rides on
>the wrong side of the road. (This being in the USA, that's on the left.)
> Question One: What's the best way to pass this bozo?
> Question Two: What, if anything, would you say to him about his
>illegal, inefficient, unsafe, stupid way of riding?
>
> -----------------------------------------------------------------
>| Nonspammers please remove the "z" from address above to reply. |
> -----------------------------------------------------------------

DRS

Bestest Handsander <none@u.biz> wrote in message
OM-dndJUvsL5Ru3dRVn-iQ@aros.net
> I second this approach. People are free to be idiots in this
> country, and it has been my experience that idiots get awfully upset
> when you question their idiocy.

Like when people point out how bad top-posting is? In any event, people are
not free to be idiots when their idiocy puts others at risk.

--

A: Top-posters.
Q: What is the most annoying thing on Usenet?

Matt O'Toole

Graydon wrote:

> Call the police, and report it as you would a motorist doing something
> wrong. If Fred has a routine, it should be easy for them to pick him
> off.

That's like telling the teacher in the third grade rather than learning to get
along with the other kids. One of the biggest probems in today's society is
that people have lost the ability to confront each other in civil fashion. For
example, rather than speak neighbor-to-neighbor about barking dogs, they go
straight to the cops. We're becoming a nation of spineless, passive-aggressive
cowards. And then we lament the loss of a sense of community...

Matt O.

Steven M. O'Neill

<moonshdw@xmissionz.com> wrote:

> I hesitate to use epithets like "Fred," because the way
>I figure it, to Lance Armstrong we're all Freds. But...
>There's one Fred in particular that I (almost) run into quite
>frequently. This dope is a regular commuter, but he doesn't
>wear a helmet, he hauls a large load in a backpack, and he
>invariably rides on the wrong side of the road. (This being in
>the USA, that's on the left.) Question One: What's the best
>way to pass this bozo?

Same way you would pass any obstruction on the right side of the
road: look back to see if any faster vehicles are approaching,
negotiate your intentions using eye and hand signals if
necessary, and move left using as much of a complete lane as you
can so as to avoid conflict with the obstacle as well as passing
faster vehicles.

> Question Two: What, if anything, would you say to him about his
>illegal, inefficient, unsafe, stupid way of riding?

You might smile, wave and say Hi. And be glad he's not in a
car.

--
Steven O'Neill steveo@panix.com
NYC Weather Forecast Chart: http://www.panix.com/~steveo/cgi/wgraph.cgi

Kaputnik

Years, ago, late 70s, early 80s, I was a wrong way cyclist. That was
how I got around town, I didn't have a car, and I just did what seemed
natural without giving it any thought. Of course, I was completely
wrong. I didn't wear a helmet, but that was pretty common then. Like
the guy you're talking about, I carried stuff on my back, but that's
another issue. I rode purely for transportation; my longest rides
might have been 10 miles round trip.

At some point I started riding with traffic instead of against it.
There was no near accident that I can remember, and I don't recall
anyone giving me a talking to. It just became obvious that this was
the safer way to do things. It wouldn't have hurt if a more
experienced cyclist had stopped me and talked about it, but that
didn't happen.

wamoonshdw@xmissionz.com wrote in message news:<c4pteg$q6m$1@terabinaries.xmission.com>...
> I hesitate to use epithets like "Fred," because the way I figure it, to
> Lance Armstrong we're all Freds. But...
> There's one Fred in particular that I (almost) run into quite
> frequently. This dope is a regular commuter, but he doesn't wear a
> helmet, he hauls a large load in a backpack, and he invariably rides on
> the wrong side of the road. (This being in the USA, that's on the left.)
> Question One: What's the best way to pass this bozo?
> Question Two: What, if anything, would you say to him about his
> illegal, inefficient, unsafe, stupid way of riding?
>
> -----------------------------------------------------------------
> | Nonspammers please remove the "z" from address above to reply. |
> -----------------------------------------------------------------