Recently, in retaliation for the danger cars parked in bike lanes put me in, I've started slapping at those parked cars' wing mirrors. Mostly with the intention of causing them some modicum of inconvenience (having to wind down their window to put it back) for the inconvenience (at best)/ danger (at worst) they have put me in.
Again, parked cars. They're in no danger. They're not even using the mirrors because they're stationary.
A thread on how this is working out for me 🧵
1/5
=> More informations about this toot | More toots from BrokenFlows@mastodon.social
Last night a taxi driver was parked in and blocking the bike lane I was on, forcing me out into traffic.
It was dark, very wet, and there was a lot of traffic on the road. Suddenly merging with traffic felt unsafe.
Out of frustration for them putting me in danger, I slapped at their wing mirror — not even hard enough to move it.
The taxi driver felt an appropriate response was to follow me and threaten to hit me with their car.
2/5
=> More informations about this toot | More toots from BrokenFlows@mastodon.social
They beeped at me, holding their horn for more than 10 seconds, before following me for 1 km, and maybe would have followed me further if I hadn't passed a modal filter they couldn't pass through.
The WHOLE time they followed me they had their window down and they were shouting out of it with threats of how they'd hit me with their car for daring to touch theirs.
3/5
=> More informations about this toot | More toots from BrokenFlows@mastodon.social
I've been told I should know better than to escalate. I've been told to not let it get to me.
On some level, I get it, but I can't shake the feeling that there's surely the real escalation is threatening to run over someone for slapping at their car. Surely it is them who started it by making me unsafe before I ever touched their car.
I can't help but think that there's few things one could do to a car with their bare hands that would truly warrant threats to kill them.
4/5
=> More informations about this toot | More toots from BrokenFlows@mastodon.social
Back to "how this is working out for me": I think it isn’t. I don't think I've got the conviction to fuck around for fear of finding out.
If anyone cares to share how they handle frustration with obstinate drivers in cycle lanes (be that: ring your bell; do nothing; etc.) I'm curious to hear what ye do; particularly if it offers a safer outlet for righteous rage caused by being made bail out onto the road.
5/5 #BikeTooter
=> More informations about this toot | More toots from BrokenFlows@mastodon.social
@BrokenFlows only thing I've thought of is visibly taking pictures of their car and license plate. If they look like they're reacting, visibly film their face. Doesn't even really matter whether there's anywhere to send such pictures/footage where you are or even if you're really taking photos/video. Makes them uncomfortable, especially about retaliating. I used to ride with a visible helmet cam, and pointing at it helped tame the worst drivers a bit
=> More informations about this toot | More toots from radicalabacus@hachyderm.io
@radicalabacus a helmet cam seems like a good move. I’d forgotten that I heard of people recommending cameras to keep people on better behaviour. It sounds like exactly what I’d benefit from. Thanks for the suggestion!
=> More informations about this toot | More toots from BrokenFlows@mastodon.social
@BrokenFlows I find it crazy that people are happy to go to the notion of “lets do a murder”.
I’d suggest a helmet cam. You'll at least give the more intelligent ones a sense of shame, hopefully.
The thick-skulled ones you cant help anyway.
=> More informations about this toot | More toots from xixora@mastodon.social
@BrokenFlows unfortunately flesh never wins against cars and a lot of people have dangerous rage so when I was a frequent city biker I just would call them an asshole... Sometimes make up a song about how they were an asshole to sing as I kept it moving. I also took slightly less direct streets that had better bike lanes or less traffic to avoid issues. My thought is that if anything more was pursued it was more likely to make them hate bikers than rethink their ways.
=> More informations about this toot | More toots from instantiatethis@keyboards.social
@BrokenFlows 🎶 you asshole you are supposed to signal, this is a bike lane not a turn lane, you idiot asshole what are you doing, I hope your car breaks down 🎶
=> More informations about this toot | More toots from instantiatethis@keyboards.social
@instantiatethis I worry you’re right about making the driver curse all cyclists rather than consider what may have lead a cyclist to be upset with them. Important thing to bear in mind.
=> More informations about this toot | More toots from BrokenFlows@mastodon.social
@BrokenFlows yeah, I definitely have overheard various rages at bikers after seeing one biker like run a light or whatever about how "none of them ever follow the rules" so yeah people definitely paint everyone as one color especially if it has inconvenienced them
=> More informations about this toot | More toots from instantiatethis@keyboards.social This content has been proxied by September (ba2dc).Proxy Information
text/gemini