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You were stopped in the wrong lane with traffic coming towards you and want to complain that others feel as though the road belongs to them? You are complaining about how the person driving the car didn't drive down the left hand side of their lane (because you were parked in the middle of the road) yet still feel they think the road belongs to them? Look in the mirror mate! If the road doesn't belong to them it sure as heck doesn't belong to bikers like you who feel the need to overtake and ride in such a manner that may cause unnecessary accidents. How about next time you sit in traffic like you are supposed to...

Well, being a Bermudian like myself you have to admit that this idea that the bikes creating a third lane gives car drivers every excuse to smash into them is a relatively new concept.

Cars *used* to leave three or four feet between them and the car in front, to enable any bike rider the ability to get back into traffic.  This doesn't happen anymore.  We've become like major US/Canadian/UK cities where it is "**** you".

I cannot belive people like Drew and CO are out there on the roads thinking "tough shit" to anyone not in a vehicle that can not hurt them.  Yes I get frustated with how some people on bikes drive but I would NEVER consider trying to use my car to scare people by threatning them with my car.  It is just inhumane, no matter how much of a prick the bike rider appears to be.

The situation I described is one in which I was not blocking this lady, she had plenty of room.  I have already admitted that I made a mistake by pulling out when I did, but does one silly mistake justify this woman's actions?  She was willing to risk my flipping life because she experinced road rage...it is as simple as that.  Yet here we have people justifying it.  Amazing.

ummm... ace.... you're missing the point here love. Nobody is saying that it is cool or acceptable for individuals to intentionally try and take out other road users because they are pissed off. You talk about selfish use of the roads but fail to recognize that YOU were the one being selfish in the first instance... you and the rest of the 95% who know that a behaviour is wrong, but do it anyway thereby forcing the rest of us (who are actually on our side of the road) to adjust ourselves accordingly. Is that not selfish? It wasn't a silly mistake. A silly mistake is when you hit the gas instead of the brake. Knowingly and admittedly moving to the head of the line putting yourself on the other side of the road is a pattern of behaviour as you pointed out in your first post (by admitting that it was wrong but still doing it... not a 'silly mistake'). It's symptomatic of the 'I own the road' and I'm kinda shocked that you can't see that.

No, it wasn't right for anybody to 'aim' their car at you. But maybe you need to re-examine your riding habits so that you don't put yourself in that type of situation... people don't go around 'aiming' their cars at riders who are obeying the rules of the road...

It is called jaywalking and it is illegal.  She should NOT have been walking across the road like that...she should have taken the 2 minutes it would have taken to walk down the street and use the pedetrian crossing.

Now IF I aimed my car at her and just missed grazing her just to prove that she was doing something wrong (even though *everyone does it* [kinda like lane splitting on a bike]) then she may well have been justified in starting a thread on a BBS.  She could entitle it "Why the F***?" and moan that some a-hole in a car essentially threatened her for no other reason than she crossed the road in the same way everyone else does, albeit illegally.

Instead I stopped and allowed her to cross anyway.  Weird huh?  Based on you and CO's arguments I should have run her down to teach her a lesson...she was quite cute and would have made a nice *hood ornament*.

sigh. and nobody is saying that it was justifiable m'dear... just that you're being a little.... errr.... hypocritical when talking about selfish road users...

breathe. take a deep breath. here... have a karma for making it into work safely this morning.

All I'm saying is that if a shiny new SUV with rims, limo tint, illegal license plates and music blaring comes around the corner, please make sure you're on your side of the road and not angling for a spot in the front of the line

Well CO darling, I am sorry for pressing the point but this from you earlier:

"I now have the attitude that if you haven't learned that in Bike vs. Car, Car wins 90% of the time then I'm more than happy to give you a ride west on the hood of my car."

does indeed appear to justify this woman's actions and highlights your attitude while driving.  Or...was this just bravado writing?

As to this:

"As I stated, as a regular 4 wheeler it is very harrowing driving, particularly first thing in the morning with bikes coming at you HEAD ON on your side of the road. I don't just mean a couple of inches over the line, I am talking about having to swerve out of the way to avoid a head on collision. It is disgusting, and the lady's response was very likely out of frustration from day in and day out encountering bike riders, who like yourself, think that because 95% of riders do it, it's okay. It's not. It's dangerous and it's illegal. And very selfish to other road users, when you then expect them to adjust their behaviour to compensate for your misuse of the roads."

It is obvious that you are mixing things up.  You have made it sound as if I am some ignorant bike rider that goes head on with cars.  I am *disgusting*, selfish etc. apparently....your words not mine.  Except you have taken one situation and placed it on top of mine.  I was not riding like a maniac and going HEAD ON with anyone.  I pulled out of the gas station to join taffic when this woman came flying around the corner, frowned at me and aimed her car at me.  I WAS only a couple of inches on her side.  I had stoppped my bike.

I am an extremely conservative driver on my bike generally.  I made one small mistake and almost paid heavily for it...way too heavily in my opinion.

ace - my comments about bikes coming head on in the line of traffic was a general remark about 2 wheelers and their selfish use of the roads. If the shoe fits wear it, if it doesn't then it doesn't apply to you. I've already stated repeatedly that I don't think it's cool for anybody to purposely try and cause an accident or injury. I also stated that I think it's hypocritical to talk about selfishness on the roads when you were being selfish by expecting other road users to adjust their driving because of your choice to manouver(sp) to the front of the line. Whether a couple of inches or a couple of feet, you were on her side of the road because you chose to be.

That said, I can understand why you'd be pissed at her deliberate attempt to do you in. Glad you're okay and also hope that you and other 2 wheelers drop the attitude that 95% of riders do it, therefore it must be okay. It's dangerous and sooner or later sure to cause an accident - be it genuine, or somebody trying to 'teach a lesson'. The roads are dangerous enough without cars and bikes playing chicken.