Freakin' Cars

Is it just where I am from, or do we seriously need to revisit driving etiquette when passing a bike. I mean, really. Why is it that somewhere between high school drivers ed and, oh I don’t know about 20 minutes after high school drivers ed, people forget how to drive with a bike on the road? How many times have you been on the road (two lanes, more like one and a half, with no shoulder) when a car decides that the double yellow really does mean do not cross. Next thing you know your damn near getting a rearview mirror directly in the kidneys (if you’re lucky enough for them to actually miss a direct hit). Not to mention you’re lucky to stay on the road if not on your bike. OOH! Or my favorite! You get passed by the guy who realizes that it’s a “wonderful idea” to announce himself by leaning on the horn to alert you that he’s coming up on your left. When, unless you have an iPod® or similar which is all too common now a days, you probably hear him anyway. Then there’s the SUV/pickup truck that insists on slowing just enough that to pass you they decide they need to bury the gas to the floor, revving the engine at an RPM that should cause enough torque to tear it right off the mounting bolts. My opinion, as cyclists we need to make sure we’re talking about these issues with friends and family. Maybe we can actually get the word out, things could change, and it’ll be a happy utopia, cars and bikes living as one in harmony together.