KneesUp
Guru
Since we sold our second car the bike is my only means of getting to work, which is great - it means I don't have a 'get out'
However, recently I'm finding drivers to be more and more annoying. I don't know if it's because I experience them everyday, or because I now drive less, or because people are driving less considerately.
I only commute c. 3 miles (shortest route, which is always my way in - home is sometimes a longer route) but every single day I will get a lot who pass too close, and a few who pass far to close, and there will be one or two who clearly hadn't seen me. I'm lucky that a lot of the main route has a bus lane, and there are no complex junctions or roundabouts - in fact there are only two right turns on the way in - but in a way the fact that a third of my commute is in a bus lane and it's so relatively risk free everywhere else makes it even more annoying that I still experience thoughtless and/or careless driving so often.
Today I had a van pull out on me whilst the driver was on the phone. I get that sometimes when you're driving the phone rings and you realise it's important, and sometimes if it hadn't connected to the handsfree you might - based on conditions - answer quickly to say 'call me back' - it's not right or legal, but I totally get that it's a risk that sometimes you might judge to be ok - but this guy was on the phone as he pulled out of parking space without looking, and yet he still felt the need to give me a punishment pass and some verbal when he eventually got to an open bit of road - presumably because I did an 'on the phone' mime as I got around him. Thing is I know the mime would have made no difference to his attitude, and I knew it would possibly wind him up so I was waiting for him to pass, which made the time before he did more stressful.
So my question is, how do you remain 'zen' when you start your ride stressed by other stuff (lots of 'other stuff' going on atm) and then people take risks with your health by being thoughtless, careless or deliberately aggressive?
However, recently I'm finding drivers to be more and more annoying. I don't know if it's because I experience them everyday, or because I now drive less, or because people are driving less considerately.
I only commute c. 3 miles (shortest route, which is always my way in - home is sometimes a longer route) but every single day I will get a lot who pass too close, and a few who pass far to close, and there will be one or two who clearly hadn't seen me. I'm lucky that a lot of the main route has a bus lane, and there are no complex junctions or roundabouts - in fact there are only two right turns on the way in - but in a way the fact that a third of my commute is in a bus lane and it's so relatively risk free everywhere else makes it even more annoying that I still experience thoughtless and/or careless driving so often.
Today I had a van pull out on me whilst the driver was on the phone. I get that sometimes when you're driving the phone rings and you realise it's important, and sometimes if it hadn't connected to the handsfree you might - based on conditions - answer quickly to say 'call me back' - it's not right or legal, but I totally get that it's a risk that sometimes you might judge to be ok - but this guy was on the phone as he pulled out of parking space without looking, and yet he still felt the need to give me a punishment pass and some verbal when he eventually got to an open bit of road - presumably because I did an 'on the phone' mime as I got around him. Thing is I know the mime would have made no difference to his attitude, and I knew it would possibly wind him up so I was waiting for him to pass, which made the time before he did more stressful.
So my question is, how do you remain 'zen' when you start your ride stressed by other stuff (lots of 'other stuff' going on atm) and then people take risks with your health by being thoughtless, careless or deliberately aggressive?