(Sigh) That totally sucks. I had some crazy yelling at me when I was biking downtown a few weeks ago. Apparently he thought that I should have been riding on the sidewalk. He was red in the face, screaming at me to get out of the road, and calling me a dumb shit (and this was a bus commuter mind you). I stopped and calmly explained that it is illegal for me to ride on the sidewalk. He got really mad at this point saying he "knows my kind" and started calling me a Fag. Ah... the joys of biking.

The driver did have one point, kinda... When you walk your bike you are a pedestrian and thus you have right of way. As a pedestrian, you have right of way at ANY intersection that doesn't have a walk/don't-walk light. They're "unmarked crosswalks" and are documented in the driver's manual, even if no one seems to know about them.

The catch-22 is that cars don't actually have to stop for you until you step off the curb, but most people don't want to step off the curb until traffic stops. Be assertive and most people will stop for you. Though, I get the impression they're stopping to be polite and not because they realize they're required to by law.

Anyway, yeah, that driver is a dick.

Sadly, driving is one of the single most frustrating aspects of my life. Well, I guess I should be thankful that that is the most frustrating thing. But it is really sad how many complete idiots they allow to drive.

My favorites are coming to a stop light in the right hand lane with a "no turn on red" sign and have the person behind me start laying on the horn because I have the audacity to actually obey the traffic signs and not turn until it's green. Or, coming down SE 39th and stoping to allow a bike or pedestrian to cross at a designated spot and have the asshole behind me completely freak their shit.

And lastly, on residential roads at intersections where someone rolls through their stop sign and then honks at you because they assumed you had a stop sign as well when you didn't. One of these days I'm going to step on the gas and plow into their cars and take the insurance money.

I just need to find a way not to let it totally ruin my mood when someone pulls shit like that.

Theoretically, is it legal to turn around to such a driver, wave one's fist, and shout, "What?! You fucking wanker?! What do you fucking want?! Fuck off you c**t."

I have a, er, friend, who did this, and wants to know if he went too far.

I've had similar events occur. It's odd to be yelled at while waiting for a break in traffic that will allow merging. Don't drivers realize that if I try to jump into moving traffic I will be instantly killed? Don't they realize that my gruesome death-beneath-wheels will cause them even further delay? That once I'm flattened on the roadway all traffic will stop, ambulances and emergency vehicles will take all right-of-ways and that they'll have to wait around until the police can take a statement for the accident report?

I spent years in Eugene where you share the road with bikers, skate boarders, roller skaters and pedistrians galore. You develop an instinct to look out for people and vehicles smaller than another car.

I found it really sad to come to Portland and discover how few bike lanes there were and how ignorant both people on bikes and in cars were about the ettiquette of sharing the road.

I don't think I've ever yelled at a cyclist who was crossing traffic, but I have absolutely yelled, cursed and waved my fist at other car drivers who won't take a fricken gap unless it's 10 car lengths long and holds up traffic. People drive way to slow around here.

I tend to agree with the guy the other day who said that we need to declare a anti-idiot campaign. I generally am not in favor of bikes because of the "type" of people that ride them (self rightous younger folks who feel that the world revolves around their needs... and if you dont believe me, watch a guy riding his bike in stopped trafic sometime, cutting between cars and riding on the sidewalk or in the street when needed to be on their way) but am more than willing to admit that there are many people that drive cars that are equally as moronic...
my favorite all time thing that a bike rider did was yell at me for jaywalking (a fricking Portland tradition thank you very much) then cut up the bus only part of 6th Avenue on his bike to make his get away... I laughed about that one for more than a little while. evidently his bike is a very very short bus?

While we're airing transit concerns, I'm tired of cyclists on the Burnside bridge (riding on the sidewalk 'cause construction ate the bike lanes) who pass from behind with zero warning. "On your right." Say it. Loudly. Please.

I normally say "On your left," because that's where I am. But if you want me to change, Alison, I will. Although should I now, also, pass on that side, too?

Time for your pill, Matt? I'll rephrase: Whether you're passing me on the right or the left, please make your presence known. Thank you.

Allison, that was the main ettiquette (courtesy) thing I found absent biking here, letting pedestrians know you're coming up on them on a bike and which side. Left, right whatever. When I tried to tell the people on foot here they just jumped and gave me dirty looks.