hey everyone, recently I’ve been riding alot at night and have noticed that the amount of unjustified abuse I get is insane, anyone else experience this?
Yep, i get a lot,
even when im not riding!
I get enough of that at home 
Yeh, I got a spray from a Taxi driver while I was stopped at Ped lights, walking my bike with a mate…
Maybe I should do the same the next time a taxi cuts me off on St Kilda Rd to pick up a fare?
nothing says “thank you, i have taken your criticsm on board” than a molotov cocktail through the window.
Haven’t been riding round Sth Melb the last couple of days, have we? haha 
My favourite lately, two days after the death in the city (I was on Gertrude St, passing a car on the right while it was turning left into Brunswick St): “that’s why you dickheads get killed!”
I don’t get it much in Brisbane - unless I am right in city traffic.
I got abused and cut off real bad one day and I lost it. I ‘bumped’ into this guys rear view mirror at speed and bolted through traffic to put some distance between us. I felt avenged and scared at the same time. He didn’t catch me so no lesson learned at my end.
remember that post about the guy riding around the world, who said he copped more abuse in one day in melbourne, then anywhere else in the world?
it’s weird, but even really close friends who are otherwise fairly sane, have said things like, “yeah, you should drive really close to this cyclist so i can slap him on the back of the head as we pass”, and i’ve told them off, and said “that could be me riding, would you do that to me?” and besides if someone did that to me, i’d probably either call the cops, or kick their mirror off, but there just seems to be this divide between cars and everyone else that is insurmountable.
and while an us V them attitude can be fun and sometimes it adds to the excitement there should be more people riding bikes,.
bicycle victoria does nothing to fix this at the moment, critical mass does nothing,
hell, if i paid a registration fee of $50 a year, had to do an online rules test, and then got an RFID card that i could put in my wallet, and transferred registration to whatever bike i was riding, but also recorded details on cars that went past me, so that if someone tries to run me off the road, then i’ve got his rego details in my wallet, i’d be fine with that.
When the taxi cuts you off. Cruise up to their open window, pull the keys out of the ignition and throw them in gutter/drain/moving traffic.
I saw a super commuter do this in Brisbane… got the point across I suppose…
Sev.
I’m pretty much over it… as my bikes are my sole modes of transport i encounter it far too often.
if anyone in a car intentionally puts me in a situation that can cause me harm i will return the favor, be that on their car or themselves, they will know about it.
its amazing what a lock can do to a quaterpanel or headlight… i havnt got a window yet.
Just make sure you can handle yourself and or getaway if the going gets a bit tough.
oh how i would love to snatch keys from the ignition and hurl them, would be so effective.
Riding home from the Gem the other night a Taxi did a u-turn in front of me. I locked up the back and casually rode around him.
For some unknown reason he decided to follow me up Smith street and cream some stupid Paki tirade at me.
I let 'em get to me anymore. Why should I get all pissy and have a shit ride home on such a great night.
Evan
+1 , I used to go bananas at everyone but now just grin and laugh at the thought that if somebody is that shit at driving a car they must be useless at everything they do, keeps me happy anyway.
not cool.
On the other side…
I was driving down Collins St hill towards Swanston on Sunday and there’s a woman on a hybrid, panniers, fenders etc. She’s wobbling all over the bike lane, so I get over into the right hand lane for (her) safety. Then a couple of meters more and she rips across to the right (no signals and never looked to check), out of the bike lane and across both lanes to do a right hand turn into Swanston. I jammed the brakes on, but she never even noticed. Scared the crap out of us… If I hadn’t moved, I would have gone straight over the top of her.
Then on Monday night, I’m riding home and some guy in front of me on a MTB did the exact same thing. But then he turned, swore and waved his fist at the driver for sounding his horn.
The fucking world is mad! Just look out for yourself. And each other obviously.
This. Cyclists are just drivers without cars. Discuss in 25 words or less 
Cyclists are generally happier.
Cyclists are better at drinking coffee.
And not as FAT
Cyclists are cunts. skinny happy cunts