Bob Mionske discusses “The Frustrated Driver” as a type of cyclist harasser in his book Bicycling and the Law. This is the driver who has been late for work or an appointment and ended up “stuck” behind a cyclist. As her anxiety rises, she projects her frustrated feelings outward to others – it’s their fault she’s late. She could be angry due to construction delays, other motorists, her passengers, or anyone or anything she feels is working against her. The “frustrated driver” has an imagined “superior legal status” on the road which she feels justifies her actions of harassment against the cyclist.  If this driver always does wide turns using the bike lane, then I guess we were in her way. Luckily she was not more aggressive, because frustrated harassers have hit and killed cyclists while attempting to intimidate them.

Lots of cyclists on a July Wed. morning, Silva Ranch Road, Mogul

 Aside from that incident, Tracy and I had a great ride on the Somersett Loop with the Back Nine corner. She just got back from a cycling trip in Italy where she did  a lot of climbing. It was nice to hear all about her trip as we rode and climbed the hills of Reno. There were lots of other cyclists out there, undoubtedly inspired by the Tour de France over the last three weeks.

Bicyclists, drivers in road tug-of-war

By Kara LaPoint • klapoint@rgj.com • June 13, 2010

Verdi resident John Leeming has been screamed at, honked at, foghorned and has had doors opened at him from moving vehicles — all while riding his bike around Reno.

 Dean Deming shares similar experiences, and then some: being run off the road and getting hit from behind.

“Every time I go out, I wonder if it will be the last,” Deming said.

Leeming and Deming are among bicyclists who say they feel a sense of fear when riding. And according to Sgt. Jim Stegmaier of the Reno police Traffic Division, that fear is legitimate.

“It’s definitely a huge issue in Washoe County,” Stegmaier said.

But while bikers said some drivers make them feel unsafe, drivers have their own complaints.

Reno resident David Mueller said bicyclists ignore stop signs, ride on the left side of the bike lane, forcing drivers to veer around.

They also ride two abreast on busy streets, seeming “blissfully unaware that they are blocking a lane,” he said.

Bikers “constantly whine” about wanting to have rights, but then don’t follow the rules of the road, Mueller said.

Bicycle and pedestrian enforcement are increasing, Stegmaier said, as the result of a $36,000 grant from the Office of Traffic Safety in Carson City.

Leeming said he rides twice a week from Verdi.

While he said he has numerous fears — primarily distracted drivers — he’s still willing to ride, but friends are not.

“People are afraid they’ll get clobbered,” he said.

Leeming cited distracted drivers and roadside debris as the main hazards, plus motorists failing to give bikers room on the road.

“Bicyclists have a right to the lane,” he said, “but drivers don’t always want to share the road.”

Deming said he has seen Reno drivers that appear to “have it out for bicycles,” including throwing things at him from car windows. He said a man once hung out of a truck swinging a shovel at him. A woman in Verdi also ran him off the road.

Stegmaier said that while such violations are infrequent, they are taken seriously. When complaints are made, battery or assault with a deadly weapon can be filed.

 Leeming said he sees bicyclists riding two or three abreast or blowing through stop signs. But, he said, he takes his place in line at four-way stops and queues up behind lights and left turn lanes, and most riders he knows do the same.

 ”I just have so much to lose in an intersection with a car,” he said. “Even if we’re right, we’re dead right.”

Deming also sees riders disobeying rules of the road and understands complaints about bicyclists.

“Yes, we get the same rights (as cars), but we’re also bound by the same laws, and I think some cyclists forget that,” he said. “As bicyclists, I think we must be more conscientious.”

While Stegmaier said lack of knowledge is a major safety issue, he said drivers not wanting to share the road also is a big problem.

“They feel that the bicycle should only ride in areas with a designated bicycle lane,” he said. “That’s nice when they’re there, but cyclists can only use what’s available, and motorists have a hard time with that.”

He said that as more people turn to bikes for transportation because of economic reasons and changing weather, it becomes increasingly important to find safety solutions.

In addition to adding “share the road” billboards along bike routes and stepping up enforcement against both bikes and cars, Stegmaier said police distribute booklets to riders and motorists on traffic stops to inform them of their shared responsibilities.

Stegmaier said that if he could get only one message out, it would be for everyone to take a little more time and give each other more respect.

Deming, Leeming and cyclist Josh Black, who has lived in several states, suggested adding questions on bicycle safety to driving tests, distributing safety guides with car purchases and designating bike routes.

“It’s not slowing down,” Black said of the increase in cyclists. “Reno needs to embrace the fact that bikers are becoming more common, rather than being resistant.

“This is a huge opportunity for Reno to really shine.”

ice cream cup, similar to the one thrown at me

 A car turned right and the driver threw a cup of ice cream at me which hit me in the thigh. It stung and ice cream dripped all over my cycling tights. Some people in another car waiting for the red light asked if I was OK.

Then on Saturday, I was riding earlier than usual, and about 8 am I was crossing the Truckee River heading west on Mayberry.

I was hit by an energy drink can like these

As I headed up the hill by Lavender Ridge, a car passed and the passenger threw an energy drink can which hit my bike and bounced up and hit my calf. It stung too. I watched the car turn onto the street that leads to Mayberry Park and I figured they had probably been partying all night long and weren’t done.

These are the only instances of road rage I have experienced in the 11 months I have been training regularly. I couldn’t understand why it happened twice in one week and no other times. (My husband and other friends have had irate driver experiences since then). On March 6 I posted my status on Facebook as “Two road jerks in one week throwing things at me as I ride my bike will not deter me from enjoying my training rides.”

I just became aware of ESPN’s Tony Kornheiser’s radio rant against cyclists in March. He was upset about a new bike lane that was planned for the National Mall and he expressed his hatred for cyclists and even suggested that people should “run them down” or just “tap them”. Lance Armstrong’s Twitter followers got him to go on Kornheiser’s show to protest the rant. I was wondering if there was a correlation between Kornheiser’s comments and the irate drivers I experienced, but Kornheiser’s rant was on March 11 and Lance was on his show on March 19. 

It’s hard to understand why we cyclists generate so much rage among some drivers. And it’s hard to understand why society tolerates this hatred. I guess we become objects on the road rather than people when we’re out there. Why can’t we all coexist happily?