Run ins with cars while cycling

yes it's nice to have courteous drivers. I suspect they are mostly cyclists, triathletes or sympathetic runners.

but there are those that are TOO courteous or afraid, and ghost you for a long time, even though there's plenty room to go by. sometimes I just pull over and let them go.

usually its the few bad apples that get me unnerved, and I don't notice the courteous ones as much.

Excellent post.

People tend to be polite in my area as well. I make sure to always give them a 'thank you for not hitting me with your car' wave.

I would say FAR more people give me the right of way even if they could clearly make the turn with plenty of time.

Motorists are so nice to cyclists in Denver, it's almost unnerving...  As in wait what seems like minutes at a stop sign or turns so you can go through

What, niceness? I open this thread for a sappy old story about nice cars? Where is the police investigation? The scars, the DRAMA?!!!!!

I feel cheated.....

Like David, I smile and wave at everyone. Most drivers here are very courteous OR they probably know me, OR they are driving a large piece of farm equipment so I just stop and get out of the way!

Or when they do decide to pass they honk the horn to let you know they are passing. Scares the crap out of me.

yes, love that one too.  and they floor it like it's critical to unleash the nitrous to pass a little ol' cyclist.

Sooth, beware the rides of March.

OK - not the first time I've used that, but I couldn't help myself...

Just awful.....have you no shame?

Urban Arizona is not always the friendliest place for cycling, and I have a LOT of encounters (averaging 1-3/week).  These involve cars (usually SUVs and trucks) turning in front of me, drivers swerving into the cycling lane (on purpose or by accident), people driving on the wrong side of the road (I always think they're just trying to drive like the Brits and make me feel more at home!!), getting way too close (occasionally clipping my handlebars/shoulder/helmet), spitting and throwing things at me, and telling me that "I shouldn't be on the f***ing road".  Because the majority of cars have tinted/coloured car windows here, it's really really hard to see through the windows if someone is waving you on, or shouting into their cell-phone, so I tend to ignore people who stop and I wave them on with a smile.  They might be trying to be kind, but as I've sadly discovered in AZ it's better to be safe than sorry!  

However, when I driver patiently waits behind me to turn, or doesn't pull out in front of me at an intersection, I ALWAYS smile and wave.  Despite the nasty encounters, I still cycle around with a monster grin on my face as I do love cycling, and I'm not going to let any idiot drivers take that away from me. 

Feel the love and share the road.

To me it doesn't matter if they showed courtesy, almost hit me or were a jerk to me. I just give a friendly wave and keep my happy mood going.

Their attitude will not determine mine for that day.

Most of the drivers I encounter are nice.  There are those few who are just jerks.  The ones that scare me are the totally oblivious ones.  They are so distracted or texting or who knows what that they don't even know a cyclist is there.

Case in point: I am typing this one handed because of the broken arme that is in a cast right now.  I was in a bike lane approaching a light.  A jeep in the right lane decided he wanted to turn...no signal.  So he did, right into my path.  My choices were to get hit or lay the bike down.  I chose the latter and putting my hand down to break the fall I suffered a small fracture in the bone near my wrist.  The guy had no idea what he did and did not stop.

I try real hard to be courteous to drivers and on whole I think they recognize that and appreciate it.  Hard to do though when the driver has no idea there is anything else in the world but them in thier 5000 pound battering ram.