Cycling in Sydney Australia

Motorist beepings and my bleepings!

I was riding along rocky point road this morning after 11am, minding my own business, traveling north on the inside lane. Today I had two beeps from motorists. I'm not sure what they're trying to achieve, but I tell you, it scares the hell out of me when I hear a beep come from nowhere for apparently no reason.

The first beep happened down at the pool at sans souci. A white four wheel drive just beeped me, apparently to tell me it was going to pull in front of me to turn left - about 200 metres up the road. Thank you. I appreciated greatly the jumping out of my saddle, handlebar shakes and death wobbles, just so that you let me know that you were turning left 3 minutes up ahead.

I yelled out my first "F*ck off" of the day. It's apparent that my cycle rage is starting to become a problem as I had seriously considered following this dufus around the corner to blow my whistle in his ear when he came to a halt eventually...if of course, I'd be able to catch him. Hmm. Thought better of that...

So, I kept on my merry way up to Ramsgate (aided by a beautiful tail wind I might add --- ahhh, what a joy), where I was unceremoniously beeped again, by an elderly couple in a white toyata sedan or some such little car. This time, they pulled up ahead of me at the ramsgate shopping centre, so fueled by my unavenged earlier beeping/bleeping I decided to find out why they'd beeped me.

OK, so perhaps I was a tad angry. Hell! It scares me out of my skin to hear a car beep me for no reason. I'd understand if I was a reckless rider, weaving in and out of traffic, but I don't. I always stay on the straight and narrow, using hand signals when I can and blah blah blah. Anyway, I pulled up in front of the car and yelled "Why on earth* did you beep me?". The response was "because we thought you were going to come into our lane". Ummm, ok. Why on earth would I come into your lane when there was a perfectly good free lane ahead of me? Are you completely insane? Sigh. I said something, or rather, *yelled* something to this effect and rode off feeling guilty for yelling at an old lady (she would have been mid 60s), but for heaven's sake, any more of these random undeserved beepings and I may just drop dead of a heart attack on the spot!

I really need to get one of those airhorns.

*this may have been the "f" word.

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Comment by Hunge on February 14, 2011 at 10:54pm: It would be funny if the old lady turned out to be one of your friends mother.

I know where you are coming from though. It happens to all other us and the car drivers who do BEEP at us, aren't educated enough about cyclist. They don't have a clue and think that a cyclist should be on the footpath. But we cant ride on the footpath, cause we get told off by the pedestrians and that we should be on the road. Cyclist cant win either way. Sure, we can use the 'cycleway', but there aren't enough cycleways. So cyclist have to use the road. We have the right to be on the road, but at the end of the day, you just got to think that the car drivers are dumb and you're smart enough to know better.

I think that you have to be more of aware, that car drivers will BEEP at you. If they do and you react to them (in a bad way), they will just keep on doing. Give a wave next time, with a big smile.

Comment by PeterT on February 14, 2011 at 11:33pm: That's the problem when there are many drivers who were never cyclists.

When I'm puffing and panting and delirious from pushing at the pedals (which is most of the time ) I certainly do not take kindly to being distracted from my stupor of agony by a beep from a motorist ensconced in their 2000kg shell of cool aircon and music.

Comment by Trevor on February 15, 2011 at 9:18am: I've lost count of the number of times, while out cycling, friends and work mates have tooted a greeting at me, only to get the finger in return. If I'm doing nothing wrong and get beeped, I will assume you are an a#%hole and react accordingly. Most have now learnt to leave me be and some now do for a larf.

Comment by Paul on February 15, 2011 at 9:37am: It happens whereever you go. I was cycling home on the M2 Detour last friday. I was in a 50 zone, cycling downhill at 45km/h. A guy in a white sedan beeps me, then goes flying past me just before I had to make a right hand turn at a roundabout. Totally pointless.
The driver turned right as well, and then he got stuck waiting in line to turn left at traffic lights. I sailed past him to the front of the queue (I was going straight ahead). Net effect, he saved zero time and I would have been 500m down the road before he even made his left turn!

Comment by Anne-Lise Larsen on February 15, 2011 at 10:15am: Well, it's nice to know I'm not alone and it's nice to vent every so often. Not sure that I will ever be at the point where I can wave and smile, but it's something to think about. Although, all these posts have certainly given me a good laugh. Thanks fellas!

Comment by Martyn P on February 15, 2011 at 11:02am: I too am a bit prone to swearing but am working on controlling my temper. There's no point in transferring my road rage from the car to the bicycle. Trying to smile more and give friendly waves to those around me and ignoring the idiots. It can be a tough ask though...

Comment by Will Wassell on February 15, 2011 at 12:19pm: I have to agree with SubOp, employ the Madagascar Penguin gambit:

"Just smile and wave Boys, smile and wave".

Sometimes though, you will find you are only waving one finger.....

Comment by Bill Parker on February 15, 2011 at 12:21pm: I think the beeping is a form of throat clearing for cars, the poor motorist is so terrified of something going wrong and not being able to make a cry for help that they constantly have to test their horn to ensure it still works. Otherwise they do it a lot, it is a form of limited communication that can be still be performed while you are otherwise on the mobile, changing the channel on your in car TV, inputting destination into the satnav, feeding the children in the back, doing your hair / makeup, perving at cute boy / girl in next vehicle / on footpath / on bicycle ahead (I get this a lot!),.....

They have it tough enough, so just wave and smile and make their day a little better.

Comment by Boom Shankar on February 18, 2011 at 9:49pm: I love my air horn. Giving a bully petrol head a good fright with the trusty ole' Air- Zound is very satisfying. The rage just floats away and you just.........laugh.

Comment by Anne-Lise Larsen on February 19, 2011 at 1:07pm: Yes, I think you're right there Bill. It's the driver being overly cautious without realising the shockwave they're creating outside their little bubble.

Mmm-hmmm, I think the air horn is the answer to my woes! Would have been nice to use it the other day when motorist turned in front of me at intersection, me with screeching brakes screaming "Fuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuu*k!" along the way bracing myself for impending head on. Thankfully motorist stopped in time before wiping me out. When I passed his window, he said a sheepish "Sooorry" and went on his way. I sometimes think motorists have no idea that bikes do more than 5km per hour, even on a lady's bike!

Motorist beepings and my bleepings!

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