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zimby t1_jdtwxy6 wrote

Got screamed off of a narrow residential street in JP by an SUV driver while biking today. His girlfriend in the passenger seat told my partner and me to “respect the road” like we were doing something wrong.

We caught up to them at a red light about 30 seconds later

edit: Sorry, this isn’t directly related to the linked article. Just another honestly traumatic event that I’m throwing on the pile in the vague hope that the city actually takes substantive action. Simply getting around Boston is getting more and more exhausting lately.

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GoBlank t1_jduyr51 wrote

Motorists straight up don't know the laws of the road, and they won't care to learn them until it starts biting them in the ass. Nearly being struck as a pedestrian or a cyclist is basically a daily experience now. Crosswalks? Fuck that. No turn on red? Fuck that. Staying off the phone? Fuck that.

A favorite was when a guy nearly ran me over me with an illegal u-y and then had the gall to roll down his window and calmly tell me I shouldn't be on roads without bike lanes. Motherfucker, do even you know the law? I wanna get section 11B printed on business cards and hand them out like candy- but I know eventually I'm gonna run into a guy who's car is a stand in for his whole identity, and he'll be the dude who tries to kill me instead of merely threatening it.

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charons-voyage t1_jdupn0t wrote

Yep it’s so frustrating. Not fun (or safe) to walk/bike, the T is on fire, the highways are clogged. The day my kids graduate HS I’m selling the house and moving to the sticks.

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Whatwarts t1_jduvgc7 wrote

It is worse. The sticks grew up, more people live there, and it is still the same few, narrow roads that everyone tries to drive on to get anywhere. They will run you off the road to save 5 seconds.

Fuck cars.

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charons-voyage t1_jduyf6f wrote

I don’t think it’s cars that’s the issue, it’s the drivers. I drive occasionally and I’m not running people off the road. More people = more assholes though so your point about the sticks being more populated and dangerous is accurate haha

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Whatwarts t1_jduzhm6 wrote

Cars make people go crazy. Some years back, a focus group was discussing the phenomena and it was determined, at least in part, that the perceived threats formed while driving, caused hormonal responses resulting in anger and rage.

You are correct though, it is a driver problem.

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charons-voyage t1_jdv6857 wrote

Yeah people have a hard time controlling their emotions in general

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Whatwarts t1_jdv7r37 wrote

There is a pretty good book out there "Road Rage to Road Wise" by Dr John Larsen. It's a quick read and touches on some good reality check.

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bwebs123 t1_jdvmjtd wrote

I grew up in the sticks. It's so much worse there. You have no choice but to drive, and it's just as stressful as it is here. Maybe you get slightly less traffic, but everywhere you want go get to is 10x as far away, and there are way more drunk drivers and just overall shitty drivers

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