The Urban Dictionary quite reasonably defines the words “pet peeve” as
“Something or a set of things that an individual finds very annoying.”
And they use the words in a sentence as an example … “One of my pet peeves is when my boyfriend leaves the toilet seat up.”
We all have pet peeves. Some more annoying than others. For the most part I can laugh at or shake mine off but there’s one that sends me over the edge. It has to do with me cycling on roads and interactions with drivers.
Riding on the roads shouldn’t be difficult, but it is. It’s not hard cycling. It’s not hard following the traffic laws. It’s not hard staying in my bike lane or taking the lane where city bylaws state I can.
What’s hard is drivers honking or swerving close for fun, drivers cutting in front of me to turn, drivers passing me with less than a meter of space, drivers blowing through stop signs or doing rolling stops at red lights and driving or turning when I have the right of way. Then having the gall to give me the middle finger or yell at me when I call them out on it. That’s my biggest pet peeve … drivers thinking they and only they rule the road.
I don’t care about being called something uncomplimentary or seeing the middle finger. It is what it is. What I care about is that these drivers are dangerous to all cyclists and they need to be stopped. They need to be educated about road rules and they need a lesson in manners. I don’t know how this can be accomplished but I do know that unless something is done more cyclists will be hurt or even lose their lives. It’s an appalling reality. It needs to change.
Rant over.
Until the next time.
Having been both a driver and a cyclist I have to agree with you, education is the answer. Unfortunately, drivers who feel entitled, will take the entire roadway as theirs and only theirs regardless of traffic laws or simple courtesy. Ride safe!!