Drivers complimenting cyclists

Although it seems that people always talk about the negative car-bike relationships, tonight was an encouraging sign for me. I was biking back home from Skokie, and while I was stopped at a red light, the driver of the car next to me said, "I just wanted to tell you that I like your reflective vest and lights--I can actually see you! My kids were asking me, 'Why is he so lit up?' and I explained to them that I can see him."

Biking in a safe manner tends to allow you to gain respect with drivers, and getting complimented is always nice! Plus, I know how important it is to be seen. Not only is it legally required for cyclists to have lights at night, but more importantly, I fear Newton's laws a lot more than I do the politicians' laws.

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Permalink Reply by kiltedcelt on July 31, 2012 at 9:49pm

The more reflective stuff you have the better. I've toyed with the idea of more than one blinkie on the back of my bike, but my commute is 99% on the LFP, so I don't really deal with traffic much at all. Anyway, nice to get a compliment from a driver. That's so much better than most of us ever get.

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Permalink Reply by Anne Alt on August 1, 2012 at 7:06am

Excellent - both for the compliment and the fact that the guy was explaining to his kids.

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Permalink Reply by Lanterne Rouge on August 1, 2012 at 7:40am

Not on the discussion of safety, but - I had one of those rare, massive westerly tailwinds as I was heading east on my way home from work one time. I was moving at a pretty good clip on Bryn Mawr between Pulaski and Lincoln, blowing past waiting cars...when a woman pulled up next to me at a light and rolled down her window. I was fully expecting to hear an earful of bullshit, but instead she was like, "dude, you were hauling ass back there! Awesome!" and promptly gave me a high five. I was absolutely bewildered, but it sure did make me feel like a badass for the remaining mile or two of my commute.

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Permalink Reply by Adam Herstein (5.5 mi) on August 1, 2012 at 10:35am

I had more than a few people high-five me during Critical Mass, so it shows that not everyone in a car hates bikes. It's really easy to get cynical about cycling in this city, so it's nice to see some positive encouragement!

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Permalink Reply by Serge Lubomudrov on August 1, 2012 at 10:48am

I can't even tell you how many times I was asked by guys riding the elevator down to the garage to get into their cars to sit in rush-hour traffic, how many miles my ride is, how wonderful it is to ride, and if only they can . . .

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Permalink Reply by Adam Herstein (5.5 mi) on August 1, 2012 at 10:52am

I get that a lot too, but it's always superseded by a "oh, well I could never do that.." and some excuse why. I try to explain to them that riding a bike to work really isn't a big deal and a lot easier than they think.

Serge Lubomudrov said:

I can't even tell you how many times I was asked by guys riding the elevator down to the garage to get into their cars to sit in rush-hour traffic, how many miles my ride is, how wonderful it is to ride, and if only they can . . .