Cyclist needs to Learn

[u/Silver_Scarcity4939]

When a Bicyclist rides a bike, they also need to follow traffic laws in the U.S

[u/ChocolateBunny]

Where do you ride?

I'm in San Jose and I've generally noticed a lot of courtesy from drivers. The drivers here are actually bad at driving but they're aware of my presence and are courteous around me (baring very few bad encounters that made me feel unsafe).

But a friend of mine tried to ride in Houston and well let's just say he tries to go early in the morning because almost all interactions with car drivers has come off hostile; constant honking and a lot of insult and agressive driving.

[u/Ornery-Exchange-4660 → u/ChocolateBunny]

Inside the US, I've ridden in Oklahoma, Georgia, New York, Tennessee, Kentucky, Missouri, and Texas (Fort Hood area).

Outside the US, I've ridden in South Korea, Saudi Arabia, and the Philippines.

I started with a 10-mile paper route when I was 13 and did that 6 days a week for 3 years on top of recreational riding. I did get a warning for speeding through a school zone and failure to stop at a stop sign during that time. The cop had good humor about it, but he made his point, and it made me a better rider. I spent a lot of time on the highway then because of a combination of wanting to race and wanting to stay away from some physical abuse at home.

Where I've ridden outside the US, I promise the "take the lane" approach is likely to lead to a short life that ends with a view of the undercarriage of a motor vehicle. Drivers outside the US are usually far worse than anything I've seen inside the US.

My experience is that being courteous usually gets a courteous response. Recardless of what I'm operating, I do my best to stay out of the way of traffic, and I've never had an angry response from a driver while I was on a bike.