Ventilation is Good

That last post was a lot of pent up ventilation from yesterday's ride up Rist Canyon. Like George Carlin said "I don't have pet peaves, I have major psychotic effin hatreds!" When it comes to stupid motorists and bikes that is. I had 4 cars, ahem trucks, buzz my friend and I. I was taking one of the directors from REI's headquarters out for a ride. Each truck was going at least 20 over the speed limit and one waved for us to get over, I waved back. It makes 'em so mad when they make an obscene gesture, displaying their ignorance and stupidity, and you just send a "friendly" wave back. I have never experienced so much aggression from motorists than here in CO, even in boulder, and I came from the cycling scene in eastern MD which is quite unaccepting but at least they will usually leave you in (one) peace* and give you some room when passing.
I was out on a group ride about a month ago when the unbelievable happened. This a bi-weekly lunch group ride out of the Hewlett Packard plant in the east side of town. Its a short, high intensity ride usually with a sprint at the end. So we're gearing up for the sprint when a passing cop flashes his lights, whips it around, and races to the front of the pack to cut us off. I would have never thought in a million years that a cop would pull over a group ride. So while the cop is explaining how he gets a dozen calls a day about motorists complaining about cyclists taking up their precious road an approaching mini van with a soccer mom behind the wheel slows down enough to give the cop a thumbs up and mouthed a thank you. You know,I don't get angry very often, it takes a whole hell of a lot for me to go off but I was almost at that point. Witnessing this just made my blood boil. I guess its a good thing that she sped off and there was a cop standing 2 feet in front of me.
So supposedly theres this law cop was explaining to us that had got to be the most retarded thing I have ever herd, in terms of laws that is. So when a car is approaching from behind a group of cyclists, when it gets to within 300 ft the group it supposed to all form into a single file. If not we can all get citations, which I would love to see hold up in court against assaulting pick up drivers who are drunk half the time. BUT, a cyclists can also get pulled over for being drunk just like a motorist- even though the only person he/she will hurt will be themselves. Back in Maryland the rule was groups of cyclists cannot be wider than two abreast into the lane. Not out here. I was on a group ride with the team last weekend in Boulder and I think we got beeped at and had motorists display single digit IQ's about 5 or 6 times.
So don't forget, they own the road and you have absolutely no right to ride your bike on any road except your driveway because they pay the taxes and of course we don't.