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[quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous]I live right off Beach and Knowles near Kensington and drive this road 4 days a week. More often than not, I’ll come up to a cyclist from behind. I don’t pass them for 4 very good reasons

1) it’s unlawful to cross the double yellow center line to pass someone, and I would have to cross the line to maintain the 36” separation from a cyclist required by law.

2) sight lines on this curvy road are terrible. Even if I wanted to pass, there’s few places where it’s safe.

3)  I’m content to drive slow behind the cyclist and let traffic pile up behind me because it gets everyone caught in the jam angry at cyclists - and I like that.

4)  it stresses the cyclist out because there’s a car 2 seconds behind them (the lawful following distance) and they can’t enjoy their ride because they’re constantly having to be alert for when this car might try to pass them. So it annoys them. Which I also like. [/quote]

Why can’t you just pass them within 3 feet? If I were the cyclist, I’d rather have you drive by me at only 2 feet away than just lurk behind me. No one is going to give you a ticket for it. [/quote]

Because if a cyclist is “taking the lane” , as they call it when they ride in the middle of the lane instead of the side near the white line, it is impossible (and illegal)  for a car to pass them WITHOUT going over the double yellow centerline of the road. If a crash happened because of that, or an oncoming car ran off the road to avoid the passing car and crashed, the passing driver is at fault. And I assure you, you will [i]definitely[/i] be ticketed if you’re being over the centerline causes a crash. And almost surely sued, as well.

And yes, the cyclist would absolutely prefer you pass them instead of lurking behind them, because having a car just lurking behind you while you ride is super annoying and distracting and definitely makes their ride a frustrating experience. And that is the whole point.  To frustrate them - legally and safely - in the same way they frustrate drivers by insisting to be on the busiest roads and slowing down traffic.

If you dislike cyclists on busy roads, follow them two seconds behind them, as the laws says, and do not pass them. It drives them insane. [/quote]

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