Dan Silvernail

And I will add this: people who don't ride bikes lump people who do ride bikes into one category, whether they're racers out training, commuters going to or from work, hipsters on fixes, or someone on a garage sale bike. We're all just "bikers" to them and they generally dislike us. Seriously, they do. I've had many discussions with people who don't own bikes and in nearly all cases the perception is not good at all.

Now imagine this: someone has a crappier day than usual at work, jumps in their SUV and battles traffic, finally gets off the highway near his home and sees a guy on a bike blow through an intersection, jump up on the sidewalk, weave through pedestrians, ride between two parked cars and cross the street right in the middle causing people to hit their brakes. The SUV driver thinks, "F- it, this is the last straw" and 1/4 mile down the road he sees someone riding a bike, legally and as far to the right as possible, but the SUV guys still decides that this time, he's not giving that stupid biker any space.

Think it can't happen?

Note that I singled out the SUV driver. Did I ruffle feathers? Was your first reaction to think "HEY! SUMBICH! ALL SUV DRIVERS AREN'T LIKE THAT!" And you are right. But it makes you think, doesn't it?