There’s a Reason the drivers here are called “Massholes”
On a bike ride through Cambridge, Watertown, Newton, and Waltham the other day, I was nearly killed three times.
My friends in New York have often told me that people in this state (Massachusetts) are known for their particularly bad driving. As in, Manhattanites find them crazy and hard to deal with. Which, if a New Yorker thinks you’re a bad driver, there’s some self-examination you need to initiate.
Even knowing this the other day, I decided to break my usual bike riding routine and take to the surface streets.
A mistake I shall not make again too soon. The reputation of Boston area drivers for being the most nasty, brutish, uncouth, clueless, and offensive drivers remains firmly in place.
I was honked at multiple times, I think for being on the road. I was cursed at four times, with some variant of the word “fuck.” I finally returned in kind once (for which everyone I’ve told the story applauded me, noting that someone has to convey this message to Boston drivers). I was nearly run over three times, once by cluelessness (WHY would you make a right turn, without signalling, while talking on your phone, and looking left? It’s beyond me…) and twice by maliciousness (because I must have gotten in the way of some lazy-lard who needed his Dunkin’ Donuts fix three seconds faster. I really loved the guy who charged around me and into the intersection on a red light…).
I’m alive, but I’m not surprised to learn that when Mass. Drivers see the sign “Share the Road”, they think it’s aimed at the cyclists. Imbeciles! It’s aimed at cars — you all don’t have exclusive rights to the public roadways.
But at least I’m alive…. I hope that trend continues as I ride the bike.
Ecto blogging software