Why do people hate being passed?

[DevilNinjaDog]

Originally Posted by ZONKR

The only exception I've seen to this behavior is Texas where it is just the opposite. You can come up on an old boy in his pickup truck and he will pull clear over onto the shoulder and wave you by even if it's a straight road and you can see a hundred miles in either direction. Hospitality, Lone Star style I guess.

This is sort of true in many rural areas, its not just TX. It's the slower life of not being a rushed jackass in the city all the time.

[PrtclMn001]

This happens to me on interstate highways all the time... I'll have the cruise set on the car or throttle lock set on the bike around 70'ish and will come up to someone and pass them only to have them speed up and ride my ass... I don't play and they end up passing me like a bat out of hell... and 10 minutes later I catch up to them again, they get all pissed, and take off again. All I want to do is maintain my speed.

[Xplorr]

MT is the capital of oversized vehicles piloted by idiots: RVs, dualie extra super mega cab, excursion grocery getter, and the very popular lifted crew cab long bed wanna be semi, etc. You should count on them being a [hazard], no news there. What irritates me off is the behavior of the bike groups that hatch every summer. On one hand, you get behind a group that you just want to get past, no problem. Wot, get up make it quick, give a little wave as you get by. I'm amazed how many pack 'leaders' give the 'hard look' no wave or whatever. Sorry I'm not into your parade. On the other hand, you also get sporty groups, where you get passed by the first couple and room runs out; then the ones left behind get awfully twitchy. I don't know if they have separation anxiety or issues with object permanence. Whatever the situation, if somebody's getting twitchy to pass, I move to the right side of my lane, slow to the speed limit, and (conditions permitting) rest my left hand on my knee. This is the sign for I'm not going anywhere, play through, have fun. This group nonsense is frustrating I guess because I expect more from people on bikes. (I'm sure a group riding etiquette thread/rant would be fun and instructive)

[dietDrThunder]

When I'm riding and I'm not in twisties, I just try to be as patient as possible and go slow if that's what it takes...don't do too much passing in those circumstances.

Riding in the twisties is an entirely different matter. I don't pass people...I call it 'assassinating' them, and I do it exactly for the reason stated by the OP. Now this isn't as nutty as it sounds. All I mean by that is that I plan and execute the pass in such a way that by the time they can even consider a reaction, I'm gone. I don't crowd people, nor do I cut back into my lane just in front of them...I still use all of the courtesy I'd use if I were passing someone I knew, or someone I was confident wouldn't react badly...I just do it very quickly. Unless the person I'm passing is Sebastien Loeb, they have no shot at reacting in any way that could possibly matter to me, and that's how I like it.

If the price of this is that some people I pass might assume I'm just another crotch rocket riding lunatic, then that's what it means. I can't please all the people all the time.

[Boon Booni]

The only time I get really antsy to pass is when the road looks like this.



Otherwise, I can usually dial back my pace and sight see for a bit..