My experience is there are way too many drivers who want to punish bicyclists for being on “their” road by swerving in front of me or driving dangerously close when passing. You have likely experienced the same driver harassment and endangerment. The close call database seems like one tool for punishing drivers who harass and endanger bicyclists with driving behavior. Read more about it by clicking on the Close Call Database link below.

From VeloNews:

“I was riding one day, and police were out in the town of Hygiene, Colorado ticketing cyclists that didn’t come to a complete stop at an intersection. They ticketed some cyclists that came to a stop, but didn’t put their foot down. I didn’t get a ticket and was enjoying my ride. About three miles later, an RV swerved two feet inside the white line at 60 mph and nearly killed me. I could see the driver laughing in the side mirror. That’s when I had the first epiphany that led to the database. The police were doing a great job of protecting cars from cyclists, but it was the cyclists, not the cars, that needed protection.”

Boulder cyclist and software developer Ernest Ezis was writing to tell me about the close call that led to the creation of his “Close Call Database.” The RV driver was making a blatant “punishment pass.” The entire point is to shave it as close to the cyclist as the driver can, to teach the cyclist a lesson for riding on “their” road and being in “their way.” In this case, the RV driver went out of his way to shave it as close as he could.