I live in LA and commute regularly on my bike. I ride about 12k miles a year. I must say that I have never had to confront an angry, a-hole driver. I have had to confront many *stupid* drivers, such as the soccer mom in a 10-ton SUV who cut me off because (I kid you not) she was *dialing* her phone and was not watching the road at all (I kept an eye on her, which saved me). I split lanes with good judgment, sometimes I hot dog it a bit when I commute, but I have never felt threatened, nor have I felt someone was out to get me. Quite often cagers even move slightly so I can split lanes better. Most dangerous situations have been caused by drivers who were too busy with something else (laptop on one's lap, reading a book, putting on make-up, shaving, etc.). I think that in the past 3-4 years I have been mad enough to yell only about 4-5 times and every time the driver looked sheepish and made apologetic signs. I would not provoke a driver, though: that would not be healthy. If I see someone driving aggressively and stupidly I try to stay out of their way. Maybe it's that my commute (210/2/110 for those who know LA) is not one of the worst. I guess my point is that you cannot generalize about LA. I think we have just about the same percentage of a-holes as everywhere else
Giulio
Giulio
