Why Are USA Drivers So Rude to Cyclists?

By Someone Who’s Been Nearly Murdered on Two Wheels

Let’s be honest: American roads are war zones. And in this war, cyclists are the foot soldiers—under-equipped, outnumbered, and constantly dodging artillery fire from two-ton machines piloted by caffeine-addled, road-raging lunatics. I’ve been bumped, cursed at, nearly run off the road, and once, a guy literally stopped his car, got out, and tried to fight me for existing. All for the crime of riding a bicycle.

But why? Why is it that in the land of the free, a person on a bike is treated like an intruder in someone’s living room? Let’s break it down.

1. America Is Built for Cars, Not People

The U.S. is the poster child for automobile worship. Suburbs are designed like labyrinths of cul-de-sacs and highways that demand you own a car to survive. Public transportation is an afterthought, and bike lanes—if they exist—are about as respected as a “Do Not Disturb” sign at a frat party. Drivers see roads as their personal racetracks, and anything that slows them down? An enemy.

2. Drivers Don’t See Cyclists as People

A car is a rolling fortress of glass and steel. Inside, the driver is in their own world, blasting music, yelling at traffic, eating a burger, texting their ex. Cyclists? Just another thing in the way. This isn’t hyperbole. There’s actual psychological research suggesting people dehumanize cyclists, perceiving them more like objects than fellow humans.

3. Entitlement Runs Deep

Owning a car in America isn’t just about transportation—it’s a status symbol, a sign of adulthood, a rite of passage. Many drivers see the road as something they paid for (via gas taxes, registration fees, and their soul-crushing monthly car payments). Cyclists, to them, are freeloaders, taking up space without paying their “fair share.” Never mind that roads are funded by general taxes, and most cyclists also own cars. The myth persists.

4. People Are Angry, and Cyclists Are Convenient Targets

The USA is a pressure cooker of economic stress, political division, and general dissatisfaction. Where does that rage go? Ideally, therapy. Realistically? It gets taken out on whoever is easiest to bully. You’re a driver who’s late to work? That guy on a bike slowing you down is now The Enemy. Bonus points if he’s wearing Lycra.

5. Cyclists Are an Unavoidable Reminder That There’s Another Way

Cyclists are living proof that you don’t have to be stuck in traffic, burning $4-a-gallon gas, and losing years off your life from stress. This drives (pun intended) some car owners insane. It’s the same reason some people lose their minds over vegetarians, electric cars, or anyone who suggests maybe, just maybe, there’s a different way to live.

6. The Whole “Macho Car Culture” Thing

There’s a deep-seated belief in American culture that real men drive big vehicles. Pickup trucks, SUVs, muscle cars—anything that looks like it could drive through a wall (even if it mostly sits in a grocery store parking lot). A cyclist, by contrast, is the opposite of that image. Some drivers take it as an affront to their masculinity, as if seeing a grown man on a bicycle is a direct attack on their Ford F-150 and fragile ego.

7. There’s No Real Consequence for Hitting a Cyclist

At the end of the day, the U.S. treats traffic violence like an “oopsie” rather than a crime. If a driver hits a cyclist, the worst they’ll get is a ticket (if that). “I didn’t see them” is basically a get-out-of-jail-free card. Until the legal system starts treating reckless driving like the violent act it is, drivers will continue acting with impunity.

The Cold, Hard Breakdown

Reason	Why It Makes Drivers Hate Cyclists
U.S. built for cars	Roads aren’t designed for bikes, making cycling feel like an “invasion”
Drivers don’t see cyclists as people	Cars separate drivers from reality
Car ownership = entitlement	“I paid for this road, you didn’t” myth
General anger issues	Cyclists are easy scapegoats
Cyclists represent an alternative	People hate being reminded they have choices
Toxic masculinity	Big truck = manly, bike = ???
No legal consequences	Killing a cyclist is just a minor inconvenience

The Conclusion

So what’s the solution? Better infrastructure? Harsher penalties for reckless drivers? A societal shift toward seeing cyclists as humans? Sure, all of that.

But if I had to bet, I’d say nothing’s gonna change anytime soon.

Because deep down, America is a car cult.

A giant, gas-guzzling, horn-blaring, road-raging cult.

And you, dear cyclist, are the heretic.

So ride fast.

Stay visible.

And maybe, just maybe, carry a baseball bat in your water bottle holder.