Giffords admits to yelling at cars 
from her bicycle

Note to drivers: Don’t cut off Rep. Gabrielle Giffords (D-Ariz.) when she’s on her bike. Or else prepare to get yelled at.

Giffords, an avid cyclist, told local cycling blog Tucson Velo on Tuesday that she doesn’t hesitate to yell at cars that pull out in front of her or cut her off, even though she acknowledges that drivers usually don’t mean to.

For her part, Giffords says she avoids biking on busy streets, wears bright colors and uses lights to keep her safe.

Giffords revealed that a friend of hers was killed in 2002 when his bicycle was hit by a car, and she was shocked that the driver received only a traffic citation. This happened while Giffords was serving in the State Legislature, and it spurred her to take action on bicycle-safety issues.

As for where Giffords rides when she’s in Washington, the Congressional Bike Caucus member takes two-wheeled transportation back and forth from the Capitol whenever she can. Giffords hopes to be biking in the nation’s capital next year; like many Democrats on Capitol Hill, she is in a tough reelection battle.

Giffords’s husband, Mark Kelly, is also a cycling fan. Giffords said the NASA astronaut made use of an intergalactic stationary bike during his time at the International Space Station.

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