Feb 6 commute

[Melalvai]

Did you commute today?

I got harrassed on my harrassment-free road. This is a narrow, twisty road where people speed and I hog the lane around sharp curves. You'd think I'd get all kinds of crap on it, but until now I found the motorists friendlier than on another road with bike lanes.

Darn students. If I ever teach a college course, I'm going to start off with "This doesn't have anything to do with biology, but just fyi, if you see a cyclist on the road, best to treat her with respect. It might be your genetics professor."

[Geonz]

Welp, I posted this under the feb 6 rides... but here's my story that resonates with that 'cause yes, it was a student who clipped me this morning.
I got hit in the parking lot... but at such a near-stop that though it knocked that little plastic piece off the back of the Gazelle, it didn't even nudge me. The driver did stop and I made a point of leaning over to make it really, really obvious that I was getting his license plate - even though I had already memorized it ten minutes before when the same guy had passed unnecessarily close at the entrance to the college. THere's a two lane entrance and most folks, him included, make an almost immediate left turn. (Google doesn't have an aero shot of these boonies ) So it struck me as notable when this guy hugged close to me and *then* cut over to make his left... so I snagged his lice3nse and considered getting one of our "warning" fliers (it's a pdf linked partway down the page) and filling it out and I was making up wording to add like "two of these warnings will mean your license information is added to the KNown Aggressive Drivers list" - and it would, it would be *my* personal known aggressive drivers list... and I pulled into my parking lot where because it was five *after* nine people were frantically groping for the parking spaces and there he is... and oops I was a digit off on that license, it was X85 not X75 7323... and I'm cruising through and he clips me!
So... after I've made that obvious mental snapshot, window rolls down, "you okay?" "Yes, I'm fine but you need to stop driving so closely to bicyclists! What were you trying to do?"
"What flew off?"
(I locate the plastic thing which I'm thinking prob'ly didn't fly off my bike... but it's the only debris right there and it turns out it did).
"I had already gotten your license plate out there coming in... I couldn't understand you driving so close to me when you were making a left turn anyway. I was thinking you didn't like bicyclists!"
"I'm just trying to get a parking spot. I"m sorry."
"I know how that is. Have yourself a reasonable day and don't drive so close to people!"

(Then I described this to my office mate who at 9:15 had begun to get concerned... and I noted that he prob'ly assumes I'm a student... and she noted that he might get a big surprise if he mentioned in a class, say a Math class that he had hit a bicyclist, 'cause there might be five people rising up saying "You hit SIOUX ?!?!?!?" ... snork...)

But what I was *going* to say about this a.m.'s ride was that like last night I was wafting in acute doldrums (hey, they're my doldrums so even if that's an oxymoron I'm allowed) and... the sensation of the 35-degree rain starting to leak through the assorted places just leaked happiness into my being. Maybe great-grandma really *was* a penguin.

And I still might stick a warning on that car.

[susiej]

Did my usual: down to the train in the morning, back up to the house and the car in the evening (then on to daycare). Felt much stronger on the hill than last week, which is amazing, because I've only been commuting, and only down to the train, for two weeks, and didn't bike for three months before that.

[coyote]

There must have been something in the air on the 6th. I came the closest to getting hit that I've been. It was pretty much my fault...the car was making a left turn and they can't see me in the bike lane when the traffic is backed up. They slammed on there breaks and I slammed on mine. I stopped a few inches from the car. It has really spooked me. Right now there are many factors that are contributing to a high amount of traffic. I'll be happy when some of them are gone.

[Melalvai]

Coyote, I suppose that is one reason why a lot of people are adamantly opposed to bike lanes. I can see their point but...they sure make some things easier, and they make a bold and unequivocal statement about cyclists' right to the road (as opposed to the sidewalk).

[coyote]

I tried riding around in LA during rush hour once or twice without a bike lane. I felt as if my life was in jeapordy. I really like the bike lanes, but they can give you a false sense of security. Sometimes I wish they would put up the cone markers to keep the cars from using the bike lane as a shoulder. That's one that has been really bothering me lately. Oh well, its not enough to get me to stop commuting.

[carpaltunnel]

Someone told me a couple years ago about a bike shirt for commuters that warned motorists, "I'll make a dent!!" But I've never been able to locate one to buy. Anyone seen it?