just needing to vent a little, and maybe get some advice?

Today while I was riding, solo, a car did something dangerous that scared me.

We are blessed to have a really awesome bike trail nearby http://www.loraincountymetroparks.com/ncit.htm When I don't ride w/the club, I like to ride there, for safety reasons.

There is approx 1/4 mile stretch that traverses a road and this section of road has a dedicated bike lane. Then you have to take the lane and turn left to re-enter the path. There is a double yellow line along this stretch, so there is no passing. Beyond the spot where I turn back on to the path, there is a S-curve on the road, it's hard to see ahead.

Well, like a good little cyclist, I checked behind, it was clear so I took the lane preparing for my left hand turn. Well a car came up behind and I was still about 20 yards from where I needed to turn left, in the lane, and CLEARLY signalling a left. Well the DODO motorist decides he can't wait the 10 seconds or so it would take for me turn, so he passes me on the left just a few feet before I was to turn! :mad:

I just spewed out of my mouth before I had a chance to catch myself "I was turning you idiot!"

Now I am thinking I probably took the lane too early, but even so, that guy should not have passed me on the left while I was in the lane and signalling a left turn, especially with a blind S-curve right ahead.

Well the good news is I turned over 2,000 miles for the year today! I'm the first female, so far, in the 2,500 mile on Bikejournal (tooting my own horn, please forgive me) :D

Colleen

Yay for you on your 2000 miles!:D That's AWESOME!!! I toot my own horn all the time, by the way. :)

As for your incident with the moron motorist. It sounds like there wasn't a whole lot you could have done differently. Like you said, maybe wait a little longer to get into the lane, but no matter when you get into the lane, motorists are supposed to yield to you. I'm glad you're okay.

I am glad you are okay. I think what you did was right, the motorist should not have passed you like that. You signaled you intention to turn so you were in the right. When ever people do that to me I just think "They are jealous because they can't ride a bike" hehe:) . Congrats on the milage too, that is awesome.

Thank you for your replies and affirmation. Dang cagers! We've got to always be vigilant, it's just too risky.

What gets me is the attitude and ignorance of many motorists who don't realize we have as much right to be out there on the road as they do.

Be safe out there

Colleen

I've struggled with this issue, but I've determined that it is safer to take the lane earlier rather than later.

Mom of 4- You absolutely did the right thing. THEY were in the wrong! Esp since you were clearly signalling! I wish they made helmets with cameras that we could hit a button and snap a picture of the cars when they pull that crap! Now THAT would be a worthwhile invention!!

Thanks Silver, and Running Mom. I really thought I was doing the right thing by taking the lane, but this guy was just in a huge hurry. Didn't mind risking my life or limb to save himself 15 seconds.

My husband said I should have gotten his plate number, and though I thought of it at the time but I was so rattled I didn't get my act together and memorize it.

I also believed you did all the right things here. It also made me think of a question that I ask myself at least once during every ride, at what point to take the lane when making a left turn. Sometime I tend to think that I took it too early, but I try to go by the distance of where the cars are behind me.

~ JoAnn

I tend to take the lane early, too, if there's empty space, especially on my morning commute. I have one left turn with no light, where there's a lot of traffic going the other way and not a lot behind me. Wednesday I saw a big truck pretty far behind me so I got out and took the lane and clearly signaled because there were no oncoming cars for once. The truck should have slowed a bit more to pass me on the right; he came pretty close, but I knew he saw me. I feel safer taking the lane earlier, too. I think the experience you had reminds us that some motorists just don't realize that cyclists need to act the same way as motorists. Would he have passed another car on the left, if the car was signaling?

Similar thing happened to Meg & I last week. We were on a country road, about to take a left, I was in front. I knew there was an SUV coming up behind us so I took the lane and started to signal well in advance. They started to pass. Fortunately, I have a voice that can wake the dead, or cause someone to brake, which it did. ;) Scared the %$#@ outta Meg though.

congrats! I've been watching you up there at the top!

All i can say, is the more you ride, the more you are going to run into these
ninnies. Just be alert, careful; etc!!

What really gets me is how mad motorists sometimes get at having to wait for bikes to do something that they would have to wait for a car to do too -- if you're behind me when I'm going to make a turn in my car, I'm going to slow down in advance, maybe have to wait for traffic, etc, and most of the time this provokes at most mild irritation. When a cyclist does the same thing though, somehow drivers seem to think that their rights have been violated.

Glad you're ok and I don't think you did anything wrong.