Is it a full moon? Something in the air?

Printable View

08-19-2008, 07:48 PM
smurfalicious

Is it a full moon? Something in the air?

I was going to post this in commuting, or maybe crazy drivers, but there were just too many incidents today so I have to know if anyone else experienced it.

I took a different route to work as I left my replacement headlight on the counter at the bike shop. I was coming to a stop at an intersection at a bottom of a hill. There was a big gravel truck dead set on turning right so I decided the smart thing to do was wait beside the next car in line and make sure she saw me. She wasn't signaling and we were pretty much at the light. As I rolled up to her she decides to cram herself behind the gravel truck and pull into a driveway and pretty near over top of me. I reefed on my brakes and yelled some choice words. It was 7:40 per my Cat Eye, if she was due somewhere at 7:30 she was already good and late, and early for 8:00, no excuse. Dangerous with me there or not.

After I picked up my headlight I rode back towards the MUT and waited patiently at the crosswalks. Several people kept going after they lost their protected left turn which I expect, but as I crossed the road brakes squealed as someone making a right hand turned failed to notice TWO cyclists.

Further down the road I hit another light and waited with another rider. He took off a skosh before me and Little Miss Mall Shopper stopped for him and then tried to plow forward into me. I amazed myself by how quickly I dropped my wrists to grab my brake levers as hard as I could. Fear is a wonderful thin sometimes.

By this point I was rattled and ready to wait at the bus stop to get two blocks to work. Riding in downtown Denver at dusk was not this scary, in fact it was quite pleasant. My last prize winning idiot was turning into McDonald's and looked right at me and proceeded. I slowed as best as I could, and as soon as I did he decided to plow forward like I was yielding to him. No, you jerk, I'm trying to avoid an accident. It was his lucky day because angry as I was, I wanted to put a Campagnalo rim shaped dent into his brand new Dodge Magnum.

It took a while to shake it off at work. I was pretty spooked to have that much trouble in a supposedly bike friendly town. I wasn't riding aggressively or being stupid to the best of my knowledge. I would really rather have a bike lane on that road though. The MUTs are great for people who pedal like they've got all day, but I feel much safer in the bike lane where people are a little more aware of me than they are when I'm 15 feet over on their right.
08-19-2008, 08:15 PM
mimitabby

full moon was this weekend. crazy, eh?
08-19-2008, 09:47 PM
lph

yup, I met one of those yesterday too. Nearly run over by an oblivious van driver while I was on the opposite SIDEWALK trying to avoid both the line and the bright-eyes who jump it. He not only jumped the line but also made his own little shortcut into the petrol station on the other side, passing my front wheel by not very much. I threw some choice and very loud curses in his general direction but I think I only managed to entertain everybody else in line.

Stay safe!
08-19-2008, 10:00 PM
Grog

I did see a guy on a bike almost getting hit by a right-turning car (that had just sped past me quite loudly, some BMW sports car) this morning. The cyclist was crossing at the crosswalk. This confirms to me that it is a BAD IDEA for cyclists to use crosswalks in most situations. The driver used his honk, the cyclist used "choice words" as I've seen mentioned elsewhere today.

Oh yeah and another one: another man (not looking like an especially good-cyclist-citizen, I must say) was almost run over by a speeding-through-the-very-dark-orange-light SUV at a busy button-activated intersection on the (busy) bike route. More choice words and a lot of honking from various cars, some warning the cyclist of the incoming doomsday vehicle. Other cyclists at the same intersections were very amused that the SUV had Texas plates, as very seldom do Vancouverites so aggressively plow their cars through bike routes like that. Of course I know that not all Texans are crazy drivers....

Maybe there is something with the moon...!
08-19-2008, 10:36 PM
smurfalicious

Quote:

Originally Posted by Grog

This confirms to me that it is a BAD IDEA for cyclists to use crosswalks in most situations.

Yikes, it was in the air! Unfortunately in Boulder we don't get a choice in most places. Some genius decided that a bike friendly town should have all MUTs and hardly any bike lanes. Some are so damn scary with people turning into shopping centers I'd rather take the lane. Safer than getting hit by a car, who in all fairness, couldn't see me because of a brick wall lining the MUT and tons of trees to decorate the hideous shopping center.
08-20-2008, 04:24 AM
BleeckerSt_Girl

Quote:

Originally Posted by smurfalicious

I was coming to a stop at an intersection at a bottom of a hill. There was a big gravel truck dead set on turning right so I decided the smart thing to do was wait beside the next car in line and make sure she saw me. She wasn't signaling and we were pretty much at the light. As I rolled up to her she decides to cram herself behind the gravel truck and pull into a driveway and pretty near over top of me. I reefed on my brakes and yelled some choice words.....

After I picked up my headlight I rode back towards the MUT and waited patiently at the crosswalks. Several people kept going after they lost their protected left turn which I expect, but as I crossed the road brakes squealed as someone making a right hand turned failed to notice TWO cyclists.

Further down the road I hit another light and waited with another rider. He took off a skosh before me and Little Miss Mall Shopper stopped for him and then tried to plow forward into me. I amazed myself by how quickly I dropped my wrists to grab my brake levers as hard as I could. Fear is a wonderful thin sometimes.

Smurf,
It sounds like you are crossing in crosswalks while still ON your bike. Far safer to get off and walk your bike across a crosswalk just like a real pedestrian. Or else don't use crosswalks while on your bike at all. Either be a real vehicle or be a real pedestrian.
The other problem here is that from your description it seems you are stopping at red lights alongside of cars instead of taking the lane and being just like a car at an intersection. Cars so often cannot see you if you are stopped alongside them. You are creating an additional imaginary lane that really does not exist and car drivers are not expecting anyone to be there. You are far safer moving right into the middle of your lane at a stop light or major intersection, taking your rightful place in line in full view like all the other vehicles at the light, and then broadly hand/arm signaling your intentions to the cars around you before the light turns green.
Please read this page and you will be mostly avoiding altogether the very typical incidents such as happened to you yesterday:
http://bicyclesafe.com/

P.S. also be sure to not ride in the 'door zone'.