not fun any more

OK, so I'll joke about death-defying stories of surviving traffic, but some days it's just not fun. Came down a hill this morning in the bus lane, my brakes are pretty bad so I wasn't going that fast until I could see that I had a totally clear stretch and a green light ahead of me. The car lane to my left was packed.

So I finally let up the brakes and started pedalling. That's when the van parked up on the sidewalk on my right pulled out in my lane without any notice at all. My brakes were *just* good enough to stop, since I also veered into the gap between the van and the cars on my left. Otherwise I would have slammed right into him.

He probably took a glance in his rearview mirror, saw no cars, and just pulled out in a hurry.

I do not want to die like that. :(

Whew! So glad you managed that maneuver! :eek: Once your heart rate is back to normal, you might want to pedal over to the nearest bike shop and get those brake pads replaced. And maybe write a red hot letter for Dagbladet, or VG, or Aftenposten, or one each about how drivers need to wake up and see bikes and pedestrians too. I know we're smaller than a bus, but we're not invisible!

Glad you're okay, LPH!!

I'm always very careful when passing on the right, even on a 'bike lane' (which sometimes is a bit of an exaggerated term). It's the last place drivers will think of looking. (Actually, when NOT on a bike lane, here, you're not supposed to pass on the left.)

But I might have done just like you. Glad you're okay...

Yep, further on there's a bike lane, and I'm very wary of passing cars there if there's any chance they could even think of wanting to veer right. I saw a cyclist almost squished by a bus in the bike lane yesterday, she naively thought the bus would respect the bike lane all the way through the intersection, which it never does.

But I was smack in the middle of the empty bus lane today, and the van guy was parked up on the sidewalk/bus stop, going nowhere. Until he suddenly finished whatever he was doing and pulled out into my lane without blinking or checking. And drivers say cyclists behave erratically!

Usually I get all riled up and full of adrenaline, today I just went weepy and scared. The bike's been to the shop and now has brand-new brake pads that work marvellously. I don't need to give Murphy any help...

Wow, have the trembles quit...been in similar situations and that is not any fun!!!! Becareful on the new breakpads too, because they may stop you faster than you anticipate and put you over the handlebars (did that, too...just didn't realize the "better" stopping power I had :D ). On my commute home, I have a very steep hill to go down. I ride the brakes the entire way because my speed can get very high. I have more "freaks" testing me coming out of side streets on my right...scares me sometimes at what some drivers think they can get away with. I try to always ride defensively, no matter what the conditions.

Take courage.... we're the minority out there.

THose kinds of situations, I HATE. I **try** to get myself visible, or far enough out so that I have an escape route, which fortunately with our traffic level is usually manageable.

(Courage, of course, is available from your pharmacist in quick-acting or sustained response capsules; inhalers are being developed...)

oh boy! lph sorry about that, I didn't get the story right the first time.

that's really scary indeed. but it's the cost of riding in traffic. Emily was referring recently to 'innocence lost'. It's probably something like that. I guess we can't be more innocent on our bikes than in our cars...

Lph, sorry about that but glad you're ok.

It may be time to find a way to reconnect with what makes it fun or even take a little break or like Duck on Wheels says, rant and rave a little "Dagbladet, those frackin' drivers!!! :mad:"

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Geonz

(Courage, of course, is available from your pharmacist in quick-acting or sustained response capsules; inhalers are being developed...)

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Love it :D

My favourite quote is by Anaïs Nin:
"Life shrinks or expands in proportion to ones courage."

Thank you for all the support!

That's so scary.

Would it work to have an airhorn mounted on the handlebars and let it rip when necessary?

I'm seriously considering it.

In the meantime my own personal comes-with-the-model already installed airhorn is doing the best it can.

"HEEEEEEEEEEEEEYYYYYYYYY!"

"IDIOT!"

I find that when I hear a loud noise, driving or cycling or otherwise, I do not necessarily stop dead in my tracks.

A loud voice though would have more of a specific effect I think. Good for you lph for using yours at full capacity!!! It worked for me once (someone trying to right hook me while talking on the phone).

I *think* mine worked for me thisw morning... a big lab type critter came tearing out after me... I do have to change some of my habits because the specific words were not ones I want to say accidentally :o :o I'm afraid they were rather loud... next time around the loop 20 min. later I had my spray ready ... but he didn't show. COuld have been I was moving mroe slowly... or could have been an owner heard my expletives... anyway, I'm going to practice saying ... flocking? petulant? ...

I can teach you some Norwegian ones to use?

(Trek, Duck and UK, please close your ears and eyes)

"FAEN I HELVETE LIGG UNNA DIN SKABBETE KJØTER ELLERS KJØRER JEG DEG FLAT!"

:D

Quote:

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Originally Posted by lph

I can teach you some Norwegian ones to use?

(Trek, Duck and UK, please close your ears and eyes)

"FAEN I HELVETE LIGG UNNA DIN SKABBETE KJØTER ELLERS KJØRER JEG DEG FLAT!"

:D

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Oh, I love swearing in other languages! you get such a reaction and none of the embarrassment!

Except in Norway you'd have to translate that one to Russian or something. Even the "G-dda-n bast--d mutt" would understand that one in Norwegian.

My brother swears in some made-up language that sounds like a cross between German and Southern Hick. The point is clearly made, without teaching kids bad words.

The side effect is that I start giggling, which just ruins the atmosphere. :p

Quote:

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Originally Posted by lph

I can teach you some Norwegian ones to use?

(Trek, Duck and UK, please close your ears and eyes)

"FAEN I HELVETE LIGG UNNA DIN SKABBETE KJØTER ELLERS KJØRER JEG DEG FLAT!"

:D

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I had a norwegian housemate and I always got a kick out of him swearing. Of course, I couldn't begin to describe what he said, but it had a lot of S sounds, and was fairly short.

Idiot drivers that pull out in front of you don't reserve this trick for cyclists. I also drive a motorhome (read BUS). Cars persist in pulling out in front of me. And I am clearly visible and large and dangerous. That apparently doesn't give them a twinge. I am afraid to hit the air horn (BIG and LOUD: sounds like a Semi), because then they will stop dead in the way and I will hit them.

You can't win. :D