a mere second away from becoming pancake

[badger]

I'm still shaken by the knowledge that I could very well have been hit by a bus yesterday morning.

I was nearing the end of my commute at an intersection. That particular intersection has a house with a brick wall that obscures my line of vision so I can't see the oncoming traffic much beyond 20 feet. I'd have to literally put myself within inches of rushing traffic to see (it's a very narrow street, too).

The light turned green so I pushed off. I heard a honk - and thank god for that, or I would have smacked right into or worse, ran over, by the bus. He ran the light and by the time he crossed it, it had turned red. I stopped just in time to feel the huge whoosh of air.

Needless to say I nearly pooped my pants. I complained to the bus company and they said they'll investigate. uh huh.

[crazycanuck]

Holy Moly!!!

Are you able to veer onto any side streets to avoid this type of situation? At the intersection, can you jump onto the footpath for a few seconds?

Glad you're ok!

[Mr. Bloom]

Glad you're OK!

Just for giggles, you might follow up with the bus company asking what their investigation revealed...make 'em squirm just a bit...you might also ask them to describe for you their safety training about yellow lights, cyclists, etc

[Grog]

I'm really, really glad you're okay.

Wow, where is that?

Glad you called Translink, too.

I was sitting at Granville and King Edward (25th) the other day, waiting for a bus. At EVERY SINGLE LIGHT CYCLE (yes, I'm screaming) there was at least one car that went through a red light. Not a yellow. A RED.

Now, cycling or driving, I take it for granted that I have to wait at least a few seconds before taking off on a green. Ridiculous.

Glad you're okay. *gentle hug*

[OakLeaf]

Yikes, glad you're okay!

Extra careful with those blind intersections. We have several of those downtown, and there are accidents pretty much weekly in spite of light traffic.

[tctrek]

Very, very scary! I would have done more than "nearly" poop my pants!!
So glad that you are ok!

[shootingstar]

Wow, badger. Some bus drivers are ok on the road, others are real a**holes. Glad you are in 1 piece.

Some just hate their jobs..and I say this after taking a transit bus daily for part of my work commute for last few years. But still no excuse for illegal, dangerous driving.

I'm seeing alot more cars blowing through red lights in last few years. Just scary.

A long time ago, I was hit by a car as a pedestrian that ran a red light, as soon I started to cross the intersection.

[badger]

I don't think there was any malice on the part of the driver. I think it was simply that he was going faster than he should, didn't want to or, more likely, couldn't stop for the light and didn't see me due to the same brick wall that was blocking my view of him.

I got hit at an intersection as a pedestrian, too. Had the green light and everything but the girl didn't see me as she was rushing to turn left. That one was even closer, I did get hit, and I was really only a split second from death or becoming vegetable.

So, I guess the moral of all this is to trust no driver, and be super vigilant when you're in a crosswalk as a pedestrian or a cyclist. At least in a car you have a wee bit of a blanket of protection.

[Grog]

Just a soothing story:

I had the most fabulous bus driver (on the 99) this morning. I needed to put a bike on the rack and he jumped out to help me pull the arm up. (The new racks are really a problem.) Then... and this is where it becomes relevant to your story:

We approached a crosswalk on a 4-lane road (+ 2 lanes of parked cars, one on each side). There was a woman and a child waiting to cross. The bus driver first stopped (in the second lane from the right) and then moved his bus to block the two lanes so that a car driver that wouldn't be paying attention and would go through the crosswalk wouldn't mow down the pedestrians.

I thought that was the sweetest bus driver ever.

At an intersection later on he stopped the bus, jumped out and into a Tim Hortons, and came back with coffee, oh, I'd say, about 45 seconds later. The Tim Hortons employees probably think he's sweet, too.

I was pretty impressed. I'm sure that guy would NOT have run you over, Badger.

(I wrote to the transit company to praise the driver.)

[badger]

that's great, and I'm glad you wrote to praise him. We're so quick to complain about negative bahaviour and often ignore the positive that ought to be commended.

Like I said, I don't think the driver meant any malice, he's only human afterall and I probably would've done the same thing gaining speed up a hill and letting the momentum carry me through to my next stop. It just so happened that the light turned and he didn't see me - at least he honked.

It's easy for any level-headed person to go crazy from road rage, and I truly think bus drivers have one of the worst jobs out there dealing with all sorts of people.

There's a guy who lives in our building who's a bus driver. He's one of those really happy-go-lucky guys and he literally LOVES his job. I'm glad, we need more people like him and your driver (who knows, maybe it's the same guy!)

[badger]

another close call... too many these days.

It happened yesterday when I was going home. I was approaching an intersection going straight when this car right next to me suddenly decided to turn right. I literally only managed to stop inches from him.

At first I doubted he saw me, but I do remember him suddenly accelerating and cutting me off really sharply. I'm thinking he saw me but didn't want to stop so decided to beat me to it but I was going much faster than he would've wanted me to complete the assinine maneuver.

Needless to say, I nearly pee'd my pants. What actually disappointed me was a cyclist was right behind me, and all he did was go around me. If I had seen that happen to him, I'd have at least asked if he was okay and comisserated that it was a damn close call.

For those in the know, it was southbound on Quebec and Expo Blvd. Just the other day a cop car was WAAAY too close to me in that small section where it narrows.

[shootingstar]

Badger, could you not consider modifying your route abit to avoid that area?

For all the different cycling commuting routes I had to ride..because I've worked for different employers in 2 different cities, I have modified some routes which might be an extra 1-3 kms., just to avoid a consistently dangerous area involving road cars. Then I stick to the modified route and adjust my personal schedule accordingly.

My life / not to become permanently disabled, is much more important to me. (I worked for a hospital for spinal cord injured patients for a few yrs. before I restarted cycling several years later. These patients became permanently wheelchair bound for life. The experience is a tremendous reminder to myself....)

besides you get abit more exercise.

[badger]

oh, the irony is that this is my modified route! I originally went along Expo/Pacific only to feel that the drivers were using it as a race track. I switched to this route to get away from traffic!

and trust me, it's not my desire or aspiration to become disabled, either.

[shootingstar]

I can imagine the irony.

Would suggest to try streets parallel to Pacific/Expo and further way from the creek waterfront.

ie. Beatty, Homer.... better to cope with. I've cycled these streets as part of regular commuting routes in past years.

After cycling daily in and out downtown Toronto rush hr. with over 1 million people pouring in and out of that area daily for a few years, I found I prefer to be cycling on either quieter or moderately congested, but SLOWER car traffic roads.

[tctrek]

Arrgghhhh...... I think we could have a sticky thread that would never end discussing rude, stupid, aggressive cars and near misses with them!!

DH and I were out this weekend on a 4 lane road in suburbs. Not many cars out. We were cruising over on the right on the white line (negative shoulder on this road). Cars had PLENTY of room to get past us and an entire empty left lane if they wanted to swing out. Did they do it? Absolutely not.. cars going by us over the speed limit and close enough that we felt the heat of their engines.

After a few miles of this, a bunch of bubba's in a pick up truck go by, beeping their horn and screaming out the windows "That's what sidewalks are for!". We're shouting back at them that it's illegal to ride on the sidewalk! I really think they would have hit us if they could!

What is up with people being so aggressive?