Not Such a Good Bike Run Today

[BleeckerSt_Girl]

Well, it could have been way worse a day- somebody could have gotten hurt!
You are lucky!

Right of way is fine and dandy, but....always, always assume the car driver does NOT see you, and assume that they are going to do the WRONG thing.

[Python]

Yes Lisa. Absolutely! When I learned to drive back in 1974/75, my instructor drummed into me from the word go "THINK BIKE!!!" When I'm driving, even to this day, that has stayed with me. Unfortunately, I think the standard of driving here has gone down and people, especially younger people, are not having that drummed into them. There are a lot of people on the road that, frankly, I wonder how they ever managed to pass a driving test!

Doesn't look like I'll be going far on the bike, if at all today. It's been hammering down with rain and there's a howling wind to go with it

[BleeckerSt_Girl]

Python,

A week ago, I went for a ride that included a stretch along a major four lane highway for a while. But I was not nervous because this road has PLENTY of visibility in all directions and it has a nice wide shoulder as well.
So, I'm going along this LONG stretch of downhill, and there is like no traffic to speak of. I zoom along, picking up speed because I know there is a long long slow hill ahead and I hope to get up some of it on momentum.
Well of course there is a small road up ahead of me that crosses the highway to the other side, and cars have to stop for all clear before they cross the highway.
Some lady was sitting there in her big car waiting to cross. There is plenty of space and time. By this time I am going about 35 mph, wearing brilliant orange jacket and bright blue bike. I say to myself- this person is going to decide to pull out right in front of me as I get there. So, counting on that, before I get too close I check all sides and I check behind me....no cars anywhere in sight.
Sure enough, just as I'm zooming towards the intersection (and having MAJOR right of way of course), she slowly starts pulling out onto the highway. She totally does not see me coming. Happily, because I assumed she was going to do this, I knew there were no cars anywhere behind me or around me, so I merely swerved left onto the leftmost lane and went around behind her as she crossed the highway.
I shook my fist at her, but of course she did not see that either.
I just KNEW she was going to do that!!!

[telegirl]

I feel your pain.....

[Duck on Wheels]

Geez Louise! Could it be that the kid on the bike carries a big stick because the big galumphing off-leash dog chases her? A dog owner with a brain might be asking himself who first made who nervous here. And even if we let bygones be bygones and concentrate on looking forward, letting the dog run loose on the bike path is hardly a solution to the problem!

[Python]

If it happens again, I'll report it to the police because large dogs are supposed to be kept under control by law. In the past month, Rottweillers have had very bad publicity here. Two of them savaged a baby to death - I wondered what the parents were thinking about leaving a little baby alone with two dogs anyway and the dogs had been trained to be aggressive guard-dogs (bad ownership) and another boy was badly bitten and scarred for life in another incident. People forget that these large dogs, if not trained properly, can be lethal. What is a cute puppy can turn out to be a dangerous adult in the wrong hands. I have a GSD and any time I am out walking her, I only let her off the lead if it is safe to do so. If I see anyone, be it a cyclist, someone walking or other people with a dog, I'll call her back and clip the lead on. Better safe than sorry.

As for Rottweillers, unfortunately, they do have a reputation of being unpredictable, and that particular dog I met struck me as ruling his owner, not the other way round. Not good.