living with cars on the road

[Geonz]

It may not be as bad as it sounds. They did that to a main-road-through-campus here, and now the lanes are wider so there's room for me, and cars can duck out into that turn lane to get around . Drivers are seldom obnoxious, tho' last week a probably intoxicated male hollered and stuck his hand out in the general direction of my face... then when I got right behind them in the queue at the light, leaned out and said, "Is there a PROBLEM?"... but they were pulling away. (It told me that he expected me to scoot to the front of the queue, which I avoid on the "don't make 'em pass me twice" principle and *certainly* when somebody has already been obnoxious in passing... though I had a brief visualization of just grabbing that outstretched hand knowing he might break a finger as they pulled away... tho' I'd prob'ly have gone down...)

[xeney]

They did that to several major streets in my city as well, and although I was really skeptical at first, they've worked out pretty well. I am generally nervous in bike lanes, but these bike lanes are a bit wider than the norm, and traffic has slowed down (or been redirected onto other streets or the freeway), and I find myself using those routes all the time.

Those are one-way streets that were previously three lanes, now down to two lanes with wide bike lanes on each side (one-way bike lanes, each going the same direction as the traffic). If you're in the left-hand bike lane you have to be sure to catch a driver's eye when a left turn comes up in order to avoid getting creamed, but I have found that the drivers on those streets are pretty attentive and even friendly.

[smilingcat]

how nice to have mindful drivers.

had two incidents yesterday for me. car coming from the opposite direction decides to make a left hand turn right in front of me. YEEKS both drivers locked their wheel. I locked up my wheels too. I don't want my bike to be cremed.

Then with the warm weather, too many beach goers who stepped off the sidewalk right in front of you GRRRR!!! They think I can stop in time?? Cars are doing 30MPH, why don't they step in front of a car instead??

Training ride yesterday was avoidance training.

My other pet peeve. Car drivers always want to go faster than you even if its unsafe for ALL OF US. i.e. coming down a winding narrow road. Yesterday was no exception. but with one added twist. He started to hit the brakes after he got in front of me. I had to brake around hairpin turns... GRRR!!! (and I'm no where near my old speed)

You may ask why not take a different route? All these dogem took place on my way to my training ground up in Palos Verdes Ca.

hope for a better ride the next time. (or maybe I should really not ride anymore. Last hospital stay I said no more)

Shawn