Just Irate!!

[Raindrop]

I love riding my bike and do a lot of riding in bike lanes on city streets. I've had my share of close calls, mostly by people that are turning without looking to see if someone (me) is going straight on that road. Today was one of those really nice fall days that happen here in the PNW. I had ridden about 30 miles and was on my way home on a busy road, but one with a well marked bike lane. I approached a driveway from a local High School, saw a car waiting to get out on the busy road, and also saw a car from the road waiting to make a left turn into the High School driveway. I made eye contact with the driver waiting to get out onto the road, but before I knew it, the other driver (a teen with a cell phone held to his ear) was turning right into me. My "truck-driver" lingo came out and I yelled, "AH ****! WHAT THE $&CK ARE YOU DOING??!!!" I almost dumped my bike as I evaded that car, but managed to stay upright. A few minutes later, the driver who had been waiting to leave the driveway slowed along side of me as I rode down the road and asked if I was okay. All in all...it was the Ying and Yang of being a cyclist. No?

[AppleTree]

Holy cr@p! I'd be saying choice words too. Glad you are okay Raindrop. DRAT these people who are glued to their phones to the utter disregard of human life. 😡

[Pax]

That stuff is just maddening, we try so hard to follow the rules and be safe, and uncaring/oblivious strangers can negate any precautions we take.

[Catrin]

So glad you are ok!

[azfiddle]

I had a very close call two years ago- not a driver on a cell phone, but a woman making a left turn across a busy street into an apartment complex. I had to make a 90 degree right turn into the driveway to avoid being hit, and literally had to lean on the hood of her car to stay upright. I followed her into the parking lot and asked her if she saw me.
"Yes, when you put your hand on my car...."

I didn't use the choice words but I was furious that she didn't even seem to be apologetic.

So - my sympathy- glad you are safe and reassuring that the other driver made sure you were okay as well.

[emily_in_nc]

Glad you're okay, Raindrop! I think most if not all of us have had close calls over the years.

I had a bad one in Albuquerque recently. I was crossing a busy four-lane road with no crosswalks and no stoplights (ugh), so I had to "go for it". Looked both ways several times, all clear in both directions. When I got to the midpoint and continued going across, a truck pulled out of a parking lot very close to me onto the road and just about hit me. DH started yelling, and I just pedaled like h*ll and made it across. If I'd tried to stop or slow up, I am not sure the driver would have been able to stop, so it was a judgement call. It was probably scarier for DH than me since he saw it unfolding, and I didn't even see the driver until I'd accelerated and made it to safety. These things can happen so fast. Really scary. I try to be so careful, but with 7000 miles under my belt this year so far, I'm not surprised there have been a few near misses.

[Pax]

Glad you're okay, Raindrop! I think most if not all of us have had close calls over the years.

I had a bad one in Albuquerque recently. I was crossing a busy four-lane road with no crosswalks and no stoplights (ugh), so I had to "go for it". Looked both ways several times, all clear in both directions. When I got to the midpoint and continued going across, a truck pulled out of a parking lot very close to me onto the road and just about hit me. DH started yelling, and I just pedaled like h*ll and made it across. If I'd tried to stop or slow up, I am not sure the driver would have been able to stop, so it was a judgement call. It was probably scarier for DH than me since he saw it unfolding, and I didn't even see the driver until I'd accelerated and made it to safety. These things can happen so fast. Really scary. I try to be so careful, but with 7000 miles under my belt this year so far, I'm not surprised there have been a few near misses.

Albuquerque is the only place I was ever truly scared to ride my motorcycle (and I've ridden all over the country), some of the most inattentive and sometimes downright aggressive drivers I've ever seen.

[PamNY]

Scary. Glad you are okay.