jbarham

I was riding with my son to swim practice this evening down a one way, two lane road. It's usually pretty free of traffic this time of night, but one of the sections of road we passed a cop had pulled someone over on the right side of the road and there was a tree cutting truck to the far left side of the road, so a short bottleneck built up behind us.

I always try to ride a straight line and since the parking lane was clear I had my son next to me in it (and out of traffic.) I felt OK doing this because there were no cars parked there for blocks.

I held my line for about a block and cars behind me began to honk, so I thought I would be polite and pulled into the parking lane a little - the car behind me would not pass. So I pulled a little further to the right and finally he went roaring by me, engine yelling and everything.

Turns out this guy lived on the same road we were traveling on and decided he would wait for me and my son to roll by about a minute after he pulled into his driveway. When we passed his house, he beckoned me over to the curb and began to tell me how stupid I was for riding in the middle of the road and for not riding single file.

I kept trying to interject and finally asked him if he was going to allow me to speak, which he did. I informed him that I was riding in the right lane "as far to the right as practicable" and that riders were indeed allowed to ride two abreast. Also told him he should polish up on his rules the next time he decided to confront someone about them.

Anyway, I was just wondering whether people usually use the parking lane if it's empty or do you try to stay with traffic. My preference is always to be right in the thick of traffic because I feel like I'm much more visible there, but after I thought about it, I thought that maybe I could have used the parking lane since it was empty for several blocks ahead of me. I've just kind of forced myself to think and act like a vehicle since I began commuting, though, and it didn't occur to me at the time that maybe I should use the parking lane if it's empty.

Thoughts?

unterhausen

People that don't pass until you pull out of their way are some the worst people to have to deal with. I really don't know what to do about them, they can cause you no end of problems with the people behind them. It sounds to me that you were in the right. I had this happen to me not that long ago, and it's incredibly frustrating.

GodsBassist

Sounds to me like you did fine. Especially engaging the motorist like you did.

I don't like to ride in the parking lanes because unless they're REALLY long like the one you were at sounds to be, because you end up re-merging frequently, which I don't feel safe doing. I will scoot over to let one or two cars pass, and then move back into the lane, though, but that's only when I feel comfortable doing it.

bmclaughlin807

If the parking lane is clear for a reasonable distance, I will use it. I'll only do so if I can reasonably expect to be able to safely move back into my place in the lane (so only if the traffic behind me can clear or there is enough space and a reasonable Speed to move back over by the end of the cleared area of parking)

AndrewP

If there are no cars parke I ride in the parking lane. If there are a few cars parked I ride at the edge of the parking lane and do a very gradual pull out into the traffic lane around the parked cars. If I can see there is nobody in the car I go fairly close to it, otherwise I go about 3' out. 3' is not enough to clear an opened door, but is enough to take a small swervewhen you see the door start moving.

bhop

Same for me.

jbarham

Bottom line is that impatient drivers are a chore to deal with. The city I live in is 30 sq miles, max. It takes 25 minutes tops to get from one end of town to the other. Just wish more people could learn to appreciate the joy of spinning two wheels.

urbanknight

+1 and when I see parked cars coming up, I check my shoulder and enter traffic long before I am upon them.

duke_of_hazard

If a driver is so impatient, then he should pass me from the right by driving in the parking lane. I dont ride in them because:

1) Cars don't ride there, so why should I
2) They are usually dirty ( high chance of flat ) and have uneven pavement
3) It reinforces the idea that cyclist need to get out of cars away

I-Like-To-Bike

Oh Vay!

surfengine

i don't see any issue with riding in the parking lane. share the road, not own the road.

duke_of_hazard

So why dont cars drive there, it is wide enough for them?

dynodonn 

I'm only in the parking lane only long enough to let motorists pass me, but just barely, keeping my left side in line with a left side of a parked car, and back into the roadway when traffic has passed.

I will only enter a parking lane to allow passing only when there's a long stretch of open parking spaces that gives me plenty of time to let a pack of cars go by and not box me into the parking lane further down the road, otherwise I stay out in the roadway and make motorists pass or stay behind me.

jbarham

I think this will be my practice from now on, but only to let cars pass me. Have to be careful riding with my son as I'm trying to teach him the best way to use his bike as a vehicle. Last thing I want him to do is weave in and out of a line of parked cars, but the road we were on last night had no cars in the parking lane for a considerable distance. I know the confrontation made him uncomfortable as well. I probably shouldn't have stopped to argue, but the temptation to education a motorist was too great to resist.

dynodonn 

The temptation to educate a motorist is still there, but I now forgo a lot of opportunities because I'd never get to where I'm going in a reasonable manner of time.

atbman

I think you were right to do as you did. A parking lane isn't for riding in and the more cyclists ride in, it the more drivers will expect them to.

If you alter the correct method of riding with your son because some impatient driver discourteously objects, you then begin the process of riding according to the opinion of people who are ignorant of the rights and duties of cyclists, thereby starting to ride as tho' your rights are optional only if you don't annoy drivers.

One possible outcome (see t'other thread about a cyclist being killed whilst riding on the shoulder) is that you will be riding in the parking lane when some plonker decides to pull in to park, not "see" you, will hit you/your son and plead not guilty on the grounds that you shouldn't have been there.

In reasoning with your neighbour, you did exactly the right thing. He is, at least, now aware of your rights, whether or not it alters his behaviour.

noisebeam

Here is a combined bike lane parking lane:
https://maps.google.com/maps?f=q&sour...k&z=20&iwloc=A

That white truck being passed by the red one is legally parked. Scroll further south and note the few parked cars in the shared parking/bike lane.

Needless to say a poor design.

Roughstuff

Aside from the rudeness of the driver to honk and gun his engine, I don't really see where this shed light on how and why cyclists should use the shoulder/bike lane (synonymous, to me). To get thru the bottleneck, ya had to enter the line of traffic...and as soon as you were by it with a clear view up ahead, ya returned to the shoulder. Cars and trucks (not buses.....) use the shoulder only temporarily and intermittently; i return the courtesy as a cyclist by entering traffic temporarily and intermittently.

There has been a bottleneck on one of my favorite 40 mile loops for several weeks due to minor construction where a temporary traffic light alternately allows cars to use the one remaining lane in the road. Usually I can make it through before the light turns green for oncoming traffic. but not always. When I can't I hop off the bike, dash over to the verge (not even much of a shoulder, at this point ) and scoot the rest of the way while cars can get by coming toward me. I know this causes convulsions for the 'we are traffic' clique, but to me its simple courtesy.

roughstuff