Dangerous drift
03-10-10, 10:23 AM
#1
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Thread Starter
Dangerous drift
So, I'm heading down the road on my morning commute (relatively light traffic) when down the road a little ways a cyclist makes a right turn from a side street without stopping or even slowing when entering the main roadway.
It didn't even look like he even looked in the direction of traffic of the roadway he was entering, but maybe he did and I didn't see him do it. And to be fair, traffic was light and nothing was in his way. The curb lane was only occupied by me at the time and I was a fair bit back. Anyways, he looked safety conscious enough. He was riding on the proper side of the road, had lights on his bike, and had on his helmet and safety vest.
I did note his speed relative to mine and knew that it wouldn't be long before I had to overtake him, so I looked over my shoulder to check out upcoming traffic in the lane on my left (did I mention it was a 2 lane each direction road?), and then looked back to the front where I saw the slow moving cyclist starting a dangerous drift to his left.
He was clearly moving near the left lane that had fast moving, upcoming traffic and he wasn't looking to see he might have an impact if he didn't stop this drift.
Thankfully, he started to drift back to the right side of the curb lane in the same manner as he moved to the left just as the traffic passed.
I kept my eye on him as I was about to pass as I didn't want to be hit by him by another unpredictable drift as I passed, and as I did pass him, I discovered what it was that caused the drift to the left.
He was trying to light a cigarette with a lighter that he was cupping in his hands as he was leaning over with his forearms on the handlebar and the cigarette in his mouth.
I wonder if he even knew that he came close to lighting his last puff?
It didn't even look like he even looked in the direction of traffic of the roadway he was entering, but maybe he did and I didn't see him do it. And to be fair, traffic was light and nothing was in his way. The curb lane was only occupied by me at the time and I was a fair bit back. Anyways, he looked safety conscious enough. He was riding on the proper side of the road, had lights on his bike, and had on his helmet and safety vest.
I did note his speed relative to mine and knew that it wouldn't be long before I had to overtake him, so I looked over my shoulder to check out upcoming traffic in the lane on my left (did I mention it was a 2 lane each direction road?), and then looked back to the front where I saw the slow moving cyclist starting a dangerous drift to his left.
He was clearly moving near the left lane that had fast moving, upcoming traffic and he wasn't looking to see he might have an impact if he didn't stop this drift.
Thankfully, he started to drift back to the right side of the curb lane in the same manner as he moved to the left just as the traffic passed.
I kept my eye on him as I was about to pass as I didn't want to be hit by him by another unpredictable drift as I passed, and as I did pass him, I discovered what it was that caused the drift to the left.
He was trying to light a cigarette with a lighter that he was cupping in his hands as he was leaning over with his forearms on the handlebar and the cigarette in his mouth.
I wonder if he even knew that he came close to lighting his last puff?
Last edited by closetbiker; 03-10-10 at 10:49 AM.
03-10-10, 11:45 AM
#2
genec
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Needs to hone his skills to ride hands free and track a straight line so he can light his coffin nails.
One way or another those things are gonna kill him.
One way or another those things are gonna kill him.
03-10-10, 11:52 AM
#3
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03-10-10, 03:37 PM
#4
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As I was leaving work recently I had a co worker tell me that riding a bike was dangerous and that I was risking being killed! This comment was made as he stood there sucking away on a cigarette. It gave me a chuckle.
03-10-10, 04:04 PM
#5
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Thread Starter
I've had that as well. A chain smoker telling me I was going to kill myself riding on the road on my bike.
The chain smoker had also been in 3 automotive collisions in the time I had been working with her.
The chain smoker had also been in 3 automotive collisions in the time I had been working with her.
03-10-10, 04:08 PM
#6
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03-10-10, 04:40 PM
#7
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A - Was he happy?
B - Was he endangering you?
If Yes and No, than big deal
B - Was he endangering you?
If Yes and No, than big deal
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This is Africa, 1943. War spits out its violence overhead and the sandy graveyard swallows it up. Her name is King Nine, B-25, medium bomber, Twelfth Air Force. On a hot, still morning she took off from Tunisia to bomb the southern tip of Italy. An errant piece of flak tore a hole in a wing tank and, like a wounded bird, this is where she landed, not to return on this day, or any other day.
This is Africa, 1943. War spits out its violence overhead and the sandy graveyard swallows it up. Her name is King Nine, B-25, medium bomber, Twelfth Air Force. On a hot, still morning she took off from Tunisia to bomb the southern tip of Italy. An errant piece of flak tore a hole in a wing tank and, like a wounded bird, this is where she landed, not to return on this day, or any other day.
03-10-10, 05:17 PM
#8
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Thread Starter
I think he was totally oblivious to his surroundings and he could easily have been hit by either the oncoming cars, or hit me as I went by (even when I gave him a wide berth)
It really isn't too big a deal to me as I know there are a lot of people out there on bikes (and in cars) who are oblivious to their surroundings and have little idea what they're doing. It's these types that are over represented in collision and death statistics.
It really isn't too big a deal to me as I know there are a lot of people out there on bikes (and in cars) who are oblivious to their surroundings and have little idea what they're doing. It's these types that are over represented in collision and death statistics.
Last edited by closetbiker; 03-10-10 at 06:01 PM.
03-10-10, 05:20 PM
#9
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03-11-10, 01:59 PM
#10
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So, I'm heading down the road on my morning commute (relatively light traffic) when down the road a little ways a cyclist makes a right turn from a side street without stopping or even slowing when entering the main roadway.
It didn't even look like he even looked in the direction of traffic of the roadway he was entering, but maybe he did and I didn't see him do it. And to be fair, traffic was light and nothing was in his way. The curb lane was only occupied by me at the time and I was a fair bit back. Anyways, he looked safety conscious enough. He was riding on the proper side of the road, had lights on his bike, and had on his helmet and safety vest.
I did note his speed relative to mine and knew that it wouldn't be long before I had to overtake him, so I looked over my shoulder to check out upcoming traffic in the lane on my left (did I mention it was a 2 lane each direction road?), and then looked back to the front where I saw the slow moving cyclist starting a dangerous drift to his left.
He was clearly moving near the left lane that had fast moving, upcoming traffic and he wasn't looking to see he might have an impact if he didn't stop this drift.
Thankfully, he started to drift back to the right side of the curb lane in the same manner as he moved to the left just as the traffic passed.
I kept my eye on him as I was about to pass as I didn't want to be hit by him by another unpredictable drift as I passed, and as I did pass him, I discovered what it was that caused the drift to the left.
He was trying to light a cigarette with a lighter that he was cupping in his hands as he was leaning over with his forearms on the handlebar and the cigarette in his mouth.
I wonder if he even knew that he came close to lighting his last puff?
It didn't even look like he even looked in the direction of traffic of the roadway he was entering, but maybe he did and I didn't see him do it. And to be fair, traffic was light and nothing was in his way. The curb lane was only occupied by me at the time and I was a fair bit back. Anyways, he looked safety conscious enough. He was riding on the proper side of the road, had lights on his bike, and had on his helmet and safety vest.
I did note his speed relative to mine and knew that it wouldn't be long before I had to overtake him, so I looked over my shoulder to check out upcoming traffic in the lane on my left (did I mention it was a 2 lane each direction road?), and then looked back to the front where I saw the slow moving cyclist starting a dangerous drift to his left.
He was clearly moving near the left lane that had fast moving, upcoming traffic and he wasn't looking to see he might have an impact if he didn't stop this drift.
Thankfully, he started to drift back to the right side of the curb lane in the same manner as he moved to the left just as the traffic passed.
I kept my eye on him as I was about to pass as I didn't want to be hit by him by another unpredictable drift as I passed, and as I did pass him, I discovered what it was that caused the drift to the left.
He was trying to light a cigarette with a lighter that he was cupping in his hands as he was leaning over with his forearms on the handlebar and the cigarette in his mouth.
I wonder if he even knew that he came close to lighting his last puff?
I wouldn't have been surprised to see him either crash into something to his left or ride off the sidewalk and into traffic, but he managed to avoid doing any of that. And also fortunately no one stepped into his path.
03-15-10, 12:52 AM
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