My First Near Miss
#1
Senior Member
Thread Starter
Join Date: Jul 2013
Location: Buffalo, NY
Posts: 79
Bikes: 2010 Trek 4300, 1984 Schwinn Le Tour
Mentioned: 0 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 0 Post(s)
Likes: 0
Liked 0 Times
in
0 Posts
My First Near Miss
Be me at a four way intersection about to make a left turn. I signaled to get into the left lane and turned my head to make sure traffic saw me. I then made it to the left lane and had to yield to oncoming traffic.
I stopped there, foot down, hand signal out the entire time so the drivers behind me could see I was preparing to make a left turn.
Waiting for traffic still, I hear the car behind me and it's not slowing down whatsoever.
Instead, the driver slams on his horn for a good 10 seconds as he comes from behind me at around 30-35 mph.
He narrowly misses clipping me by a couple inches.
After that, I catch my breath and proceed to make my left turn. I realize that there was a car right next to him in the other lane, and he probably wanted to change lanes to avoid me but couldn't. Instead of slowing down however, he just acted as if he had the right of way.
I finally complete the turn after giving him some of my bike horn. With all of the adrenaline going I forgot one of the most important things - license plate.
One thing's for sure, I'm ordering the RZ-8 asap.
I stopped there, foot down, hand signal out the entire time so the drivers behind me could see I was preparing to make a left turn.
Waiting for traffic still, I hear the car behind me and it's not slowing down whatsoever.
Instead, the driver slams on his horn for a good 10 seconds as he comes from behind me at around 30-35 mph.
He narrowly misses clipping me by a couple inches.
After that, I catch my breath and proceed to make my left turn. I realize that there was a car right next to him in the other lane, and he probably wanted to change lanes to avoid me but couldn't. Instead of slowing down however, he just acted as if he had the right of way.
I finally complete the turn after giving him some of my bike horn. With all of the adrenaline going I forgot one of the most important things - license plate.
One thing's for sure, I'm ordering the RZ-8 asap.
#2
Senior Member
Join Date: Apr 2009
Location: New Rochelle, NY
Posts: 38,505
Bikes: too many bikes from 1967 10s (5x2)Frejus to a Sumitomo Ti/Chorus aluminum 10s (10x2), plus one non-susp mtn bike I use as my commuter
Mentioned: 139 Post(s)
Tagged: 1 Thread(s)
Quoted: 5681 Post(s)
Liked 2,386 Times
in
1,320 Posts
Please take this in the spirit of good will, but as they say, close only counts in horseshoes.
If you ride in city traffic for any length of time, there will be all sorts of close passes, and near (hopefully) misses. The jerk might have gauged that he had room to pass, and apparently he was right, though he had no business leaning on the horn. OTOH- he might have been leaning on the horn because he felt there was a real danger of collision, in which he was even more of a jerk, using the horn instead of the brakes.
If you ride in city traffic for any length of time, there will be all sorts of close passes, and near (hopefully) misses. The jerk might have gauged that he had room to pass, and apparently he was right, though he had no business leaning on the horn. OTOH- he might have been leaning on the horn because he felt there was a real danger of collision, in which he was even more of a jerk, using the horn instead of the brakes.
__________________
FB
Chain-L site
An ounce of diagnosis is worth a pound of cure.
Just because I'm tired of arguing, doesn't mean you're right.
“One accurate measurement is worth a thousand expert opinions” - Adm Grace Murray Hopper - USN
WARNING, I'm from New York. Thin skinned people should maintain safe distance.
FB
Chain-L site
An ounce of diagnosis is worth a pound of cure.
Just because I'm tired of arguing, doesn't mean you're right.
“One accurate measurement is worth a thousand expert opinions” - Adm Grace Murray Hopper - USN
WARNING, I'm from New York. Thin skinned people should maintain safe distance.
#3
Galveston County Texas
Join Date: Nov 2007
Location: In The Wind
Posts: 33,218
Bikes: 02 GTO, 2011 Magnum
Mentioned: 18 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 1346 Post(s)
Liked 1,234 Times
in
615 Posts
Sometimes it is best to go straight, U -Turn then , Right turn to get where you need to go.
Beats being a sitting duck in the middle of a busy intersection.
Beats being a sitting duck in the middle of a busy intersection.
__________________
Fred "The Real Fred"
Fred "The Real Fred"
#4
Senior Member
Join Date: Apr 2009
Location: New Rochelle, NY
Posts: 38,505
Bikes: too many bikes from 1967 10s (5x2)Frejus to a Sumitomo Ti/Chorus aluminum 10s (10x2), plus one non-susp mtn bike I use as my commuter
Mentioned: 139 Post(s)
Tagged: 1 Thread(s)
Quoted: 5681 Post(s)
Liked 2,386 Times
in
1,320 Posts
However, the OP was across the traffic and properly positioned for a left, and the driver should either have waited as he would have behind a car, or changed lanes to the right to pass. The problem is that there are a good number of jerks on the road.
__________________
FB
Chain-L site
An ounce of diagnosis is worth a pound of cure.
Just because I'm tired of arguing, doesn't mean you're right.
“One accurate measurement is worth a thousand expert opinions” - Adm Grace Murray Hopper - USN
WARNING, I'm from New York. Thin skinned people should maintain safe distance.
FB
Chain-L site
An ounce of diagnosis is worth a pound of cure.
Just because I'm tired of arguing, doesn't mean you're right.
“One accurate measurement is worth a thousand expert opinions” - Adm Grace Murray Hopper - USN
WARNING, I'm from New York. Thin skinned people should maintain safe distance.
#6
Senior Member
Join Date: Aug 2012
Location: Lancaster, PA, USA
Posts: 1,851
Bikes: 2012 Trek Allant, 2016 Bianchi Volpe Disc
Mentioned: 0 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 0 Post(s)
Likes: 0
Liked 0 Times
in
0 Posts
This is why I sit right in the middle of the left lane for left turns. No room for someone to pass me on the right.
#7
genec
Join Date: Sep 2004
Location: West Coast
Posts: 27,079
Bikes: custom built, sannino, beachbike, giant trance x2
Mentioned: 86 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 13658 Post(s)
Liked 4,531 Times
in
3,157 Posts
What the heck is an RZ-8?
#8
Senior Member
Join Date: Aug 2011
Location: Sequim, Washington on the Olympic Peninsula
Posts: 438
Bikes: Co-Motion Mocha, Fuji touring, Trex hybrid, Bike Friday Tandem Traveler
Mentioned: 0 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 0 Post(s)
Likes: 0
Liked 0 Times
in
0 Posts
#9
Senior Member
Join Date: Dec 2010
Posts: 8,951
Mentioned: 0 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 14 Post(s)
Likes: 0
Liked 13 Times
in
12 Posts
Yeah. I occasionally get honked at making left turns from traffic lanes or even left turn lanes simply because many drivers don't think I should be doing that or have the right to be doing it. One thing I keep harping on is that we need more education and awareness programs (ads, billboards,TV and radio spots) about sharing the road, not for cyclists but for motor vehicle operators. Spend some advocacy money on this.
#10
Senior Member
Join Date: Jul 2008
Location: 25 miles northwest of Boston
Posts: 29,501
Bikes: Bottecchia Sprint, GT Timberline 29r, Marin Muirwoods 29er, Trek FX Alpha 7.0
Mentioned: 112 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 5216 Post(s)
Liked 3,555 Times
in
2,325 Posts
#12
Banned
Unless you have a photographic memory, chances are in that you may not have gotten the license number anyway. My memory aid choice are my two Contour cameras, since they can be better at recalling license numbers than myself. My most memorable near miss was done at mere inches as well, but the motorist did not get fully get away with their aggressive driving behavior. My cameras not only "clicked off" his license numbers, but his vehicle model emblems, bumper sticker, and rear window decal. Also, I was able to see in my videos, the motorist looking directly at me before the pass, and in their side rear view mirror as they passed me, all this was done at a 40 mph speed "differential.
#13
Senior Member
Join Date: Jun 2012
Location: Hawthorne NJ
Posts: 377
Bikes: Surly LHT, Wabi Special, All City Big Block, 1933 Iver Johnson Mobicycle, Giant TCR Advanced
Mentioned: 0 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 0 Post(s)
Likes: 0
Liked 0 Times
in
0 Posts
Yeah I can never manage to get a plate number in the heat of the moment. Not that LE will likely do anything about it unless they have to bother scraping you off the hood of a car.
#14
Señior Member
Join Date: Sep 2005
Location: Michigan
Posts: 13,749
Bikes: Windsor Fens, Giant Seek 0 (2014, Alfine 8 + discs)
Mentioned: 13 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 446 Post(s)
Likes: 0
Liked 8 Times
in
7 Posts
If RZ-8 is a light, I don't see how it would make any difference. The driver clearly saw you. The defense is to stay far enough left to prevent in-lane passing, if you don't want them to pass in the lane.
__________________
Work: the 8 hours that separates bike rides.
Work: the 8 hours that separates bike rides.
#15
Senior Member
Thread Starter
Join Date: Jul 2013
Location: Buffalo, NY
Posts: 79
Bikes: 2010 Trek 4300, 1984 Schwinn Le Tour
Mentioned: 0 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 0 Post(s)
Likes: 0
Liked 0 Times
in
0 Posts
Hi everyone,
Yes the RZ-8 is the Red Zone 8, an extremely bright tail light that I really think will improve my experience and treatment on the road. I will also pair that with reflective clothing.
When this happened I was actually as close to the middle of the left lane as I could get, but the driver still found room in the middle of the intersection to pass me on my right, without hitting the other car next to him (I don't know how he found room). I always try to "take the lane".
If I had money to spend I would get a camera or two for license plate reading, but I just don't have any money for that. I'll try for now to improve my reading of plates in the "heat of the moment".
Yes the RZ-8 is the Red Zone 8, an extremely bright tail light that I really think will improve my experience and treatment on the road. I will also pair that with reflective clothing.
When this happened I was actually as close to the middle of the left lane as I could get, but the driver still found room in the middle of the intersection to pass me on my right, without hitting the other car next to him (I don't know how he found room). I always try to "take the lane".
If I had money to spend I would get a camera or two for license plate reading, but I just don't have any money for that. I'll try for now to improve my reading of plates in the "heat of the moment".
#16
Senior Member
Thread Starter
Join Date: Jul 2013
Location: Buffalo, NY
Posts: 79
Bikes: 2010 Trek 4300, 1984 Schwinn Le Tour
Mentioned: 0 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 0 Post(s)
Likes: 0
Liked 0 Times
in
0 Posts
Yeah. I occasionally get honked at making left turns from traffic lanes or even left turn lanes simply because many drivers don't think I should be doing that or have the right to be doing it. One thing I keep harping on is that we need more education and awareness programs (ads, billboards,TV and radio spots) about sharing the road, not for cyclists but for motor vehicle operators. Spend some advocacy money on this.
#17
Senior Member
Join Date: Jul 2010
Location: South Central PA
Posts: 972
Bikes: Cannondale Slate 105 and T2 tandem, 2008 Scott Addict R4, Raleigh SC drop bar tandem
Mentioned: 0 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 22 Post(s)
Likes: 0
Liked 1 Time
in
1 Post
It boggles my mind that people will not bother to slow down even when a dangerous situation is unfolding in front of them. It's like rolling the dice whether or not the situation clears before they get there and can have tragic consequences that they cannot even imagine. I see zero regard for anyone's safety every day that I commute.
#18
Registered User
Join Date: Jan 2011
Location: NA
Posts: 4,267
Bikes: NA
Mentioned: 1 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 9 Post(s)
Likes: 0
Liked 7 Times
in
7 Posts
If you are going to take the lane to make a left be sure that you assert your right to the full lane. Do not give them room to pass.
Thread
Thread Starter
Forum
Replies
Last Post
MatCartmill
Road Cycling
17
04-12-14 07:06 PM