Mark Stone

This is too cool - I think I'm going to try it. Passing autos usually give me plenty of room anyway, but it would be interesting how this would change how drivers respond . . .

FBinNY 

To nail the point home, get one of those yellow "baby on board" diamond signs, and attach it to the back.

jwarner

It was a play on words and an attempt to interject humor (albeit dark humor) into the conversation. I understand your points and concerns. My point, which was presented in response to a "just take the lane" argument, is and will remain, that taking the lane should not be our automatic default come hell or high water. I think this is foolish. I would much prefer people be aware of their immediate surroundings, and the prevailing attitudes in their community, and respond accordingly. The inclusion of the "rant about drivers habits" -- which really wasn't much of a rant, was to illustrate a point. The point is, one never knows what a driver is going to do. I would rather not be run over from behind while taking a lane. I would really rather not be run over from behind while taking the lane and leave my boy with nothing because I destroyed a car with my body leaving my estate open to a lawsuit. As previously stated, I am not a lawyer, but I know his happens from observation. If my prose failed you, well, it's like free beer -- you take what you get. I never claimed to be the two-wheeling version of Marcel Proust.

As stated, I'm really not into internet drama. It think it is perhaps one of the stupidest things imaginable. Please feel free to skip over any posts or opinions that do not meet your standards or expectations, or if you have the power, ban me from playing in your sandbox if it bothers you enough.

Cheers.

bluegoatwoods

I was thinking something along these lines. But you beat me to it.

But Rollfast: If it's any help, then your opinion is duly noted. Though I don't see a clear consensus, in the group as a whole, over whether or not the 'drunken wobble' is a good idea.

I sometimes use it. And it does seem to wake up some of those drivers who are cruising along on auto-pilot oblivious to the fact that they'll soon, needlessly, pass a bicyclist far more closely than they ought to. One disclaimer, though; I only do it when there's quite a bit of space available to both of us.

And the 'baby on board' thing is a good and workable idea. But there is a downside. (Having carried both children, grandchildren and, at other times cargo in these, I've experienced it.) Some drivers simply don't pay enough attention to it to give you any more space than they would otherwise. They simply 'buzz' you like they would on any other day. Others get self-righteous and hostile at you for daring to take a child out into traffic.

Not that I'm dissing the idea. It can be helpful. But my experience seems to indicate that the cons nearly equal the pros.

Chris516

By 'flowing with the traffic', I will not surrender the lane. I will 'take the lane'.

prathmann

When our daughter was little I made one of those signs for the back of the child seat. But I flipped mine around when riding by myself - the other side read "Vacancy" - can't say I noticed any change in driver behavior based on the sign but I did seem to have a greater passing distance during the years when the bike had the seat attached.

kickstart

I do see the value of using movement to communicate ones presence, but it seems to me that dogmatic "lane taking" or use of "props" such as a child carrier are indicative of poor rider confidence that's motivated by fear.

The problem with "security blankets" is the effort used clutching them would be better directed at actual threats than imagined ones.

noglider 

I do wiggle my handlebars when the driver can see me from the front. I do this to wiggle my headlight.

To get the attention of drivers coming up from behind, I turn my head back towards them TWICE.

lostarchitect 

Says you.

caloso

No, I do not do this. It's been my experience that I get a better driver response by projecting confidence and competence. I try to ride like I belong there (which I do) and I know what I'm doing (which I also do), not by feigning skittishness.

spare_wheel

this works fine in a world with competent drivers that drive as if a moments inattention could injure, maim, or kill a human being. i do not live in that world.

caloso

If a driver is inattentive he's not going to notice my faux-squirrelly swerving either, so I might as well ride smoothly.

kickstart

Maybe, maybe not.
Human perceptions key on movement, theres a reasonable chance they will notice if somewhat attentive. I think of it like using hand signals, there's no guarantee they will notice or heed it, but I don't see that as a reason to not attempt to communicate with other road users.

unterhausen

there is one high speed road on my commute where I do this all the time, and it works to get more room. Once they've seen me swerve, I go back to riding in a straight line. I'm not worried about inattentive drivers so much, just ones that are too afraid to move left to give me room

noglider 

No, the idea is to GET their attentions, to shake them out of their inattention. Doing something unusual can work. No guarantees, of course. It is fatalistic to say an inattentive driver will always stay that way and that there is no hope. We have to try.

jyl

When I used to ride the powered sort of two-wheeler, one of my practices was to always move around in my lane. Sometimes in the center, sometimes on the right, sometimes on the left. Partly this was to maintain maximum distance from the cars around me; that is the "safety zone" concept. But also I didn't want to be a static object, to be forgotten; I wanted to be always moving and demanding attention.

On the bicycle, I monitor my helmet mirror, and if I see a car approaching from the rear, I may either move to the right to give them more room (e.g. if on a part of the street where there are no cars in the parking strip) or I may move to the left so that they have to move over and give me more room to make the pass (taking the lane). Or, I may hold my line - all depends on the street and the vehicle (for some reason, garbage trucks here drive as if they are paid to recycle cyclists, so taking the lane in front of a garbage truck is not a good idea).

Never tried the intentional "wobble", but I do recall seeing a motorcycle safety video where a deliberate "weave" was recommended when approaching a car whose driver might not have mentally registered your presence.

noglider 

Yup, I saw that video, or another one like it. It was made in Britain, and it introduced the concept of SMIDSY: sorry mate, I didn't see you. The demo showed the biker weaving to get the attention of a car driver about to pull onto the major road from the minor road.

jwarner

I think my logic behind the reasoning of the wobble comes from a study about passing by drivers. If I remember correctly, drivers pass closer to people wearing helmets, and give the most room to women with no helmets. I don't remember if children were studied.

I think the concept is that no-one really wants to run someone else over (they might get blood on their grill, and it can be such a hassle writing "I didn't see the bike, I'll never do it again" three or four times on the paperwork for the cops and all), but there are a lot of people willing to buzz a cyclist that seems to know what they are doing. The guy who knows what he is doing is predictable enough to scare in a sick sort of way -- at least I think this is the logic.

As a result, I always try to look like I don't know what I am doing. It really isn't all that hard.

caloso

I am trying to communicate with other road users. The message is "I belong here and I know what I'm doing." That includes the appropriate hand signals like pointing where I'm going, putting a hand out with the palm back to tell them to hold up, and waving them through when I'd like them to pass. Like I said in my initial post, I have found this to work best in my experience. I'm not claiming it's a universal truth, only it's something that works for me. But I also suspect that it will work for others.

Wanderer

I watch my mirror, and if it appears that they aren't moving over, I wobble 'em good... Almost always works.

kickstart

I do all of that too, but if I see someone ahead wanting to cross my path from a cross road, drive, or center turn lane, and they're not looking then I give them a wiggle to attract their attention, otherwise hand signals and "I belong here and know what I'm doing" are wasted on them.

The basic progression.
Utilize visual enhancements.
Act like I belong.
Assess the situation.
Attempt to attract their attention if its in question.
Signal intent or take precautionary measures as needed.

Its not a solution, its just part of the equation.

Todzilla

Sorry, Mom.