Advocacy & Safety - Busses longer than drivers attentions span?

Has anyone ever had the problem where the driver of a bus passes you and then starts coming back in, forgetting that he is driving a 50ft long bus? The result being that he pretty much cuts you off.

Yep it has happened not too often but it has.

Another is when a bus is taking on passengers, so I overtake only for the bus to pull out as I'm alongside and have to decide if I should accelerate and continue overtaking or brake and pull back in behind the bus.
Normally I pull back in behind and wait for the next bus stop and overtake then.

Originally posted by Ouch !
Yep it has happened not too often but it has.
Me, too.

Another case of lack of motorist education/experience.

Yes, this happens all the time to me. I've mentioned this problem to MARTA before but it hasn't seemed to help.

I haven't had this happen with a bus, but I have had it happen with semis, and once with a pickup pulling a bass boat.

The aerodynamics of semis passing are scary. The bow wave pushes you toward the gutter and the slip stream sucks you toward the trailer.

I have found that long trucks, usually understand the length of their vehicule and do not usually cut me off with the back end of the truck. I find that most truck drivers (large trucks) are actually quite good. From time to time, while walking I see a truck get through some seeming impossible situation (like reversing around a 90degree bend) and I just stand in awe of the talent that must take.

all the time, and I have ones pull out on me when I am in the middle of passing them I know they wouldn't do it to our 4 wheeled freinds

The few times it has happened to me, I could notice there was a "good reason" for it, like another car driver trying to cut the bus driver.

The major gripe I have with bus drivers is when they pass... only to stop right after to disembark passengers. Mind you, I never suffered that in Montréal per se, but I found that suburban bus drivers are less polite, and I even had to do a few quick stops in Repentigny (a suburb East of Montréal). Fortunately, most of my riding is in Montréal -- except for touring which is out of cities...

BTW, I don't think that Montréal's bus drivers get a different training vis-à-vis cyclists. However, they see many more on their routes and, on quite a few routes, they are passed by cyclists. So they know that cyclists = fast people.

Regards,

IMHO most people have the paradigm of bikes moving in the 10-12 mph range. Many of us move quite a bit faster than that, so we are not where the driver thinks we should be when the start to pull back into the lane. Combine this with poor mirror usage and lack of checking blind spots, and you have trouble. I see the same problem with people pulling trailers for boats or other such 'occasional' uses. Make sure they see you, and get out of the blind spot as quickly as possible.

One of my duties at work is as a certified defensive driving instructor. Does it show?

What does a certified defensive driving instructor do in Louisiana?

Sorry, I couldn't help it.

:)

a good rule to follow is " if you can't see my mirrors i can't see you" it may sound corny but it is not you would not believe all the blind spots on a truck or bus but then the driver should be paying more attention to whats going on around them. i know i always try to make eye contact with cyclists or peds. when i'm trying to turn or after being stopped. oh and backing around 90 degree corners is really not that hard at all it is alot easier than it looks.

Mister J,
yep, some lines are way too good to pass up. http://www.plauder-smilies.de/rough/tank.gif Cajun grocery getter

Oh yeah. Happened to me just yesterday. The first street on my commute has lots of bus traffic. One day a bus tried to share the right lane with me and came way too close. To combat both of these problems, I ride in the center of the lane. That way the buses won't try to share lanes and when, not if, they forget how long their bus is I can squeeze closer to the curb to avoid getting hit.