Advocacy & Safety - When motor vehicles pass.

I love it when they pass safely with plenty of room to spare. So far during my commutes home for the past 2 weeks this has been the case. But tonight & a night after work last week the motorists were taking chances with their own lives. They would pass me with plenty of room yes, but they would do so with an oncoming vehicle that on more then a few occasions was to close to allow it & almost ending up having a head on driver to driver collision. That not something I would like to see happen to anyone. I think it is because they are in a hurry to get around me, ok that's fine, but I wish they would not put themselves at risk in doing so. In most cases they would have only been delayed at most 15 seconds.

It is like there is no happy medium here. Either they pass to close or they pass with plenty of safe room but they put themselves at risk. If there is an accident when I stop to help I hope I am not blamed for it.

Anyone else ever witness this? Have you ever been witness to an accident as a result of a motorists rushing to get around you?

Sorta,
I had some SOB honking and yelling at me to get on the sidewalk for several blocks, tailgating the **** out of me, being a nuisance. I signaled for a left turn, pulled to the yellow line, and he guns it around me on the right, yelling F-U out the window. I returned with a F-U back (poor action on my part) and he slammed on his brakes. Unfortunately the woman following behind him struck his van fairly hard. No one was hurt, and when the cops showed up I explained what the van's driver had been doing. He was charged for dangerous and reckless driving, arrested and carted off. The woman was not charged and not faulted with the accident.
I now only yell at those who pass too close, and only a "hey, watch it" at that. Still fell guilty about the woman's car. It was the most satisfying thump I have ever heard though.

--A

This happens all of the time to me, most of the people who do this are those "male-secratary" type pricks who drive with $300 sunglasses, a shiny blue dress shirt, black slacks and a shiny yellow tie driving a convertable Volvo/Saab or a GMC Suburban. They usually have some terribly trendy haircut. They also lay on their horn while they overemphasise their turn.
On Sunday, I came across a new type; a girl who was driving after acquiring her new temporary lisence damn near stopped behind me when I was going up a steep hill, I was only doing 12mph, and I was pulling away from her like crazy, then she creeps past me, nearly hitting me with her mirror.

Or the asses who pass you in a 25mph zone when you're doing 27mph just before a stop sign.

When motorists pass me safely with enough room they do not yell, flip the bird or anything like that. The ones that do that are the ones who pass to close. Both increase speed, some make it obvious, others not so much.

I see this every day. It's worst on narrow, twisty roads with blind curves and no bike lanes or shoulders.

I'm still amazed that motorists will pass almost entirely in the oncoming lane on a blind curve. I give them credit for not being afraid to cross the double-yellow and give me space, but that's just insane.

There's not much I can do about it except look out for myself.

It's a common problem. But, it's not confined to just passing cyclists. Time and time again while driving my auto I have had an oncoming vehicle cross the yellow line into my lane to get around an obstruction in their lane. Driving school 101 states that the lane with the obstruction must wait for the opposite lane to clear before crossing yellow line and must yield to oncoming traffic. I guess they missed that lesson...

Or the asses who pass you in a 25mph zone when you're doing 27mph just before a stop sign.

If I'm doing 27 in a 25, then I'm in the middle of the lane, and they ain't passing me.

It's a common problem. But, it's not confined to just passing cyclists. Time and time again while driving my auto I have had an oncoming vehicle cross the yellow line into my lane ...
So have I. In fact, it was so bad--happening nearly every day and they were drifting to my side without cause--that I bought a scooter so I could be narrow enough to escape these people when they drifted over. Then I graduated to a bicycle which is narrower still.

It boggles the mind. And the only thing the cops every do is wait at the top to target people who don't stop at the stop sign. If only they could see what's going on in the last quarter mile before they get to the stop sign!

If I'm doing 27 in a 25, then I'm in the middle of the lane, and they ain't passing me.

Really? Never had someone go completely into the oncoming lane to pass you... all the way around you and then go flying up to the stopsign... as you ride up moments later?

Those really take the cake... but make it very obvious that bikes "don't matter" in their strange world.

When motorists pass me safely with enough room they do not yell, flip the bird or anything like that. The ones that do that are the ones who pass to close. Both increase speed, some make it obvious, others not so much.

I was passed by a car once on a divided road with two lanes each way plus bike lanes. I was in the bike lane. The car was in the far left lane. I still got a "GET OFF THE ROAD". That was amusing.

BTW, there is a typo in your sig.

131545181201519 should be 13154518120151819

Really? Never had someone go completely into the oncoming lane to pass you... all the way around you and then go flying up to the stopsign... as you ride up moments later?

Those really take the cake... but make it very obvious that bikes "don't matter" in their strange world.

Yep, them are the folks I love. I usually pull up next to them and congratulate them for winning the race to the stop.

This happens all of the time to me, most of the people who do this are those "male-secratary" type pricks who drive with $300 sunglasses, a shiny blue dress shirt, black slacks and a shiny yellow tie driving a convertable Volvo/Saab or a GMC Suburban. They usually have some terribly trendy haircut. They also lay on their horn while they overemphasise their turn.
On Sunday, I came across a new type; a girl who was driving after acquiring her new temporary lisence damn near stopped behind me when I was going up a steep hill, I was only doing 12mph, and I was pulling away from her like crazy, then she creeps past me, nearly hitting me with her mirror.

Or the asses who pass you in a 25mph zone when you're doing 27mph just before a stop sign.

Hahaha I love that generalization. The first thought I had also was Lumbergh from Office Space with the yellow tie.

Yep, them are the folks I love. I usually pull up next to them and congratulate them for winning the race to the stop.

Yup, have done just that. Amazing folks though... spare no expenses in the gas department getting there.

Thats not only dangerous for them, its maybe even more dangerous for you. When they have a close call, and their danger reflex kicks in b/c they fear they are about ot have a head on collision, guess which way they are going to yank the wheel to avoid it? Back into their lane, right where you are.

If I'm doing 27 in a 25, then I'm in the middle of the lane, and they ain't passing me.

Maybe not in your lane, but it's not too unusual for some jacka** to use the left turn lane or oncoming traffic lane to pass, even though you're already speeding.

Had someone try to do that to me a couple days ago... 3 lanes (one is a center turn lane) and I'm going 35 mph in a 30mph zone, taking the lane, getting ready to make a left turn (already signalling!) As I move over into the left turn lane, someone goes around me on the left, in the oncoming traffic lane and passes me on the left IN THE INTERSECTION I'm turning left in.

They're INSANE, I tell you!

On Sunday, I came across a new type; a girl who was driving after acquiring her new temporary lisence damn near stopped behind me when I was going up a steep hill, I was only doing 12mph, and I was pulling away from her like crazy, then she creeps past me, nearly hitting me with her mirror.

This happened to me a few days ago. I'm going up a steep hill (*ahem* 14 MPH :)) and I hear a honk. A car passes a lane over. I thought it was odd someone would honk when they weren't even in my lane. 30 seconds or so later I hear something behind me and turn to see this girl driving right along at my speed with 4 or 5 cars stuck behind her. I was suprised and stopped peddaling and then she passed. I didn't move position, but I did slow down slightly.

She looked VERY nervous, I don't think she had any idea what she was supposed to do and just froze. There was plenty of room to just pass, no one else had any problem. Or should could have switched to the other lane. I don't know what age they start driving around here but she looked about 12.

I want to get a jersey with big letters on the back "HOW TO PASS A BIKE.COM".

Yep, them are the folks I love. I usually pull up next to them and congratulate them for winning the race to the stop.
I ask if they want hand lotion to help them celebrate.

Sorta,
I had some SOB honking and yelling at me to get on the sidewalk for several blocks, tailgating the **** out of me, being a nuisance. I signaled for a left turn, pulled to the yellow line, and he guns it around me on the right, yelling F-U out the window. I returned with a F-U back (poor action on my part) and he slammed on his brakes. Unfortunately the woman following behind him struck his van fairly hard. No one was hurt, and when the cops showed up I explained what the van's driver had been doing. He was charged for dangerous and reckless driving, arrested and carted off. The woman was not charged and not faulted with the accident.
I now only yell at those who pass too close, and only a "hey, watch it" at that. Still fell guilty about the woman's car. It was the most satisfying thump I have ever heard though.

--A
Instant karma.

I'm still amazed that motorists will pass almost entirely in the oncoming lane on a blind curve. I give them credit for not being afraid to cross the double-yellow and give me space, but that's just insane.

There's not much I can do about it except look out for myself.

The problem is that, if as they are going around the curve they see a car, they will most likely swing back over into you to avoid hitting the car head on. Better to crash into a cyclist from the side then into a car head on.

So I disagree. I wouldn't give them any credit at all. They are just dangerous and stupid.