Commuting - Live and learn

I was riding home from work yesterday along the familiar route I normally use. In a tightly build residential area a guy was pulling out from his driveway, from my right. It was by no means a near miss, we both saw each other, I slowed down, he stopped completely. So I went ahead.

At the exact moment I was in front of him, he honked (they make some LOUD horns nowadays). My ears were ringing, I was startled and so busy staying upright I did not even have the time to show him one of my fingers. He drove straigth away, I spent the rest of my ride home with a foul taste in my mouth for all the swearing :D.

It bothered me to the point that this morning on my way to work I checked the intersection. Lo and behold, it was not his driveway after all! It was a small residential street, maybe 150 meters of it. But a small street nevertheless, with a small street name tag cleverly hidden in very large bushes, so actually he had the right of way.

I have cycled the same route a thousand times or so during the last 3 years. I thought I knew every intersection, every pothole, every traffic light cycle by now. Guess I did not.

[edit: typoes]

--J

Yeah. I smile and wave a lot. I ride on residential streets in Tokyo which tend to be narrow and winding with lots of blind corners so I try to be as polite as possible. I use my bell a lot, too.

If I can do it beforehand, others can let me know if they have a problem with me before they have me at a disadvantage. If they want the road that badly, they can have it.

That is not to say that I have not given the one-finger salute (though it does not mean as much here), but I commute by bike to avoid the stress so I figure what's the point?

- Jeff

Originally posted by Juha
...a guy was pulling out from his driveway, from my right...I went ahead.
As well you should have.

A person coming out of a driveway must yield to all traffic before entering the street. I guess some people think "right-of-way" means "their right to go first" in every situation.


At the exact moment I was in front of him, he honked (they make some LOUD horns nowadays).
Here in my neck of the woods, that's an illegal use of the horn (not that anybody cares,) not to mention downright mean-spirited.

This is not the kind of driver that needs to be on the road.

Thanks for the encouragement, Pete Clark. But read the end of my post - he was right, I should have yielded. No doubt he could have been much more polite about it but somehow I think he gets to yield in that intersection a lot, even though he has the right of way. I mean, I was riding at 25kph at max and could not tell he was coming from a small street, not from a driveway. A cager at 40kph, talking into his hand, tuning his radio, skipping the next track of CD and whatnot would have absolutely no chance.

I felt quite stupid this morning when I noticed my mistake. I was very, very thankful for having been too busy to flip the bird at him - that would have really done it. Well, like the topic says, live and learn.

--J

Juha, I still don't get it. :confused:

I am picturing myself cycling along, and suddenly someone starts to come out of a side street into my path. Unless I have a sign indicating "Stop" or "Yield," I have the right-of-way.

How is it that a car entering your lane has the right-of-way?

Originally posted by Pete Clark
Juha, I still don't get it. :confused:

I am picturing myself cycling along, and suddenly someone starts to come out of a side street into my path. Unless I have a sign indicating "Stop" or "Yield," I have the right-of-way.

How is it that a car entering your lane has the right-of-way?

I'm having the same problem picturing the scenario, Juha. Are you on the sidewalk? Or are there some really different road rules in Finland?

methinks the traffic laws might be different in Finland. From what I can remember, in Germany at least, the driver on a side street has the right of way, even if there's no stop sign on the primary. I don't remember very well, though, so I could be wrong.

joseph

OK, now I see. obrien, youthinks right. In Finland basically anyone coming from your right has the right of way, unless it's a driveway or unless indicated otherwise. Usually smaller streets have yield signs, but not always (this one did not). My mistake was not realising it is an intersection.

--J

Originally posted by Juha
In Finland basically anyone coming from your right has the right of way, unless it's a driveway or unless indicated otherwise.
Ah, so!

This thread is appropriately titled, "Live and learn," for I am certainly doing that!

Thanks for a very interesting addition to my rather small pool of knowledge!

:beer: