Advocacy & Safety - Truck pulled out in front of me.

The only reason I'm posting this is to air it out.
A couple of years ago we moved into a small county in Illinois where everybody knows everything about everybody else.
Yesterday afternoon I was riding down this country road and a pick-up truck comes out of a lane that tee's into the road I was on. The driver slowed down and looked for traffic before pulling on to the road. I was coming right up to the lane, just cruising along. I looked at the driver and waved to him. He looked at me but did not acknowledge my greeting. Instead he pulled right out in front of me as if I wasn't there. I had to slow down and swerve so I wouldn't hit him. I guess he figured a bicycle just isn't important enough to stop for.
Like I said, this is a small place. I know who the driver is and I know that he knows who I am. I'm just taken back by his rudeness.
I'm about the only resident adult in this area who rides a bicycle. I've heard a lot of the locals complain about bike riders who come through here on weekends. One person even told me that people think I'm strange because I ride a bike. "Adult men just don't do that."
Just thought I'd share this. Cities don't have a monopoly on rude drivers.

The only reason I'm posting this is to air it out.
A couple of years ago we moved into a small county in Illinois where everybody knows everything about everybody else.
Yesterday afternoon I was riding down this country road and a pick-up truck comes out of a lane that tee's into the road I was on. The driver slowed down and looked for traffic before pulling on to the road. I was coming right up to the lane, just cruising along. I looked at the driver and waved to him. He looked at me but did not acknowledge my greeting. Instead he pulled right out in front of me as if I wasn't there. I had to slow down and swerve so I wouldn't hit him. I guess he figured a bicycle just isn't important enough to stop for.
Like I said, this is a small place. I know who the driver is and I know that he knows who I am. I'm just taken back by his rudeness.
I'm about the only resident adult in this area who rides a bicycle. I've heard a lot of the locals complain about bike riders who come through here on weekends. One person even told me that people think I'm strange because I ride a bike. "Adult men just don't do that."
Just thought I'd share this. Cities don't have a monopoly on rude drivers.


Have you seen this movie by Stephen King called Needful Things?

LOL

The only reason I'm posting this is to air it out.
A couple of years ago we moved into a small county in Illinois where everybody knows everything about everybody else.
Yesterday afternoon I was riding down this country road and a pick-up truck comes out of a lane that tee's into the road I was on. The driver slowed down and looked for traffic before pulling on to the road. I was coming right up to the lane, just cruising along. I looked at the driver and waved to him. He looked at me but did not acknowledge my greeting. Instead he pulled right out in front of me as if I wasn't there. I had to slow down and swerve so I wouldn't hit him. I guess he figured a bicycle just isn't important enough to stop for.
Like I said, this is a small place. I know who the driver is and I know that he knows who I am. I'm just taken back by his rudeness.
I'm about the only resident adult in this area who rides a bicycle. I've heard a lot of the locals complain about bike riders who come through here on weekends. One person even told me that people think I'm strange because I ride a bike. "Adult men just don't do that."
Just thought I'd share this. Cities don't have a monopoly on rude drivers.

It might seem hard to believe but he probably didn't even notice you. Just because a driver looks right at you doesn't mean they see you. Happens all the time to cyclists and motorcyclists.

Robert

It might seem hard to believe but he probably didn't even notice you. Just because a driver looks right at you doesn't mean they see you. Happens all the time to cyclists and motorcyclists.

Robert

Got to agree with Robert here.

Probably the best thing is to go and have a conversation with this guy... as you say everyone in town knows everyone... so just sit down with this guy and have a talk with him... and if he doesn't seem to register, bring a 2x4 to drive the point home.

Happens all the time to cyclists and motorcyclists.

Happens to all drivers. Just yesterday a small truck turned in front a garbage truck and was hit. I see left/right turn collisions between motor vehicles all the time. It's either due to not noticing or not judging speed right. These are more likely to happen with narrow two wheeled vehicles.

Al

. . . He looked at me but did not acknowledge my greeting. Instead he pulled right out in front of me as if I wasn't there. I had to slow down and swerve so I wouldn't hit him. I guess he figured a bicycle just isn't important enough to stop for.

As already suggested, he may well not have seen you. Some drivers at some times can look right at a large ambulance fully equipped with flashing lights, siren and air horn and not see it.

Why not ask him if he saw you? Part of the good of living in a small town is knowing everybody, just ask him.

I agree he probably didn't see you, and, while it wouldn't hurt to have a chat with him, if he didn't see you, he probably won't even recall which "pulling out" was the one where he almost missed you. The good news is that you saw him and did the smart thing, so there was no collision.

Caruso

Learn to yell. I was taught how in a taekwondo class years ago, and it comes in really handy on the bike (in taekwondo we were taught it as a way of projecting power and temporarily disabling an attacker).

On many occasions, I've yelled loud enough that cars have stopped instantly in the middle of an intersection.

To pull it off, you need to really project forcefully from deep within your belly (most folks that yell are too high-pitched and sound more scared than powerful).

get a real horn, waving at people doesnt do much especially when it comes to distracted drivers

My guess in those situations is that they underestimate the speed you're going. Bike=slow seems to be the assumption.

Since you know him, I think it'd be informative to talk to him about it and see what he was actually thinking at the time, if he recalls it, and possibly mention that bikes aren't exempt from the rules for giving way.

happened to me plenty when i was behind the wheel. you're looking for objects the size of cars or bigger.

that said, i'm starting to wonder if running daytime running lights - blinking - might help.

i experimented last night with turning my front light on and off, and am now certain that having the light on, and further - having it blink, do wonders to let drivers know i'm there.

i can imagine the same would be true for daytime travel.

but the dude coulda just been a jerk, too.

get a real horn, waving at people doesnt do much especially when it comes to distracted drivers
I thought he was waving because he was being friendly, saying hello in a small town.

But waving to mean stop in such conditions is generally a bad idea. It can very easily be misinterpreted as:
-waving them on
-left arm out and angled up (waving) signaling you are making a right turn (so it would be OK for the truck to make a right out of the street you are turning on to)
-right arm up and waving or palm foward as in stop ... or is that a right turn signal?

Al

Learn to yell. I was taught how in a taekwondo class years ago, and it comes in really handy on the bike (in taekwondo we were taught it as a way of projecting power and temporarily disabling an attacker).

On many occasions, I've yelled loud enough that cars have stopped instantly in the middle of an intersection.

To pull it off, you need to really project forcefully from deep within your belly (most folks that yell are too high-pitched and sound more scared than powerful).

Gotta admit that works... I just got an airzounds horn for Xmas, sounds great and it has stopped a few drivers (ones that I could have easily avoided, but they were in the wrong anyway). But last week a motorist pulled out right in front of me after he stopped and then decided to make the right turn anyway. A quick low loud yell was faster then reaching for the horn. Caused the motorist to stop right in his tracks.

Stupid guy did not even look my way... I watched his whole process and prepared, (although did not reach for the horn) and just as I was nearly right in front, this guy pulled out... the yell was reactionary and very effective. (been doing them like that for years).

Yeah, I ditiched my airzound when I found that I couldn't use it and the brakes at the same time. I prefer a good shout. People seemed to be more tuned in to hearing human voices anyway. As soon as I see the wheels start to roll when someone's about to cut me off I give a loud "OI!". Stops 'em dead, usually.

Yeah, I ditiched my airzound when I found that I couldn't use it and the brakes at the same time. I prefer a good shout. People seemed to be more tuned in to hearing human voices anyway. As soon as I see the wheels start to roll when someone's about to cut me off I give a loud "OI!". Stops 'em dead, usually.

"OI" is good. I often use "LOOK LOOK LOOK!"

SSP is right. Yelling loudly is the ticket.

I'm sure the man didn't see you. Similar thing happened to me, the dude looked left straight at me, then he looked right, then he started to pull out but then jammed on the brakes when he saw me.

As I posted a while ago I saw a limo driver back up and hit a cyclist, I talked to the limo driver and he told me, "I didn't see him because he was a bike". In other words he doesn't see things he doesn't expect to see.

My guess in those situations is that they underestimate the speed you're going. Bike=slow seems to be the assumption.

That was the same thing I was thinking. I see it all the time, especially when riding my quicker bikes. The driver seems shocked sometimes. It's like "HTH did they get here that fast??" I've also had people around my neighborhood make a left turn in front of me, honk, and then slow down after cutting me off, like they're waiting to see if I want to fight or something. It happens more times than I can count, and it's more
than a little scary. I can usually tell when the offensive driving move was done on purpose. I had one girl about 20 years old give me a long drawn out and whiney "f****************k? while I held her up during her precious left turn.,,,,BD

A few years ago I stopped at a stopsign in my car. looked, saw nothing, and started to pull out. At the last second a guy on a dark motorcycle suddenly appeared. I stopped. He did not have head light on and blended in with the background. at next light I mentioned to him that he blended in and I almost pulled out in front of him. Never rode my m/c again without the h/l on...

A few years ago I stopped at a stopsign in my car. looked, saw nothing, and started to pull out. At the last second a guy on a dark motorcycle suddenly appeared. I stopped. He did not have head light on and blended in with the background. at next light I mentioned to him that he blended in and I almost pulled out in front of him. Never rode my m/c again without the h/l on...

About 10-12 years ago I had an invisible car, or so it seemed. It was a medium gray blue 77 280ZX. People pulled out in front of me in that car more than any I have ever owned. It was bizarre. I guess it blended into shadows and the pavement color or something. I finally ended up driving with the headlights on all the time. I probably looked silly, but it's better to look silly than to slam into the front fender of another car;),,,,BD


Edit. Looked about this color. Even in the pic you can kind of see it blending into the surroundings easily.
Out of the corner of your eye you'd never see it coming.
http://www.datsunrestore.com/Gallery/MVC-666F.JPG

Sometimes it is hard to tell if the driver sees you. I had a driver in broad daylight on a clear road who I saw from 40' away wait until I was in front of her to pull out and hit me on the right side. I now run daytime flashers (Dinotte amber daytime headlight). I think daytime flashers get you noticed and gets you more respect as a viable vehicle on the road rather than just someone on a bike.

One of the first thoughts to cross my mind was that maybe he didn't see me.
I'll just let it go at that and try to keep this in mind.
I will also use my lights.

I have a patented scream-yell that's very visceral. Only use it when absolutely necessary, but when I do the motorist freezes like a deer in headlights. Such primitive noises are uncommon in modern society, they really get attention.

I also run dinotte lights, amazing company.

Edit. Looked about this color. Even in the pic you can kind of see it blending into the surroundings easily.
Out of the corner of your eye you'd never see it coming.
http://www.datsunrestore.com/Gallery/MVC-666F.JPG

Most USAF fighter jets are roughly that color, too, with the intent of blending into the background (even the then-secret F-117 stealth fighter was a bluish gray before some know-nothing general thought it should be black).

I've got a black Honda, and I've taken to having the lights turned on everywhere except the interstate. I've wanted to somehow wire up daytime running lights like its Canadian counterpart.


One of the first thoughts to cross my mind was that maybe he didn't see me.
I'll just let it go at that and try to keep this in mind.
I will also use my lights.

I really, really hope that he just didn't see you. I'd be more worried if he saw you AND pulled out on purpose.

SSP is right. Yelling loudly is the ticket.

Air horn... Love mine.