Advocacy & Safety - what do you do when you're passed on the right?

http://www.jeremygrant.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2009/05/passed-on-right.jpg

When traffic is really bad some people do anything to get ahead. I am absolutely sick of being passed on the right by a car using the right hand turn lane... It happens all the time here... Sometimes the car comes up from behind again at a red light. A lot of the times they use the bike lane to get to the position shown. I usually try not to ride up to situations like this; but, what do you do? If it happens repeatedly? When they start to yell at you? When they rev their engines behind you?

If I do know this is going to happen i pace myself with traffic real slow at the fresh green light and block my right of way… forcing the car to merge. 50% of the time it works… I also try to stay behind the car if I come up on it-- but , THAT slows me down... anytime i ever say anything these people go crazy so i try and avoid that...

btw i am talking about being passed on the right from the dedicated right turn lane (or easement)

Is it possible they pull over there not realizing that it's going to be a right turn only lane and are then stuck having to get back over to the left? If that happened to me while driving a car, I too would want to floor it at the light and pull in front of the other cars since that's the safest, least disruptive way to change lanes (as opposed to trying to slow down and tuck in behind the other traffic). The bummer for us as cyclists is that we're put in a vulnerable position when cars do that.

I don't ride roads like those; that's what my car is for. That said, there's a road where I actively encourage passing on the right, as I find it much safer than being passed on the left. I'm on it for less than a minute until I make a left turn, so I prefer riding on or just right of the double yellow until I make the turn.

Is it possible they pull over there not realizing that it's going to be a right turn only lane and are then stuck having to get back over to the left? If that happened to me while driving a car, I too would want to floor it at the light and pull in front of the other cars since that's the safest, least disruptive way to change lanes (as opposed to trying to slow down and tuck in behind the other traffic). The bummer for us as cyclists is that we're put in a vulnerable position when cars do that.

Ignorance of the traffic markings is no excuse for breaking the law.
Back when I used to drive a car, if I ever made the mistake of being in the wrong lane I'd simply follow through with the right turn and make a Uturn down the road, misusing the lane and continuing forward puts everyone -cars and bikes alike- in danger.




As for the OP, ignore the yelling, smile and wave if you want to have fun with em.

Maybe put an airzound on your bike and honk at them; they may assume that the honking is coming from the cars they are cutting ahead of and give a little more respect (since they obviously dont respect you).

If this same manuver is constantly happening everyday, maybe call up the police and inform them of regular traffic violators at that time of day (don't mention you are on a bike, just let them assume you're a driver) they may station someone at the intersection- cops love to give out tickets.

your diagram just serves as a good example for why we don't need bike lanes. As long as there are bike lanes there will be too many gray areas like this where neither cyclists or vehicles have right-of-way.

It is possible that I misunderstood your post, but this is my impression from briefly looking at it.

your diagram just serves as a good example for why we don't need bike lanes. As long as there are bike lanes there will be too many gray areas like this where neither cyclists or vehicles have right-of-way.

Using poorly-designed bike lanes as arguments against bike lanes is like using Wal-Mart bicycles as
arguments against bicycles. Our refusal to do the work does not mean the work cannot be done.


Here are some pictures of traffic at rush hour from here (http://www.copenhagenize.com/2008/12/ballet-of-human-powered-movement.html), along with a great explanation of traffic flow
in cities that invested time and money into designing safe and effective lanes for cars and bikes alike.

http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3211/3080191120_33a6d67492.jpg

http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3020/3079352675_1039e75a04.jpg

http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3186/3079347545_0d5be72ba4.jpg

http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3100/2743351167_d999fe7b1b.jpg

^nice pic... does anyone think it would be alright to drive up on the side walk and cut across all that traffic just to get ahead?

here in LA the lanes fill with traffic stopped in place for blocks. this is a method of "beating traffic".
like yesterday some guy did this for about 6 miles ... all the while i was there.

this happens along venice blvd in los angeles which has a long bike path across the city...


most people that make a mistake dont floor it and harass me... usually they turn their signal on, stay behind me and merge meekly into traffic.

i dont believe "flooring it" is the safest method to get out of the situation... making the turn and taking it from there is the most safest and LEGAL option there is.

the only "grey area" in this situationis in the drivers head...that space is clearly marked, there are laws in the vehicle code against this and its just totally unsafe.

On my commute, there's are sections where the bike lane ends in an intersection with a combination right turn and straight through arrow marking on the outside lane. I'll move left to the center of the next lane when there's a red light to let right turning traffic pass, as well as straight through traffic on a green light. I'll then move to the right into the outside lane somewhere in the intersection when there is a break in traffic since there's always a right turning motorist, and use the outside lane until it hooks back up with the bike lane.

^nice pic... does anyone think it would be alright to drive up on the side walk and cut across all that traffic just to get ahead?

here in LA the lanes fill with traffic stopped in place for blocks. this is a method of "beating traffic".
like yesterday some guy did this for about 6 miles ... all the while i was there.

this happens along venice blvd in los angeles which has a long bike path across the city...


most people that make a mistake dont floor it and harass me... usually they turn their signal on, stay behind me and merge meekly into traffic.

i dont believe "flooring it" is the safest method to get out of the situation... making the turn and taking it from there is the most safest and LEGAL option there is.

the only "grey area" in this situationis in the drivers head...that space is clearly marked, there are laws in the vehicle code against this and its just totally unsafe.

wow what time of day does this happen? I don't think I've seen traffic on Venice backed up as you describe it for 6 miles.

It's happened to me a few times, I just let it go because that's all you can really do.

Another thought.
I'm right handed/footed (like most people?), which means its easiest for me to mount/dismount the bike by unclipping that side first.
This would seem to imply kicking a car without stopping ought to be easiest if they are passing me on the right.
So, are you right handed?

I don't ride roads like those; that's what my car is for.

:roflmao::roflmao::roflmao:

It's happened to me a few times, I just let it go because that's all you can really do.
Passing bicycles and automobiles on the right with jack rabbit acceleration through the intersection and sudden merges to the left was de rigueur driving technique for would be hot rodders of all ages when I bike commuted daily in Philadelphia in the 1970's. It happened every day, at numerous intersections. Don't know if that is still the the way motorists drive in Philadelphia.

Positioning myself in the middle of the right turn/parking lane and merging to the left after the intersection to the right side of the through lane or the door zone of the parking lane (depending on the traffic situation) was the only way to prevent such hot rod type passing.

I tend to use the right turn lane to go straight too, but then there are still idiots that make illegal right turns, preferably without looking...

I knocked on their window a few times, and sometimes they apologise (because they really didn't think about looking for bikes) but more often they're just jerks who'll laugh and tell you to gtfo.

Using poorly-designed bike lanes as arguments against bike lanes is like using Wal-Mart bicycles as
arguments against bicycles. Our refusal to do the work does not mean the work cannot be done.


Here are some pictures of traffic at rush hour from here (http://www.copenhagenize.com/2008/12/ballet-of-human-powered-movement.html), along with a great explanation of traffic flow
in cities that invested time and money into designing safe and effective lanes for cars and bikes alike.

Nothing in these pictures suggests anything is put in place to prevent vehicles from going straight in the bike lane. This is driver idiocy, not bike lane design.

1. Get over it
2. Find a safer route

'nuff said.

Right hook or car-bike-car sandwich. Pick your poison. :cry:

I'd stick in the right turn lane, smack bang in the middle and continue straight on using the cycle lane ahead. No cars turning right would be impeded as you can move ahead quickly but any cars trying to perform an illegal manoeuvre will get stuck behind you. If you want you can then proceed to cycle nice and slowly. Make sure you have a good tail light though!

When traffic is really bad some people do anything to get ahead. I am absolutely sick of being passed on the right by a car using the right hand turn lane... It happens all the time here... Sometimes the car comes up from behind again at a red light. A lot of the times they use the bike lane to get to the position shown. I usually try not to ride up to situations like this; but, what do you do? If it happens repeatedly? When they start to yell at you? When they rev their engines behind you?

If I do know this is going to happen i pace myself with traffic real slow at the fresh green light and block my right of way… forcing the car to merge. 50% of the time it works… I also try to stay behind the car if I come up on it-- but , THAT slows me down... anytime i ever say anything these people go crazy so i try and avoid that...

btw i am talking about being passed on the right from the dedicated right turn lane (or easement)

I've found the only solution to this is small magnetic grenades that you lob after the offender... that seems to be the only way to eliminate this sort of road creaton.

Unfortunately as those grenades are so hard to obtain, I have resorted to my backup plan of simply using an AirZound to indicate to the road hog that their movement was not appreciated...

That is about all you can do... sadly.

I've found the only solution to this is small magnetic grenades that you lob after the offender... that seems to be the only way to eliminate this sort of road creaton.

Unfortunately as those grenades are so hard to obtain, I have resorted to my backup plan of simply using an AirZound to indicate to the road hog that their movement was not appreciated...

That is about all you can do... sadly.

I don't have an airzound, so I just use my vocabulary, which is somewhat limited to words that start with S or F. ;)

Seriously, there is one intersection where I do what ILTB does--ride in the right turn lane to go through the intersection--beating them at their own game. But otherwise, I just keep a good watch over my right shoulder as I go through the intersection.

wow what time of day does this happen? I don't think I've seen traffic on Venice backed up as you describe it for 6 miles.

lolz...no, its just that the avg speed is about 18mph for cars on that part during rush hour... and for about 6 miles traffic is slowed up coming out of the westside... so i end up keeping pace.

wilshire, another 6 lane street (without a bikelane) gets backed up even worse sometimes.

thanks for all the responses.

wow what time of day does this happen? I don't think I've seen traffic on Venice backed up as you describe it for 6 miles.

Happens in my area here in San Diego too. The main arterial road north and south has a speed limit of 45 and 50 MPH, and during the week it is common for motorists to go 50 and 60MPH on that road... with heavy traffic; but during rush hour (how aptly named... :rolleyes: ) the traffic can and does back up so even at 8 MPH (uphill) I ride right past all the cars which can be stuck in place for up to 45 minutes. I have also seen motorists in frustration do exactly what the OP is talking about... even use the BL for their own lane. (and have seen cops motion them OUT of the BL... :D )

On weekends, that same road is a near ghost town, and quite pleasant to ride.

here it can take anywhere from 3.5 hours to 20 minutes to travel 20 miles by car.
by bike it will always take me the same time... :D
i laugh, i smile, i wave, i say hello, i just keep riding along... that seems to make them flinch the most.

i guess my next project is a rechargeable horn system: a 12v battery and this: http://www.autobarn.net/wolo-bandido-horn.html

i've heard the airzound and its too weak. i'm not worried about weight much as i think its a great training aid :)

here's another circumstance as discussed above:
http://www.jeremygrant.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2009/05/buzzed.jpg

If this were a regular occurrence for me I think I would invest in a helmet cam and start sending video clips, with license plate numbers visible, to the local PD, and possibly to the website of the local newspaper.

Other than that, I don't see where there's much you can do. Even if you took the entire right-most straight ahead lane, these idiots would still do the same thing.

Wow where ever you are sucks, I've seen it happen, but regularly? No.

take the lane!

take the lane!

That will not stop or even prevent being passed on the right. Perhaps you did not see the illustration the OP offered.

-5 points; failing to read opening post.

-10 points for thinking that anyone from joisey can read. :lol:

i've heard the airzound and its too weak. i'm not worried about weight much as i think its a great training aid :)



Airzound is plenty strong... the one you heard may have had the volume turned down.

take the lane!

my thoughts exactly ... ride in the dead center of the lane. If he tries to pass, then you have a few feet to avoid the passer, and you don't have to worry about hitting a car to your left. But then again, bike lane or no, i always take the lane if i stop at a red light. Driver's behind me seem to just accept the fact that it might take a minute if they don't think they can get around me ...

But to tell you the truth. If it bothers you and this happens a lot in a particular place(s) find another route.

That will not stop or even prevent being passed on the right. Perhaps you did not see the illustration the OP offered.

-5 points; failing to read opening post.

-25 for failing to think about what he meant and instead jumping to conclusions and patronizing fellow members ...

taking the lane at least gives you a few feet on each side instead of being sandwiched between two cars. In other words, he would be in front of one car, and the other car would just be passing him, not him and a car together in the same lane.

...what do you do?

Consider running the red light. Ride in the carless gaps. That could eliminate all but a few such encounters.

Check out http://joey-bike.blogspot.com/

Also learn better lane positioning here: Red Light Running Tutorial (http://www.vimeo.com/2626739) video.

Any questions, shoot me a PM.

Cheers

-25 for failing to think about what he meant and instead jumping to conclusions and patronizing fellow members ...

taking the lane at least gives you a few feet on each side instead of being sandwiched between two cars. In other words, he would be in front of one car, and the other car would just be passing him, not him and a car together in the same lane.

-25 points for thinking this is any sort of solution to the original problem, and for replying with the standard "take the lane" comment as a cure-all to any traffic situation. It ain't. I take the lane plenty often and find I have been passed by motorists on the right, who have used everything from simply wide areas on the road to right turn lanes, and I have been passed on the left by motorists using center straight through only lanes. The bottom line is that expecting a narrow vehicle to "control" any space on any mutlilaned road is a fools' paradise.

Take the lane when you need to, but keep your head on a swivel for motorists determined to pass you due to some strange notion that bikes don't belong (or something along those lines... )

I have even had motorists cross the double yellow, blind into potential traffic just yards before a crowded stop light (they weren't going anywhere) just because I was taking the lane (on a quiet, narrow, residential street). Really it takes all kinds, and taking the lane is NOT a cure-all. :(

-10 points for thinking that anyone from joisey can read. :lol:

ya got me!

Solution to the original problem? What are wanting ... a guide for the OP to teach every motorist to be patient, stay in their proper lane, and magically care about another's life?

OP, you know what to do: you get the heck out of the way. If you take the lane you will have more space to do so, and i'm betting that you will feel more confident in your ability to do so if you don't have to worry about getting sandwiched by a car to your left.

Genec ... of course taking the lane isn't a cure all, but if you keep your head on a swivel , and you have some sort of skill on a bike, then space is really all you need ... well, that and some luck.

But in any case, i'm not expecting the narrow vehicle to "control" any space. I'm expecting my 6'3" 190lbs body, which signifies that there is the risk for human life to be lost, to control the space. Granted, it sometimes doesn't work ... but then again, the same thinking doesn't work when people try to "control" space with a 2 ton truck.

"I have even had motorists cross the double yellow, blind into potential traffic just yards before a crowded stop light (they weren't going anywhere) just because I was taking the lane (on a quiet, narrow, residential street). Really it takes all kinds, and taking the lane is NOT a cure-all."

people suck, especially on narrow residential roads that they truly believe they own because their house is near. Random story: I had a guy flat drive straight into me from behind while i was stopped at a light. He was stopped behind me, and just decided to act on his threat to "get me off the road". I hopped off after he bumped me a couple times and he drove over the bike. I tell you that to say that I really don't see taking the lane as a cure all, but it beats the alternatives, even if you get your bike run over.

people suck, especially on narrow residential roads that they truly believe they own because their house is near. Random story: I had a guy flat drive straight into me from behind while i was stopped at a light. He was stopped behind me, and just decided to act on his threat to "get me off the road". I hopped off after he bumped me a couple times and he drove over the bike. I tell you that to say that I really don't see taking the lane as a cure all, but it beats the alternatives, even if you get your bike run over.

You can't tell a story like this without telling us what happened next. Did you at least report him to the police?

Situations where bike lanes automagically transform into ROTL and back again are one of those cases where sometimes it is safer to break the law, by continuing to treat it as a bike lane, than to obey it by moving to the through lane. In many cases you can position yourself so others can still make their right, so it's a win-win, even if technically illegal. Hey, it ain't your fault that some moron designed the roadway. ;)

You can't tell a story like this without telling us what happened next. Did you at least report him to the police?

yeah, i called them from my cell phone while i was standing on the side of the street. But with no tags, and the description of the driver that i gave matching nearly 80% of the male population of Georgetown, KY, (where that particular street ended) there wasn't much that they could have done ...

yeah, mounting a camera on the handlebars sounds like a good option too... its so hard to see the plate sometimes...

i've tried running the lights too, it works sometimes...sometimes it just give more room for the virtual dragstrip behind me and i still get buzzed...

taking the lane works, as i said, but a couple weeks ago someone still tried to pass and he drove into the crosswalk and almost hit some people stepping off the curb... and people run lights like mad here so it makes it harder to do.

hmmm, a 20 lb. sledge hammer isn't sounding so heavy anymore...maybe i can find a frame-mountable one?

**
oh and since the last few years of midnightridazz and crankmob the lapd has been writing tickets to most everyone that runs a red light. i gave that up two years ago. it kinda sucks because that was the one fun part of riding in LA and the police overlooked it for so long. :(

-25 for failing to think about what he meant and instead jumping to conclusions and patronizing fellow members ...

taking the lane at least gives you a few feet on each side instead of being sandwiched between two cars. In other words, he would be in front of one car, and the other car would just be passing him, not him and a car together in the same lane.

-25 for being wrong. -50 for believing in a one-size-fits-all solution.

Taking the lane does NOT solve this problem. In fact, it makes the problem more likely to happen. (And I am usually a gung-ho take-the-laner).

I see people ride the white line a lot around here. A right turn lane appears out of nowhere @ 100 percent of our intersections. Even if it is not implied.

How wide is the lane in question?
You can pretty much keep a 12 foot lane to yourself easily. If you need that right turn take it. Remember they took your bike lane.

I move over to the thru lane more taking the lane.
We do have some intersections with signs. Yes I asked and got expect bikes :) I get to plow ahead of the lines legally :)
Still I take the lane if I see left hand turning traffic and conflicts.

A mirror solves number 2
If I see a buzzz I hit the sidewalk, yet since I mostly take the thru lane the buzz comes from the right side ahead of me if I stop err slow the frik down.

Most mirrors are set up to see the left side. do they help much for seeing a car gettready to pass on the right?

Most mirrors are set up to see the left side. do they help much for seeing a car gettready to pass on the right?

Not unless it is a right-side mounted mirror. ;)

Just like car drivers who don't expect cyclists filtering up on their right, I bet most cyclists don't expect motor vehicles to be filtering up on their right.

I bet most cyclists don't expect motor vehicles to be filtering up on their right.

They do if they leave sufficient room for a car to fit on their right, if they want to ride for long in Philadelphia.

-25 for being wrong. -50 for believing in a one-size-fits-all solution.

Taking the lane does NOT solve this problem. In fact, it makes the problem more likely to happen. (And I am usually a gung-ho take-the-laner).

you should read ALL of the posts. i never said it was a one-size fits all solution. I'm also not wrong if it works for me. (it being at least a fits-me-solution, right?)

They do if they leave sufficient room for a car to fit on their right, if they want to ride for long in Philadelphia.

So, the 1 percent of us who don't hug the curb? :lol:

So, the 1 percent of us who don't hug the curb? :lol:

It's all a matter of picking your poison.:thumb:

-10 points for thinking that anyone from joisey can read. :lol:

That hurts.

That hurts.

I didn't think you could read it. Come on, fess up, you had your cousin in PA read it to you, right?

take the lane (II)

if you are riding your bicycle and move to the center of YOUR designated lane (claimed and held) the driver has 2 options:

1) hit you from behind (statistically rare) or
2) respect (understand) your space and wait.

the OP illustrated rider positioned to the left of chosen lane. this could allow illegal passing on the right.
be assertive and hold your lane, if needed!
I hold my lane if in this position either riding NSEW in USA!