Advocacy & Safety - I was nearly killed Thursday...

Hi beloved,

I've been away for a while, and I need to whine a little.

First the good news! I just crossed the 2000K commuting mark. Now that there is a new route open for me to take to and from work I ride a solid 25 miles a day now. I know that isn't really that big of a deal for some of you, but I'm so glad to be able to train, save my family money on fuel costs and keep very fit.

Now for the not so good report...

I was on my way home Thursday evening. Great weather, moderate traffic, and all in life seemed to be going pretty well...

So I'm riding up to an intersection, and there happens to be a racetrac gas station on the right. To make a long story shorter, this lady in a 4Runner passes me up, and cuts right just in front of me. Now I'm traveling around 30 mph, (slight downhill ) which is still 5mph slower than the speed limit. Needless to say I slammed on my brakes, un-clipped from my pedals, and just managed to avoid hitting her by I would say, a solid 1/2"!!! No kidding, it was that close. If I would have hit her I most certainly would have gone underneath the truck just before the rear wheel.

Needless to say I was a bit "excited"...

So I yell at this lady, Hey, hey what the hell was that all about? I followed behind her, and to my horror she was actually avoiding the traffic light by cutting through the gas station. She was on the phone too. She says "I don't give a damn about you a$$holes!" I stopped and made note of her tag, and called the police.

So the cop comes out. He's very sympathetic, but proceeds to tell me there is nothing he can do about someone assaulting me with their vehicle. "besides, the tag number you gave me is registered to a white F150 pickup not a black 4Runner." :twitchy: I told him there was definitely NO mistake on the tag.

"Now you know, you guys kinda bother me from time to time too..." The cop says to me. He proceeds to tell me then how we block traffic, and many many of "you guys" constantly disobey traffic laws. So it becomes more about bad cyclists then what just happened.

If that lady would have hit me she would have left me there. No doubt about that. Of course, several people saw what happened. So she would not have gotten too far I would hope.

So, in Gwinnett County Ga. You can almost be hit by a person who has a bad tag on their car. And the best you can hope for is that you won't be dressed down for the bad behavior of others.

In my book, there are 2 reasons that she is guilty of assaulting me with her vehicle.

1) Her disregard for others rights by saying she didn't care about us "a$$holes"
2) She obviously had a bogus tag on that truck to begin with, so she shouldn't even be driving it on public roads. My guess would also be that she probably had no insurance on the truck either.

Be careful out there. We gotta watch out for them, because they definitely aren't watching out for us...

Gee, I wonder how that cop would take a report on a **** or murder? You notified a cop of a possible stolen vehicle, and he brushed it off. I'd have at least tracked down the vehicle and towed it in, with the driver handcuffed in the back seat.

The tag, that was probably someone avoiding financial responsibility, rather than stolen, it happens quite often. I have empathy for the whole ordeal you went thru, but 30 mph, slow down at intersections, it only takes a moment and a dumb move by a motorist to change the blissful ride you were having into that reality that happened and this as a follow up. Unless the officer witnesses it, there's very little they can do. That said, we all have to ride to live to make up for what others seem to get away with. I have a gut feeling the karma is going to get that motorist somewhere down the road. She'll hit another car or the police will pull her over for something else and that's when the list of what she has done will just pile up on her. She'll get a citation for driving a car with a plate registered for another vehicle, probably doesn't have insurance and whatever else she's done that her bs won't get her out of ?

T but 30 mph, slow down at intersections, it only takes a moment and a dumb move by a motorist to change the blissful ride you were having into that reality that happened and this as a follow up. Unless the officer witnesses it, there's very little they can do. More blame the cyclist type garbage from fuji86.

Additionally, the cop can file a report, talk to the motorist and set them straight. The cop also does not have to witness incidents like this for the motorist to be prosecuted. I once got a JAM convicted for reckless endangerment on my word alone. I was believable and he took the 5th.

Yeah, Fuji you're right. If I would have really been hammering that part of the ride, it could have been a lot worse. Advice well taken.

Sometimes I guess I can get complacent about where and how I commute/ride. I'm comfortable with it because I do it day in and out. We really do have to stay vigilant if we want to keep the rubber on the pavement.

Got a point there CB, I think the cop could have done a *little* more than what he did. She did recklessly endanger the safety of another by the way she was driving.

Her demeanor alone was grounds for a little police brutality. :D

they won't even investigate the tag on the wrong vehicle? I think I can expect better of my police department than that, but if I did meet up with an idiot like that, he would hear more about it later.

I don't know what enviroment you all get into, but a quick FU and hope karma rheems a new hole is about right here. Stressed out dim whits are pretty common.

OP, I feel for you having to ride in Gwinnett County, GA:

Gwinnett County, GA was made famous for having idiot cops in an episode of "COPS".

shoulder riding 14 year old cyclist gets hit from behind by women who drifts off the road

cyclist is thrown high into the air and off road, down an embankment into bushes

another motorist calls 911 and reports cyclist got hit

cop shows up and ask woman JAM where cyclist is, JAM says there was no cyclist, I did not hit anyone

dumb cop cancels EMS saying there was no injured cyclist, 911 caller made mistake (all without walking 50 yards down the road to look for cyclist first)

later, 14 year old cyclist boy stumbles up embankment onto road confused and bleeding, has concussion, cannot remember anything

dumb cop then points to car with dented hood and smashed windshield and says, 'oh yes you can see where the cyclist hit the car'

http://www.bikeforums.net/showthread.php/175327-Cops-TV-Show-episode-Cyclist-Hit?highlight=Gwinnett

There was a young man who was hit from behind last year and killed. They knew who did it because someone was able to identify the car that the police eventually found. Last I heard, the perp was to believed to have gone back to Mexico to evade prosecution for hit and run.

My guess is he's back now though. It's been long enough that the cops wouldn't recognize him now...:D

btw, kudos on the save.

Hi beloved,

I've been away for a while, and I need to whine a little.

Long time, no see.


First the good news! I just crossed the 2000K commuting mark. Now that there is a new route open for me to take to and from work I ride a solid 25 miles a day now. I know that isn't really that big of a deal for some of you, but I'm so glad to be able to train, save my family money on fuel costs and keep very fit.

Congratulations!!


Now for the not so good report...

I was on my way home Thursday evening. Great weather, moderate traffic, and all in life seemed to be going pretty well...

So I'm riding up to an intersection, and there happens to be a racetrac gas station on the right. To make a long story shorter, this lady in a 4Runner passes me up, and cuts right just in front of me. Now I'm traveling around 30 mph, (slight downhill ) which is still 5mph slower than the speed limit. Needless to say I slammed on my brakes, un-clipped from my pedals, and just managed to avoid hitting her by I would say, a solid 1/2"!!! No kidding, it was that close. If I would have hit her I most certainly would have gone underneath the truck just before the rear wheel.

Needless to say I was a bit "excited"...

Ouch!!! I am glad you didn't get hit!!


So I yell at this lady, Hey, hey what the hell was that all about? I followed behind her, and to my horror she was actually avoiding the traffic light by cutting through the gas station. She was on the phone too. She says "I don't give a damn about you a$$holes!" I stopped and made note of her tag, and called the police.

So the cop comes out. He's very sympathetic, but proceeds to tell me there is nothing he can do about someone assaulting me with their vehicle. "besides, the tag number you gave me is registered to a white F150 pickup not a black 4Runner." :twitchy: I told him there was definitely NO mistake on the tag.

"Now you know, you guys kinda bother me from time to time too..." The cop says to me. He proceeds to tell me then how we block traffic, and many many of "you guys" constantly disobey traffic laws. So it becomes more about bad cyclists then what just happened.

I wonder what EVERYONE(pedestrians, traffic, gas station employees, gas station customers, caller on the other end of the phone) would have been thinking about what she did(apart from the 'get off the road' crowd), had she hit a gas pump because of her ignorant haste. That officer was also out of line suddenly giving his opinion on cyclists', during a call. That was close to saying, that it is a cyclist's fault every time something happens to them.


If that lady would have hit me she would have left me there. No doubt about that. Of course, several people saw what happened. So she would not have gotten too far I would hope.

So, in Gwinnett County Ga. You can almost be hit by a person who has a bad tag on their car. And the best you can hope for is that you won't be dressed down for the bad behavior of others.

In my book, there are 2 reasons that she is guilty of assaulting me with her vehicle.

1) Her disregard for others rights by saying she didn't care about us "a$$holes"
2) She obviously had a bogus tag on that truck to begin with, so she shouldn't even be driving it on public roads. My guess would also be that she probably had no insurance on the truck either.

Be careful out there. We gotta watch out for them, because they definitely aren't watching out for us...

The same for Fulton and Dekalb County. I lived in Atlanta during the 1970's as a youngster, and I would go between Atlanta n' Athens a lot. The traffic is horrendous

I know what you mean about watching out for them. Yesterday, I was on a two-lane blacktop going south, that widens to a four-lane shortly before it ends, and a vehicle was tailgating just because they didn't have the patience to wait until it widened to four lanes. While I got the plate # and thought about tailing the vehicle, I had remembered an officer telling me that they had to see the traffic infraction to do anything. That even goes for any 'good samaritan' call about reporting a dangerous driver.

Basically, The police just don't care.

So now it is possible to understand why folks don't take any notice of the laws. Seems the laws can only be used to punish good honest citizens while the ratbags do what they like. I guess that's why people form up into gangs - so they can have some sense of protection.

More blame the cyclist type garbage from fuji86.

Additionally, the cop can file a report, talk to the motorist and set them straight. The cop also does not have to witness incidents like this for the motorist to be prosecuted. I once got a JAM convicted for reckless endangerment on my word alone. I was believable and he took the 5th.

I agree that 30mph on a bike when approaching an intersection is a little fast. But I have approached intersections going 20-25mph.

Regardless of speed, the fact that the SUV driver cut him off, makes the whole concern about the OP's speed, a moot point.

I don't know what enviroment you all get into, but a quick FU and hope karma rheems a new hole is about right here. Stressed out dim whits are pretty common.

I go with a quick and verbose BO(BACK OFF!!) to get my message across.

The cop was being a jerk. Too lazy to get into the job.

Under PA law.
Reckless endangerment.
"A person commits a misdemeanor of the second degree if he recklessly engages in conduct which places or may place another person in danger of death or serious bodily injury."

The woman's statement to you makes it clear that it was reckless on her part. There are probably 2 or 3 more charges that could be added to that.

In this city we have police officers who will do their jobs. Then there are others doing little to earn their pay while claiming how dangerous their jobs are.

I agree that 30mph on a bike when approaching an intersection is a little fast. But I have approached intersections going 20-25mph.

If he was going below the speed limit on the road (which he says he was) then the road is engineered for that speed and he's completely not at fault. Attempts to suggest otherwise are blame-the-victim and uncalled for.



Regardless of speed, the fact that the SUV driver cut him off, makes the whole concern about the OP's speed, a moot point.

True.

More blame the cyclist type garbage from fuji86.



What?

If he was going below the speed limit on the road (which he says he was) then the road is engineered for that speed and he's completely not at fault. Attempts to suggest otherwise are blame-the-victim and uncalled for.

I wasn't faulting the OP, or even on the verge of claiming 'excessive speed', on his part. But I was pointing out the fact of the intersection coming up.

The only parts I didn't mention before, were lane position, and the braking distance needed at the OP's speed approaching the intersection.. Because, I am not surprised by a driver, cutting off a cyclist, who is riding on the shoulder. While the OP had good speed, for the speed limit of the road, lane position was obviously a factor(not the sole factor) in SUV driver's attitude.

Got a point there CB, I think the cop could have done a *little* more than what he did. She did recklessly endanger the safety of another by the way she was driving.

Her demeanor alone was grounds for a little police brutality. :D

My son lives there and complains all the time about how unbike freindly the city is. Gotta ad that he also loves the city.

More blame the cyclist type garbage from fuji86.
What?In the last couple of months, fuji86 and some other new posters have made several comments blaming the cyclist for close calls or hits caused by poor motorist driving. Even though the cyclist were riding legally, they have blamed cyclist for close passes because the cyclist was not riding in the gutter, or like here, claimed a right hook was because the cyclist was riding too fast, etc.

In the last couple of months, fuji86 and some other new posters have made several comments blaming the cyclist for close calls or hits caused by poor motorist driving. Even though the cyclist were riding legally, they have blamed cyclist for close passes because the cyclist was not riding in the gutter, or like here, claimed a right hook was because the cyclist was riding too fast, etc.This was not blame, you need to reread the original post and then mine. The reality is, that the officer was provided a plate number that didn't match a vehicle. I guess they could track the Ford F150 owner and find out why his tag was on a 4 runner. But it doesn't match the 4 Runner description ? If the tag was stolen, the police will only confirm that. I offered advice to slow down at the intersection because a motorist can put a cyclist in a no-win situation. The other day I had a situation as a motorist where a BMW cut me off on the highway and then slammed on the brakes. I almost nailed that ****** with 4,000 lbs of SUV. I rode off to the left hand side where there was an emergency lane and avoided a rear end collision. Sure, I was angry, but I had to let it go and continue on. I could've reported that just the same, I left plenty of following distance until the BMW cut me off and slammed on their brakes. But it all comes down to a lecture and a report that has conflicting stories as to what happened. I'd bet that super beotch would be pleasant & sweet to the officer and the worst he could do is lecture her, that's if the tag on her 4 Runner isn't stolen or whatever. But again, they're going to have to find this woman. I can hear the woman's story now, she either passed him far enough in advance that it wasn't a violation of the passing in an intersection zone or she was already ahead of the cyclist doing about the same 30 mph and she made her right turn, she can't help it if he was doing 30 mph and that it takes more distance to stop a bike at 30 mph that it became a close call ? Either way/story, it'll conflict with the OP post and the police officer isn't in a position to do much of anything. Any citation for that is something a judge may hear in court. But the officer will not have observed it, the woman & cyclist will both have to show up to court and then the same testimony will have to be heard.

There you go again, telling us about your SUV driving experiences.

1) Carry small bag of nuts/bolts.

2) Propel said nuts/bolts, through windshield.

3) Your word against hers. Must've been road debris thrown up by your or her tires. Apparently a cop has to see anything for it to be believable.

4) Laugh heartily.

(This is completely and totally joking. Sort of. :) )

1) Carry small bag of nuts/bolts.

2) Propel said nuts/bolts, through windshield.

3) Your word against hers. Must've been road debris thrown up by your or her tires. Apparently a cop has to see anything for it to be believable.

4) Laugh heartily.

(This is completely and totally joking. Sort of. :) )

Thankfully, in my area, that's not the case since many LEOs have to contend with the same traffic while they are off duty that they patrol while they are on duty.

One local LEO that attended a local bike forum, made a comment on the many more types of motorist illegal/dangerous actions that they observed while driving their personal vehicle versus when they are in their patrol cruiser.

Personally, I get more satisfaction in recording a motorist's actions for posterity, and handing it over to local law enforcement authorities if need be, than doing an act of vandalism to a motorists vehicle, since I happen to see a number of the same motorists while on my commutes on a regular basis.

There you go again, telling us about your SUV driving experiences.

Well, I think there's an element of truth to be found in it, which has to do with vigilance. As they say, being in the right does not help you much when you're dead, so keep a distance, and expect the worst at any moment. Yes, even expect *****es in stolen cars cutting you to turn right. That kind of thing happens everywhere - in Georgia as well as in Denmark.

..... Yes, even expect *****es in stolen cars cutting you...

That will be a definite highlight if my video cam happen to tag a visual of a motorist in a stolen/switched plate vehicle that I reported.

In the last couple of months, fuji86 and some other new posters have made several comments blaming the cyclist for close calls or hits caused by poor motorist driving. Even though the cyclist were riding legally, they have blamed cyclist for close passes because the cyclist was not riding in the gutter, or like here, claimed a right hook was because the cyclist was riding too fast, etc.

Sir, you seem to be quite confused. Suggestions of speed variation, lane positioning, etc. have exactly nothing to do with blame and everything with safety. I can ride quite legally while failing to ride safely. You can too.

Sir, you seem to be quite confused. Suggestions of speed variation, lane positioning, etc. have exactly nothing to do with blame and everything with safety. I can ride quite legally while failing to ride safely. You can too.

We all gain from the attitude shown by the OP, silmarillion. We learn from experience and from fellow cyclists how to deal with our own safety.

That's the frustrating part, having to be forced to ride in a manner that most motorists will not adopt, but we have to due to our vulnerability.

Eventually, motorist will expect us to ride in a certain manner all the time, and chastise any cyclists for riding in any other manner, though it is legal for the cyclist to do so.

Thankfully, in my area, that's not the case since many LEOs have to contend with the same traffic while they are off duty that they patrol while they are on duty.

One local LEO that attended a local bike forum, made a comment on the many more types of motorist illegal/dangerous actions that they observed while driving their personal vehicle versus when they are in their patrol cruiser.

Personally, I get more satisfaction in recording a motorist's actions for posterity, and handing it over to local law enforcement authorities if need be, than doing an act of vandalism to a motorists vehicle, since I happen to see a number of the same motorists while on my commutes on a regular basis.

Indeed. I really was joking. :)

Indeed. I really was joking. :)


I seen the "sort of" and had to throw in my personal thought.

Hiya back Chris! Good to hear from you. My kid is loving the bike! Thanks! I need to post some of my CX pix, but not of the back of my leg I scraped the poo out of. Took a month to heal, but I'm loving CX... Running uphill isn't really one of my favorite things to do, but I had a smile on my face when the day was done!!

Thanks for all the comments folks. I know opinions may vary from one poster to another...but we are all ultimately on the same side of the white line. I don't really have any animosity towards the cop, or the county. I hope that jurisdictions will come to the realization that cycling is a very viable form of transportation, and should be protected under the law a little better. And I don't want to come off as a tattle-tale. What I feel is important is when someone does something really stupid like this...we should speak up, even if it doesn't go anywhere. The officer may not have been able to do much there when he met with me, but he did say that they were very interested as to why the tags were bogus. My complaint is on record, because he has to fill out a report on it.

He also said many things during the course of our conversation that I didn't post. I posted the things I felt were important to the story. He did say that they would be looking out for this vehicle and the tag, and the reported incident would provide them with probable-cause were they to see her and pull her over.

I'm okay with Fuji calling me on my speed too. Like I said, he's right. I was moving pretty good, and I was coming up on a traffic light. Had I been going the speed limit, I would probably be telling you this story from a hospital bed. Lesson learned. I will be a little more cautious when I approach that intersection from now on.

(sorry not to get off topic, just a little sidebar...)
hagan, I will be traveling to Sweden soon. My company is based in Linkoping. I have been trying to get them to postpone my next visit, where I could do this bike ride around the big lake there in Sweden. Do you know of the one I'm speaking of? Got a link? PM me if you do.

Hi beloved,

I've been away for a while, and I need to whine a little.

First the good news! I just crossed the 2000K commuting mark. Now that there is a new route open for me to take to and from work I ride a solid 25 miles a day now. I know that isn't really that big of a deal for some of you, but I'm so glad to be able to train, save my family money on fuel costs and keep very fit.

Now for the not so good report...

I was on my way home Thursday evening. Great weather, moderate traffic, and all in life seemed to be going pretty well...

So I'm riding up to an intersection, and there happens to be a racetrac gas station on the right. To make a long story shorter, this lady in a 4Runner passes me up, and cuts right just in front of me. Now I'm traveling around 30 mph, (slight downhill ) which is still 5mph slower than the speed limit. Needless to say I slammed on my brakes, un-clipped from my pedals, and just managed to avoid hitting her by I would say, a solid 1/2"!!! No kidding, it was that close. If I would have hit her I most certainly would have gone underneath the truck just before the rear wheel.

Needless to say I was a bit "excited"...

So I yell at this lady, Hey, hey what the hell was that all about? I followed behind her, and to my horror she was actually avoiding the traffic light by cutting through the gas station. She was on the phone too. She says "I don't give a damn about you a$$holes!" I stopped and made note of her tag, and called the police.

So the cop comes out. He's very sympathetic, but proceeds to tell me there is nothing he can do about someone assaulting me with their vehicle. "besides, the tag number you gave me is registered to a white F150 pickup not a black 4Runner." :twitchy: I told him there was definitely NO mistake on the tag.

"Now you know, you guys kinda bother me from time to time too..." The cop says to me. He proceeds to tell me then how we block traffic, and many many of "you guys" constantly disobey traffic laws. So it becomes more about bad cyclists then what just happened.

If that lady would have hit me she would have left me there. No doubt about that. Of course, several people saw what happened. So she would not have gotten too far I would hope.

So, in Gwinnett County Ga. You can almost be hit by a person who has a bad tag on their car. And the best you can hope for is that you won't be dressed down for the bad behavior of others.

In my book, there are 2 reasons that she is guilty of assaulting me with her vehicle.

1) Her disregard for others rights by saying she didn't care about us "a$$holes"
2) She obviously had a bogus tag on that truck to begin with, so she shouldn't even be driving it on public roads. My guess would also be that she probably had no insurance on the truck either.

Be careful out there. We gotta watch out for them, because they definitely aren't watching out for us...

I could be mistaken, but isn't it "frowned" upon to cut through a gas station/what have you in order to avoid the traffic light?

Sadly, that the cop took the woman's side isn't very surprising, what is surprising is the way that he was so willing to dismiss a possible stolen vehicle.

More blame the cyclist type garbage from fuji86.

Additionally, the cop can file a report, talk to the motorist and set them straight. The cop also does not have to witness incidents like this for the motorist to be prosecuted. I once got a JAM convicted for reckless endangerment on my word alone. I was believable and he took the 5th.

Are you surprised by that? Let's not forget that he's the one who thinks that cyclists should always ride hugging the curb or in the gutter pan or that we can "safely" pass parked cars so long as we do so "SSSSLLLLLLOOOOOOWWWWWWWLLLLLLLLYYYYYYYYY" enough so that IF a door opens in our path we can just kick backwards and close the door, or step off of our bike onto the curb and pull our bike behind us.

I'd really would like to see video of either move.

Long time, no see.



Congratulations!!



Ouch!!! I am glad you didn't get hit!!



I wonder what EVERYONE(pedestrians, traffic, gas station employees, gas station customers, caller on the other end of the phone) would have been thinking about what she did(apart from the 'get off the road' crowd), had she hit a gas pump because of her ignorant haste. That officer was also out of line suddenly giving his opinion on cyclists', during a call. That was close to saying, that it is a cyclist's fault every time something happens to them.



The same for Fulton and Dekalb County. I lived in Atlanta during the 1970's as a youngster, and I would go between Atlanta n' Athens a lot. The traffic is horrendous

I know what you mean about watching out for them. Yesterday, I was on a two-lane blacktop going south, that widens to a four-lane shortly before it ends, and a vehicle was tailgating just because they didn't have the patience to wait until it widened to four lanes. While I got the plate # and thought about tailing the vehicle, I had remembered an officer telling me that they had to see the traffic infraction to do anything. That even goes for any 'good samaritan' call about reporting a dangerous driver.

Basically, The police just don't care.

What if you report it as a possible drunk driver?

What?

Do a search of his posts and you'll see what we mean. Fuji is of the opinion that cyclists never need/should take the lane and that doing so is just being inconsiderate to motorists.

Sir, you seem to be quite confused. Suggestions of speed variation, lane positioning, etc. have exactly nothing to do with blame and everything with safety. I can ride quite legally while failing to ride safely. You can too.You seem to be confused, as riding 30 mph in a 35 mph zone is not riding unsafely. Right hooking a cyclist is unsafe.

Funny how many claim that speed differential is what causes cycling to be 'dangerous', but here is a cyclist riding within 5 mph of the limit, and many are calling that unsafe. Very confused people who suffer this conflict. I have 4 intersections that I ride through going 35 mph quite safely and legally as well.

There you go again, telling us about your SUV driving experiences.Just saying it happens to anyone these days, it's not a shock any more that another does this. This is a world of people trying to get away with as much as they can. Hunting down this SUV is time consuming and expensive. Check this story out, And this was because the FHP actually was on the scene when it happened. Mind you that these are police officers pulling these stunts too. At the end of the day, the best any of us can really hope for in a society that is economically shutting down is for self service and self preservation. Because the bottom line, innocent until proven guilty there has to be a victim and when it comes down to a cyclist vs a car the unfortunate reality is the victim on the bicycle rarely survives and if they do, they are messed up for the rest of their lives.

http://edition.cnn.com/2011/10/29/us/florida-cop-reckless-driving/

Well, I think there's an element of truth to be found in it, which has to do with vigilance. As they say, being in the right does not help you much when you're dead, so keep a distance, and expect the worst at any moment. Yes, even expect *****es in stolen cars cutting you to turn right. That kind of thing happens everywhere - in Georgia as well as in Denmark.Thank you hagen2456, yet another voice of reason. I see Digital_Cowboy has rode his steel horse into the thread and between he and CB HI any post I make is going to be against a cyclist. Both are quite capable of citing the laws/statutes by chapter, section and verse, only they forget one thing, there's reality here. I mean, I can ride down the other side of a bridge at or beyond the speed limit, take the lane, be as legal and within my rights to commute the roadways as anyone can be. But if at the bottom of the bridge, a motorist so much as even taps me at that speed, neither of these two seem to realize that I will pay the ultimate price, just like a motorcyclist would. Neither can see the logic when I post that slowing down is the wisest choice I can make as a cyclist and that is regardless of what any man made law says. For Digital_Cowboy & CB HI, this is for you:

UNEQUIVOCALLY, THE LAWS OF PHYSICS SUPERSEDE ANY LAWS YOUR LEGISLATORS BESTOW UPON YOU, PERIOD, END OF DEBATE & DISCUSSION !

Please stop acting like neither of you knows the difference and take your witch hunts elsewhere.

The most you could probably/possibly expect law enforcement to do here is to use the phone, collaborate within the department even across police departments if different townships are involved, track down the Ford truck owner of that plate which is registered and verify and confirm that the tag is on that Ford truck and not a 4 Runner. If it's a case of a stolen license plate, then that would be something to enter in the database of what officers are looking out for in addition to anything else they do on their shift ? That's if the stolen plate hasn't already been reported ? Who knows the truck owner may not even be aware of it and that's why it wasn't reported yet ? I'm thinking the Ford truck owner let his wife or gf put the tag on her vehicle or at worst was unaware that the stupid woman even did that ? But the bottom line is the odds of immediate satisfaction and resolution of the matter isn't going to happen on this.

....UNEQUIVOCALLY, THE LAWS OF PHYSICS SUPERSEDE ANY LAWS YOUR LEGISLATORS BESTOW UPON YOU, PERIOD, END OF DEBATE & DISCUSSION !......



Sounds like the typical motorist's side of a conversation when they try to let their sheet metal to do their talking for them.

I've had to call a couple of motorists, this year, on their actions in trying to use the laws of physics in aiding their personal bad/dangerous driving habits.

And here's some more food for thought ? Motorists behaviors are relatively consistent, as an experienced cyclist it's also our due diligence to spot this and take whatever measures and precautions that are in our best interests for own safety. If this woman in the 4 Runner was so inclined to pass anyone prior to the intersection, that would include another motorist, what in anyone's mind would make anyone believe this woman gave a damn about anyone but herself and where she was going ? Right off, that would alert me that this motorist is more a danger to me on a bicycle than anyone else that I care about, even though you'd hate to see another pay the price for her selfishness. The first thing I'm going to do is react to slow down, give her as much room as possible to be selfish so that I don't become a statistic and wind up picking up the tab on her right turn, something I don't want to deal with. Even the close call isn't worth the rise in my blood pressure whether it's a near miss and includes any anger I would retain for moments, hours or days after it happened to me.

Sounds like the typical motorist's side of a conversation when they try to let their sheet metal to do their talking for them.

I've had to call a couple of motorists, this year, on their actions in trying to use the laws of physics in aiding their personal bad/dangerous driving habits.LOL, dynodonn you are working your way onto the list with Digital_Cowboy and CB HI with that post as someone who refuses to see the world as it really is and not that ideal utopia where everyone loves each other and gets along. We all can see that the woman was wrong here, surviving a commute and defensive cycling is the only solution I have, because reprimanding a motorist this time, you may get the point across, but for how long, the woman obviously has a mental deficiency and it can only be corrected for the immediate now. Would it be days, weeks, months that that motorist wouldn't be back out there doing something similar or even identical ? When I was a teen I had a situation where I hit a car that had stopped and blocked my path. A concussion and bruised shoulder was the price I paid. I learned the hard way that day that the laws of physics superseded mankind's legislated laws. I don't need to suffer it a second time to know that the same results would happen. And if it means I have to slow down, so be it, getting thru life at full capability is my goal. I seem to be doing it quite well ever since. I mean, I don't even want to confront anyone, even raise my voice to them to call them out. They know what they did, some of them and those that don't are too stupid to comprehend & understand their actions, if it isn't that, they don't care anyway.

Food for thought, when a motorist doesn't give you any indication of their actions until the last second, all the experience in the world really doesn't amount to much. If I had to brake for every motorist that passed me in an intersection, I'd be replacing my brake pads on a weekly basis.

An unusual circumstance in that my last reported motorist was also driving a black 4 Runner, but this 4 Runner's plates were not off another vehicle, and I still have a very highly detailed/quality video of them, as well as the whole incident.

Check this story out,

http://edition.cnn.com/2011/10/29/us/florida-cop-reckless-driving/Another non-cycling related story! You really are motoring fixated even while posting in a cycling forum.


when it comes down to a cyclist vs a car the unfortunate reality is the victim on the bicycle rarely survivesand if they do, they are messed up for the rest of their lives. Pure BS. Collision data shows that most all cyclist survive and recover just fine from collisions.

Many police departments will not even file a police report for many collisions because the cyclist do not need to go to the hospital.

...and not that ideal utopia where everyone loves each other and gets along.....
I understand the risks, and act appropriately, but to give up one's cycling rights completely due to motorist intimidation is not acceptable on my part.


Would it be days, weeks, months that that motorist wouldn't be back out there doing something similar or even identical ?

Then there will be a record of my incident on file with the local law enforcement should the motorist get reported again, either by myself or some other person.

Another non-cycling related story! You really are motoring fixated even while posting in a cycling forum.

Pure BS. Collision data shows that most all cyclist survive and recover just fine from collisions.

Many police departments will not even file a police report for many collisions because the cyclist do not need to go to the hospital.

With only the most severe collisions generally making the news, it tends to give the perception that all bike/motor vehicle collisions are life altering or deadly for a cyclist.

With only the most severe collisions generally making the news, it tends to give the perception that all bike/motor vehicle collisions are life altering or deadly for a cyclist.Very true for the general public. But I would expect a highly experienced long time cyclist with the true view of the world such as fuji86, to have a better understanding of such things.

Another non-cycling related story! You really are motoring fixated even while posting in a cycling forum.

Pure BS. Collision data shows that most all cyclist survive and recover just fine from collisions.

Many police departments will not even file a police report for many collisions because the cyclist do not need to go to the hospital.The story was linked to demonstrate that there is a lot more going on in terms of wrongs that anyone of us on a bicycle can be put in the middle of on even the most regulated of city streets. How come you guys won't respond to the food for thought ? Really if this woman passed any one of you/us like that, what makes any of us think that she was going to get religion, feel guilty about her actions in the next 50-75 feet before the right turn/hook. I try to live in that moment, the situation presented and deal with it without incident. Did I give up my rights as a cyclist, sure, but then again, slowing down and it wouldn't have been a close call even. Still would've bothered me probably for about as long as it took her to turn right, then I'd have to deal with the motorists that are still on my route. The only time you can let your guard down is after the commute is over and you step off the pedals and safely into your own drive way or garage. focus on destination and safety. You can choose to groan & moan about it in an advocacy forum or you can learn something from another's near miss experience. Like anyone, you have to ride or drive for the others shortcomings, because those will be the mistakes that any one will pay dearly for if they don't.

You seem to be confused, as riding 30 mph in a 35 mph zone is not riding unsafely. Right hooking a cyclist is unsafe.

Funny how many claim that speed differential is what causes cycling to be 'dangerous', but here is a cyclist riding within 5 mph of the limit, and many are calling that unsafe. Very confused people who suffer this conflict. I have 4 intersections that I ride through going 35 mph quite safely and legally as well.

Nope. Sorry. Once again, as seems to be a habit of yours, you have read what was not written and written what is not true.

Riding 30 in a 35 may or may not be unsafe depending on a host of factors. Do not confuse the speed limit with the safe speed at any given time and place.