oilfreeandhappy

This song is going through my head, albeit the words are a little changed.

On my commute home, a van passed much too close to me for my comfort - seemed like about 6". I saw the driver turn into our Rec Center ahead of me. Since I always cut thru this parking lot, I decided to approach the driver. I was surprised to see that it was a woman, and she went rushing into the Rec Center before I could get to her. I waited around, and was just about to leave, when she came out with her 2 children, after picking them up.

She was getting in the driver's seat, when I approached with my helmet in hand, and I started the conversation:
Me: Excuse me, but you passed me at the intersection and got much too close to me.
Her: I did? I don't remember. (Her eyes betrayed her statement)
Me: It's a law that you have to maintain a 3' clearance with bicycles. It's a good law, and it makes a lot of sense. (It's not a law in Colorado, but I figured she wouldn't know the difference).
Her: OK.

We parted ways. It was a brief exchange, but it has encouraged me to start politely approaching careless drivers more often.

adamtki

Mom's driving vans and suvs too busy to be bothered with slow cyclists and rednecks driving monster or beat up trucks who think they own the road are a bicyclist's worst enemy. Both types have buzzed me the most or closest.

Az B

I always start politely and with respect, but firm. If it's going to deteriorate to childishness and idiocy I let the driver make that decision.

I think it gets people off guard because they expect a heated confrontation. In your case, the woman was probably a little concerned that you might be violent.

Az

KLW2

It has been my experience that the aggressive, yell and scream at you drivers, are men. You usually see or hear them coming because they want to scare you off the road.

The ones who scare me the most though, are those who act like you aren't there and run you over. I have had many more close calls from women pushing me off the road or speeding up to make a right turn in front of me, cutting me off. You usually don't see it coming until the last second. Most also had young children in the car.

So far, I haven't said anything just because I'm afraid that it will be received as a threat no matter how I put it....

banerjek

Curious that you'd be surprised to find a woman. My experience is that there is no demographic factor that insulates someone from being a bad driver.

I have talked to drivers calmly before with some effect. You need to use your judgment, but I don't think it's a bad idea. I usually mention safety concerns before the law. Drivers really don't want to hit you even if they don't like you because they don't want to be responsible for entanglements they'd inevitably get into.

BTW, cutting across parking lots is illegal for drivers where I am. Although I've never heard of the rule being applied to cyclists, it's good form to do what motorists are supposed to do.

syn0n

I know in New Mexico, you've gotta follow all of the rules of a road, just like a car (signal stops, turns, stop completely at stop signs, etc). Cars have got to stay 3 ft from you when passing here, which they often don't. It's can be worrysome when a bus comes within 6" of you. Or when they completely ignore the fact that you're signalling a turn and almost ram you (that almost happened last week to me). I think lots of drivers don't know what hand signalling is. It's never comforting to hear the car fly up behind you like you're not there.

On the flip side, as I driver, I notice cyclists often ride far out enough in lanes to where cars cannot safely pass, and they do this even where speeds are high. I know I've come over hills and stuff where the limit is 55mph just to see "SURPISE" a bicyclist chugging along at 40.

It's a two sided coin, really.

SDRider

It is here too. Personally, I think parking lots are more dangerous than the roads.

SSP

Do you use a mirror? If not, you might want to consider getting one (the Take a Look model is best).

With a mirror, you can exert control over those close pass situations, and never be surprised by a close shave.

When I see an overtaking car that's not moving over to get around me, I move my bike to the left (while observing the overtaking vehicle). 99% of the time, the driver will react by moving left...as they get close, I move back to the right, ensuring maximum separation when they pass me.

Captain Crash

Anyone ever had something torn off thier bike by a driver too close to you?

I have had the back end of a passing car come an inch from my grip... Stupid drunks.

chephy

If the lane's narrow, that's what they are supposed to do. Otherwise you just encourage unsafe passes in the same lane.

40? Good speed for a bike!

Seriously, if there is a blind corner or a blind crest - SLOW THE F U C K DOWN and always assume there is something ahead of you that you cannot see! What's so difficult? The speed limit is the MAX speed limit, not min - there are times when it's appropiate and necessary to go much slower than a speed limit. Why do drivers find it so difficult to wrap their head around that very simple concept? You are not entitled to go the frigging speed limit all the time. Understand it already.

syn0n

Some people do this everywhere.


I misstyped. 30mph is what they usually seem to be doing.

Anyway, I agree to an extent, but often times the roads in question are prefectly safe for cars to travel at high speeds, and it's slow moving traffic that causes the problem. In the city, it's one thing for cars to have to slow down (they shouldn't even be going fast to begin with), but out in the places where speed limits are high, bicyclists should keep in mind that they're techincally slow-moving traffic and obey the laws accordingly.

oilfreeandhappy

Yes, I use a mirror, but in tight areas, I concentrate on the road ahead of me. I've seen cyclists look into a mirror, or look over their shoulder, and their bike starts veering left. I would have been hit, had I veered left. I do agree that a mirror is a great implement for safety though.

I don't know about moving left, and hoping that the car reacts though. I don't use this tactic, and I don't think I want to, because it presumes responsibility from the driver of the car.

Jeronimo_

Start noticing whether or not the overtly offensive ones are FAT or not. I've noticed that around 90% of the overtly screwed up drivers here in SoCal are FAT.

chephy

That's just ridiculous. If you can't see what's coming up ahead, it's NEVER safe. It's just common sense. Anything could be over that blind crest: a deer, a car wreck etc. etc. etc. Funny how driving seems to turn off common sense. People are way too used to unsafely high speeds.

Technically, they are actually not. Not in most states.

I agree that if a high-speed road is wide enough to share cyclists shouldn't be in the middle of it, but in many cases drivers don't even realize what constitutes a wide or a narrow lane. Even drivers who are themselves cyclists may not realize it because they are ignorant and believe they must always be in the gutter and tolerate 6" passing clearances.

Mr. Underbridge

I've just started using my mirror, but I usually put it in a position that I can see passing cars in my peripheral vision without having the mirror distract me from stuff in front of me. That gives me at least a second to react to extreme hoonage and close passes.

I also agree with you on the tendency to veer while checking the mirror too much.

55-11

Yeah...me!!! Well, actually it was part of my jersey and a 6" piece of my shoulder. I got nailed by a Ford Pick-up side view mirror I stayed on the bike, but drove off the road. Ended up getting 16 stitches

vrkelley

Don't be a victim...Have a camera or cam phone ready. When there's a close call, make sure the driver sees you taking the picture of their vehicle...report the incident to the cops along with license plate.

vrkelley

OK...pushing is a sign that they don't know now to pass or are frustrated that you're slowing them down. Usually it's a narrow section of the road...be proactive. As the car approaches, if he/she has to pull over the center line to pass, wave them to pass when it's safe to do so. Once the first car passes, it's monkey see-monkey do.... the rest will follow. You may have to do this waving thing every time you commute until the "regulars" get the idea.

Shavit

Quote from 'Chephy':

"Seriously, if there is a blind corner or a blind crest - SLOW THE F U C K DOWN and always assume there is something ahead of you that you cannot see! What's so difficult? The speed limit is the MAX speed limit, not min - there are times when it's appropiate and necessary to go much slower than a speed limit. Why do drivers find it so difficult to wrap their head around that very simple concept? You are not entitled to go the frigging speed limit all the time. Understand it already."

Can i get an Amen? people get pissed here in Nashville when i'm going 29 in a 30 mph zone ...

As for the discussion at hand though ... i always take the lane (as the law does allow) whenever i think my life will be in danger if someone tries to pass. I've had a couple of run-ins with buses, and that's all it took for me to assert my position a little more ...

Besides that, the bicycle league, and generally most states tell bikers to ride 3-4' away from the curb, parked cars, etc. Most lanes around here (or anywhere that i've found) aren't big enough for a bike and a car to be in the same lane (side by side) with that kind of clearance. Let people honk, get mad, whatever ... you have the same right to the road as they do.

(Ps. I don't care what anyone says, some stop signs/lights are optional. like at midnight on my home from studying, i'm not stopping for anything)

stevelon

Well it is the law in Florida and it seems that nothing has changed since the passage. i will say that he local police certainly did their pest to get the word out. Hand outs and flashing signs with notice of the new law.

vrkelley

If you can see 'em coming, how about signaling them when it's OK to pass. I find that there are less road rage encounters this way.

SSP

If there's oncoming traffic on a narrow road, I do exactly that....I take the lane, and signal not to pass with my left palm facing backwards. When the oncoming traffic clears, I move back to the right and wave the overtaking driver around. I've found that the vast majority of drivers understand what's going on, and don't have a problem with my behavior...many even wave thanks (with all five fingers ).

My "push 'em to the left" technique is used when it's OK for overtaking vehicles to pass, but when I can see that they're not moving far enough to the left. I find it particularly useful if there's a line of cars overtaking, or somebody towing a trailer...in those cases, my goal is to force the overtaking vehicle to move noticeably to the left.

vrkelley

+1 My cage regular's may like your palm idea. I'll try that and report back after a few weeks.

benda18

i don't believe it's appropriate to confront a motorist over poor driving at the chance that the situation could escalate into violence. drivers will always be bad, we just have to learn deal with it.

AEO

Waving past? I had a dumb *** SUV think I was waving him to go past me when I was signaling for him to back off my rear wheel. This was despite me hogging a bit more lane since it was under a bridge where the road was narrower. His mirror came within 6in of my head. 5secs later I gave him the contents of my water bottle at the next set of traffic lights where he was going to turn left. I should have gave him my bicycle lock instead, but it was a green and I didn't have it on me.