Remember to trust your instincts.
#1
Senior Member
Thread Starter
Join Date: Jul 2011
Location: Los Angeles, CA
Posts: 600
Bikes: All-City Space Horse!
Mentioned: 0 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 0 Post(s)
Likes: 0
Liked 0 Times
in
0 Posts
Remember to trust your instincts.
Friendly reminder to always trust your instincts. As seen in the video I was almost hit/right hooked last night. As I approached my gut told me to hold up. I do my best to avoid being next to any cars while crossing intersections. For some reason, in a split sec, I decided to power past this car. They decided to turn, with no signal and without looking. No contact, but it was close.
#2
Randomhead
Join Date: Aug 2008
Location: Happy Valley, Pennsylvania
Posts: 24,392
Mentioned: 0 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 4 Post(s)
Liked 3,690 Times
in
2,513 Posts
I think calling this a right hook minimizes the insanity of what I consider a right hook -- the driver approaches from the rear and starts turning right when they could still see you out of the windshield if they bothered to look. I generally see nothing wrong with passing on the right, but if you are approaching an intersection, there is probably a reason that vehicle is going slow. I would not voluntarily put myself to the right of a vehicle that is going slower than I would normally expect when approaching an intersection. In that situation, my instinct says "stay away."
#3
Junior Member
Join Date: Sep 2011
Posts: 6
Mentioned: 0 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 0 Post(s)
Likes: 0
Liked 0 Times
in
0 Posts
I'm confused, you say your gut told you to hold up...why didn't you. Instead you gunned it and put yourself in the cars' crosshairs. Which gut are you listening to? I always would err on the side of caution and play defensive cycler, hold back or next time you could get squished.
#4
Senior Member
Thread Starter
Join Date: Jul 2011
Location: Los Angeles, CA
Posts: 600
Bikes: All-City Space Horse!
Mentioned: 0 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 0 Post(s)
Likes: 0
Liked 0 Times
in
0 Posts
I think calling this a right hook minimizes the insanity of what I consider a right hook -- the driver approaches from the rear and starts turning right when they could still see you out of the windshield if they bothered to look. I generally see nothing wrong with passing on the right, but if you are approaching an intersection, there is probably a reason that vehicle is going slow. I would not voluntarily put myself to the right of a vehicle that is going slower than I would normally expect when approaching an intersection. In that situation, my instinct says "stay away."
There was traffic a head of them and the light had just turned green, so they were not going unusually slow. It is an intersection where the right turn lane is before the cross of the streets, kind of like on and off ramps.
#5
Senior Member
Join Date: May 2003
Location: Hampton Roads VA
Posts: 1,787
Bikes: '07 Trek 520, '09 Gary Fisher Triton, '04 Trek 8000, '85 Trek 500, '84 Trek 610, '85 Trek 510, '88 Trek 660, '92 Trek 930, Trek Multitrack 700
Mentioned: 0 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 19 Post(s)
Likes: 0
Liked 1 Time
in
1 Post
Wow scary situation. Looks like the car was braking for the turn as you were passing, I think I would have held back in that situation. I certianly would have slowed and not tried to "power past" that car. Passing on the right is not a good idea.
__________________
"When I hear another express an opinion, which is not mine, I say to myself, He has a right to his opinion, as I to mine; why should I question it. His error does me no injury, and shall I become a Don Quixot to bring all men by force of argument, to one opinion? If a fact be misstated, it is probable he is gratified by a belief of it, and I have no right to deprive him of the gratification."
T. Jefferson
"When I hear another express an opinion, which is not mine, I say to myself, He has a right to his opinion, as I to mine; why should I question it. His error does me no injury, and shall I become a Don Quixot to bring all men by force of argument, to one opinion? If a fact be misstated, it is probable he is gratified by a belief of it, and I have no right to deprive him of the gratification."
T. Jefferson
#6
Senior Member
Thread Starter
Join Date: Jul 2011
Location: Los Angeles, CA
Posts: 600
Bikes: All-City Space Horse!
Mentioned: 0 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 0 Post(s)
Likes: 0
Liked 0 Times
in
0 Posts
I'm confused, you say your gut told you to hold up...why didn't you. Instead you gunned it and put yourself in the cars' crosshairs. Which gut are you listening to? I always would err on the side of caution and play defensive cycler, hold back or next time you could get squished.
#7
Senior Member
Thread Starter
Join Date: Jul 2011
Location: Los Angeles, CA
Posts: 600
Bikes: All-City Space Horse!
Mentioned: 0 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 0 Post(s)
Likes: 0
Liked 0 Times
in
0 Posts
I was in the bike lane, so its not really passing on the right so much as continuing in my lane of travel. The camera also have a wider frame of view that I do to that side, I never saw the brake lights come on.
#9
enginerd
Scary, I know that feeling.
I hate it when I'm cruising along and someone decides to pass me, then move into my lane and make a right turn. Happens all the time out here in the IE.
I hate it when I'm cruising along and someone decides to pass me, then move into my lane and make a right turn. Happens all the time out here in the IE.
#11
Member
Join Date: Sep 2006
Location: Erie, PA
Posts: 37
Bikes: 2012 Trek FX 7.2
Mentioned: 0 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 0 Post(s)
Likes: 0
Liked 0 Times
in
0 Posts
Thanks for sharing. I learned from years training relative to target shooting that complacency/getting overly comfortable with equipment/situations leads to accidents. Same is true here. It's easy to forget best practices, even for an instant and bad things can happen. I appreciate the reminder.
#12
Randomhead
Join Date: Aug 2008
Location: Happy Valley, Pennsylvania
Posts: 24,392
Mentioned: 0 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 4 Post(s)
Liked 3,690 Times
in
2,513 Posts
it's a tough one, legally I don't think there is any question. No turn signals, failed to merge into the bike lanes, how are you supposed to know?
#13
Banned.
Join Date: Jul 2010
Posts: 2,325
Mentioned: 0 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 0 Post(s)
Likes: 0
Liked 0 Times
in
0 Posts
Either you have incredibly bad eyesight or the camera had an extreme wide-angle lens. If the former you shouldn't be on the street and the video indicates the later is not true; therefore, you simply were not paying adequate attention,
#14
Senior Member
Join Date: Dec 2006
Location: UT
Posts: 398
Bikes: Ibex Xray
Mentioned: 0 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 0 Post(s)
Likes: 0
Liked 0 Times
in
0 Posts
How were they supposed to see you? In the dark sections I didn't see the light from your headlight on the ground. Also, passing on the right through intersections is dangerous enough, and doing it at night in the drivers blind spot adds to the risk. Bike lane or not, the car still needs to cross it in order to turn.
I was almost "right hooked" a couple of weeks ago from a similar situation but during the day. If I had gotten hit it would have been my fault.
Ride so that if you were driving you'd not run yourself over.
I was almost "right hooked" a couple of weeks ago from a similar situation but during the day. If I had gotten hit it would have been my fault.
Ride so that if you were driving you'd not run yourself over.
#15
Still spinnin'.....
Join Date: May 2009
Location: Whitestown, IN
Posts: 1,208
Bikes: Fisher Opie freeride/urban assault MTB, Redline Monocog 29er MTB, Serrota T-Max Commuter, Klein Rascal SS, Salsa Campion Road bike, Pake Rum Runner FG/SS Road bike, Cannondale Synapse Road bike, Santana Arriva Road Tandem, and others....
Mentioned: 0 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 0 Post(s)
Likes: 0
Liked 2 Times
in
2 Posts
When I am reaching an intersection and a car passes me and appears to be turning right in front of me, I move left into their lane behind them. That way if they try to kill me with a right hook, I simply pass them on the left instead of trying to to pass them on the right or slowing down enough to still allow them to killing me, and if they continue to proceed straight ahead it is they that are holding up traffic from behind not me. Sometimes rather than being threatened by cars, you can use those same cars as moving safety barriers. Just because some s#!thead in a car is "unconscious" doesn't mean that I am going to slow down and stay within their "sphere of influence" long enough for them to figure out how to kill me. Sometimes I even leave them a permanent reminder of their "inattentiveness" by elbowing a body panel.......
#16
Senior Member
Thread Starter
Join Date: Jul 2011
Location: Los Angeles, CA
Posts: 600
Bikes: All-City Space Horse!
Mentioned: 0 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 0 Post(s)
Likes: 0
Liked 0 Times
in
0 Posts
How were they supposed to see you? In the dark sections I didn't see the light from your headlight on the ground. Also, passing on the right through intersections is dangerous enough, and doing it at night in the drivers blind spot adds to the risk. Bike lane or not, the car still needs to cross it in order to turn.
I was almost "right hooked" a couple of weeks ago from a similar situation but during the day. If I had gotten hit it would have been my fault.
Ride so that if you were driving you'd not run yourself over.
I was almost "right hooked" a couple of weeks ago from a similar situation but during the day. If I had gotten hit it would have been my fault.
Ride so that if you were driving you'd not run yourself over.
#17
Senior Member
Thread Starter
Join Date: Jul 2011
Location: Los Angeles, CA
Posts: 600
Bikes: All-City Space Horse!
Mentioned: 0 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 0 Post(s)
Likes: 0
Liked 0 Times
in
0 Posts
When I am reaching an intersection and a car passes me and appears to be turning right in front of me, I move left into their lane behind them. That way if they try to kill me with a right hook, I simply pass them on the left instead of trying to to pass them on the right or slowing down enough to still allow them to killing me, and if they continue to proceed straight ahead it is they that are holding up traffic from behind not me. Sometimes rather than being threatened by cars, you can use those same cars as moving safety barriers. Just because some s#!thead in a car is "unconscious" doesn't mean that I am going to slow down and stay within their "sphere of influence" long enough for them to figure out how to kill me. Sometimes I even leave them a permanent reminder of their "inattentiveness" by elbowing a body panel.......
#18
Senior Member
Thread Starter
Join Date: Jul 2011
Location: Los Angeles, CA
Posts: 600
Bikes: All-City Space Horse!
Mentioned: 0 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 0 Post(s)
Likes: 0
Liked 0 Times
in
0 Posts
I may have misspoke, as the camera does have a wide, but smaller field of view as my eyes. However, I did not see the brake lights come on, as I was probably looking at the front tires of the car as they are a great indication as if the person is about to turn or not.
#19
Banned
Join Date: Jun 2009
Posts: 4,788
Mentioned: 0 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 0 Post(s)
Likes: 0
Liked 2 Times
in
2 Posts
I DO listen to my gut, which is why I avoided a situation almost identical to that video while riding today. I just KNEW the clown in the white Caddy was gonna turn, signal or no (he didn't). I coasted behind him about six feet, and when he turned, my drill sergeant voice bellowed, "NICE SIGNAL, MOTHERF-!"
After that, I was able to let the outrage evaporate.......
After that, I was able to let the outrage evaporate.......
#21
In the right lane
Yeah, cyclists are often into mind-reading, but we should remember that it doesn't always work. If there was contact, I'm sure the driver would have claimed his signal was on.
#22
Senior Member
Join Date: May 2003
Location: Hampton Roads VA
Posts: 1,787
Bikes: '07 Trek 520, '09 Gary Fisher Triton, '04 Trek 8000, '85 Trek 500, '84 Trek 610, '85 Trek 510, '88 Trek 660, '92 Trek 930, Trek Multitrack 700
Mentioned: 0 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 19 Post(s)
Likes: 0
Liked 1 Time
in
1 Post
You can see the bluish light from his headlight in the video. And possibly a reflection of the light in the rear passenger side and front fenders.
__________________
"When I hear another express an opinion, which is not mine, I say to myself, He has a right to his opinion, as I to mine; why should I question it. His error does me no injury, and shall I become a Don Quixot to bring all men by force of argument, to one opinion? If a fact be misstated, it is probable he is gratified by a belief of it, and I have no right to deprive him of the gratification."
T. Jefferson
"When I hear another express an opinion, which is not mine, I say to myself, He has a right to his opinion, as I to mine; why should I question it. His error does me no injury, and shall I become a Don Quixot to bring all men by force of argument, to one opinion? If a fact be misstated, it is probable he is gratified by a belief of it, and I have no right to deprive him of the gratification."
T. Jefferson
Last edited by bhchdh; 11-02-11 at 08:10 PM.
#23
Senior Member
Join Date: Dec 2006
Location: UT
Posts: 398
Bikes: Ibex Xray
Mentioned: 0 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 0 Post(s)
Likes: 0
Liked 0 Times
in
0 Posts
#25
aka Timi
Glad you didn't get hit... Now go wash your mouth out with soap!!