chefisaac

As I was coming home, I have a couple dangerous intersections and one is right by my apartment.

Long story short, one of the streets has a delayed green light while the other side gets to go first. A lot of cars turning. Well then it is our turn and the damn cars on the other lane were turning and not stopping. It was time for me to go through the intersection and these young girls on a red van kept turning. I simply pointed at them and they stopped.

I didnt even think about it. I just reacted. Wow. it worked.

v0_boulder

good that you got a lucky break. I have hidden anger issues I need to address in situations like that I think of gouging paint jobs with my cleats or throwing my extra batteries at windshields (none of these I have done trust me ). Its a good thing you had a great conclusion to that problem

BarracksSi

If I'm reading this right -- the cars were oncoming and turning to their left, crossing in front of you and the other motorists next to you? I'll bet the drivers going your direction were glad to see you clear space for them.

AlmostTrick

When I see a left turner who could possibly turn into me or my path while I'm crossing an intersection, I'll often hold up a stop signal with my hand much like a traffic cop would do. It helps.

chefisaac

I wonder if I should install my airhorn.

fusilierdan

The other day during a ride I pointed at every driver who seemed like they were about to cut me off. It seemed like the act of pointing made them aware of me were as before they hadn't really seen me. Unscientific but I'll keep doing it.

Easy Peasy

Sounds like a good idea.

If I can see the light starting to change, I jump the light (making sure the coast is clear of course) so that a car driver can't cut me off.

Telly

Aha, that's the "evil monkey"* look, and at least for my part of the world, works like a charm WHEN/IF the drivers see me; in all other cases I "airhorn" them!



* https://familyguy.wikia.com/wiki/Evil_Monkey

SlimRider

Do it all the time!

I don't know why it works, but it does!

cyclocello

When I'm merging into a lane I do the lower left hand signal for "slow down" and often people get the clue and give me some space and let me into the lane.

Making eye contact, or at least staring into the driver side window, helps too.

chefisaac

Telly: Does the airhorn work for you? And another question: I have an airhorn but trying to figure out where to mount the canister of air. Space is limited on my bike.

ChrisO

Yep, same here. It's kind of a Darth Vader-esque thing. I think that just doing something to take control of the situation is enough to get most people to relent control.

In the military I believe it was taught as "command presence".

dedhed

They really stop when you point and they see the crimson trace on their chest.

https://www.crimsontrace.com/products-landing

Wake

+1

Telly

Sorry for the delay in answering, I was out riding all day yesterday!

The airhorn works wonders, and even yesterday while I was riding with a buddy, it helped out numerous times, especially when careless drivers would try to back out of a parking, or once when a driver tried to overtake and turn. Also scared the living daylights of another driver who was stopped on the side of the road with engine on, wheels turned to traffic and was fiddling with his cellphone... these drivers usually just lurch out slowly into traffic.

I've mounted/placed my airhorn in the water bottle cage located on the bottom frame, although I've seen people mount them BELOW that location, on the handlebar stem (if tall enough), even wedged under the seat. The good thing about them is that lack of weight, and the ability to fabricate or order a longer tube.

Here's a quick googled pic with the airhorn below the downtube...

caloso

Yes, I've noticed this too. It also helps to use your Dad voice if you have one.

chefisaac

telly: wow. is the a waterbottle cage? Not sure if I have a way to mount it like that. I like that.

Telly

A couple of tie-wraps should do the trick, I mounted a water-bottle cage on my old bike which didn't have any mounting holes at all. One trick that helped was putting some double-sided tape on the base of the water-bottle cage to keep it from sliding around.

Nitram612

A little eye contact goes a long way as well. I am pretty good at judging when people are about to steal my right of way, and I always turn my head and stare directly at them as they start to do it. Stops them cold every time. It makes no sense. So they would have gone for it if they thought I wasn't aware of what they were about to do?

Leebo

A helmet light works well too, esp. at night. I run a helmet, bar and a blinking bar light day and night. The minewt 150 on blink is very bright and visible.

osephjey

I find that no matter what I do the motorists around here do what they will. IF I get their attention I consider it a win. IF it looks like I will die under their wheels I back off to fight another day...I do mean mug them though.

Telly

+1000

It's all a matter of IF...

IF this continues, this will probably be my next dashboard modification: