Doored!

[rog]

Ah, first time ever. I never even came close before...always was able to spot a driver in the car, and give that little extra room, just in case. But not today...I could see the driver, but I had nowhere to go, so was just hoping the driver saw me...

He didn't. Look at that, door opening in front of me just as I'm coming up on him at about 30 mph. What a drag.

For him. Cause I was already at work. Driving my tractor trailer. This is why air horn restrictions are a bad idea. Fortunately, nobody was hurt...I recommended he take a second and look over his shoulder next time...advice that I think he'll take.

[MMACH 5]

I would have liked to have seen that!

[rog]

I gotta admit, it was pretty spectacular. When I get the pics back from safety, I'll post them on my website.

[ofofhy]

I saw this happen in Philly the other day. Some lady on a cell phone just threw her door open into a taxi that was hauling a$$ down the road.

[slvoid]

I saw this happen in Philly the other day. Some lady on a cell phone just threw her door open into a taxi that was hauling a$$ down the road.

I hope the taxi hit her too...

[Mr. Miskatonic]

Ah, first time ever. I never even came close before...always was able to spot a driver in the car, and give that little extra room, just in case. But not today...I could see the driver, but I had nowhere to go, so was just hoping the driver saw me...

He didn't. Look at that, door opening in front of me just as I'm coming up on him at about 30 mph. What a drag.

For him. Cause I was already at work. Driving my tractor trailer. This is why air horn restrictions are a bad idea. Fortunately, nobody was hurt...I recommended he take a second and look over his shoulder next time...advice that I think he'll take.

It is obviously all your fault because you weren't using VD:Vehicular Driving.

[ghettocruiser]

Maybe once everyone has their drivers side doors knocked off, we can all feel a little safer.

[landstander]

Ah, first time ever. I never even came close before...always was able to spot a driver in the car, and give that little extra room, just in case. But not today...I could see the driver, but I had nowhere to go, so was just hoping the driver saw me...

He didn't. Look at that, door opening in front of me just as I'm coming up on him at about 30 mph. What a drag.

For him. Cause I was already at work. Driving my tractor trailer. This is why air horn restrictions are a bad idea. Fortunately, nobody was hurt...I recommended he take a second and look over his shoulder next time...advice that I think he'll take.

It is obviously all your fault because you weren't using VD:Vehicular Driving.

I'm sure his lane position was completely wrong. Sheesh... what a nimrod!

[oboeguy]

Heh, I posted here when I saw an idiot jump out of a taxi and get the door crumpled by a Big A55 Truck(TM). Glad you weren't on the bike...

[Treespeed]

I had a similar occurrence when I was pulling a loaded BOB trailer. A woman opened the door of her Camry right into traffic. The bike cleared the door, but the trailer caught it. I'm guessing with my 220 lbs, the 100lbs of potting soil, and the assorted 50lbs of bike and trailer it was close to 400lbs hitting her door. She was pretty upset when she realized the cop would be citing her and not me, and that she wasn't going to be able to drive off as her car door was jacked up about 6 inches.

[slagjumper]

If there wasnt so much paper work I'd make a sport of jaming my suv into peoples doors. There is an area in near home where people always throw open their doors without looking. I should make a special 200 pound bike with a top tube made out of a 6 inch diameter, cement filled, pipe for a top tube. The tube could pertrude about 22 inches. Then I could get a camera like Diva's and share the love.

[The Seldom Kill]

Last time I got doored a taxi buzzed me just into the zone at the same time someone popped the door on her 80-something grand Audi. It seems those windows without the frames don't do so well against cheap £1.50 aluminium bar ends. I took the tumble pretty well, but there was a nice chunk of glass missing from the window.

Naturally the driver kicked off about looking where I'm going, it's all my fault, I should pay, blah blah blah, shouldn't be on the road, rant rant rant, etc. I patiently waited for the noise to stop whilst checking my bike for damage, then myself. I then advised her that the law was in my favour, however, as I sustained no real damage, I wouldn't be seeking charges against her and hope that she learnt her lesson. A classic red rag to a bull moment she says that I've commited criminal damage and is going to have me arrested.

I told her that I wasn't about to hang around for such nonsense and gave her my details. Thought that was the end of it but later that day I received a call from the police asking if I would like to press charges as the woman has essentially come in and confessed to her crime. Fantastic.

I declined whilst laughing.

[huhenio]

So who is at fault whilst doored. The door owner or the ramming object?

I have a nice steel bumper in front of my Jeep, specifically desingned to push away movable obstacles. A couple deer and numerous wandering trash cans can bear witness.

Moreover ... my door opens all the way to the flares, if I carry my doors at all, or roof, or windows. Stupid law that forces me to carry the windshield installed at all times.

I guess SOME SUV's are not all that bad.

[The Seldom Kill]

In theory it is always the door owner. However this may be tempered by mitigating circumstances.

[MMACH 5]

The door opener is at fault for putting their door into the roadway. Sometimes the door rammer is also cited for something like "failure to reduce speed to avoid a collision". I'm not sure of the exact wording, but you get the idea. I've only seen this once and it was where the guy coming down the road was going WAY fast and sent the other car's door sailing into the next block.

[Artkansas]

So who is at fault whilst doored. The door owner or the ramming object?

The door owner is at fault for obstructing traffic.

As a teen I had the pleasure of being doored by a late '60s Ford Galaxie. I knocked the door off its hinges and the owner is screaming at me, demanding name address etc and telling me that he was contacting his lawyer. My shoulder is in pain. He wouldn't give me his name. Being a teen I limped home. Never heard from him.

A second near miss was with a cop. She popped her door as I passed, but I narrowly avoided contact. I looked back and told her she shouldn't be obstructing traffic. The look on her face was priceless as she realized I was right. I rode on.

[Mr. Miskatonic]

There are circumstances where hitting the door can be (legally) the hitters fault.

Such as: The door was already open for an acceptable amount of time and the car failed to avoid it. This happened to a rental moving van I was using. The drivers treated my street like the ones before it, not realising that the taller houses meant that no midday sun touched the street to melt the ice. Crunch.

When the policeman came by, the drivers admitted the door was already open but they couldn't stop their car. Blame assessed on them for failure to avoid a stationary object, and a ticket for driving too fast for conditons. Not much damage overall, however, but it was a rental and I didn't want the blame for damage.

[bostontrevor]

Fault in dooring is, like anything else, dependent on state and local statutes.

Here in Mass we have no law regarding dooring (though I personally believe that a case can be made that it violates the established rules of right-of-way). While it's not illegal, there is an insurance regulation that makes it the liability of the doorer's insurance if it runs over the no-fault limits.

I know of one community (Cambridge) that has set a local ordinance against it and the Bicyclists Bill of Rights & Responsibilities includes a provision that makes it illegal throughout the commonwealth.