I live and ride in a fairly rural part of Mass. so don't get much practice riding on busy streets but for a week recently I was in Cincy and blessed with the loan of a sweet Trek 720. I was putting it through its paces up near the U.C. campus on a couple of one way parallel streets. I crossed from one to another and pulled out into traffic alongside a Subaru Outback. The driver looked at me before we entered the traffic stream and I was actually out and turning before him so I was pretty sure he was aware of my presence but a moment later he was braking, pulling right and aiming for a parking space. The total distance we traveled was about 50-60 feet. Not technically a right hook but more like a right squeeze. I braked, but not fast enough to avoid contact with the right rear fender of his car. I was able to bring the bike to a stop and as he moved forward fell to my left since I had been leaning that way to counter the push I was getting from the car.
I'm not sure how I could have avoided it but since, of the two of us, he was the only one who knew his intention to grab a parking space I was essentially relying on him using his judgement knowing of my presence to his immediate right to get his space without cutting me off but obviously that was a naive assumption. There were a number of witnesses to the contact and many inquired after my well being. The driver, on the other hand, just got out of his car, stared at me for a second and saying nothing, turned away and went into a restaurant. Perhaps he was trying to avoid any indication that he was at fault. He certainly gave me that impression. Was I being schooled for ignorant riding?
Here is a Google image of the spot. I'm the red line he's the yellow. What should I do differently next time?
