Originally Posted by
Daves_Not_Here
I must be lucky -- this has never happened to me once in about 25,000 miles. And almost all my riding is on roads in Southern California. And none of the guys I ride with have ever mentioned having such a near miss. Maybe Southern California drivers are just accustomed to seeing cyclists since we have so many? Maybe if I was a bike commuter with a lot more miles and riding during rush hour, I might experience the problem?
It might be unpopular for me to suggest we cyclists take an interest and some personal responsibility in making sure we are seen, given that we disproportionately suffer the effects of collisions. But as long as we're talking about psychoanalyzing motorists, perhaps we could also hypnotize cyclists to understand why some self-identify as infants in the presence of motorists, who, in their role as adults bear sole responsibility for all transactions. We could also study cyclists to discover why some are so anxious to adopt the mantle of victimhood. But today's universities are probably the wrong place to conduct these studies given that pathetic victimhood is such valuable currency there. Too much competition with obese blue-haired viragos.
It may be an unwelcome digression, but might it be constructive to describe the techniques we can use to mitigate the risk of not being seen?
- Daytime flashing headlight - the brighter the better
- Don't hug the curb - get out into the field of view where motorists are already looking for cars
- Eye contact with waiting drivers -- why in the hell would you ride in front of a motorist that you are not positive has seen you? Jesus, you could get yourself killed.
First off, your mileage ridden is trivial. Come back when you've got twenty times that and let us know how it went. Yes, you do need to ride during commute times and get out of your little bubble and ride in other places if you want to be taken seriously. There are lots of roads, go ride them before you make silly generalizations.
As far as the victim mind set you mention, when one is riding along obeying the law and a scofflaw breaks the law in such a way as to put one at risk of death or serious injury, one is actually a victim. It doesn't require any prior condition. Sometimes, one can take steps to mitigate things, but not always. Surely you remember the dear doctor in SoCal who nearly killed two riders with his brake check attack. There's not a lot one can do when someone is intent on harming you.
Oh, and do share how one can ever be certain every motorist has seen you (as in actually processed your existence in their brain). With all the tinted glass, glare and night riding (necessary up here where the sun sets before 4:00 PM much of the year, which you'll learn about when you get more experience), there's just no way I can see many drivers' faces. I also don't want to focus so intently on one threat that I miss the others. If I were to never proceed until I had unequivocal evidence that every motorist has seen me, I'd never get off my street.