Originally Posted by
Orbital57
Yamcha does make one useful point -
There have been times while driving that I have been absent minded or talking on a cell phone or adjusting volume controls on the stereo that when I looked up I found myself driving partially in the next lane and sometimes, the bike lane.
The clear message from this is that wherever you are you are not safe from incompetent drivers.
No. The clear message is that wherever you go there are are incompetent drivers out there, so: ride accordingly.
In particular, the above quote from Yamcha is merely a confession of a typical driver who has noticed himself drifting inadvertently from time to time. Note that order things happen:
- "I have been absent minded or talking on a cell phone or adjusting volume controls on the stereo"
- [driver looks away from the road]
- [driver drifts]
- "I looked up I found myself driving partially in the next lane and sometimes, the bike lane."
(2) and (3) are implied (by the words of (4)) and in an inadvertent drift they always follows (1), so what I try to do is ride in a manner that reduces the possibility of (1). How? By riding in a manner that
grabs the attention of drivers as early as possible so that they become focused on
me rather than on their wandering thoughts, the radio or their phone conversation, causing them to delay (2) until they pass me.