Originally Posted by
Chimera21
Two cars nearly turn left into me, one in the pouring rain while I had both a pedestrian walk symbol /and/ a green light and she was running the red turn arrow, with me standing in my pedals while going straight, hand outstretched 'stop', yelling with my bright front blinkie in her face. I know she didn't see me, the way she jerked to a stop...how she didn't I will never know.
One man snidely tell me bikes aren't allowed on the sidewalk. (They are, and my evening commute takes me on a road that, while 35mph and peaceful in the morning turns into two packed lanes of 55mph swerving speeders at 5:30. I take the sidewalk for a few blocks, at least until my new light comes in)
Yay for your first week's commute!
Since you mention the ped walk symbol, I'm assuming you were on the sidewalk when the cars nearly turned left into you? If bikes are allowed on the sidewalk where you are they may not be allowed in crosswalks. Especially at busy intersections better to get off and walk across. Drivers are not expecting to see bicycle-speed traffic on the sidewalk, and what people don't expect to they often don't see when they are distracted (by cell phones, whatnot)
Doesn't sound like a pleasant road though to be on, and I presume its your only choice.
You may also want to try an air horn to wake up the inattentive
