Originally Posted by
JeffS
Nothing too special about the ride. Did have a fairly typical problem with a motorist. The arterial I ride switches from 5 lanes to 7 very narrow lanes as I approach my office. I typically move just a little left to make it even more obvious that a car can't share the lane with me. Every now and then one of those people who are mentally unable to change lanes will end up behind me - and then still be behind me as I need to move left across lanes to make the turn into my office. It's just a hassle.
The annoying part is that many of these people pull up behind me at the previous light. If you're in a car on a six lane road, why would you pull up behind a bicycle (instead of changing lanes) that you won't be able to get by? I guess I've already said it... they're mentally incapable of changing lanes.
I had an encounter with a relative of one of these folks today. The arterial that feeds my neighborhood ends in a "T" intersection at a major road called South Miami Blvd. I make a left at that light. This morning I was the first vehicle at the light, waiting for a green light so I could turn. A lady pulled up behind me in the left-turn lane and stopped about a car-length back (why? Is my bike suddenly going to do a back-flip and land on your hood? Is my tailpipe spewing noxious fumes? but I digress). As usual for cases like this, I turned around and did the "come hither" with my fingers asking her to move closer and pointed down at the pavement behind me. She moved up...and veered left so the front end of her car was sticking out into the oncoming traffic lane next to us. WTF? Why would she do this? I looked her in the eye, rolled my eyes heavenward, and shook my head in disbelief.