Riding home Friday afternoon on a two lane hwy (55mph speed limit). No traffic in oncoming lane. Clear visibility for miles. In usual position about 2 feet over from edge of pavement. Hear approaching car/truck from behind me. Then, suddenly, "BEEEEEP, BEE-BE-BEE-BEEEEP". Now, I've had plenty of people honk at me from in front of me, behind me etc. Most all of those times were people blowing their horn not in warning, but more of "I'm in a car, you're on a bike, here I come and get off the road, can't you see it's for cars?" type declarations.

So, this truck passed me with a good 3 foot clearance, but, a microsecond later I see a Green SUV that is trying to pass the truck as it's passing me. The SUV goes off the road and nearly loses control, but somehow manages to steady itself and get back on the road and timidly follow the truck after it passes me.

Now I don't know who blew their horn. It could have been:

a) the truck warning me that some idiot is approaching
b) the truck warning the SUV that it is not safe to pass
c) the SUV saying "what the heck are you doing when I'm trying to pass?"

In any case, I got to thinking about it and wondered whether I should have jumped off the road? What if the SUV passed, but did not see me until the last second? Or what if it collided into the truck and the truck into me? Do you normally jump off the road in situations like this? Of course I don't know how you know that this is a "situation like this" until after the fact. I quit using a mirror years ago, but now wondering whether to go back to one.

Cheers