NOTE: NSFW language - verbal altercation relayed as it happened

I saw someone get doored yesterday. Luckily the victim of the yellow cab door flung open was a gypsy cab and not a bicycle.

I was walking along (shirt and tie, headed to happy hour to meet friends), heard the crunch, and turned to see the black cab smashing the door off the yellow cab while the passing on the left (basically in a single traffic lane). The solo passenger who had opened the door (on the traffic side) was out of the cab, and as both drivers were yelling both at each other and also for him to stay, he said, quote, "I'm not staying around for this ****" and headed off down the sidewalk. Following just behind me.

I commute a few days a week, and that could easily have been me instead of a gypsy cab, and the clown got out on the traffic side, and flung the door open without looking. I looked back and the guy was shaking his head and smiling a little, basically chucking to himself about the cab on cab crime he had witnessed.

And I was fuming.

The more I thought about it, the more pissed I was. I finally turned around and said something.

me: You understand you caused that, right?
him: **** you.
me: What? No really, YOU caused that. I ride a bike in this city and I've been on the ground 3 times because of stupid ****s like you that don't look before flinging a door open into traffic.
him: not my problem.
me: Right, you only cause problems. You're too stupid to own them.
him: I didn't see him coming
me: Use your eyes *******. (I look him in the eyes and point my two fingers at my eyes, something I often do when riding.) Learn to look at what's around you.
me:Too stupid to get out on the curb side too.
him: you should be careful who you talk to like that
me: your small **** *** wasn't man enough to deal with that, you damn sure aren't man enough to deal with me.
me: Worthless piece of trash.

Sadly, I'm sure he learned absolutely nothing.

I understand that the yellow cab contributed to the accident by not pulling out of the traffic lane before stopping (and there was an open hydrant 30 ft in front of him), and also by not making the passenger get out on the right side. And I also understand the the gypsy cab shouldn't have impatiently passed on the left two abreast in the single lane with parked cars on both sides with enough speed to tear a door off before he could notice or stop.

But what really set me off was that the self absorbed **** of a passenger, rather than react with "oh crap! sorry!" basically waltzed off like he had absolutely nothing to do with what happened. Like he was some kind of victim because it almost cost him 15 minutes of his life to stay and deal with it.

Grrrrr. I just love people. Not.

Yep. These days, "f-u" is the response one often gets when one brings up poor behavior on the part of another. I even got that when I mentioned to a motorist driving at night that he might want to turn on his headlights. My reply: "Fine. Get a ticket."

This is lack of education. Many people in America (and other places, I'm sure) don't understand they are responsible/accountable for door hazards.

Ok, I'm alright with the OP embellishing his story by using filtered words, but let's not everyone else join in . . . serves no purpose.

We Americans are big on personal rights and liberties but not on personal responsibility and consequences for our actions. But that's part of the whole culture that teaches people it's okay to screw each other over because that's the pattern set by government and businesses that are too big to fail.

But it's not just Americans. Back in 1978 I was doored in Washington DC riding my bike. Turned out to be a diplomat's or ambassador's limo. Guy was in a tux, sounded like he was from Jerkovenia or Dumbary. Didn't apologize, just fussed at me for scratching his limo. I wasn't injured and my bike seemed okay. I was an enlisted man at the time and figured there was no way I'd come out ahead in this situation, so I offered a few colorful suggestions about appendages and where they might fit in his body, and rode off ASAP before the cops arrived.

What's a gypsy cab?

There are two classes of taxis in NYC. Metered yellow (aka, Medallion) cabs licensed to respond to street hails anywhere in the city. And less regulated cabs, not allowed to respond to street hails. These operate in various neighborhoods and are ordered by phone dispatch. They may be called car services or limos depending on the market they serve.

That's how it's supposed to work, but the reality is that various areas are drastically underserved by yellow cabs, and the less regulated Gypsies operate there, and to an extent elsewhere, illegally responding to street hails. Hensel the name, which isn't intended as a complement.

LMGTFY: https://www.google.com/search?q=gypsy+cab

Thanks for the snarky post that clarified nothing and added zero to the conversation.

So what does this translate to in reality? A 16 yr old in a 20 yr old Civic that gets called on his cell to go pick people up? Uber?

Thank you Billy. Not embellishing though. Relaying as close to verbatim as recollection allows. I really do use that language when people deserve it. Riding in NYC... yelling is half the fun.

And to be fair, it probably wasn't a gypsy cab, it had T (ie T123456C) plates and was probably an Uber and I did not observe it making any illegal street pickups.

For background: In NYC there is a tendency to call every non-yellow (non-medallion) cab a gypsy cab.

Primarily because they have a long history of making illegal street pickups when not on dispatch call. Especially in the boroughs where they line up and block traffic at every train station, and honk at intersections when empty hoping for an illegal non-dispatched pickup.

Then there's the crazy "dollar cab" / dollar van routes up and down the main roads where they honk at every pedestrian hoping to be waved to add another illegal pickup to their already packed vehicle.

From wikipedia on Dollars Vans in NYC: "Dollar vans and other jitneys mainly serve low-income, immigrant communities that lack sufficient bus and subway service." This is complete lie. The dollar vans run straight up and down the most travelled routes, which always have subway and often redundant surface bus service. They exist because they charge a dollar (vs 2.75 for city transit), they pick up wherever you stand and stick a hand out, and drop off wherever you ask. This is convenient for the passengers.... and a complete hazard for all other traffic as they swerve unpredictably to pick up potential passengers. And it can be quite the competitive free-for-all melee w/ more than one dollar van trying to get to a potential passenger first!!!!

Also the wiki picture of the dollar van in NYC is complete BS. They're almost always old beat up passenger vans like this one, except you have to add the 6 ft, hand bent, whip antenna for the CB radio they use to talk to each other about where the police are.

You've never heard of a gypsy cab before?

Not that NYPD would give a rip, but OP, you could have followed the passenger and reported to NYPD plus the cabbies where he went; home, work, bar. He did unlawfully leave the scene of a collision he caused and he could be held liable.

I don’t think police have a check box for dooring. I think they check the box saying “hit a parked car”. The insurance companies love that.

yes and no.

In NYS the driver of a car is responsible for the actions of his passengers. So the initial insurance claim will be argued between the two involved insurers, then the one who pays might try suing to recover that loss.

That's part of the problem, passengers have a very low standard of responsibility.

There have been proposals now and then for selective door locks, whereby the driver can lock either side, forcing the passenger to use the other, but so far no mandate on that. I do know some people who've done the modification on their own, including a friend who did it for added safety when ferrying the kids to school and such.

TLC should mandate not only their installation, but also their active use at all times, for any yellow cab and any vehicle with T plates in NYC, West Chester and Nassau.

Two of of the 3 times I've been doored, it was by a car in the left most lane stuck in traffic, where the passenger decided hey this is far enough and just whipped the door open. The driver shouldn't have let them get out there, but didn't really have any way to stop them either.

I wonder if the objection is technical, ie. the wiring harness fitted OEM making it difficult to individually control the right and left side rear door locks independenltly without costly modifications.

In any case, I don't like governmental micromanagement, and so don't support a mandate. However, I'd like to see the law clarified making it clearly the (cab) driver's responsibility for the consequences of a passenger opening a door into the traffic side. (or regardless of which side). Then, I suspect that many operators will adapt and adopt ways including (maybe) some kind of lock to protect themselves from potential suits.

Most new cars have child locks. One could enable the child lock on the driver side, and force all passengers to get out on the passenger side. I'm sure that would be popular when the cab picks up several passengers.

With electronic locks, it wouldn't take much to install a device that allows the driver to remotely lock and unlock passenger doors when the coast is clear. In theory, an AI could be programmed to do that automatically. It would be a pretty simple computer system.

So far I haven't plowed into any doors, but don't get in door zones a lot. What is the average time between a car parking and a door popping open? It would seem like one would give extra clearance to cabs and delivery vehicles, and any vehicle one sees pull into a parking lot.

I think people need to be reminded of this hazard. It's something that should be on signs and billboards and even television commercials. If it was impressed on them, they would be more vigilant.

I'm not for governmental micromanagement in general, but NYC Taxis are a special class of menace, and few, very few, would say not to hold their feet held to the fire at all times.

They already mandate all kind of custom wiring in the cars, from rear seat plasma screens, credit card readers, front seat meters, roof top lights wired to the meters indicating "free vs hired" status, rear panic lights wired to a driver robbery switch, etc etc. One more for door lock controls (when new vehicles go into service) is a trifling addition to the list. The specialty garages already tear the whole car apart and make rather extensive mods to the wiring harnesses.

The real inconvenience would be on to the T plate cabs, but really there's like 5-8 models being used for those, and the garages are very competive, so it would ultimately be a small expense to the driver.

After the crash, I was thinking about the downtime for the cabs to be repaired. But really, I think there are garages in Long Island City that have doors and fenders (and bumpers) already painted up yellow and black and can replace them while you wait. Both cars were probably back in service in for $300 and 45 minutes and I seriously doubt either driver called the insurance company.

Anybody ever get doored by a Lamborghini?



Then the big thing is for the occupant to take care not to step into harm's way, but the opening door should also be noticeable to those passing by.

A few points. New cars do have driver controlled door locks (child locks), but to my knowledge, they all operate together. I would guess that all the doors are on a common harness controlled by a single relay. So, controlling doors independently left and right may not be simple. Also, keep in mind that NYC has plenty of one way avenues, so, it's not just about permanently locking one side or the other.

Add to that the tendency of passengers in NYC to call it quits in tough backups and jump out and hoof it.

So, there may be technical issues, solvable or course, but I don't know what it might cost.

OTOH - the whole issue may become moot in the near future. All the major car companies are developing "door monitor" systems to prevent opening doors into approaching traffic. These systems are pretty far along, and most tuned to detect bicycles in the door zone. So, soon new cars will have door monitors, and we can expect integration into the taxi fleet faster than personal autos, because the fleet turnover rate is pretty fast.

Perhaps,

But I know that backing into a brick wall with the door open can really do a number on a door. Nope, I haven't done it, but I've seen the aftermath.

Parts aren't cheap. It really depends on whether the cab company has a good body shop, and perhaps people to acquire and strip down parts cars and retired police cars.

Wish I were there to witness the exchange . OP seems to be into photography, pity we don't have a picture here.

There are also the green taxis, authorized to pick up passengers from outer boros and above 96th st. in Manhattan. They seem to be worse than the yellow ones.

I was doored once in front of a hotel on 5th ave midtown Manhattan. The passenger didn't apologize, but the hotel doorman came over to apologize for him. My handlebar and brake lever got hit into crooked positions. In a few near dooring incidents most of those who opened the door said sorry.

Yes, but I was trying to keep it simple for someone not from NYC. There's also (now Uber and Lyft, and the Gypsy category is more complicated with a full spectrum running from legal operations who overstep by taking hails to 100% illegal operations with no permits of any kind.

Two dozen posts about a dooring and the doored vehicle isn't even a bicycle? Really? WTF?