pmseattle

A cyclist just got doored right in front of my apartment. I heard the crash and scream through my open window, looked out, and saw the cyclist lying on the street next to his bike, groaning and apparently having some kind of convulsion. It looked like he was badly injured. There were a lot of people around with cell phones, and the Pioneer Square fire station is three blocks away, so the medics came in about two minutes followed quickly by the police. I had a ringside seat since this all happened about ten feet from my living room window. The car driver who popped the door got a citation and a totaled driver's side door - looked like a new car, too.
Be careful out there!

CB HI

Was there a "door zone bike lane"?

pmseattle

No bike lane at all. A fairly busy street with businesses and parking on both sides, but the traffic is always slow since there are stop signs every block. Not a bad place to ride, as downtown streets go.
I was just going out with my own bike for a grocery run to Trader Joes's, about two miles away, when all of the excitement erupted. It kind of shook me up - I had to sit down for about an hour to calm down.

Roody

Why the hell was he riding in the door zone? That's not a place I like to be.

dfw

There's a lot of people who just don't know any better. Guess he wasn't a BF member.

quatrecats

Scary--I live in E. Washington, but ride lots in Seattle--always gets my adrenaline pumping--looking for the open door, whatever--this rider will be in my thoughts for sure.....

dynamho

Opening car doors properly (ajar for a few sec, look, and open) should be part of the driver licensing requirement, even if makes only marginal difference in reducing the number of ignorants who just pop open the door.

Never ride in the door zone, just ride in the center of the lane and pretend you're a farm tractor or horse and carriage.

bigbuzz

i always wondered who is at fault in this case. The biker riding in the door zone or the careless driver opening his/her door. I guess judging by the citation, the law deems the driver at fault. Is this so for most places?

genec

Yes, but inspite of the laws, the pain still hurts, so best not to depend on the law. One should avoid the door zone whenever possible.

Seanholio

In California, the door opener is considered at fault. In my opinion, fault is shared, since teh door zone is known to be a danger zone.

ollo_ollo

The U of W campus is downhill from North to South & back when I attended, I saw an incident like this where a "clydsdale" class cyclist nearly removed the door from a Cadillac which he struck at speed. Totaled the bike but the rider escaped with only a concussion.

tacomee

In the real world, it's tough not to ride in the *door zone* at least sometimes. I'm always careful around schools-- I'm always ready to stop for whatever's going to pop out at me- doors, kids, minivans pulling u-turns...

So take the lane if you have to and ride carefully (and slower) in the door zones you get stuck riding in.

FlowerBlossom

I've driven and ridden those streets in Seattle, and, if there's on-street parking there's only one lane for cars and a little space between the driven-cars and the parked-cars for a biker.

Nonetheless, blaming the victim is so uncool.

bostontrevor

Is it? I bet it's not so known as you think. The continued striping of door zone bike lanes tends to corroborate.

Roody

Blaming the victim is uncool.
Warning the victim is very cool.
Learning from victims, so we don't become victims, is coolest.

If there's one lane for cars there's one lane for bikes too! It is safe to ride in the lane, dangerous to ride in the door zone. Therefore, ride in the lane. Most cagers won't mind. They don't want you to get hurt, and, on a narrow road like you described, they are not moving much faster than you anyway.