chubes

I guess a lot of idiot drivers come out when the sun goes down in Savannah.

I was riding home from work today and stopped in the middle of the lane (since the bike lane ends right before the intersection) right before a small intersection right next to the big intersection with a light since the sign said not to block the intersection (said intersection). As the left hand turn was changing so I could go straight across the intersection, this idiot (!!!) in a black pickup started to come up on my right. I thought "eh, he's turning into the small intersection" but then I realized he was passing me on the right within a foot of my right elbow. I'm not usually one to share but this pissed me off.

I also had a different vehicle do the same thing on my left side when they swerved around me at a later light after I had taken the lane when the bike lane ended again.

And had my second person yell at me. "Get out of my way....Army man" as I was passing an intersection

Sorry, just wanted to rant and I realize this isn't all necessarily coherent.

SweetLou

I don't care for being passed on the right. On my commute home, I am lucky to have a nice wide road that I ride. The problem is when it is time for me to make a left turn. I turn on a side street, so no traffic light or anything. I move from the right side of the road to the left to make my turn. If there is traffic coming the other way that makes me come to a stop, then the cars behind me like to pass very close to the right of me.

I get more close passes on this turn then anywhere else on my commute. Since the road is wide, they don't slow down a bit. I also guess since I am now on the side of driver, the driver can easily tell that he is not going to hit me, so they pass closer. At least that is my guess as why they pass so closely.

JoeyBike

I actually prefer to be passed on the right. I figure the driver can judge distance much better on that side. I ride in heavy traffic often, so close proximity to cars and trucks has me a bit jaded.

Was the right-passing pickup going a reasonable speed, or zooming by trying to give you a message as a bonus?

Chris516

Your justifiable rant reminds me of something. It has to do with 'Share The Road'. Why do motorists insist on passing cyclists as fast as they can? Not only that. Why do they NEED to pass a cyclist in the first place. I have been passed on dangerous curves before, like the motorist doesn't have a care in the world.

This is why, I 'take the lane'.

bdcheung

I accidentally passed a fellow commuter on the right a week or two ago... Following a traffic light crossing, he slowed a moved to the left of the MUP and looked like he wanted me to pull through and do some work in the wind - so I did.

Turns out that's not what he wanted, and I got an earful about how dangerous it is to pass on the right. I apologized, explained the miscommunication, and all was well.

ItsJustMe

I pull up close to the center line when I'm turning left into work specifically so that people can pass on the right. It's a 55 MPH limit road, heck, when I'm driving a car people pull onto the gravel shoulder to pass on the right for left turners there. I've got no problem with it.

Last week a coworker was behind me turning left, as he pulled up there were oncoming cars at 55, and passing cars probably doing 40, all within about 3 feet of me. He made a comment about it when he saw me a few hours later, how he'd be scared to death to do that. Honestly, I didn't think anything of it.

riddei

Here's the obligatory "this is exactly why bike lanes are bad" reply .

capejohn

Those types are out there. I wouldn't feel special because I'm on a bike though. They probably do that to everyone.

lil brown bat

Pretty much, in my experience -- it's just that with bikes, they (think they) have more room to do it, so probably do it more.

fiataccompli

There are still so many who think bikes are for kids & should be on sidewalks or something. After (following a string of courteous drivers) being buzzed by someone the other night while traveling w/ my wife, I took more of the lane to create a barrier between her & traffic....right as we reached a spot where the road expanded to 2 lanes (so we could go to the right & cars to the left), one couple in a Toyota decided instead to stay behind us & honk & then try to yell out the window something about the rules of the road. Personally, if I were in a such a hurry that I felt compelled to be an a-hole to a biker, I doubt I'd slow myself down even more to holler & threaten someone....

Cuznguido

Quite frankly, most of em don't have a clue about "the rules of the road". They assume pedestrians and bicycles are in the way. I raised my kids from the git-go about these things and unfortunately many parents did not.

genec

And here is the obligatory "that's why bike lanes exist..." to show that we belong on the road.

fiataccompli

when the bike lanes are the places where all the debris is pushed from the car driving lanes and they disappear at intersections, I start to wonder what the message is sometimes. Actually, I'm visiting a place right now where there are bike lanes...which really don't exist in my home town, so it's different at least.

uke

Did someone say bike lanes?

ItsJustMe

Really? What country are you in? Here, the actual rules assume that bicycles are vehicles and they get the same rights and responsibilities as cars. It's DRIVERS that assume bicycles are in the way, not the rules.

fiataccompli

i thought that was what cuznguido meant....

I think what we need are more transportation engineers who are cyclists.

riddei

Nah, it just reinforces the thought of motorists that you belong "in the bike lane". My in-laws are from California. I had my mother-in-law in the car with me when she was visiting. We passed a cyclist, she said "he's not even riding in the bike lane".

This was a road with a 4-6" broken paved shoulder.

Itsjustb

A fellow commuter from my company was nearly taken out by a right-passing driver this morning, but with a twist.

He was making a left onto a road that has a bike lane, so he (like me) was drifting right towards the BL as he came around the turn. The moron driver behind him passed him ON THE RIGHT during a left-turn by driving into the bike lane. Nearly killed him.

Although the moron driver works in our company (or at least pulled into our campus) my friend wasn't able to find her in the parking lot.

nelson249

I had this happen to me a few years back. I was westbound on Elizabeth Ave in St John's NL at the corner of New Cove Road. At this point the road is four lanes but at the next intersection (about 200-300 yards) at Portugal Cove Road the lane ends becoming a right turn only. Long before this, drivers heading straight through start crowding the left lane and the right becomes a de facto right turn lane at New Cove Rd. In order to be courteous and at the same time avoid getting cut off by right turning vehicles, a shifted my lane position to a little over half way toward the left to ensure people could still turn against the red. Well, lo and behold I got the one git in twenty who decided he was going to try to beat everyone off the line and cut everyone off before the next light. I heard him revving his engine and thought to myself that I was not going to let this guy get away with attempting to pass me on the right. When the light turned green, I stomped on the bike and beat him off the line and asserted my lane position about three feet from the curb and he was forced to change lanes in order to get around me. I must admit I felt rather good about making good on my claim to at least a part of the road.

fiataccompli

OK...yes, I see the point about the bike lanes....double-edged sword, I suppose...

Itsjustb

Yes, I'm replying to my own post...because I laid the big, fat jinx on myself by posting about this yesterday.

This morning I had just signalled that I was moving right into the right-turn-only-lane for my company's campus when I heard a loud noise from behind me on my right. I looked over my shoulder and suddenly there was a car right there next to me--driving partly in the newly-formed RTOL and partly in the shoulder--to pass me on the right. Thank God the driver was in the shoulder or I wouldn't have heard her at all over the wind. As it was, she barely missed me.

Since she was pulling into my company's campus and I don't put up with s**t like this, I cranked it up and tried to catch her. Once she realized I was trying to catch her she accelerated and blew thru all the speed bumps on campus. She finally lost me on a hill; I saw the direction she went but couldn't see which parking lot she went to so I cruised several of them trying to find her.

rugerben

Why did he call you Army man?