Go Back  Bike Forums > Bike Forums > Commuting
Reload this Page >

Bad driver

Notices
Commuting Bicycle commuting is easier than you think, before you know it, you'll be hooked. Learn the tips, hints, equipment, safety requirements for safely riding your bike to work.

Bad driver

Old 03-05-10 | 08:55 AM
  #1  
Thread Starter
Senior Member
 
Joined: Aug 2009
Posts: 5,720
Likes: 111
From: North of Boston

Bikes: Kona Dawg, Surly 1x1, Karate Monkey, Rockhopper, Crosscheck , Burley Runabout,

Bad driver

I took the left lane of a two lane road. The right lane is full of cars going onto the highway. There is less than 100 yds between stop lights on this stretch. This car honks behind me, crosses the double yellow line and passes me on the left. We are approaching the traffic light and I shift to the right lane. An aware driver kindly let me merge in. I pull up to the passenger window and shout as loud as I can "You passed me on the left !". The passenger (daughter) looked embarrassed and horrified. And I'm doing 25 in a 30 on a slight downhill. Nothing surprises me anymore. I love my left bar-end mirror. The rest of the morning commute went better
Leebo is offline  
Reply
Old 03-05-10 | 09:13 AM
  #2  
CCrew's Avatar
Older than dirt
 
Joined: May 2008
Posts: 5,342
Likes: 2
From: Winchester, VA

Bikes: Too darn many.. latest count is 11

Hey, at least he honked
CCrew is offline  
Reply
Old 03-08-10 | 03:27 PM
  #3  
rumrunn6's Avatar
Senior Member
15 Anniversary
Community Builder
 
Joined: Jul 2008
Posts: 30,465
Likes: 4,547
From: 25 miles northwest of Boston

Bikes: Bottecchia Sprint, GT Timberline 29r, Marin Muirwoods 29er, Trek FX Alpha 7.0

be careful out there. I wouldn't be shouting anything to anyone as I'm riding. save the confrontations for when you are standing still. but avoid them anyway
rumrunn6 is offline  
Reply
Old 03-08-10 | 04:38 PM
  #4  
CliftonGK1's Avatar
Senior Member
 
Joined: Jul 2006
Posts: 11,373
Likes: 8
From: Columbus, OH

Bikes: '08 Surly Cross-Check, 2011 Redline Conquest Pro, 2012 Spesh FSR Comp EVO, 2015 Trek Domane 6.2 disc

Hike down your pants and put a butt print on his passenger window.
__________________
"I feel like my world was classier before I found cyclocross."
- Mandi M.
CliftonGK1 is offline  
Reply
Old 03-08-10 | 04:39 PM
  #5  
Senior Member
 
Joined: Apr 2006
Posts: 1,840
Likes: 0
From: San Jose, CA

Bikes: Bianchi San Remo - set up as a utility bike, Peter Mooney Road bike, Peter Mooney commute bike,Dahon Folder,Schwinn Paramount Tandem

Originally Posted by CCrew
Hey, at least he honked
My daughter, who attended high school in the Boston area, made the observation that many drivers in Boston seem to have the horn connected to the brakes, so that they automatically honk whenever they apply the brake. At first I thought that she was crazy, but as I observe the way they drive in Massachusetts, I am not so sure......
sauerwald is offline  
Reply
Old 03-08-10 | 06:11 PM
  #6  
hairnet's Avatar
Fresh Garbage
 
Joined: Apr 2009
Posts: 13,190
Likes: 30
From: Los Angeles

Bikes: N+1

"you beat me to the light! Happy?"
hairnet is offline  
Reply
Old 03-09-10 | 03:28 PM
  #7  
rwp
Senior Member
 
Joined: Jul 2007
Posts: 400
Likes: 0
From: Reno, NV
So after you were passed, you shifted to the right lane. If it was ok to go to that lane to yell at the driver, why wasn't it ok to be in that lane all along?
rwp is offline  
Reply
Old 03-09-10 | 03:45 PM
  #8  
CliftonGK1's Avatar
Senior Member
 
Joined: Jul 2006
Posts: 11,373
Likes: 8
From: Columbus, OH

Bikes: '08 Surly Cross-Check, 2011 Redline Conquest Pro, 2012 Spesh FSR Comp EVO, 2015 Trek Domane 6.2 disc

Originally Posted by rwp
So after you were passed, you shifted to the right lane. If it was ok to go to that lane to yell at the driver, why wasn't it ok to be in that lane all along?
I'm going to guess that it was past the highway entrance when he shifted back to the right lane.
__________________
"I feel like my world was classier before I found cyclocross."
- Mandi M.
CliftonGK1 is offline  
Reply
Old 03-09-10 | 04:30 PM
  #9  
Doohickie's Avatar
You gonna eat that?
 
Joined: Sep 2008
Posts: 14,917
Likes: 543
From: Fort Worth, Texas Church of Hopeful Uncertainty

Bikes: 1966 Raleigh DL-1 Tourist, 1973 Schwinn Varsity, 1983 Raleigh Marathon, 1994 Nishiki Sport XRS

There's a stretch of country two-lane with no shoulder on my commute... a short stretch, less than a mile.... but most of it is marked with double yellow, especially the part leading into the blind curve at the end. Cars routinely cross the double yellow pass me, even on that curve. I recognize that I'm not gonna stop them but I try to maintain enough lane position that they have to really move over to the left to get around me and.... if need be I have a little wiggle room to veer right if they have to cut back in suddenly. I generally take the middle of the lane or so. If they are behind me and I can see no on-coming traffic, I'll shift right a bit (into the right tire track) to invite them to pass. If there is oncoming traffic I try to hold my position. I even once flagged a car down that started to pass because there was oncoming traffic and if he had tried to pull around me he would have gotten in a collision. When the other traffic cleared I moved right and waved him around... and when he came by he gave me a thumbs up.

In that stretch I don't worry about double yellow versus dashed yellow; if a car wants to pass they pretty much ignore it. I just try to make things as safe as I can for all involved. It's what Keri on CommuteOrlando calls "leading the dance."
__________________
I stop for people / whose right of way I honor / but not for no one.


Originally Posted by bragi "However, it's never a good idea to overgeneralize."
Doohickie is offline  
Reply
Old 03-09-10 | 04:41 PM
  #10  
rwp
Senior Member
 
Joined: Jul 2007
Posts: 400
Likes: 0
From: Reno, NV
Originally Posted by CliftonGK1
I'm going to guess that it was past the highway entrance when he shifted back to the right lane.
He says that the lights were less than 100 yards apart and that he shifted into the right lane as he approached the light. Where was the highway entrance? At the light?

The OP was travelling at 25mph and the driver pulled into the oncoming traffic lane, passed him (presumably going much faster than 25mph), then pulled back into his lane and still allowed an aware driver enough time to sow and give him room to move into the right lane, pull up to the passer's window and yell at the daughter. All within 8 seconds - the time to travel 100 yards at 25mph.
rwp is offline  
Reply
Old 03-10-10 | 10:44 PM
  #11  
Doohickie's Avatar
You gonna eat that?
 
Joined: Sep 2008
Posts: 14,917
Likes: 543
From: Fort Worth, Texas Church of Hopeful Uncertainty

Bikes: 1966 Raleigh DL-1 Tourist, 1973 Schwinn Varsity, 1983 Raleigh Marathon, 1994 Nishiki Sport XRS

Originally Posted by Doohickie
There's a stretch of country two-lane with no shoulder on my commute... a short stretch, less than a mile.... but most of it is marked with double yellow, especially the part leading into the blind curve at the end. Cars routinely cross the double yellow pass me, even on that curve.
Just in case you don't believe me:

__________________
I stop for people / whose right of way I honor / but not for no one.


Originally Posted by bragi "However, it's never a good idea to overgeneralize."
Doohickie is offline  
Reply
Related Topics
Thread
Thread Starter
Forum
Replies
Last Post
Hoopdriver
Commuting
32
04-20-18 06:48 AM
1989Pre
Advocacy & Safety
50
10-08-17 09:57 PM
Easy Peasy
Advocacy & Safety
27
10-13-11 08:48 PM
JaclynMcKewan
Commuting
45
06-26-11 07:08 PM
5b00
Advocacy & Safety
24
04-13-10 12:24 PM

Posting Rules
You may not post new threads
You may not post replies
You may not post attachments
You may not edit your posts

BB code is On
Smilies are On
[IMG] code is On
HTML code is Off
Trackbacks are Off
Pingbacks are Off
Refbacks are Off


Thread Tools
Search this Thread

Contact Us - Archive - Advertising - Cookie Policy - Privacy Statement - Terms of Service -

Copyright © 2026 MH Sub I, LLC dba Internet Brands. All rights reserved. Use of this site indicates your consent to the Terms of Use.