Velo Vol 

This afternoon--a pleasant, sunny afternoon--I was riding into town.

I had just turned onto a four-lane road and had accelerated to 18-20 m.p.h. I was cruising into the intersection with the post office driveway when I see that a blue car immediately to my right is starting to move right at me!

[Click here for a poor-quality (dark) Google Street View rendering of the intersection. The van is coming out of the post office driveway.]

With such little notice I didn't have time to do anything except accelerate and hope I cleared the path of the car.

I almost made it, but the car clipped by back wheel. Luckily, it didn't catch enough to knock me over; I kept rolling.

I should have stopped immediately and attempted to confront the driver, but it took me a few seconds to process what had just happened and I missed the first pull off (it's not the kind of road you want to stop on). By the time I reached the next driveway and turned around, the car was gone.

There are times and places where I ride that I can imagine motorists might not readily see me. This was not one of them. Visibility was great and a driver turning at that spot has an unobstructed view of at least 0.15 mile. There is no way someone who looked could not see me approaching. What a freakin' idiot.

Fortunately, I'm unscathed and the bike is still intact. The rear wheel did get knocked out of true. I hope the rim isn't bent. I don't see any damage to the frame or components, but I guess I should have the bike shop look it over.

At any rate, a close call. Too close.

Brightwork

Give her a break - she did need to get the lip gloss fixed up.

edit: I know it could have been a male driver. I recently had a "near almost" incident with a woman (or man?) putting on make-up while on the cell phone. It's still fresh in my mind and a real pet peeve of mine.

urbanknight

I had a friend get his drop handlebar hooked by a sideview mirror because the driver was putting make-up on instead of watching where she was going. Luckily, she realized it before she dragged him to the ground, but when she stopped to finish her face, he let her have a piece of his mind.

Velo Vol 

My gut says it was a female. But to be fair I never saw the driver so I don't know.

JFlurett

I was hit in broad daylight by an SUV, who had been stopped on the other side of a red light from me. Turned left across my face and clipped my rear wheel. We had both been sitting at the light the entire time, with NO traffic. Just he and I... at the light... alone... at 3:30 in the afternoon.

coasting 

i never underestimate. i assume they are out to get me.

Brightwork

Sometimes they are.

coasting 

i've had a couple of incidents where a car on a side street approached the bigger road that I am on. he stops to see if the way is clear and can join the larger road. I look straight at him and make eye contact and i am virtually right across his front and yet he starts to move and i have to swerve to avoid getting T-boned by the knuckle head. We must be invisible or something.

i go with the theory it is deliberate attempts to knock us down.

BeefyMcstewface

Glad you're okay. Drivers are oblivious enough of other cars, bicycles and motorcycles might as well be invisible.

coasting 

hey velo, that google street view seems to show a light traffic wide road. there is no way an accident can happen here. It was deliberate.

TxAggieCyclist

I had the same thing but they tried to pull out in front of me and I didn't have a chance to swerve. Hit the front tire, making a nice taco out of the wheel, and got to superman across the hood of the car. It was awesome...

Brightwork

I almost did the same thing this week, but I have mad skills so I managed to avoid the car.

hairnet

Same, but I managed stop right before the SUV crossed my path, inches from her bumper. She also hit the brakes and had this expression on her face

ktanner777

I have this stare that I give every driver that is approaching me. This especially happens when crossing intersections with drivers to my right making right hand turns. I just stare right at them as I ride by and I like to think I'm transmiting to them "Hit me, I dare you to give me a reason to ventilate your skull with the blunt end of my mini bike pump."

You got to be a defensive cyclist letting those drivers around you know that they don't wanna get ther a** kicked by a guy in spandex in front of everyone else in traffic.

Machka 

Doesn't this belong in the Death and Destruction forum?

MegaTom

From what I hear, you are just as safe on the road as that female -- or possibly male -- driver in the blue car.

hurley.girl

I wish I could link the facepalm, but an eye roll will have to suffice.

Brightwork

Car on busy street, bike on busy street - car is safer. Car on busy street vs cyclicing on a deserted roads and MUPs is close.

Brightwork

The one from Star Trek is my favorite.

hurley.girl

That's exactly the one I was thinking of. Can't go wrong with Captain Picard.

coasting 

this is my favourite.

MegaTom

This is what I've come to understand from my experience of sharing many busy and not-so busy roads with many Florida drivers. Yet somehow, because of statistics, I'm supposed to be just as safe on my bike as the Blue Hairs are in their cars. I don't get it, but that's what BF tells me.

Quel

There is a nice sidewalk on that road. Why weren't you on it?

MegaTom

Which one? I prefer the Jean Luc / Riker double facepalm myself....

mymilkexpired

Maybe we should start a community sponsored clothing line. The jerseys will read "I will defend my lane at the expense of your face".

Its a rough world out there. I've been full on hit 3 times.