Have you made THIS observation?
#52
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I've had a driver hang back long enough that I finally waved her around me. I'm in a pretty low traffic area, so she had plenty of room to pass.
#55
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What I've noticed is that more and more drivers are driving with the right side wheels on the white line. They don't drive in the center of the lane. I wish I knew why they do that.
#57
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When I'm riding in the city I take up a full lane square in the middle. I notice a lot of cars just slowing down behind me hoping I would move over at some time.
No freaking way. I am a vehicle by traffic laws and deserve to take up an entire lane, plus I cruise at 20+mph so it's not like I'm holding everyone back.
I do this on roads with 3 lanes or more usually(most roads I ride on are 3-4 lanes each way so huge). It's very rare for them to honk at me but I hate it when they do that, no way I'm moving except if it's a huge bus or something like that. I usually see them first and signal them to pass and I move to the side; as soon as they pass I go back to my position.
No freaking way. I am a vehicle by traffic laws and deserve to take up an entire lane, plus I cruise at 20+mph so it's not like I'm holding everyone back.
I do this on roads with 3 lanes or more usually(most roads I ride on are 3-4 lanes each way so huge). It's very rare for them to honk at me but I hate it when they do that, no way I'm moving except if it's a huge bus or something like that. I usually see them first and signal them to pass and I move to the side; as soon as they pass I go back to my position.
#59
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I think it's just the difference between the unreasonable goy in front and the normal, reasonable people behind them. There's so much buildup in the 3 minutes it takes them to work out that yes, they have 6 feet to spare in passing you that it seems as though the next person is right on your bars, when in reality they just understand that they can't do much to help if you decide to swerve into the middle of the lane for fun when there's a car there.
City riding is this 90% of the time. I guess there are more morons riding through downtown cores than out on the real routes, though.
City riding is this 90% of the time. I guess there are more morons riding through downtown cores than out on the real routes, though.
#60
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Red cars don't pay more in this day and age but there are some tales in the industry that in the 70's and 80's a couple of insurers did charge a premium for red sports cars. Certainly red does attract the attention of people in general and traffic police as well. I drove red sports cars for 20 years and tickets flowed. I switched to black sports cars and haven't had a ticket in 10 years. (Shouldn't have said that ) Maybe it was based on the fact that more tickets = higher premiums. Go figure.
Last edited by SwingBlade; 08-20-10 at 12:09 AM.
#61
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Funnily, I had the exact opposite happen to me yesterday.
Being Ramadan in these parts, the roads are absolutely empty around sundown as everyone is at home breaking their fast. But after that, people start to go out and about and I've noticed a little more aggressiveness in the driving compared to the past (where drivers here have invariably been very polite and considerate - far exceeding my expectations).
So as I was in the tail end of my 100k ride, a car blasts past me with inches to spare (despite there being a second lane with no incoming traffic). However, the guy behind him slows down, gives me a wide berth and passes nice and easy, as if to make up for the first guy's obnoxiousness.... now that's the holiday spirit
V.
Being Ramadan in these parts, the roads are absolutely empty around sundown as everyone is at home breaking their fast. But after that, people start to go out and about and I've noticed a little more aggressiveness in the driving compared to the past (where drivers here have invariably been very polite and considerate - far exceeding my expectations).
So as I was in the tail end of my 100k ride, a car blasts past me with inches to spare (despite there being a second lane with no incoming traffic). However, the guy behind him slows down, gives me a wide berth and passes nice and easy, as if to make up for the first guy's obnoxiousness.... now that's the holiday spirit
V.
#62
Bike ≠ Car ≠ Ped.
Yet another example of bad driver training. For all the worshipping at the Altar of The Car that this country does, we have piss poor training.
#64
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But that said, road conditions are a lot better nowadays which is why I can ride a regular road bike. I have a Gios steel bike. The photograph is a little old and a little big- sorry if it bothers with opening the page.
I also ride an Olmo road bike, converted to fixed gear.
Human powered rickshaws are not used in Bombay, but then we have the motorised version, called the auto rickshaw or the auto, and these can make life hell for any road user, particular the car driver. These autos are not very fast moving, and have trouble rushing past you when you are riding at a fair pace. Not the big red buses though. With us, it has become second nature to keep a watch for bus stops that we approach, and listen over the sound of other vehicles, for the sound of the approaching bus. These bus drivers terrorise other cars- cyclists are fly-**** on the map.