Bicycles on the road

I drove a dump truck for a short period of time in Manassas Va and I had one dumb ass(among many I encountered) in a fancy BMW cage(that worked at a local IBM center) who flew past me coming to up a stop light, whipped over in my lane(taking away space I was counting on to stop) and slammed on the brakes! All this just so he didn't have to sit behind a dump truck or wouldn't be late for work. He almost had the truck in the back seat.

I really felt like just flooring it and running his ass over!

...and big trucks get the bad rap...

I've driven the Army's semis with a D7 on the lowboy. Talk about not stopping! :eek1

M

To not impede the safe flow of traffic behind me.
It can take a while for a bicyclist to travel that 100 yrds depending on how fast they're pedaling. (I do take their speed into consideration) 90% of the time I'm able to pass, make my turn and even park in my spot before the bicyclist has even reached the entrance I turned into so I have to ask you...:huh
Why impede the flow of traffic when it's unecessary?

Why should I risk being rear ended to avoid a safe maneuver around a bicyclist?

It was on Japatul Valley Road, Alpine CA. There was a brief mention of it in the San Diego Union newspaper.

That's an awesome road. Nothing real surprising on it though. Unfortunate deal...

Who's more likely to get hurt?

Now, if the cyclist is poking along AND its safe, by all means pass em. If they're moving along, its safer to wait for em.

Had one of my neighbors pull out of their driveway pretty much into my path. Gee thanks. I live out in the sticks. There's 4 driveways on the court. Not paying attention, huh?! Otherwise, no s on the road today.

M

Well, when I'm on my Motorcycle, I'd have to say ME because I also have a hot exhaust that can lay down on my leg + a couple hundred pounds vs. the Bicyclists 15lb carbon framed wonder. (I'm NOT always in the cage...as has obviously been assumed)
I agree with the highlighted part of your statement.
Are we finished splitting hairs yet?

Sure. Why not?!

No on the road today

M

Only one idiot on the road today.

Some douche in a dually pickup cut a blind corner that goes over the crest of a hill. He was halfway in my lane! :eek1



Good thing I was 1' or so from the white line or he'da creamed me!

M

I get a rush from mixing it up with cars in the city.
A rider of reasonable skillage can beat traffic easily
and stay out of everyones way. Yet Ive never found it
necessary to yell "get on the sidewalk" to the
100 cars that I have to slow for every day, and they
dont seem to be in a hurry to move out of my way.
I wonder why they expect differently from me when
its the other way. Hmmmmm . . .

I found a new 27-1/4 inch old school road tire on my
ride home today, if you are in L'Ville and lost yer tire,
I have it !

Bicyclists ( and yes I ride those things as well a MC) Are SLIGHTLY more predictable than deer. As in, a bicyclist riding very slowly along the extreme right hand side of the road might be very winded and thereby mentally impaired and about to do a U turn (without looking).

So my input on this question, is be very very careful approaching a bicyclist. Especially the slow moving ones. They may be temporarily mentally retarded due to oxygen deficit. Think about what deer in the road do.

If you hit one, their fault or not, it will hurt you and hurt your bike.

The second rule of motorcycling applies here....

1. dont fall off

2. dont run into anything

3. dont let anything run into you

--Peter

They will recover, whereas you will have to labor with your deficiencies forever. Very sad.

I know *I* can be somewhat brain dead after a hard set of intervals, etc. but I know enough to keep riding straight till I've looked over my shoulder to see WTF is on my 6.

Not everyone on a bicycle is a cyclist.

M

Got in a ride before the snow today. Only two near death experiences on the streets, none on the trails. One was a guy sitting at a stop sign who couldn't wait two seconds for me to pass before crossing. Pulled out right in front of me. I slammed on the brakes and missed being killed by about a foot. The other was a similar deal at a different intersection.

I must be getting old. Neither of them even caused a blip in my bloodpressure. I just called them douchebags and kept on rolling.

The sad thing is shit like that happens often enough to not be 'an occurrence.'

Happens on MCs too, but its easier to get out of the way with a throttle.

M

I see that all the time on the motorcycle.:huh I almost instinctively move to the right side of my lane when going around blind corners because nine times out of ten, if there is someone coming to other way, they will be halfway into my lane.
Not so much in the truck...but I've still had some close calls in it too!

I never got the memo from the DMV but driving apparently isn't a priority while operating a motor vehicle now days!

1 idiot on the road today. Yup. Passing around a blind corner into oncoming traffic again.

Ya see, today I was in 'don't hit me yellow' headed towards Prince William Co's Police and Fire training center down the road from my house. Some idiot in a Jetta decides to pass me DESPITE me sitting up and holding out my arm in a 'stop' manner.

Ummm ya think the guy in front of you can see around the corner better and ya might wanna think about what that hand sticking out may just signify? Maybe? Perhaps there's *gasp* something coming?!

Nah! Couldn't POSSIBLY be anything coming ON THE ROAD TO THE TRAINING CENTER! Nope. Couldn't happen.

I just wish they'd done that when a cop was coming. 'Course, who knows what the cop woulda done. Probably nothing.

Otherwise, another uneventful day on the roads round NoVA

M

If we hop in the Way-Back machine with Peabody and Sherman it'll take us back to 1983 coming down the south grade of Palomar Mtn. on my Suzuki Katana. As I came around one of the right hand hairpins there appears, coming right at me, in my lane a motorhome! I cranked that thing over till the engine cases were on the ground. When the tires started coming off the ground and I bailed. The bike hit the motorhome head on and I bounced off the rear duals of the motorhome. It was a sad day indeed. I loved that bike. The guy in the motorhome yelled something out the window complaining about his wife flying somewhere and then backed up off of my bike and drove off (like he was going to really get away). There was a good outcome from the incident though. The money I got from his insurance company jump-started my racing career (such as it was) on my spanking new FJ600...

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1. The guy on the bicycle is lucky to be alive.

2. Obviously his first day riding on the public streets, or maybe he just got off a plane from Amsterdam.

3. Ride on the sidewalk, what's the chance of a ticket versus the chance of being road kill?