I usually slow down for left turning drivers on two way streets despite me having the right of way. The left turner has pressure from the cars behind him who are honking and egging him on to make his turn and they also have to convince the drivers in the opposite direction going straight to slow down as to let him pass. When they make their turn, they have to be committed to it because they have oncoming car traffic going at them at full speed. I feel bad for the cyclist who is going straight as he is making the turn because he wont slow down for him. Because he rather hit the cyclist then be hit by the oncoming car. Its not on purpose (it might be in the case of some angry drivers) Its just that hes more scared of the 3000 lb car coming at him than he is of the "puny" guy on the bike. Even though you have the right of way if you find yourself in that position, either slow down and give em the right of way or get ready to dodge that car.
Also know that if you see a car waiting to make a left turn and you're the only oncoming traffic he has to face...the driver will try to intimidate you to slow down or get out of his way. Because for the most part drivers do no consider us regular traffic. This is one of the cases where the laws of the road will be broken time after time. So just be aware that left turners are very dangerous.
I know it seems like I'm backing down when I am in the right, but this is an issue where Im willing to be flexible on. Id rather be flexible and alive to keep riding then be with a broken bike or bone paying to get either fixed.
Thursday, August 26, 2010
Tuesday, August 17, 2010
Rant on bicycle lanes part II.
Why I don’t like the separated bike lanes
.. instead of cars we have to deal with pedestrians who consider them extended sidewalks.
..Id rather deal with car drivers any day than pedestrians
..I enjoy going faster than 15mph
.. Cars are easier to spot, less erratic than oblivious pedestrians who are usually zoned out on their cellphones.
... Instead of bike lanes we should just have expanded shoulders or
... the city should promote better riding skills and driver awareness instead of wasting their money on bike lanes.
.. The main skill any urban cyclist needs is to be able to shift in and out of the shoulders to avoid obstacles. The shuffle. If most cyclist new how to do that there wouldn’t be a need for bike lanes.
... now how do we teach that skill on a large scale? I don’t know, I dont work for transportation alternatives. Maybe add the shuffle
.. instead of cars we have to deal with pedestrians who consider them extended sidewalks.
..Id rather deal with car drivers any day than pedestrians
..I enjoy going faster than 15mph
.. Cars are easier to spot, less erratic than oblivious pedestrians who are usually zoned out on their cellphones.
... Instead of bike lanes we should just have expanded shoulders or
... the city should promote better riding skills and driver awareness instead of wasting their money on bike lanes.
.. The main skill any urban cyclist needs is to be able to shift in and out of the shoulders to avoid obstacles. The shuffle. If most cyclist new how to do that there wouldn’t be a need for bike lanes.
... now how do we teach that skill on a large scale? I don’t know, I dont work for transportation alternatives. Maybe add the shuffle
Tuesday, August 10, 2010
Doors
Working as a messenger doors are my biggest fear. "They come out of nowhere" we say, how can you prevent something you have no chance of avoiding. I've been doored about 4-6 times, and they've all been bad. It seems to be at a rate of one door per 6 months. I know I WILL get doored again all i can do is trust in myself that when I do get doored that my super reflexes that I'm known for will kick in and all I come out with is a bruised elbow and not in a hospital. They cost money, more money than I have for one and I just hate that helpless feeling I get when I'm waiting for people to help me.
Shit happens, you don't need to be there when it does.
Doors will open into cyclist's paths, the question is, are you going to be the one who's there when it does. The last time I was doored I sort of blamed myself. Because If I hadn't gotten complacent I would have given myself more space that wold have bought me some milliseconds to act, or get out of the way . Usually when I ride in stalled traffic in between cars I ride slow and my eyes are scanning from car to car to try to spot the signs of door openings. But no, I was in a residential neighborhood, well and far away from the bustle of midtown and I let my guard down.
One thing I learned as a messenger is that there are zones in space which are dangerous to be due to the likely hood of someting bad happening there. Overtime you learn to spot these zones and also to not get greedy and put yourself in these zones because you don't want to slow down. I have slowed down alot from the time that I was a fresh green rookie three years ago and I hope that I will keep slowing down even more to avoid getting hurt. I don't ride like a madman in the side streets because there is no flow to the traffic there. Cars are always pulling in or out, pedestrians are jaywalking, cars slow down to look for parking and sometimes even speeding up catch the yellow light. Hit me up on an avenue though with green and I'll bet your ass Im trying to haul exactly that... ass.
Remember, doors will open but you don't have to be there when they do and if you have to be there go slow enough so you can react to it in a way that doesn't involve you going to the hospital.
Where and when car doors open mostly..
In stalled traffic - motorist and passengers are concerned about their own personal safety, not yours. So when they look outside the car to see if they can open the door they look to see if traffic is in motion, if there is not traffic in motion they sense no danger therefore dont think to look behind them to see specifically if theres anybody in the path of the door.
Shit happens, you don't need to be there when it does.
Doors will open into cyclist's paths, the question is, are you going to be the one who's there when it does. The last time I was doored I sort of blamed myself. Because If I hadn't gotten complacent I would have given myself more space that wold have bought me some milliseconds to act, or get out of the way . Usually when I ride in stalled traffic in between cars I ride slow and my eyes are scanning from car to car to try to spot the signs of door openings. But no, I was in a residential neighborhood, well and far away from the bustle of midtown and I let my guard down.
One thing I learned as a messenger is that there are zones in space which are dangerous to be due to the likely hood of someting bad happening there. Overtime you learn to spot these zones and also to not get greedy and put yourself in these zones because you don't want to slow down. I have slowed down alot from the time that I was a fresh green rookie three years ago and I hope that I will keep slowing down even more to avoid getting hurt. I don't ride like a madman in the side streets because there is no flow to the traffic there. Cars are always pulling in or out, pedestrians are jaywalking, cars slow down to look for parking and sometimes even speeding up catch the yellow light. Hit me up on an avenue though with green and I'll bet your ass Im trying to haul exactly that... ass.
Remember, doors will open but you don't have to be there when they do and if you have to be there go slow enough so you can react to it in a way that doesn't involve you going to the hospital.
Where and when car doors open mostly..
In stalled traffic - motorist and passengers are concerned about their own personal safety, not yours. So when they look outside the car to see if they can open the door they look to see if traffic is in motion, if there is not traffic in motion they sense no danger therefore dont think to look behind them to see specifically if theres anybody in the path of the door.
Do we really Need Bike Lanes?
I don’t like bikelanes, I think they give inexperienced cyclists a false sense of security that makes them complacent and entitled as opposed to being defensive and flexible. DOT thinks that by adding more bike lanes that they will make cycling safer. No, in reality they are just another two lines that can be crossed by any car and constrains you in an area where you are going to be doored and right hooked. It does encourage cycling in the city, which in general raises awareness of us in the minds of cars and pedestrians. Manhattan is safer than the outer boroughs for cycling only because there are so many of us, so SOME drivers are going to look for us before they make that turn, open their doors or pull out of a parking spot. But that’s a direct result of our numbers , not the bike lanes. Go out to queens and ride in a bike lane and get ready to for some old fashioned dooring and sideswiping.
A good urban cyclist is flexible, she knows that just because there is a bike lane doesn’t mean that the car that’s wants to pullout/in in front of here is going to look for her when she rides, therefore she is prepared to ride out of the shoulder and into the car lane at any moment to save herself. When I first started riding I thought that just because I was in the right...that I shouldn’t ride defensively. It was the drivers responsibility to look out for me and if they didn’t they were wrong and, they SHOULD stop before hitting me. That mentality got me into many scary and expensive collisions and scary moments. Just because someone is supposed to do something doesn’t mean they will, that’s why we have this word called "irresponsible" I think bike lanes encourage that sense of entitlement that many inexperienced (and sadly also some experienced cyclists) seem to have. "I’m entitled to be here therefore YOU WILL STOP YOUR CAR"... and then Wham! These are the people I see stopping to argue with drivers to try to persuade them that they are in the wrong. Can anybody say Futility?
Complacency is another behavior that bike lanes encourage. Apart from bicycle lights, helmets, high vis clothing, etc, the greatest safety mechanism is a brain on full alert. There are times when I'm riding where I open my eyes wide open beyond what’s normal, just to remind myself to be extra alert.
Don’t even ask me about pedestrian plazas/ extended sidewalks....oops I mean separated bike lanes. Disasters if your ask me.
No matter which way you put it Urban Cycling is dangerous, just as urban driving is. The only way to remain safe is to be aware and flexible. Pushing bike lanes thinking that it promotes cycling safety is an exercise in futility.
I treat bike lanes as an expanded shoulder. That’s all.
A good urban cyclist is flexible, she knows that just because there is a bike lane doesn’t mean that the car that’s wants to pullout/in in front of here is going to look for her when she rides, therefore she is prepared to ride out of the shoulder and into the car lane at any moment to save herself. When I first started riding I thought that just because I was in the right...that I shouldn’t ride defensively. It was the drivers responsibility to look out for me and if they didn’t they were wrong and, they SHOULD stop before hitting me. That mentality got me into many scary and expensive collisions and scary moments. Just because someone is supposed to do something doesn’t mean they will, that’s why we have this word called "irresponsible" I think bike lanes encourage that sense of entitlement that many inexperienced (and sadly also some experienced cyclists) seem to have. "I’m entitled to be here therefore YOU WILL STOP YOUR CAR"... and then Wham! These are the people I see stopping to argue with drivers to try to persuade them that they are in the wrong. Can anybody say Futility?
Complacency is another behavior that bike lanes encourage. Apart from bicycle lights, helmets, high vis clothing, etc, the greatest safety mechanism is a brain on full alert. There are times when I'm riding where I open my eyes wide open beyond what’s normal, just to remind myself to be extra alert.
Don’t even ask me about pedestrian plazas/ extended sidewalks....oops I mean separated bike lanes. Disasters if your ask me.
No matter which way you put it Urban Cycling is dangerous, just as urban driving is. The only way to remain safe is to be aware and flexible. Pushing bike lanes thinking that it promotes cycling safety is an exercise in futility.
I treat bike lanes as an expanded shoulder. That’s all.
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