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.