Monday, December 17, 2007

What I want

I want persons who operate large vehicles on the public roadways to wake up and pay attention to where they are going.


A repeat of last year's close call. Riding eastbound on Jenkins, moving over to the center lane to turn left onto Ecole.Car turns right off Ecole onto Jenkins (westbound), traffic isn't moving quite as smoothly as they'd like, so they cut over into the center lane. Except at that point, it is a double yellow line, and they aren't supposed to be there, as it would interfere with the traffic turning left onto Ecole. I was the traffic turning left onto Ecole. Painfully bright headlight, plus flasher on helmet, plus reflective strips on the jacket. I yelled. I smacked the car with my hand. I saw it slowly move forward and turn left into my place of employ.



Maybe someone will come yell at me tomorrow for terrifying someone who was coming to pick them up from work. I don't care. They'll get it with both barrels. If they'd smacked ME, they would still go home to a nice dinner, and with any luck, I'd be in the ICU.

Other things I want:

I expect other vehicles to pass me SAFELY.

Not pass when they can't see far enough ahead - this includes uphills and curves!

Not pass when there is oncoming traffic - most roads out here are not wide enough for 2 motor vehicles and a bicycle.

Not pass so close that I could reach out and touch them.

Not pass so close that I am crowded off the road.

Not pass and then immediately turn right.

Bonus: no honking, yelling of "encouragement", or throwing things.

I don't ask for much.

6 comments:

Paul Whitney said...

Very good that you're still here. Hope to see you and all the other rando's in March for the opening 200km's.

gone said...

Bonus: no honking, yelling of "encouragement", or throwing things.

I'm amazed that motorists think cyclists can hear them. I'm sure that whatever they yell seems really insanely witty to them and their fellow passengers, but to me it sounds like "Oooraniroooo" after wind, motor noise, and Doppler are done mangling the sound.

Of course, the nice part about their unintelligibility is that I can give them the benefit of the doubt and assume they're saying something nice.

Unless the car is an SUV with a "W" bumper sticker on it, in which case I realize that they're merely envious of my studliness. Too bad. I won't apologize for greatness.

Kevin said...

Glad you didn't get hurt. Makes one wish bikes were equipped with quick release baseball bats. "Oh no officer, I was merely defending myself by making my presence known"

oblivious motor vehicle operators........grrrrrrrrr

Anonymous said...

Glad it wasn't worse.

I have taken to getting my geek on by wearing a day-glo orange vest over my jacket, morning and evening, tastefully trimmed in glaucoma yellow.

Last week I was stopped at a light in NW Portland and a driver yelled out his window at me, "You're SO visible! I can TOTALLY see you!" Big smile on his face and a thumbs-up signal as the light turned green and we both made our civil ways into downtown.

Be hopeful, but cautious.

Grant said...

I'm with you all the way there, especially the throwing things. I got hit by a drink can on the arm on the weekend during a brevet - ugliest bruise I've ever had. Pretty picture at riderredux.blogspot.com

Anonymous said...

It just gets down to motorists don't *care*. I'm ready to do something radical to get them to start caring...like, the imminent threat of turning them into a Vulnerable Roadway User.

...getting crotchety in my middle age...