Badger_South wrote:
:: On Fri, 17 Sep 2004 09:02:14 -0400, "Roger Zoul"
:: <[email hidden]> wrote:
::
::: Badger_South wrote:
::::: On Thu, 16 Sep 2004 20:41:27 -0400, Frank Krygowski
::::: <[email hidden]> wrote:
:::::
:::::: As usual in cases like this, people on one side of the fence are
:::::: stubbornly unable to consider the view from the other side. It
:::::: seems it's so in Badger's incident. Also in the situation you
:::::: described with your manager. It's certainly been the case in
:::::: some incidents I've had with truckers.
:::::
::::: If you'll read my description, Frank, you'll see I was quite
::::: clinical in the description to the group, explaining the
::::: involuntary flinch and the purposeful angulation of the trucker's
::::: driving. I've not said anything to the trucker's manager.
:::::
::::: In the future I'll be handling the sitch with a camera, and I'll
::::: avoid troubling the group with these kinds of incidents.
:::
::: Why? We may encounter similar situations and having beneifit of
::: your experience may be helpful.
::
:: Most of these incident reports are 'vents', posted mainly b/c there's
:: little way to resolve the sitch out in the street, and it certainly
:: doesn't resolve anything here.
These 'vents' help to make newbie riders more aware of possible issues, imo.
Hence, they are good. Maybe we need a group, rec.bicycles.vents 🙂
::
:: We all know that drivers will continue to play games with bikers,
:: and the best way to handle the more benign is to ignore, although I
:: predict that more and more bikers will use technology, helmet cams,
:: digital cameras and soforth to document, and maybe that will get
:: some action - though I doubt it. The best way may be to bike in
:: pairs or in a group, that way you have a witness, and are less
:: likely (?) to be harassed.
In my experience so far the problems have mainly be thoughtlessness. Drivers
either have low skill or just don't think about what they are doing relative
the bicyclist. I had one lady honk rudely at me one Sunday morning, but
that was okay because I was keeping her from pleasing her lord by getting to
church on time.
::
:: The best way to handle potential problems in the street is to be
:: aware, and take the lane as needed, being mindful of right or left
:: hooks, and make sure you have eye contact.
In SC, I frequently encounter vehicles that have darkly tinted windows - not
much chance for eye-contact there.
In the last incident, my
:: first instinct was to be 'nice' to the truckers and get to the side.
:: In the future, I'll be taking the lane and making them wait, or go
:: very wide, leaving myself plenty of room to maneuver.
Well, IMO, one should give trucks plenty of room. Luckily, most trunkers
seem to be more careful that your typical car driver.
::
:: Although Frank K. talks about biking being a safe activity, I'm
:: really appalled at how often I've been honked at, squeezed to the
:: curb, and yes, even had a couple drivers drive right at me head-on
:: in my lane, and when I raise my hands palm up in a 'what the hell?'
:: fashion, the driver hollers out the window 'get on the sidewalk', or
:: 'not enough room for you?' And this is all in the space of two weeks
:: on the road in areas that are 25-30mph speed limits.
That's amazing. I've not had one person yell at me --- yet.
::
:: So just be aware, in some places it's a war zone and you have to be
:: alert and take your chances. Carry a cell phone and a camera and be
:: careful out there!
::
I hear ya. I can't see taking a camera, though. I don't I would be able to
snap a shoot in time to make it useful.
