My Close Call 2007 (1)

[what does THIS button do?]

I propose an omnibus thread to gather all the missed-me-by->that<-much
posts and offer the following to start

when/where:
today about 15:35, on Prairie north of Wilson in Batavia (IL) , going
to work.


Me:
ultraflourescent hit-me-orange with retroflective stripes, made for
autobahn workers, high vis vest, blaze-clip-me-orange hunting gloves,
flashy spandex speedo tights. MTB, riding right wheel rut, 18 in a 25.
Sunny.

what:
Giant ,*shiny* jacked-up black 4 door chevy pickup, Daddy driving, wife
and daughter onboard, passes so close that his mirror missed my head by
about 4 inches. speeding. Guy laughs at me when i inform him of his
near whacking experience. Fortunately, wife and little girl look
mortified.

oh well. beats getting stuck in a fenderwell.

..max

 

[Bill Baka]

what does THIS button do? wrote:
> I propose an omnibus thread to gather all the missed-me-by->that<-much
> posts and offer the following to start
>
> when/where:
> today about 15:35, on Prairie north of Wilson in Batavia (IL) , going
> to work.
>
>
> Me:
> ultraflourescent hit-me-orange with retroflective stripes, made for
> autobahn workers, high vis vest, blaze-clip-me-orange hunting gloves,
> flashy spandex speedo tights. MTB, riding right wheel rut, 18 in a 25.
> Sunny.
>
> what:
> Giant ,*shiny* jacked-up black 4 door chevy pickup, Daddy driving, wife
> and daughter onboard, passes so close that his mirror missed my head by
> about 4 inches. speeding. Guy laughs at me when i inform him of his
> near whacking experience. Fortunately, wife and little girl look
> mortified.
>
> oh well. beats getting stuck in a fenderwell.
>
> .max
>
If you had time to inform him, you didn't have time to drag him out of
the truck and teach him some manners? Face to face is a great equalizer.
Many of the pickup yahoos I have run ins with will just not get out of
their protective box, now thinking they have ****** off a lunatic.
Maybe in my case.
Bill Baka

 

[dgk]

On Wed, 03 Jan 2007 07:28:52 GMT, Bill Baka <[email protected]> wrote:

>what does THIS button do? wrote:
>> I propose an omnibus thread to gather all the missed-me-by->that<-much
>> posts and offer the following to start
>>
>> when/where:
>> today about 15:35, on Prairie north of Wilson in Batavia (IL) , going
>> to work.
>>
>>
>> Me:
>> ultraflourescent hit-me-orange with retroflective stripes, made for
>> autobahn workers, high vis vest, blaze-clip-me-orange hunting gloves,
>> flashy spandex speedo tights. MTB, riding right wheel rut, 18 in a 25.
>> Sunny.
>>
>> what:
>> Giant ,*shiny* jacked-up black 4 door chevy pickup, Daddy driving, wife
>> and daughter onboard, passes so close that his mirror missed my head by
>> about 4 inches. speeding. Guy laughs at me when i inform him of his
>> near whacking experience. Fortunately, wife and little girl look
>> mortified.
>>
>> oh well. beats getting stuck in a fenderwell.
>>
>> .max
>>
>If you had time to inform him, you didn't have time to drag him out of
>the truck and teach him some manners? Face to face is a great equalizer.
>Many of the pickup yahoos I have run ins with will just not get out of
>their protective box, now thinking they have ****** off a lunatic.
>Maybe in my case.
>Bill Baka

Good way to get shot Bill.

 

[Paul Hobson]

>> what does THIS button do? wrote:
>>> what:
>>> Giant ,*shiny* jacked-up black 4 door chevy pickup, Daddy driving, wife
>>> and daughter onboard, passes so close that his mirror missed my head by
>>> about 4 inches. speeding. Guy laughs at me when i inform him of his
>>> near whacking experience. Fortunately, wife and little girl look
>>> mortified.
>>>
>>> oh well. beats getting stuck in a fenderwell.
>>>
>>> .max

> On Wed, 03 Jan 2007 07:28:52 GMT, Bill Baka <[email protected]> wrote:
>> If you had time to inform him, you didn't have time to drag him out of
>> the truck and teach him some manners? Face to face is a great equalizer.
>> Many of the pickup yahoos I have run ins with will just not get out of
>> their protective box, now thinking they have ****** off a lunatic.
>> Maybe in my case.
>> Bill Baka

dgk wrote:
> Good way to get shot Bill.

Indeed. After catching up to one near misser at a light and quite
calmly explaining my grievances, the driver who was wearing army
fatigues threatened to "shoot my white ass."

While I don't think he actually would (he had a startled passenger with
him), he did have that borderline-crazy look in he eye.
\\paul

 

[Marz]

Bill Baka wrote:
> what does THIS button do? wrote:
> > I propose an omnibus thread to gather all the missed-me-by->that<-much
> > posts and offer the following to start
> >
> > when/where:
> > today about 15:35, on Prairie north of Wilson in Batavia (IL) , going
> > to work.
> >
> >
> > Me:
> > ultraflourescent hit-me-orange with retroflective stripes, made for
> > autobahn workers, high vis vest, blaze-clip-me-orange hunting gloves,
> > flashy spandex speedo tights. MTB, riding right wheel rut, 18 in a 25.
> > Sunny.
> >
> > what:
> > Giant ,*shiny* jacked-up black 4 door chevy pickup, Daddy driving, wife
> > and daughter onboard, passes so close that his mirror missed my head by
> > about 4 inches. speeding. Guy laughs at me when i inform him of his
> > near whacking experience. Fortunately, wife and little girl look
> > mortified.
> >
> > oh well. beats getting stuck in a fenderwell.
> >
> > .max
> >
> If you had time to inform him, you didn't have time to drag him out of
> the truck and teach him some manners? Face to face is a great equalizer.
> Many of the pickup yahoos I have run ins with will just not get out of
> their protective box, now thinking they have ****** off a lunatic.
> Maybe in my case.
> Bill Baka


Almost got myself shot in Texas one time because I yelled at a dumbass
redneck in an F150. After he almost whacked me into a ditch and I
yelled something about his mother, he gets out and points some sort of
hand cannon at my head. He's says something about 'next time I'll g'it'
you bouiy' ..(it all got too country for me to understand).... and
drives off. I'd just moved to the US from the UK where you can yell at
drivers without fear of getting your head blown off; I learnt I good
lesson that day. Can you guess which one....

1, don't mouth off at drivers in Texas 'cos everyone's armed

2, buy a bigger gun, maybe something that says desert eagle down the
side

3, buy some new cycling gear in HPD colours

4, all of the above

Laters,

Marz

 

[Leo Lichtman]

"dgk" wrote: Good way to get shot Bill.
^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
There are no good ways to get shot.

 

[fastturtle]

Close call #1, 2003

Where/When: Outskirts of small town, daylight, fair weather.

Me: riding road bike on main road, back from a good ride, 25 km/h ?

What: A guy starts from a roadside business parking lot and accelerates
straight towards me from my side. I escaped by accelerating vigourously
and managed to put 20 cm between his front fender and my rear wheel. Guy
seemed a bit puzzled.

Close call #2, 2004

Where/When: Downtown, winter morning, night.

Me: riding road bike with a small diode headlight, because the commuter
was at the bike shop for a repair. Downhill, 35 km/h ?

What: A guy starts straight in front of me from a private parking lot,
with poor line of sight. I brake like hell, and end up shouting
leaning with my hand against the back of his car. Guy stops, and says he
hasn't seen me. Has been asking the city to put a mirror there for some
time, without success.

Close call #3, 2006

Where/When: Downtown, evening, night. Roadworks reduce street width to one
lane for a short distance (about 20 m). I have the right of way, oncoming
trafic has to yield.

Me: Riding my commuter bike with SON/Lumotec light (= visible), at the
center of the only lane, ~20 km/h.

What: A guy coming the other way, instead of waiting for me to be out of
the way (would have taken 5 seconds ?), accelerates towards me with high
noisy rpms. Out of fear I pull to the right, but out of rage I can't
resist banging my fist against his window. Very stupid idea: he is going
so fast that my banging actually got me a swollen and painful thumb, which
is curing only slowly. The guy didn't stop, didn't even slow down.


More-than-close call #4, 2005

Where/When: Outskirts of small town, morning, mist/light fog against
rising sun. Major road, 2 lanes in each direction, low trafic.

Me: riding loaded touring bike, yellow vest, red panniers, at the far
right edge of the road (too far to the right perhaps ?).

What: Guy hits me from behind and sends me flying into the grass. Broken
rib, bike damaged. The guy says he hasn't seen me - well, I expect he
didn't hit me on purpuse...


Plus a few others... all this, lined in row, might seem scary, but
actually these events are rather rare. No close call yet in 2007, but it's
been only 4 days...

 

[Roger Zoul]

what does THIS button do? wrote:
> I propose an omnibus thread to gather all the missed-me-by->that<-much
> posts and offer the following to start
>
> when/where:
> today about 15:35, on Prairie north of Wilson in Batavia (IL) , going
> to work.
>
>
> Me:
> ultraflourescent hit-me-orange with retroflective stripes, made for
> autobahn workers, high vis vest, blaze-clip-me-orange hunting gloves,
> flashy spandex speedo tights. MTB, riding right wheel rut, 18 in a 25.
> Sunny.
>

This made you an excellent target.

> what:
> Giant ,*shiny* jacked-up black 4 door chevy pickup, Daddy driving, wife
> and daughter onboard, passes so close that his mirror missed my head by
> about 4 inches. speeding. Guy laughs at me when i inform him of his
> near whacking experience.


See.


Fortunately, wife and little girl look
> mortified.
>
> oh well. beats getting stuck in a fenderwell.
>
> .max
>

 

[Bill Baka]

dgk wrote:
> On Wed, 03 Jan 2007 07:28:52 GMT, Bill Baka <[email protected]> wrote:
>
>> If you had time to inform him, you didn't have time to drag him out of
>> the truck and teach him some manners? Face to face is a great equalizer.
>> Many of the pickup yahoos I have run ins with will just not get out of
>> their protective box, now thinking they have ****** off a lunatic.
>> Maybe in my case.
>> Bill Baka
>
> Good way to get shot Bill.

Nobody lives forever and I am approaching forever quickly.
Besides, I just can't stand to let these assholes drive off with a smile
like they just scared the **** out of me.
My personality flaw.
I've been stabbed before, but not seriously, nor shot, yet.
Bill Baka

 

[D Wells]

On 2 Jan 2007 20:45:33 -0800, "what does THIS button do?"
<[email protected]> wrote:

>I propose an omnibus thread to gather all the missed-me-by->that<-much
>posts and offer the following to start
>
>when/where:
>today about 15:35, on Prairie north of Wilson in Batavia (IL) , going
>to work.
>
>
>Me:
>ultraflourescent hit-me-orange with retroflective stripes, made for
>autobahn workers, high vis vest, blaze-clip-me-orange hunting gloves,
>flashy spandex speedo tights. MTB, riding right wheel rut, 18 in a 25.
>Sunny.
>
>what:
>Giant ,*shiny* jacked-up black 4 door chevy pickup, Daddy driving, wife
>and daughter onboard, passes so close that his mirror missed my head by
>about 4 inches. speeding. Guy laughs at me when i inform him of his
>near whacking experience. Fortunately, wife and little girl look
>mortified.
>
>oh well. beats getting stuck in a fenderwell.
>
>.max
This happened this past summer.

I was in the country and came upon a sweeping, gentle right curve as
the oncoming car approached, to is, a gentle, sweeping left curve.

At the moment we were able to see each other the car made such a
purposeful move right at me that I figured it was a stupid kid trying
to scare the guy on the bike.

I pulled all the way to the berm and stopped, determined to make eye
contact with the driver -- you know, sort of like that poster "The
Last Great Act of Defiance" (a mouse giving a hawk the finger as the
hawk scoops down to make a meal of it.)

I'm assuming the car was doing better than 50 mph.

Anyway, as I stood in the berm the car kept coming right at me, well
past what I would have considered needed for let's-scare-the-biker
fun. And this is where it got scary.

When the car got close enough to make eye contact I noticed it was a
little old lady looking up over the steering wheel. She wasn't trying
to scare me ... she just hadn't seen me.

She cranked the wheel hard to the right when she saw me. I kept an eye
on her as she bobbed down the road to make sure she didn't end up in
the soy beans.

I'm pretty sure this is the same little old lady I saw blow through a
stop sign, without slowing, a couple of weeks before. I'm sure she
looked as she approaced the Y in the road, noticed there was nothing
as big as a tractor or car coming, and then didn't bother to stop. Had
I been a little quicker that day she might have hit me broadside.

 

[qui si parla Campagnolo]

Bill Baka wrote:
> what does THIS button do? wrote:
> > I propose an omnibus thread to gather all the missed-me-by->that<-much
> > posts and offer the following to start
> >
> > when/where:
> > today about 15:35, on Prairie north of Wilson in Batavia (IL) , going
> > to work.
> >
> >
> > Me:
> > ultraflourescent hit-me-orange with retroflective stripes, made for
> > autobahn workers, high vis vest, blaze-clip-me-orange hunting gloves,
> > flashy spandex speedo tights. MTB, riding right wheel rut, 18 in a 25.
> > Sunny.
> >
> > what:
> > Giant ,*shiny* jacked-up black 4 door chevy pickup, Daddy driving, wife
> > and daughter onboard, passes so close that his mirror missed my head by
> > about 4 inches. speeding. Guy laughs at me when i inform him of his
> > near whacking experience. Fortunately, wife and little girl look
> > mortified.
> >
> > oh well. beats getting stuck in a fenderwell.
> >
> > .max
> >
> If you had time to inform him, you didn't have time to drag him out of
> the truck and teach him some manners? Face to face is a great equalizer.
> Many of the pickup yahoos I have run ins with will just not get out of
> their protective box, now thinking they have ****** off a lunatic.
> Maybe in my case.
> Bill Baka

Gent in Denver had this sort of thing happen. Got a cross bow arrow in
the chest, died..Altho I am one that is very militent on my bicycle and
will shout and gesture, ya gotta be careful.

 

[Kristian M Zoerhoff]

When/where: Today, about 13:15, Willow Ln just east of IL 31 in West Dundee,
IL, heading eastbound (42.091121N, 88.290532W).

Me: Street clothes, red Champion lightweight shell jacket. 22 in a 25, middle
of the lane. Sunny.

What: Small, silver sedan coming out of a side street (new, so not in Google
Maps yet), makes eye contact with me, then proceeds to roll right through his
stop sign anyway, coming to within a foot or so of me (remember, I'm in the
/middle/ of my lane). He didn't fully stop until I threw my right arm out at
him, giving him the "stop right there" sign. I don't know if he was just out of
it, or if he massively misjudged my speed.


I also had a close encounter with a dog today, involving a possibly autistic
pedestrian, but that's another thread.

--

__o Kristian Zoerhoff
_'\(,_ [email protected]
(_)/ (_)

 

[[email protected]]

Kristian M Zoerhoff wrote:
> When/where: Today, about 13:15, Willow Ln just east of IL 31 in West Dundee,
> IL, heading eastbound (42.091121N, 88.290532W).
>
> Me: Street clothes, red Champion lightweight shell jacket. 22 in a 25, middle
> of the lane. Sunny.
>
> What: Small, silver sedan coming out of a side street (new, so not in Google
> Maps yet), makes eye contact with me, then proceeds to roll right through his
> stop sign anyway, coming to within a foot or so of me (remember, I'm in the
> /middle/ of my lane). He didn't fully stop until I threw my right arm out at
> him, giving him the "stop right there" sign. I don't know if he was just out of
> it, or if he massively misjudged my speed.

For what it's worth:

One hour ago. Waiting for a green arrow in a left turn lane. Cars
facing me have a red light.

I get my green arrow and start to turn left. Motorist facing me
simultaneously decides he doesn't want to wait for his red light any
more. He starts up at the same moment I do and heads straight for me
as I'm making my turn. I slam on the brakes and barely miss him. As I
blare the horn, he yells something at me, but never even slows down.

Yes, I blared the horn. You see, I was driving my car. With
headlights on.

There are idiots and jerks out there. You encounter them while riding
a bike, driving a car, riding a motorcycle or just walking. Keep it in
mind, but don't let it keep you off your bike.

- Frank Krygowski

 

[Kristian M Zoerhoff]

In article <[email protected]>,
[email protected] says...
>
> There are idiots and jerks out there. You encounter them while riding
> a bike, driving a car, riding a motorcycle or just walking. Keep it in
> mind, but don't let it keep you off your bike.

BTDT. The only thing that'll keep me off the bike is some shop time it needs
(front der. went off the reservation during today's ride, and I'm overdue for a
tune-up/shopping excursion anyway). That's after tomorrow's ride, though.

--

__o Kristian Zoerhoff
_'\(,_ [email protected]
(_)/ (_)

 

[Bill Baka]

qui si parla Campagnolo wrote:
> Bill Baka wrote:
>> If you had time to inform him, you didn't have time to drag him out of
>> the truck and teach him some manners? Face to face is a great equalizer.
>> Many of the pickup yahoos I have run ins with will just not get out of
>> their protective box, now thinking they have ****** off a lunatic.
>> Maybe in my case.
>> Bill Baka
>
> Gent in Denver had this sort of thing happen. Got a cross bow arrow in
> the chest, died..Altho I am one that is very militent on my bicycle and
> will shout and gesture, ya gotta be careful.
>
Sort of unique and not the kind of encounter I am looking for, but a
cross bow, that is different. Around here there are some idiots with
guns, but mostly just dumb asses in pick up trucks. I did get hit just
before Christmas by an old man in a pickup truck but didn't mention it,
since it was a case of a guy who really didn't see me. My thumb got
cracked and is still sore but he gave me a ride home and was very sorry
so I didn't bother to get the police involved. That was an accident, but
most of my encounters are not. For what it's worth it was at a stop sign
and my bike didn't register so he pulled out just in time to clip my
rear and dump me. Why a 65 year old who had a stroke a few years back
was driving a jacked up 4 x 4 is beyond me, but there he was.
Bill Baka

 

[Bill Baka]

Kristian M Zoerhoff wrote:
> In article <[email protected]>,
> [email protected] says...
>> There are idiots and jerks out there. You encounter them while riding
>> a bike, driving a car, riding a motorcycle or just walking. Keep it in
>> mind, but don't let it keep you off your bike.
>
> BTDT. The only thing that'll keep me off the bike is some shop time it needs
> (front der. went off the reservation during today's ride, and I'm overdue for a
> tune-up/shopping excursion anyway). That's after tomorrow's ride, though.
>
My shop time involves some quality time either in the cold and crowded
garage with the bike or in the living room watching the Discovery
channel while truing a wheel or something time consuming. My LBS knows
me for coming in and buying those exotic little parts you can't buy
anywhere else. Wife does not like the bike in the living room, but at
least I can watch a special about someplace I would like to be while
turning a wrench.
Bill Baka

 

[nash]

"Bill Baka" <[email protected]> wrote in message
news:[email protected]...
> qui si parla Campagnolo wrote:
>> Bill Baka wrote:
>>> If you had time to inform him, you didn't have time to drag him out of
>>> the truck and teach him some manners? Face to face is a great equalizer.
>>> Many of the pickup yahoos I have run ins with will just not get out of
>>> their protective box, now thinking they have ****** off a lunatic.
>>> Maybe in my case.
>>> Bill Baka
>>
>> Gent in Denver had this sort of thing happen. Got a cross bow arrow in
>> the chest, died..Altho I am one that is very militent on my bicycle and
>> will shout and gesture, ya gotta be careful.
>>
> Sort of unique and not the kind of encounter I am looking for, but a cross
> bow, that is different. Around here there are some idiots with guns, but
> mostly just dumb asses in pick up trucks. I did get hit just before
> Christmas by an old man in a pickup truck but didn't mention it, since it
> was a case of a guy who really didn't see me. My thumb got cracked and is
> still sore but he gave me a ride home and was very sorry so I didn't
> bother to get the police involved. That was an accident, but most of my
> encounters are not. For what it's worth it was at a stop sign and my bike
> didn't register so he pulled out just in time to clip my rear and dump me.
> Why a 65 year old who had a stroke a few years back was driving a jacked
> up 4 x 4 is beyond me, but there he was.
> Bill Baka


You have to be extremely vigilant when looking for safe manoevers, referring
to the driver, as you get older because your eyes are getting slower too.
After a stroke probably worse than normal. Tired folks after Christmas
shopping or any other time. I noticed a more than the usuall amount of
people in stores were very aggravated about everything. Good thing I was
not on a bike much cause of the weather.
SN

 

[Zoot Katz]

I guess there's not many I remember past a week. It's taken me a few
days to try recalling any really close ones lately.

Then I remembered the honk of a street sweeper squeezing the
red-light and me having to hold a track stand while it passed
entirely too close to my body. That was in early autumn.

Since then I've been reminding myself to double check - again.
Now I'm not so eager to dash off the instant the light turns green.
--
zk

 

[nash]

"Zoot Katz" <[email protected]> wrote in message
news:[email protected]...
>I guess there's not many I remember past a week. It's taken me a few
> days to try recalling any really close ones lately.
>
> Then I remembered the honk of a street sweeper squeezing the
> red-light and me having to hold a track stand while it passed
> entirely too close to my body. That was in early autumn.
>
> Since then I've been reminding myself to double check - again.
> Now I'm not so eager to dash off the instant the light turns green.
> --
> zk

Almost makes you wonder if our free medical system makes people want to play
God more than they would in the States.
SN

 

"Marz" <[email protected]> wrote in message
news:[email protected]...
>
> Bill Baka wrote:
>> what does THIS button do? wrote:
>> > I propose an omnibus thread to gather all the missed-me-by->that<-much
>> > posts and offer the following to start
>> >
>> > when/where:
>> > today about 15:35, on Prairie north of Wilson in Batavia (IL) , going
>> > to work.
>> >
>> >
>> > Me:
>> > ultraflourescent hit-me-orange with retroflective stripes, made for
>> > autobahn workers, high vis vest, blaze-clip-me-orange hunting gloves,
>> > flashy spandex speedo tights. MTB, riding right wheel rut, 18 in a 25.
>> > Sunny.
>> >
>> > what:
>> > Giant ,*shiny* jacked-up black 4 door chevy pickup, Daddy driving, wife
>> > and daughter onboard, passes so close that his mirror missed my head by
>> > about 4 inches. speeding. Guy laughs at me when i inform him of his
>> > near whacking experience. Fortunately, wife and little girl look
>> > mortified.
>> >
>> > oh well. beats getting stuck in a fenderwell.
>> >
>> > .max
>> >
>> If you had time to inform him, you didn't have time to drag him out of
>> the truck and teach him some manners? Face to face is a great equalizer.
>> Many of the pickup yahoos I have run ins with will just not get out of
>> their protective box, now thinking they have ****** off a lunatic.
>> Maybe in my case.
>> Bill Baka
>
>
> Almost got myself shot in Texas one time because I yelled at a dumbass
> redneck in an F150. After he almost whacked me into a ditch and I
> yelled something about his mother, he gets out and points some sort of
> hand cannon at my head. He's says something about 'next time I'll g'it'
> you bouiy' ..(it all got too country for me to understand).... and
> drives off. I'd just moved to the US from the UK where you can yell at
> drivers without fear of getting your head blown off; I learnt I good
> lesson that day. Can you guess which one....
>
> 1, don't mouth off at drivers in Texas 'cos everyone's armed

Guess the Brits were right during WWII. They said the Yanks didn't fight
fair. Just when the Brit got started warming up in the insults, the
American would deck him. One is supposed to discuss it first. Anything
else is just ungentlmanly. Also, quite painful.


>
> 2, buy a bigger gun, maybe something that says desert eagle down the
> side

Chances are, that "Redneck" would still have the bigger gun and he would
just take yours and beat you stupid with it anyway.


>
> 3, buy some new cycling gear in HPD colours

That's one useful thing in a row. Bright Colors always in order.


>
> 4, all of the above

There you go, now you are laying on the side of the road beaten stupid, your
thousand dollar gun is gone but my, don't you look great in those new riding
clothes