Mini rant: Why, do you suppose, is that?
Friday, February 27, 2009Posted in: Azteclady Speaks, random musings
I’m not sure if this is a rant or just a musing.
Why is it that people driving cars and trucks—and the bigger the vehicle, the more prone the driver seems to be to this—feel the need to crowd the bike lane on the right hand side of the road?
It’s not that they are driving already on the right side of their lane, no—they swerve right as they come close to the lone bike rider dragging a loaded bike trailer in a four miles plus stretch of road.
Me.
And they swerve close enough so that I feel the push of the wind on my left side and have to compensate with the handlebars.
Why?
I mean, does it offend them that I’m riding the bike on their road—in a lane that is no more than 30 inches wide, by the way—instead of on the broken and bumpy sidewalk? Which, just an FYI? is not continuous the whole way; I would have to stop, get the bike and trailer down to the road, walk or ride for a few yards, stop, get the bike and trailer up to the sidewalk, ride a while… lather, rinse, repeat.
But really, why?
Or perhaps they don’t see me (despite it being the freaking middle of the freaking day—after twelve and before four in the afternoon, people, bright daylight)? And so, they suddenly realize that yes, that thing? It’s a person and “whoa, swerve left, don’t hit her! That was close!”?
Yeah, moron, it was close, thank you for noticing.
Anyway… if you drive a vehicle and see a bike rider around, try not to do that, okay? It’s not just annoying, it’s dangerous.
Oh, and while you are at it, perhaps you could answer the question: why?
Thank you.
Tracy S
February 27
2:16 pm
I can’t answer why as I’m the person that is all the way in the left lane when I pass you. LOL If there is a car in that lane then I move over to the left as far as I can.
I fear hitting a biker, so I give you as much room as possible.
Anon
February 27
2:52 pm
Get back at them!
http://www.geekologie.com/2009/01/revenge_for_bicyclists_handleb.php
Dee Tenorio
February 27
3:52 pm
Snort, try it pushing a baby in a stroller across the street. Those bastards push me every time, or start turning halfway into the crosswalk while I’m getting stroller off the curb and gesture impatiently. Not like I have the right of way, the light and a BABY or nothing.
But if I rant, I’ll go on about the SUV moms who seem to think the first line of the cross walk is just a suggestion and feel no compunction about forcing me and my kid into the oncoming traffic so I can get around their monstrously big cars.
Whoops. That was a rant.
Dee
Lolita Lopez
February 27
6:27 pm
OMG! Isn’t that just so annoying? I long distance run on the shoulder of a winding country road (defensively, of course.) Without fail, I have to jump off the road and into the tall grass and wildflowers every run. I wear one of those super bright lime green/yellow/orange vests too! It used to just irk me but now that I’m pregnant and still running it totally pisses me off. How hard is it to stay in your lane?
sybil
February 27
6:31 pm
I haven’t driven in almost FOUR MONTHS. Not that I am counting or anything ::cries:: I am paying on a car too.
le sigh that wasn’t the question though sorry, I made the payment today so… yeah
anyway
Bikers scare me so I am more likely to pull over into the other lane completely than to crowd you, so no clue why people do that, seriously, I have always though that would be the time someone would hit a rock or something. Freaks my shit out.
AztecLady
February 27
7:02 pm
Tracy and Sybil, thank you and blessings upon you both.
Lolita and Dee, I know!!!
Anon… thanks but no. If they get that close, I’m probably scrambling off the bike not looking at retaliation.
CindyS
February 28
2:18 am
I won’t ride my bike on main roads for this very reason. I also refuse to ride ‘with’ traffic and would rather ride facing on coming traffic so I can see the bastards coming!
I’m one who will give lots of room because I assume I’m not the only klutz that can fall over on a bike while it’s in motion. I’ve seen cyclists get hit and it’s tragic when I hear of them getting killed in traffic.
But – I do have to say that I think it’s men that are the problem. My husband always thinks he’s giving a cyclist room while I’m holding my breath and praying. I’ve said to him many times that he needs to give bikers more room and he says he gives them plenty of room. Call me careful but if I can slap a biker’s butt from the passenger window then I don’t think you are giving them enough room!
CindyS
Grrrly
February 28
10:03 pm
Hear hear, AL! As an avid cyclist who commutes by bike daily and can more often be found on my Trek than in a car, this is one of my hugest pet peeves. I’m very well versed in my rights to the road, and it annoys me to no end that drivers aren’t responsible enough to follow suit. Every year when the weather gets warmer and the seasonal cyclists start getting out their bikes, the local paper runs a bike safety story that inevitably fixates on all the things that bicyclists are doing wrong. But do they ever get after the people in cars cutting us off, or ignoring our hand signals that we’re moving to the left in order to turn or avoid an oil puddle or pile of brush in the gutter? Hell no! And Maude save me from the cars that speed up and swing around me because they don’t want to get “stuck” behind me on a narrow road. My average cruising speed is 25-40 mph depending on traffic, thank you very much, which is about the limit on most of the roads I ride.
The real problem as I see it though, is not just the cars who ignore right of way and safe sharing of the roads with cyclists, but other cyclists themselves. If you’re going to ride against traffic or through stop signs or swing up onto the sidewalks to avoid obstacles, kindly complete your defection to the dark side and just drive a car. Every time some driver sees you (and I’m speaking of the general you) breaking the rules like that, they assume that all cyclists do that, and that it’s what cyclists should do, so that when I signal and make a shift to the left or actually stop at the stop signs, drivers are bitching at me. I bitch right back of course, but I shouldn’t be in more danger doing the right thing than the wrong thing, and I wouldn’t be if more cyclists and drivers weren’t making up their own rules as they go along.
isn't it obvious
March 2
3:29 am
Jeez. Get a clue. He probably just wanted a closer look at your cute, tight little butt.
child porn
April 12
2:02 pm
child porn