tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7207584811195702217.post3681466935583209823..comments2023-12-20T10:44:37.768-08:00Comments on The Incidental Cyclist: All in the WrongKate (and Mike)http://www.blogger.com/profile/12314278577720373140noreply@blogger.comBlogger9125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7207584811195702217.post-22434039519319334022011-05-05T09:11:14.510-07:002011-05-05T09:11:14.510-07:00Ya, like the others said, don't fret over it. ...Ya, like the others said, don't fret over it. It's almost impossible to be the "Super Human Cyclist" who never screws up.<br /> Stand at any intersection for 15 minutes and you will see an endless stream of stupidity shown by drivers. Holding yourself to a higher standard is excellent as it keeps you safe, and you played it safe here. You just have carry on and mark it down to experience.<br /> What I usually do is signal and pull forward slightly into the intersection. This shows the drivers that you are trying to move, but you are being held up for some reason. It also keeps idiots from trying to 'left turn' pass you on your left.(If they try passing you on the right, they risk colliding with oncoming left turning vehicles.) <br /> <br /> As for the morons who did pass you, they will be sent to the "Re-education Camp"...(I wish!) <br /><br />Keep ridin'and smilin'!Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7207584811195702217.post-68068930914261022212011-04-29T08:46:44.572-07:002011-04-29T08:46:44.572-07:00Hey ReadGrouchy - do you actually know this to be ...Hey ReadGrouchy - do you actually know this to be true than paving is not part of the 1.5 million being spent on bike path? 1.5 million for 50 gallons of road paint, concrete curbs and 350 new road signs seems much... <br /><br />Sorry I am grouchy but I ride my bike all year round downtown and I know for sure that these bike lanes will NOT be cleared during the winter - just like they weren't cleared on Lyon or Percy... In fact, the city sees the bike lanes as snow dumps and actually put up signage that tells bikers exactly that.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7207584811195702217.post-56916693264713418762011-04-28T22:31:14.834-07:002011-04-28T22:31:14.834-07:00Anonymous April 28: Laurier was scheduled to be re...Anonymous April 28: Laurier was scheduled to be resurfaced anyway, and that would have gone ahead whether or not the bike lane did.<br /><br />- RG>RealGrouchyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09531673943200546692noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7207584811195702217.post-56103140049690361902011-04-28T05:46:26.379-07:002011-04-28T05:46:26.379-07:00Hey - Laurier Bike Lane Mashup west of Lyon is bei...Hey - Laurier Bike Lane Mashup west of Lyon is being bulldozed in... Now I see why it is costing so much - they are actually resurfasing the whole of Laurier in the process. Could this experiment be just an excuse to get Laurier repaved?Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7207584811195702217.post-14429690824197732002011-04-27T07:37:34.329-07:002011-04-27T07:37:34.329-07:00You really seem to dwell on near death experiences...You really seem to dwell on near death experiences. Please do not freak yourself out - especially at these complicated intersections. I find that at busy intersections, I just get off the bike and become a pedestrian - and I just walk to the left curb and cross at the cross walk and hop on the bike at other side - and this is usually faster that making a left turn by bike because you avoid all oncoming traffic... I do this when I'm on Fifth and turning left onto Bronson during rush hour...Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7207584811195702217.post-69402324013378232842011-04-27T06:52:05.209-07:002011-04-27T06:52:05.209-07:00I too often replay things like this over and over ...I too often replay things like this over and over in my head, usually when I think I've made a mistake but as the other comments indicate nobody was hurt or crashed so no big deal. Add it to the experience pile and learn from it.Ken Walkerhttp://www.bikeview.canoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7207584811195702217.post-82964250084402104792011-04-26T23:34:43.561-07:002011-04-26T23:34:43.561-07:00They were not thinking you were a stupid cyclist w...They were not thinking you were a stupid cyclist who doesn't know the rules, or, if they did, they would have thought that bicycles should be on the sidewalk or something stupid like that.<br /><br />You were waiting until it was safe to proceed through the intersection; nothing wrong about that. If anything, the asshat who turned right justified your hesitation because you'd be pavement decoration if the guy in the left turn lane across from you did the same thing while you continued your turn. <br /><br />An airhorn is good, and I have one in the package to put on my third bike. What I've found, however, is that I just as often don't use it when my safety is genuinely threatened (as opposed to when I honk because they could have hit me if I'd been a less attentive cyclist). Sometimes I honk to get them to stop (i.e. if they turn out from the curb while I'm passing), sometimes I bellow at the top of my lungs (if they're headed blindly toward me), and sometimes I'm too focused/afraid to make any noise (because I'm too busy squirming out of their way while they pass me from behind waaay too close).<br /><br />- RG>RealGrouchyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09531673943200546692noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7207584811195702217.post-69943588665707458222011-04-26T22:01:36.173-07:002011-04-26T22:01:36.173-07:00Get an air horn; I cannot stress this enough. I ha...Get an air horn; I cannot stress this enough. I have much more confidence crossing intersections now that I can stop a car with the push of a button.<br /><br />Drivers often say "I didn't see the cyclist" but they rarely say "I didn't hear the air horn". People react quickly when they hear a horn and most of the time their reaction is to step on the brakes.<br /><br />Another similar dangerous situation is going straight at an intersection when cars on the opposite side are making a left turn: they look for other cars before turning left but often miss the cyclist coming right at them, despite his flashy reflective vest. The horn has put a stop to that.<br /><br />If you do not want an air horn on your bike, you can always yell, though this solution is not for everybody.Danhttp://dandurocher.blogspot.com/search/label/Bikenoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7207584811195702217.post-18305131308807946272011-04-26T21:38:32.531-07:002011-04-26T21:38:32.531-07:00Please don't beat yourself up over this. This ...Please don't beat yourself up over this. This is a difficult intersection and your (lack of) action are kinda ov understandable. More importantly, this confusion happens to drivers of cars all the time. Why is it more significant when it is a cyclist. <br />nobody was hurt and the poor reactions of the other drivers were mild, have a drink/bath/workout/bike ride, what ever you relax with and forgive yorself and put this incident out of your mind.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.com