Cut off in the bike lane

[Flying Grype]

This is a huge peeve of mine. If you're in a car and you want to turn right, you look to make sure you aren't cutting anyone off, right? Otherwise they'd T-bone you. Ideally you want to be in the right lane so that there isn't anyone who could T-bone you.

This chick turned right in front of my bike without signalling, and I was yelling and ringing my bell and I couldn't quite stop fast enough. She continued to inch around the corner without hesitating, and my front wheel was rubbing against her rear hubcap.

Senile? Celphone-user? Drunk or stoned at 8:30 in the morning? I couldn't tell because her windows were tinted.

[Crescent Cat]

Most likely she couldn't care less about bikers, as most motorists it seems.

I've learned never to trust drivers when riding my bike. Even when I have a green walk signal I still check to make sure no one's running the light or going to make a turn and I slow down in case I need to make an emergency stop. Were it not for that I'd been turned into road pizza long ago.

I've lost count of the times I would've been run over had I not already assumed that the drivers making turns were assholes and don't think bikers have the right to live.

Granted, we shouldn't have to assume that they're assholes that won't stop for you. They should just be halfway decent human beings and pay attention. We deserve to go biking without putting our lives at risk just because some twit decided it was okay for him or her to text while driving.

[Flying Grype]

My tactic is to pretend I'm invisible. That means that nobody else can see me. I can't cross the road in front of someone and expect them to stop, if they can't see me; I have to wait until the way is clear. Didn't help this time, she moved so fast.

[Crescent Cat]

That's a good tactic. It's also a lot less presumptuous than mine of assuming everyone's an arse, but I still like mine because I'm usually right.

[Magpie]

My tactic is to pretend I'm invisible. That means that nobody else can see me. I can't cross the road in front of someone and expect them to stop, if they can't see me; I have to wait until the way is clear. Didn't help this time, she moved so fast.

Yeah, I hate having to do this. Reinforces the bad behaviour .

Get some vocal training. You'd be AMAZED how annoyed drivers get (even the ones who seem to be asking for it by not looking around) when you yell at them and thump the side of their car.

And Crescent: motorists have a legitimately hard time seeing you when you're on the sidewalk. Especially if you're on the left-hand (anti-traffic) side. If legal in your jurisdiction, brush up on your riding skills and move to the street.

[Crescent Cat]

And Crescent: motorists have a legitimately hard time seeing you when you're on the sidewalk. Especially if you're on the left-hand (anti-traffic) side. If legal in your jurisdiction, brush up on your riding skills and move to the street.

1. I don't ride on the sidewalk or against traffic - I ride in the bike lane on the right side of the street.

2. If someone has a hard time seeing me at 10am on a sunny, cloudless day then they need to get their eyes checked.

3. Yes, because when someone makes a turn right in front of me when I have a cross signal, it has absolutely nothing to do with the fact that they're not paying attention to pedestrians and bikers - it's because my riding skills are rusty. Gotcha.

[Whiskey]

1. I don't ride on the sidewalk or against traffic - I ride in the bike lane on the right side of the street.

2. If someone has a hard time seeing me at 10am on a sunny, cloudless day then they need to get their eyes checked.

3. Yes, because when someone makes a turn right in front of me when I have a cross signal, it has absolutely nothing to do with the fact that they're not paying attention to pedestrians and bikers - it's because my riding skills are rusty. Gotcha.

relax. magpie was only making a suggestion. A lot of bikers don't know that riding on the sidewalk or against traffic is illegal in a great majority of areas.

Bicycles are in the same class as motorcycles, you have to be twice as defensive when you're biking around town. I've almost been hit a couple times because I had a cross and someone felt the need to gun it in front of me, or just plain didn't check their mirrors/on a phone/etc. I have people who get pissed off that I'm even IN the bike lane ON a bike!

I do have a question though, is sidewalk riding legal/okay if there is no defined bike lane? Quite a few roads in my city have no bike lanes. I tend to stay off them, but some I cant avoid.

[Magpie]

1. I don't ride on the sidewalk or against traffic - I ride in the bike lane on the right side of the street.

Sorry, you mentioned the walk signal, rather than green light so I admit, I assumed. Local phraseology for traffic is probably different here. And the presence of one reason wouldn't negate the existence of another (such as some drivers being idiots who either never actually bothered to learn the HTA, or who think it doesn't apply to them).

Whiskey - that's going to vary. I'm not quite sure exactly what you're asking. A lack of bike lane has never, that I've heard of, been accepted as a valid reason for riding on the sidewalk. BUT I've also never known that to be enforced (it is occasionally), so if you're only worried about getting a fine I'd say that's nice, and pat you on the head. The lack of bike lane also isn't going to help drivers seeing you on the sidewalk (in most cases) though. Some places it's legal to ride on the sidewalk anyhow. (I really can't see it being safer than on the road, even in those locations, you'll still have just as many idiots who don't know what the local laws are. Less stressful, definitely).

[Whiskey]

Eh, I just dont want to get hit more than anything. No bike lane freaks me out, especially considering one of our main "roads" is actually a highway that the town was built around. eek.

[bhskittykatt]

I do have a question though, is sidewalk riding legal/okay if there is no defined bike lane? Quite a few roads in my city have no bike lanes. I tend to stay off them, but some I cant avoid.

Depends on where you live. Here, you're allowed to ride on the sidewalks except in the downtown business core. Police here actually recommend riding on the sidewalk where permissible when there's no bike lane. Given the drivers here, I would probably take them up on that offer.

[ADoyle90815]

This is why I only ride my bike on dedicated bike paths at the beach or local parks since where I am, most drivers don't bother to look before getting into the bike lane for a right turn, and some don't realize that the extra lane is for bicycles only. Unfortunately, it's illegal to ride a bike on the sidewalk in my area, but there's a section of sidewalk that has a marked bike path next to it.

[Difdi]

and my front wheel was rubbing against her rear hubcap.

From a legal standpoint, this is a car accident, even if no damage is inflicted, two road vehicles made physical contact. The same is true between pedestrians and any road legal vehicle. Driving away after that sort of contact is felony hit & run.

[Darkforge]

This chick turned right in front of my bike without signalling, and I was yelling and ringing my bell and I couldn't quite stop fast enough. She continued to inch around the corner without hesitating, and my front wheel was rubbing against her rear hubcap.

I've had similar happen to me far too often, if that kind of thing happens to me then the person driving the car will know about it, If they're not giving me enough room and might knock me over i'll yell loud and smack the side of the car if necessary, just to get their attention. Don't forget to take the license plate and report it as a crime if they actually do clip you, its technically an accident, and the penalty is a lot worse if they don't stop and it gets upgraded to a hit and run...

[infinitemonkies]

I do have a question though, is sidewalk riding legal/okay if there is no defined bike lane? Quite a few roads in my city have no bike lanes. I tend to stay off them, but some I cant avoid.

Everywhere I know of, that's a matter of local bylaws, though for the overwhelming majority you can't ride on the sidewalk, but it's also very rarely enforced.

A lot of bikers don't know that riding on the sidewalk or against traffic is illegal in a great majority of areas. .

While very true, it doesn't make breaking the law any more acceptable.
A lot of drivers don't know that a "stop" sign means stop and not "tap your brakes just enough to activate your breaklight", or a "no left turns" sign means no left turns and not "no left turns unless you're in a hurry or would have to drive an entire block out of your way."
Just because you aren't aware it's illegal to drive while texting with one hand, discharging a firearm out the window with the other, while snorting blow of the thigh of the dead hooker in your backseat doesn't make it okay; You'll get a ticket and have to pay a fine. (Disclaimer: while that's technically against the law in my area, your area may be different, consult your local ordinances)

[Magpie]

If they're not giving me enough room and might knock me over i'll yell loud and smack the side of the car if necessary, just to get their attention.

I actually know someone who has taken to swinging his arm out when cars pass him as a matter of course - if he can reach them they're not giving him enough space, and it's better to smack the car BEFORE they keep moving into his space. (Of course, this is the guy who wanted to get a brush and put the paint that you use for your breeding studs on it to mark cars).