Almost clipped a cyclist

[Bsthroop]

Not always, some people are just clueless. I remember one particular time I was riding on the paved path, came up on people taking the whole thing up, rang my little bell once, twice, three times, before I said loudly "excuse me, on your left." before they moved. (And yes, I have a bell on one of my bikes.)

Not sure why but this conjured an image of Pee Wee Herman on his bike

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[HeatXfer]

DukeCanBuildit & got3fords you guys sound like exceptions to the rule. Literally every day in the SF Bay Area I encounter cyclists who have absolutely zero self awareness or common sense. Does every member of the 'spandex armada' think to themselves, "I'm going to only ride on main thoroughfares, during the heaviest traffic hours, without any regard for my safety (or anyone else's), run stop signs and red-lights and get righteously pissed-off when the traffic backed-up behind me honks."?

 

[Msfitoy]

DukeCanBuildit & got3fords you guys sound like exceptions to the rule. Literally every day in the SF Bay Area I encounter cyclists who have absolutely zero self awareness or common sense. Does every member of the 'spandex armada' think to themselves, "I'm going to only ride on main thoroughfares, during the heaviest traffic hours, without any regard for my safety (or anyone else's), run stop signs and red-lights and get righteously pissed-off when the traffic backed-up behind me honks."?

Heck...I feel out of place when my Honda 125 can't hit 60 on a 50 two lane so I pull aside as to not block traffic...

 

[Canadian Ranger]

It doesn't matter what or how it happens. When it comes to vehicle/bike incidents its always the vehicle driver that gets the bad press.

 

[LaBalbe]

I had a similar situation years ago, where I was pulling back into traffic after having dropped someone off; it was dark, with a torrential downpour, and I had my full light system on and turn signal to indicate that I'm re-engaging, which I did cautiously, not at all like the cyclist here. I barely avoided a cyclist who blitzed past me dressed all in black and not a single light on his bike, screaming at me the whole time, even though he could clearly see me and had more than enough time to take intelligent action.

I also recall another time where I watched as a driver was turning into a parking lot, and was waiting for a group of pedestrians to clear the way. The cyclist, who was at least four car lengths up when this all started, didn't bother to slow down, just kept on blazing down the street only to slam on his brakes at the last second, because the car hadn't magically disappeared. Then he proceeds to go on this righteous tirade of screaming at the driver; what exactly did he imagine that the driver was going to do? Run down a bunch of pedestrians just so that Mr. Cyclist didn't have to wait a few seconds? Again, cyclist had more than enough time and distance to make an intelligent decision, but apparently not enough to quell his entitlement.

 

[Ronbo]

You’re right Paulo. In most jurisdictions, cyclists are bound by their highways act, which gives them certain rights and a whole bunch of responsibilities that go along with them.

Here in Florida cyclists enjoy ALL of the rights, but accept NONE of the responsibilities. We have bike lanes virtually all over, but cyclist, especially those in clubs that cycle in packs, will always take over a vehicle travel lane, causing cars to have to cross the double yellow lines to get around them. They have no regard for any pedestrians in crosswalks, or stop signs or red lights, etc. I can’t count the number of times that a cyclist has nearly hit me when I use a crosswalk. A motor vehicle will come to a stop and some clown on a bike will speed past and around them in complete disregard of the pedestrian in a crosswalk right-of-way law. Enforcement is nonexistent, which compounds the problems. It’s a real problem here.

 

[DukeCanBuildit]

Here in Florida cyclists enjoy ALL of the rights, but accept NONE of the responsibilities. We have bike lanes virtually all over, but cyclist, especially those in clubs that cycle in packs, will always take over a vehicle travel lane, causing cars to have to cross the double yellow lines to get around them. They have no regard for any pedestrians in crosswalks, or stop signs or red lights, etc. I can’t count the number of times that a cyclist has nearly hit me when I use a crosswalk. A motor vehicle will come to a stop and some clown on a bike will speed past and around them in complete disregard of the pedestrian in a crosswalk right-of-way law. Enforcement is nonexistent, which compounds the problems. It’s a real problem here.

100% see this wherever I go.

Cities spend millions on bike lane infrastructure and zero on cycling education.

 

[lazynorse]

I'll gripe about hazardous bicycling too, but per the video, any mishap here would've been the truck drivers fault. Bicyclist was 1)ahead of you, 2) clearing signaling in accordance with the law (hand signals), 3) not that he had to but the bicyclist was staring at you, attempting eye contact while hand signaling, 4) made his turn technically in front of you after properly signaling.

If you would've hit him, it would've been a rear end collision. Under no circumstance, legally, is the person who is rear ended responsible. You'd have been cited for following too close, speeding, causing the collision.

Yes, yes, the bicyclist moves slower than a truck. Yes, yes, its dark. Until the law forbids bicyclists on shared roads, they can pedal at 15 miles under the speed limit and get in your lane, then another. So long as they signal, its your duty to accommodate and not collide with them.

The video is enough to scare me out of commuting in the dark on bike, but that bicyclist did not violate any highway laws. That looked like a perfectly legal sequence of events. Inherently dangerous, yes, but legal.

 

[got3fords]

The video is enough to scare me out of commuting in the dark on bike, but that bicyclist did not violate any highway laws. That looked like a perfectly legal sequence of events. Inherently dangerous, yes, but legal.

Can't argure with that, but he barely gave me any time to react. I feel he had plenty of options to make his lane change safer. So yeah, I might have been the one ticketed, but he clearly could have taken safer action.

 

[5thranger]

For reference, I’ve commuted thousands of miles by bike on dark, rainy, busy roads. I’ve logged countless miles riding busy highways on cycling trips (often fully loaded with gear). I also raced mountain bikes at a high level for more than a decade, and spent way too many hours training on narrow backroads. I even took Vancouver’s bicycle operator’s license course so I would know just what my rights and responsibilities were on the city’s streets. All that to say, I am a very experienced cyclist - I know more than a thing or two about cycling.

I’ve enjoyed the freedom it brings but I’ve also let the ridiculous sense of entitlement that infects the cyclist’s psyche creep into my own head at times (I’m doing something GREEN - I‘m special). It’s a thing. This guy seems to have a case of it.

And no amount of waving a black gloved hand in the dark is going to protct you from 3,000 lbs of automobile. Especially when it’s done in such an “I’m coming over now” fashion.

That rider should have done a lot of things…

• should have made solid eye contact before such a move
• should have anticipated that left turning bay way sooner
• should have clearly made his intentions known to you in a better way
• should have given you a “thank you” wave because you let him in
• but most of all, he should have waited

Dude will likely be angry all day and harp about how some guy in a pickup nearly ran him over.

One more thing he should have done, remove head from anal orifice

 

[LawnMM]

From what I know, a cyclist should ride their bicycle by following vehicular rules, which means he/she should have waited to make that left turn since you have the right of way.

I noticed that the more vulnerable a person is on the streets (pedestrians, cyclists, motorcyclists etc.) the more aggressive and or absent minded they are. It is strange because when an accident with a car/truck happens to them, they are usually the one who will be severely injured.

From what I can see, cyclist would be at fault had there been an accident.

Several people have correctly pointed out bicycles are bound to follow traffic laws. That's how it works here. Technically he should be riding in traffic not on the shoulder, but we get it, they can't keep up, right?

But he is riding on the shoulder. Now he wants to ride in traffic. So just like a vehicle, he has to signal. Which he did, however that doesn't absolve him from the responsibility of making sure merging into traffic is safe, it does not give him carte blanche to force his way in.

If a vehicle signaled and jumped into traffic from the shoulder causing a collision, they would be at fault. Same applies here. End of story.

i'm not sure how things might be in different jurisdictions, but bicycles are considered motor vehicles and should be treated as such by other vehicles on the road. it's technically illegal for a cyclist to ride on the sidewalk (though cops only rarely ticket people for doing so).

the problem in this video is that that cyclist is one of the many who make it awkward. in the curb lane/emergency lane, but then wanting to utilize the actual lane on the road. what's a driver to do? pass them? wait on them?

the shame here is that you, the driver, were potentially at fault in the event of a collision. though i feel this cyclist is being irresponsible. in other words, i'm with Duke on this one. he nailed it. the cyclist, being in that awkward curb lane, should have just stopped, looked, and waited.

i have not cycled as much as Duke, but i'm also a motorcyclist. i'm painfully aware that the law just says who is at fault. whether i live or die depends on my understanding that my bike or motorcycle will lose any matchup with a 4 wheel+ vehicle. period. so i predictably yield to others on the road.

He's not at fault, the cyclist is.

 

[GhostStrykre]

From what I can see, cyclist would be at fault had there been an accident.

Several people have correctly pointed out bicycles are bound to follow traffic laws. That's how it works here. Technically he should be riding in traffic not on the shoulder, but we get it, they can't keep up, right?

But he is riding on the shoulder. Now he wants to ride in traffic. So just like a vehicle, he has to signal. Which he did, however that doesn't absolve him from the responsibility of making sure merging into traffic is safe, it does not give him carte blanche to force his way in.

If a vehicle signaled and jumped into traffic from the shoulder causing a collision, they would be at fault. Same applies here. End of story.


He's not at fault, the cyclist is.

i'm not a police officer, nor am i a lawyer, so that's why i used the word potentially. i see your line of thinking, and agree that it is a very compelling argument. that being said, the cyclist did signal, and the collision would have been the OP rear ending a motor vehicle ahead of him. so now it'd be up to the interpretation of an authority figure. so i don't know for certain.

what i do know for certain is that had i been the cyclist, i would not have followed his decision making model. i like living.

 

[PowerTools]

Wow, there's a lot of hatred being spouted in this chat. The person on the bike screwed up. I don't understand why anyone here would think his life is worthless just because he's on a bike. If a person on a bike causes and accident, yep, they're going to be the one hurt the most or dead. Why are so many folks here finding that funny? I mean, think about what you're saying.

Now, ignoring his dangerous maneuver of abruptly moving in front of a truck, these types of posts always bring out folks claiming that people on bikes think they have a right to the entire lane or that they should move when you blow your horn. That's rarely true, folks. In fact, some of you may be in the wrong.

I know, I'm about to get flamed for this, but there's a lot of ugly nonsense being spouted in this thread. Some of it out of ignorance of traffic laws. Some of it for a strange hatred for cyclists. Nope, I don't think it was a good move for the cyclist to do that. I also don't think it would have been good to do that if he had been in a F350.

 

[Msfitoy]

From what I can see, cyclist would be at fault had there been an accident.

Several people have correctly pointed out bicycles are bound to follow traffic laws. That's how it works here. Technically he should be riding in traffic not on the shoulder, but we get it, they can't keep up, right?

But he is riding on the shoulder. Now he wants to ride in traffic. So just like a vehicle, he has to signal. Which he did, however that doesn't absolve him from the responsibility of making sure merging into traffic is safe, it does not give him carte blanche to force his way in.

If a vehicle signaled and jumped into traffic from the shoulder causing a collision, they would be at fault. Same applies here. End of story.


He's not at fault, the cyclist is.

Cyclist take home Darwin award...

 

[Tim H.]

Not sure if it was my fault or the fact he forced himself in front of me. There was a lot of space behind me if he just waited.

Just like joggers I categorize bicyclists as suicidal.

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