Originally Posted by
Rick
How many of us have been cut off by a bus or large truck. What did we do to avoid that collision and what did we do after that to keep ourselves from being in danger again. I was heading home from a shopping trip with my Tandem with the bob and all the panniers loaded up with groceries from a Costco. A light had turned red ahead of me and I was coasting in the center of the lane when it turned green. As I put the hammer down just before the lane line a city bus made a right turn from the left lane across my path. I counter steered to the right. The driver stopped just short of hitting me with the rear side of the bus. He saw me and wanted to be first. I drove tractor trailers for a living. I never hit anyone or anything. Because I was a bicycle rider I was more watchful for the mistakes of others. Don't expect this kind of vigilance from others. I have seen people on bicycles at intersections invite right hooks by there actions around large vehicles. They ride up the right side of the right turning truck instead of taking up proper lane position. It is obvious that driver education is lacking in teaching people what not to do around large vehicles and on the motorists side equally bad.
Had that happen to me last week with a large pick up truck. I was first to the stop sign as he pulled up next to me, as I rolled forward he cut a right turn in front of me.
This morning, the same opportunity for this to happen could have occurred, but a police car was across from me and the car next to me, so the car let me roll first. You know how behaved people can be when a policeman's eyes are on them.
Most other times, I stop way short at stop signs and traffic lights if a car or truck pulls up next to me in a near tie to the line. So, they go first, I go second (even though I should have been first), but like I mentioned one post up, city buses break all kinds of laws and don't get ticketed for it.