What are the closest calls you've had that could've been deadly?
Originally Posted by
TakingMyTime
2 close calls over the past couple of months. One was definitely the driver's fault. He was driving with fogged up windows and trying to enter the flow of traffic without seeing me.
That one was close enough to where I was deciding if I should bounce over his hood or risk swerving into traffic. He saw me at the very last minute.
The second time was when a tanker truck was making a right turn into a gas station. We both left the light at the same time but he appeared to think I was required to wait for him while he turned, I didn't and his front tire missed me by about 1 foot.
This was actually my fault, I'm smart enough to know not to get into this kind of situation and I wasn't judging it properly.
My wife does not know about these.
These incidents remind me of two recent threads to which I subscribed:
Originally Posted by
Hiro11
"Giving up riding on the road"
After about 30 years of riding on the road, I'm seriously considering giving it up. Several things have given me pause:
- Getting hit by a car two years ago
- Increasingly dealing with narrow misses due to oblivious / distracted driving on most rides
- Jerks deliberately driving dangerously on most every ride
- The availability of good alternatives: extensive limestone paths around my house, single track, gravel roads etc. I enjoy running, I enjoy swimming.
- General responsibilities of being a father/husband/main earner.
I live in an area not very conducive to riding anyway: terrible weather, lots of traffic, limited route options
Originally Posted by
Jim from Boston
...Personally, I happily resumed cycling five months after a serious hit by a car, with six weeks acute and rehab hospital, and three months off work.
Perhaps I may sound devil-may-care, but I even touted to this recent thread:...
and
Originally Posted by
Geekage
"Hiding the stuff that happens"
Today I got right hooked riding home from work….
Still, there are so many things others do (drivers, bicyclists, and pedestrians) that could end up horribly bad, and some of us see those things on almost a daily basis. We have become so used to it that it doesn't surprise us and for me there's usually no shot of adrenaline anymore when a car tries to occupy the same space as I'm in.
I like to think it's because I'm ready for it. Ready, but still disappointed. It's just another roll of the eyes.
So, do any of you bring these kinds of things up around your significant others? Or do you do as I do and usually don't say a thing, unless I'm trying to one-up a friend. 
Originally Posted by
Jim from Boston
I don’t mention these things, but there have been times my wife has had to come to my aid.
Originally Posted by
Jim from Boston
…BTW, my wife is a nurse, and she tended me well during my three month convalescence from my cycling accident.
Our relationship was early on very bicycle-centered, including a cross-country cycling honeymoon, so she does not give me a hard time about continuing cycling.
I kid her that's because we have one family car, and it's hers (and our son's) since I cycle commute and do errands.
When I do ride in nasty weather though she does chide me,
"You just want to ride today so you can write about it on BikeForums." 
Originally Posted by
Jim from Boston
On Bike Forums, we frequently and candidly post about our close calls and actual mishaps, not just to “one-up” each other but most considerately to advise..
I have previously posted about discussing the dangers of cycling with non-cyclists or casual cyclists concerned with my or their own safety:...
Last edited by Jim from Boston; 12-22-19 at 01:36 PM.