I gotta vent
Originally Posted by
Chris!
I was riding home today from work later than normal in the dark.
I have a 1000 lumen head light on high and I even tipped it up a little bit to shoot the beam farther and be seen.
Not once but 2x some one started to pull out in front of me at an intersection that I didnt have a stop sign. Just saying.
Originally Posted by
Flip Flop Rider
be careful and watch out for yourself. Don't count on drivers seeing you, in fact, assume they don't
I frequently post about my my “safety aphorisms” that come to mind when I encounter a situation where unseen or unanticipated dangers lurk.
As a flip side of the situation where the driver at night apparently did not see the cyclist, I remind myself at intersections or driveways,
“When riding at night, look for cars, not just headlights.”
I fear getting lulled into a sense of security since car headlights are so obvious. I think that drivers without headlights at night, though may be inadvertent on well-illuminated roads, might be more likely to be inattentive.
I do try to pass my hand back and forth in front of my headight to flash a signal, as I would do in a car. I recall reading though that a criminal gang once would use such a signal to maliciously shoot at the signalling car.
Nonetheless, I have posted during my early AM commute, when I think headlights are more likely to be turned off,
Originally Posted by
Jim from Boston
I like early morning riding between 4 to 6 AM. I think the drunks and crazies are mostly off the road by that time (since the bars here close at 2:00 AM), and the ones driving at those hours are pretty responsible people. I think of them as the ones entrusted to get the world started for the rest of us.
Also the overnight shift changes usually occur at 7:00 AM, so those possibly sleep-impaired commuters are also off the road.
Originally Posted by
Jim from Boston
Last autumn, when I stayed overnight at my job at a suburban site, I tried some very early morning riding and had the same problem about oncoming car lights.
In the city there is enough ambient light to keep my pupils constricted, but on the very dark suburban/exurban roads I become very dark-adapted and oncoming lights are blinding.
But I too enjoy that sensation that everything is mine, and I’m in my own world. I call it “cocooning.”