Jarrett2

No words exchanged, just poor decisions on both of our parts likely.

I'm coming down a country road that I frequent, probably a 5% down grade, doing somewhere around 30 mph. It's about 7:40am, the sun is well up and visibility is great. It's a long hill with really good visibility. As I came over the hill a half a mile back, I spotted a guy in a truck in his driveway, likely putting out his trash before leaving. Nothing unusual. I kept an eye on him for a good 60 seconds as I approached.

I couldn't tell for sure that he had seen me, but I assume he had looked both ways before pulling out and I was clearly they only vehicle coming down the road (at a good clip) in either direction. Right before I reached his driveway, he started slowly pulling out in sort of a diagonal across the road so as to take up both lanes and didn't straighten up. While long enough to pretty much block the whole road, his truck left a little slice of pavement on his left side. I knew the road ahead of him was clear, so I slipped through that little spot and passed him with the intention of immediately getting back over to the right side of the road. The other option was jamming my brakes and hoping I didn't slide into his truck, I made my choice.

All was well, I made my pass clean and had passed his front bumper still doing around 25-30 mph. I went ahead and sped up to around 33 mph to make a clean lane change over to the right side so that he could pass me on the left, but as soon as he saw me go past him, his ever so slow diagonal entry into the roadway, then suddenly became a drag race as he gunned his engine behind me. As soon as I heard that, I eased over to the left side of the road so he didn't run over me and let him pass.

I looked over at him as he went by and he wouldn't make eye contact. I tried to catch him looking in a mirror to show my disapproval and he wouldn't look in either the rear view nor the side mirrors. He sped off on his way after that. I made my way up the subsequent hill and turned down the road for my house.

I can only assume he did it on purpose, but he didn't yell or honk or anything. I didn't have my camera on the bike unfortunately, it would have made for a great video. I'm thankful to have survived it and will add him to the list of aholes that I keep an eye out for.

Dave Cutter

You likely scared the crap out of him! It would have scared me to see a cyclist "appear" off MY fender like that.

I swear.... I know I occasionally have a close call. I find it kind of nice to be reminded how much I enjoy being alive. I just don't know why people bring/take these little minor things home with them. I make a point of discarding any traffic irritations where and when they happen.

Chris516

I pretty much agree with that. Because, If I am crunched for time for some reason(appointment, weather, etc.), I leave it entirely up to my camera. If I don't catch them on camera, I can't do anything about it.

If I am not crunched for time. I still debate with myself, whether it is worth it.

BobbyG

If that were me riding, as soon as I saw him getting in the truck I would have slowed down. there will be other days when you will not have to slow down and enjoy your ride to its fullest. when I move to Iowa in 1980, the best advice I got from anybody was watch out for farmers backing out of their driveways because they never expected traffic. 9 years later I took my new Mustang out in the country to see how fast it would go. the roads were dead straight and I could see literally for Miles. I was doing 95, and way off in the distance I could see a family getting into a van. I slowed down to 55, and sure enough the drivers door closed and the car immediately began backing up onto the highway. I've been commuting in Colorado Springs for 23 years, and I always expect drivers to do the least responsible thing. I am seldom disappointed. I am now 53 and the older I get the more I think about Shakespeare's character Falstaff who said discretion is the better part of valor. Please pardon my voice typing errors.

Dave Cutter

I was riding through town today... going about 18 MPH on a well trafficked residential street. I was being passed by a car as we approached an intersection. So naturally... I braked to slow... in preparation of the car making a right turn in front of me.

I laughed when it didn't turn. I didn't notice... maybe the driver was texting and missed his/her turn-off.

Sometimes... maybe I am too careful. Other times (like the OP) my cycling might border on adventurous. On extremely rare occasions I've even lost my cool and yelled at a motorist. But I always enjoy my rides... and I leave any emotional content out on the streets.

Chris516

Today, As I was out on my ride. I started thinking about this. Sure enough, someone pulled out of a parking lot. So, To avoid hitting them, I had to go wide.

Daniel4

If and when I am so aware of someone pulling out of the driveway, I slow down and ring my bell. If there doesn't seem to be any change, I have to stop.

I go wide only on those occasions when I wasn't alert enough to see this coming. That's when it's most dangerous.

Cyclosaurus

Actually that sounds like very courteous behavior, that is, for a pickup truck driver in Texas.

Looigi

TL;DR. So don't know if this is even relevant, but I run a bright white front blinky at all times. Also, if there is very little traffic, I'll ride out in the middle of the lane to be more conspicuous to motorist that might pull out or turn in front of me.

B. Carfree

I had a slightly similar experience to the OP yesterday morning. In the pitch-black about 90 minutes before sunrise, I'm riding a tandem down a similar grade on a narrow two-lane road. A newspaper carrier in a car (when did this become the norm?) was up ahead. She drove over to the left side of the road to put papers into boxes on mail posts, so we reduced our speed and passed her. She finished that batch and continued to drive along the wrong side of the road, quickly overtaking us at the beginning of a blind curve that an empty logging truck had just come up a few minutes prior, so it's not like it's a great bet to count on there never being anyone there. We dropped speed as soon as her crazy intentions were clear to us. She never did come back into the proper lane, she just drove along the wrong side of the road until she turned into a private road.

I expect to find the remnants of her car alongside the roadway one of these days when she loses her bet that no one is coming up the hill around the blind corner.