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Raise your hand if you have been hit by a BUS. Anyone?

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Raise your hand if you have been hit by a BUS. Anyone?

Old 01-28-18, 04:05 PM
  #26  
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Originally Posted by Doctor Morbius
I've never been hit by a bus while riding a bike, but once I fell out of an airplane, got hit by another airplane on the way down, landed on fresh wet asphalt, was run over by a steamroller, then a marching band went over me while playing 76 Trombones. I ain't worried about no bus!
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Old 01-28-18, 10:36 PM
  #27  
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Old 01-31-18, 11:25 AM
  #28  
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Originally Posted by clubber
So I'm on the way home from my little 20 miler late yesterday afternoon around 3:30 PM.

I live in Northern Virginia and ride the W and OD trail pretty much every day when I was approaching Ferndale Ave in Herndon for those of you that are familiar with that area between the Herndon GC and Herdon Rec Center.

Traffic was stopped both ways and as always I was looking up from at least 20-30 yards to make eye contact with both the bus drive to the left and the car on the right. Both had come to a complete stop and as always I raise a hand and or nod to both drivers.

I was doing about 15 mile per hour when I entered the intersection and got t-boned (slammed to the ground) by the bus. I never spoke to the bus driver when people got out of the vehicles at the intersection and started towards me to make sure I wasn't dead (well...making sure I was not hurt too bad). I peeled myself off the ground and shook my head like a wet dog to clear the cobwebs. The lady from the first car on the right when the bus hit me kept sayin "I saw you look @ the bus and wave and then you waved to me." One of the drivers dialed 911 and 10min later no fewer that 14 police (BOTH Herndon and Fairfax County) and fire and rescue people arrived @ the scene.

I was just a bit scuffed up on my right shoulder, hip, knee and had a cut on my left ankle (the side the bus hit me on AND the leg I have 3 plates in from my knee and ankle fusion surgeries.)

So I will have a hell of a story to tell my grand-kids (or someone else's) what its like to get hit by a bus.
No, I have never been hit by a bus. Not even close. But, then, I don't run stop signs in front of buses either.

Here is the streetview of the intersection of the W and OD trail with Ferndale Ave:

https://goo.gl/maps/C7xdF3V4fuT2

There is no streetview from the path, but from the street we can see the back of a stop sign that is facing cyclists on the path approaching the intersection.

Or maybe it's one of these?

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Old 01-31-18, 11:57 AM
  #29  
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Originally Posted by Doctor Morbius
I've never been hit by a bus while riding a bike, but once I fell out of an airplane, got hit by another airplane on the way down, landed on fresh wet asphalt, was run over by a steamroller, then a marching band went over me while playing 76 Trombones. I ain't worried about no bus!
Sure you did. Next you'll tell us you were trying to kill the Queen when it all happened.
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Old 01-31-18, 03:24 PM
  #30  
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Been hit by a cab at 25-30mph...........a USPS truck...........a BMW not looking in the rain............accident from an off duty Chicago Firefighter in a pick-up who almost T-boned me then attempted to flee..................a cab ran me into a curb onto the ONCOMING traffic side, yes, took me from the right hand lane all the way into the curb of the LEFT hand oncoming traffic lane curb.............and a broken collarbone from a dog off leash that took out my front wheel on a training ride at 25mph. It's part of the deal.
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Old 01-31-18, 04:55 PM
  #31  
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Originally Posted by fixedweasel
Been hit by a cab at 25-30mph...........a USPS truck...........a BMW not looking in the rain............accident from an off duty Chicago Firefighter in a pick-up who almost T-boned me then attempted to flee..................a cab ran me into a curb onto the ONCOMING traffic side, yes, took me from the right hand lane all the way into the curb of the LEFT hand oncoming traffic lane curb.............and a broken collarbone from a dog off leash that took out my front wheel on a training ride at 25mph. It's part of the deal.
Note to self: don't do what he does, whatever that is!
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Old 02-01-18, 01:45 PM
  #32  
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I try not to make eye contact w drivers or use hand gestures because the drivers always interpret it as me waving them on as if they have the right of way. never seems interpreted as thank you for letting me go first
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Old 02-03-18, 07:43 PM
  #33  
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Originally Posted by Ninety5rpm
Note to self: don't do what he does, whatever that is!
Ha! Quite so! Unfortunately I commute year round here in Chicago, must go on training rides for racing, and the world is now filled with.................

1) Folks with no attention span
2) Folks who think texting is more important than human life
3) Low IQ's
4) Me....Me....Me....syndrome
5) Darwin on vacation and not keeping up with his quotas/responsibilities
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Old 02-05-18, 12:07 PM
  #34  
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Originally Posted by fixedweasel
Ha! Quite so! Unfortunately I commute year round here in Chicago, must go on training rides for racing, and the world is now filled with.................

1) Folks with no attention span
2) Folks who think texting is more important than human life
3) Low IQ's
4) Me....Me....Me....syndrome
5) Darwin on vacation and not keeping up with his quotas/responsibilities
My observation is anyone who keeps blaming others for their crashes will keep having crashes.

Key to traffic cycling safety is taking responsibility for avoiding car-bike crashes which would have been the fault of the motorist.
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Old 02-05-18, 01:42 PM
  #35  
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Steely Dan got hit by a CTA bus and sued them for it. He won too, he might be able to help you.
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Old 02-06-18, 11:36 AM
  #36  
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I would but it's parked on my hand
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Old 02-06-18, 12:00 PM
  #37  
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Originally Posted by Ninety5rpm
My observation is anyone who keeps blaming others for their crashes will keep having crashes.

Careful my friend. You know absolutely nothing about me or my experience(s). I have 10's of thousands of miles on the road, in training, racing, commuting, group rides, singletrack, grocery/errands, etc., etc. I think I very well know how to ride a bike and to ride one safely. In all of those instances the driver was not paying attention and made a very quick turn either in front of me or at me. The dog off leash is just another example of irresponsibility. If I didn't react as quick as I did, the outcome would have been different. And yes, that comes from experience. These were not accidents, but a lack of respect, intelligence, thought, care, acknowledgment, for/of others. This seems to be the trend in our society now as is your response/comment not knowing the facts of any of these situations. I know crazy concept, huh? Facts and stuff.
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Old 02-06-18, 12:14 PM
  #38  
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Originally Posted by B. Carfree
I suspect that most of the folks who have been hit by buses can no longer respond.
This. Buses and commercial trucks are the killers. Major Kudos to the OP for walking away.
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Old 02-06-18, 01:10 PM
  #39  
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Originally Posted by fixedweasel
Careful my friend. You know absolutely nothing about me or my experience(s). I have 10's of thousands of miles on the road, in training, racing, commuting, group rides, singletrack, grocery/errands, etc., etc. I think I very well know how to ride a bike and to ride one safely. In all of those instances the driver was not paying attention and made a very quick turn either in front of me or at me. The dog off leash is just another example of irresponsibility. If I didn't react as quick as I did, the outcome would have been different. And yes, that comes from experience. These were not accidents, but a lack of respect, intelligence, thought, care, acknowledgment, for/of others. This seems to be the trend in our society now as is your response/comment not knowing the facts of any of these situations. I know crazy concept, huh? Facts and stuff.
Suit yourself. But again, my observation is that cyclists who don't recognize and accept that it is normal for human drivers to be "not paying attention" and "making very quick turns either in front of me or at me" are the ones most prone to get hit.

Cyclists who do recognize and accept that that is normal, and adjust their expectations and behavior accordingly, seem to do much better. It's about adopting habits and practices that keep you out of trouble with drivers who err in the first place, rather than relying on vigilance and quick reactions. Offense-is-the-best-defense vs. just defense. That's just what I see, over and over and over. Attitude and expectations are crucial to safety.

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Old 02-07-18, 01:29 AM
  #40  
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I have dodged a bus on my bicycle, and that's why I am still alive and able to raise my hand.

https://imgur.com/a/NRVVq
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Old 02-07-18, 09:32 PM
  #41  
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Originally Posted by clubber
So I'm on the way home from my little 20 miler late yesterday afternoon around 3:30 PM.

I live in Northern Virginia and ride the W and OD trail pretty much every day when I was approaching Ferndale Ave in Herndon for those of you that are familiar with that area between the Herndon GC and Herdon Rec Center.

Traffic was stopped both ways and as always I was looking up from at least 20-30 yards to make eye contact with both the bus drive to the left and the car on the right. Both had come to a complete stop and as always I raise a hand and or nod to both drivers.

I was doing about 15 mile per hour when I entered the intersection and got t-boned (slammed to the ground) by the bus. I never spoke to the bus driver when people got out of the vehicles at the intersection and started towards me to make sure I wasn't dead (well...making sure I was not hurt too bad). I peeled myself off the ground and shook my head like a wet dog to clear the cobwebs. The lady from the first car on the right when the bus hit me kept sayin "I saw you look @ the bus and wave and then you waved to me." One of the drivers dialed 911 and 10min later no fewer that 14 police (BOTH Herndon and Fairfax County) and fire and rescue people arrived @ the scene.

I was just a bit scuffed up on my right shoulder, hip, knee and had a cut on my left ankle (the side the bus hit me on AND the leg I have 3 plates in from my knee and ankle fusion surgeries.)

So I will have a hell of a story to tell my grand-kids (or someone else's) what its like to get hit by a bus.
Were you hit by one of the Fairfax Connector bus', or by one of Metro's bus'? I am asking because the Fairfax Connector bus', are like the Ride-On bus' up here in Montgomery County. Both are smaller than the overall size of the Metro bus'.
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Old 02-09-18, 01:38 PM
  #42  
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Never actually been hit by the bus, but one came so close to me I had to go up onto the sidewalk to not get hit. Scary day.
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Old 02-09-18, 02:06 PM
  #43  
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I have the unique distinction of having been hit by two buses at the same time.

Way back when I was riding down 5th Avenue with a bus passing on my left, just as a stopped bus we were both passing decided it was a good time to pull out. So, I had to move left to clear the bus to my right, while limited by the bus on my left. This was like one of those thriller "shrinking room" scenarios, and I'm only here because I and my bike are narrower than the drivers' minimal gap.

However, that 18" or so lane wasn't quite enough and I ended up bouncing between both buses before escaping out the back.
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Old 02-09-18, 02:21 PM
  #44  
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Originally Posted by FBinNY
I have the unique distinction of having been hit by two buses at the same time.

Way back when I was riding down 5th Avenue with a bus passing on my left, just as a stopped bus we were both passing decided it was a good time to pull out. So, I had to move left to clear the bus to my right, while limited by the bus on my left. This was like one of those thriller "shrinking room" scenarios, and I'm only here because I and my bike are narrower than the drivers' minimal gap.

However, that 18" or so lane wasn't quite enough and I ended up bouncing between both buses before escaping out the back.


Holy manure! Would love to have seen that video!
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Old 02-09-18, 02:40 PM
  #45  
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Originally Posted by Ninety5rpm


Holy manure! Would love to have seen that video!
This was about 45 years ago, long before anyone had cameras on a bike.

But it's easy enough these days when you have multiple buses playing leapfrog on many of Manhattan's avenues.

NYC bus traffic is one reason that NYS'c one way avenues have long had signage instructing bicycles to keep left.
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Old 02-11-18, 07:27 PM
  #46  
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Originally Posted by rumrunn6
I try not to make eye contact w drivers or use hand gestures because the drivers always interpret it as me waving them on as if they have the right of way. never seems interpreted as thank you for letting me go first
It happened again today although this time it was an Escalade and fortunately I was on an slight incline
@ the intersection of the path (W and OD trail) and Hunter Mill Rd. Didn't get hit this time but for those of you that know where I'm talking about, drivers can be doing upwards of 50 mph and you have to be RIGHT on top of the intersection to clearly see up and down the road.

Just another case of misunderstanding between myself and the driver when I nodded to the driver (thanking them for stopping) who though I was was gesturing to them to go thru.

If I would not have hesitated being on a slight incline and a few feet from the road I probably would have gotten knocked over again. So there you have it. When in doubt take a few extra seconds, un-clip and make damn sure the drivers comes to a complete stop.
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Old 04-20-18, 02:58 PM
  #47  
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I've had quite a few close calls when an express bus made a very close pass on my right on 5th Ave. Sometimes I took note of the bus numbers (one day I had two of them making close pass, one being at a turn), planning to email the bus company, but forgot when I got home.

Here is a coach bus driver caught watching TV while driving in heavy rain and traffic:

Passenger records his New York coach driver watching TV on his PHONE

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Old 04-20-18, 03:30 PM
  #48  
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Bus drivers put up with a lot of BS and many of them are quite disgruntled and any pro driver could also be very tired at any time. Combine that with their large size and it is a good idea to give them a wide berth, whether in a car or on a bike.
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Old 04-21-18, 01:04 AM
  #49  
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Thankfully, no.
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Old 04-21-18, 11:18 AM
  #50  
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Originally Posted by Oneder
Bus drivers put up with a lot of BS and many of them are quite disgruntled and any pro driver could also be very tired at any time. Combine that with their large size and it is a good idea to give them a wide berth, whether in a car or on a bike.
The OP stated he was T-boned, so he wasn't passing the bus but crossing its path in a 4-way stop.

It looked like the bus driver saw him but wasn't thinking. At 3:30pm you could be right he was tired since this is the time of day of the second sleep cycle of the day.

A few days ago I was cut off by someone in a 3-way stop. We all saw each other, stopped and took our turns. But unfortunately, someone decided that my turn didn't count. So when she was right in front of me, I pointed my index-finger straight to her face. Should have blasted my horns too.
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