wphamilton

I sometimes forget it, so just a reminder to fellow bike commuters. This time of year increasing through the holidays, the streets are like someone unlocked the nuthouse and let everyone out. People who don't drive much, others who are stressing, drivers acting with some weird urgency, whatever it is there is more aggressive, irrational driving.

So stay sharp out there! And remember "don't engage the crazies".

no motor?

I almost got hit from behind the night before Thanksgiving by one. And I'm waiting for delivery of another rear light now.

rumrunn6

this can't be repeated too much

pdlamb

You just reminded me -- Christmas parade is downtown tonight, and that's right in the middle of my normal commute.

I don't know which would be better -- turn all my blinking lights on and ride the parade route, or take the long way around and avoid the whole mess.

rumrunn6

join the party & share pics. 'tis the season!

JoeyBike

Yeah, I do a 2-mile detour to avoid City Park's Christmas light extravaganza that begins Thanksgiving weekend and runs through Jan 6th. It's a festival of idiot drivers who become idiot pedestrians all at critical human mass. No win.

wphamilton

I almost got smacked from behind yesterday. Crossing a 4-lane into a driveway, someone turning left into the same driveway goosing it and almost running up into me. I have no idea what was running through her mind and didn't hang around to find out. Just normal craziness ramping up.

wipekitty

Ugh, good reminder. Turn signals and brakes seem to suddenly stop functioning between Thanksgiving and Christmas.

My last run-in with a driver (hit and run, but thankfully no injuries to myself or the bike) was December 23, 2010.

flangehead

mtbikerinpa

Last night my hun got whacked hard while waiting to make a left in her car. Cobalt vs a 55mph cherrokee without braking. Totalled car and lots of whiplash. Straight road no visibility issues. CELL PHONE. Scary stuff. Thank goodness for insurance.

rumrunn6

2manybikes

Sorry to hear that. Hope she recovers quickly.

2manybikes

I'm only three or four blocks from the post office. The traffic here is insane. Forget about getting a car into the parking lot.

wolfchild

This is the worst time of the year to be on the roads, it doesn't matter if you're a driver or cyclists or pedestrian...It's a lot worse now then long time ago because many people are doing online shopping and on their smartphones and watching facebook while driving. Society has gone mad.

mtbikerinpa

It has indeed. I have at times debated turning my 1k lumen strobe into a tail light. Works for cop cars and the cops I've talked to said they would always want a biker brighter.

Update, she didn't have to stay overnight but has sprained abs, shoulder and neck. Still walking and doing stuff with obvious wincing. Don't think the car will come off life support however. At least the bikes weren't on it at the same time.

52telecaster

glad she is home but man that sounds rough. Best mojo to you and yours.

rumrunn6

a 42-year-old Boston woman struck 5 pedestrians with her SUV on Route 145 Sunday night, killing a 5-year-old girl and critically injured a 2-month-old infant, was impaired from a combination of beer, a muscle relaxer & CBD oil

there is no excuse for this

noglider 

Last night, I was riding on 7th Avenue in NYC which I don't ride routinely. I was in a traffic lane which is too narrow for both a bike and a car. The driver behind me honked at me. I stopped at a light and turned around and saw her ranting at me with an angry face. I informed her her headlights were off. When she turned them on, I smiled and gave her a thumbs up. She still looked angry and kept ranting but her windows were closed. I can speak very loudly, as I have a trained singing voice, so she could hear me, but I couldn't hear her. I asked her if she wanted me to hear her, and she opened her window and said, "This isn't a bike lane. Go find one." I said, when there is no bike lane, I use the traffic lane, and that's the law." She laughed and shook her head, and I said, "Hey that's the law, you just don't know." What a dope. You can't just make sh*t up and expect people to comply with it. Then I noticed she had New Jersey license plates. So she comes here to shop or whatever and thinks she knows the laws here. Actually, they're almost identical, and bikes are allowed on roads in all 50 states. And she doesn't know this?!

rumrunn6

that sounds like a moderately good outcome! well done

noglider 

Yeah but it was not at all fun. I was fired up, and my adrenaline was going. I know not to hope that I'll "get through" but maybe her smile was a veiled embarrassment or something. Oh whatever! And of course, she eventually passed me too close. And right before that, a cyclist merged into my lane illegally from a side street, and I held my line so he wouldn't cut me off or push me aside. Then after the motorist incident, a cyclist running a red light almost collided with me and braked at the last moment, after I had started braking. NYC traffic requires extreme alertness and assertiveness. I'm lucky I mostly ride along the river path which has no cars. Motorized bikes and scooters and skateboards are not legal, but they are common. The users behave well on the path, so I'm cool with them.

rumrunn6

I can only imagine! stay safe

mtbikerinpa

Today I was oddly surprised how pleasant the drivers were. Of a 14 mile route, only the last 2 miles were filled with jerks(and that road usually is). The kicker of that road is it is a nice easy level road with zigs and lined with 4 retirement communities in an office-hipster town. Cell phones and blind people. I was testing the plain-clothes vs kitted outfit study posted on youtube. Apparently it applies to some areas.

Out of the NYC vs NJ drivers, we get a lot of both as tourists here in Lancaster but the NY plated drivers seem a factor better at skill than NJ(no surprise) but I find it odd that both states do not have a 4ft passing requirement. I have had multiple NJ drivers yell about it too. One funny thing to do is simply yell "grow up". usually gives a super confused look and shuts them up.

Shimagnolo

Today on the US36 Bike Path, I encountered a crew replacing the fencing that runs down the middle of the 20' wide grassy area between the bike path and the highway. There was a path of destruction running diagonally through the grassy part...through the fence...across the bike path...then down the embankment to another fence around farmland.
How the hell does one abruptly run off the side of a straight highway at a 45-degree angle???

Korina

SQUIRREL!

Or deer. Or cell. Or family fight. Or...

rumrunn6

fall asleep at the wheel?