Wife trouble because of stupid cyclist
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Wife trouble because of stupid cyclist
Driving back home from an errand last night, my wife and I decided to call in a take-out order from a local restaurant. Driving slowly down the quiet street in front of the restaurant I saw no parking spaces so I put my right signal on, pulled close to a break between parked cars and stopped to let her out. As she started to open her door, I caught a glimpse of a weak, blinking white light in my mirror and released that a cyclist was about to pass between my car and the parked cars - despite my being stopped, my active turn signal, and my wife's door starting to open. I yelled "Wait, wait, wait!" and then as the cyclist started to squeeze through the narrow space between my car and the parked ones I yelled "You idiot!". Of course, my wife who had not seen the cyclist, thought I was yelling at her. Even worse, she had turned to me as I was yelling and did not see the cyclist as he passed.
The good thing is that the cyclist was not doored, but I really had to do some 'splaining on the way home.
The good thing is that the cyclist was not doored, but I really had to do some 'splaining on the way home.
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I can see it now in A+S ..... minding my own business riding down a quiet street with my bike lights on, when a idiot cager passes me and then does the squeeze into my travel path, STOPS and then tries to door ME. Then the cager yells at me! Only my catlike reflexed kept me from getting injured
By the way good save, both for the cyclist and more important keeping your wife from getting hurt.
By the way good save, both for the cyclist and more important keeping your wife from getting hurt.
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Excellent. No good deed shall go unpunished. If the rider had hit your wife's door....well, you may have saved his life with your blinker.
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I can see it now in A+S ..... minding my own business riding down a quiet street with my bike lights on, when a idiot cager passes me and then does the squeeze into my travel path, STOPS and then tries to door ME. Then the cager yells at me! Only my catlike reflexed kept me from getting injured
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Of course, my wife who had not seen the cyclist, thought I was yelling at her. Even worse, she had turned to me as I was yelling and did not see the cyclist as he passed. The good thing is that the cyclist was not doored, but I really had to do some 'splaining on the way home.
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FB4K - Every October we wrench on donated bikes. Every December, a few thousand kids get bikes for Christmas. For many, it is their first bike, ever. Every bike, new and used, was donated, built, cleaned and repaired. Check us out on FaceBook: FB4K.
Disclaimer: 99% of what I know about cycling I learned on BF. That would make, ummm, 1% experience. And a lot of posts.
#6
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I will explain how you should have handled this in a way that gave punishment to the cyclist, while lighting the fires of romance with your wife! Listen to the wisdom of an old single dude who is clueless about women!
As your wife opened the door, you should simply have grabbed her, pulled her close, and gave her a passionate kiss. The idiot would have doored himself on the unattended open door, while your wife's emotional level would... well... would be dependent upon your abilities as a passionate kisser... You could then lambaste the idiot for interrupting your special moment with your siginificant other. See? A perfect plan!
As your wife opened the door, you should simply have grabbed her, pulled her close, and gave her a passionate kiss. The idiot would have doored himself on the unattended open door, while your wife's emotional level would... well... would be dependent upon your abilities as a passionate kisser... You could then lambaste the idiot for interrupting your special moment with your siginificant other. See? A perfect plan!
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FWIW, I agree, cyclist was an idiot. Never a good idea to ride between vehicles like that, always pass on the left; if you have to pass on the right, do so with EXTREME caution.
You should make a joke of it now, yell "YOU IDIOT" at home, maybe in the kitchen, blame a passing cyclist.
You should make a joke of it now, yell "YOU IDIOT" at home, maybe in the kitchen, blame a passing cyclist.
#8
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My wife went one better than that and knocked a motor-cyclist off his bike when she opened her door as he squeezed between us and some parked cars. Luckily no damage to the car, my wife, or to the rider, but some damage to his shiny motor bike (which he had to pay for).
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Double parking is not safe and obviously there was enough space to pass between you and the parked car--the cyclist did not want to go into the next traffic lane a) because it was busy with oncoming cars and b) because he most likely assumed you would be the one opening the door.
Bad situation all around--again double parking is dangerous because it blocks traffic!
Bad situation all around--again double parking is dangerous because it blocks traffic!
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Double parking is not safe and obviously there was enough space to pass between you and the parked car--the cyclist did not want to go into the next traffic lane a) because it was busy with oncoming cars and b) because he most likely assumed you would be the one opening the door.
Bad situation all around--again double parking is dangerous because it blocks traffic!
Bad situation all around--again double parking is dangerous because it blocks traffic!
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I will explain how you should have handled this in a way that gave punishment to the cyclist, while lighting the fires of romance with your wife! Listen to the wisdom of an old single dude who is clueless about women!
As your wife opened the door, you should simply have grabbed her, pulled her close, and gave her a passionate kiss. The idiot would have doored himself on the unattended open door, while your wife's emotional level would... well... would be dependent upon your abilities as a passionate kisser... You could then lambaste the idiot for interrupting your special moment with your siginificant other. See? A perfect plan!
As your wife opened the door, you should simply have grabbed her, pulled her close, and gave her a passionate kiss. The idiot would have doored himself on the unattended open door, while your wife's emotional level would... well... would be dependent upon your abilities as a passionate kisser... You could then lambaste the idiot for interrupting your special moment with your siginificant other. See? A perfect plan!
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Double parking is not safe and obviously there was enough space to pass between you and the parked car--the cyclist did not want to go into the next traffic lane a) because it was busy with oncoming cars and b) because he most likely assumed you would be the one opening the door.
Bad situation all around--again double parking is dangerous because it blocks traffic!
Bad situation all around--again double parking is dangerous because it blocks traffic!
#13
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...As she started to open her door, I yelled "Wait, wait, wait!" and then as the cyclist started to squeeze through the narrow space between my car and the parked ones I yelled "You idiot!". ...
The good thing is that the cyclist was not doored, but I really had to do some 'splaining on the way home.
The good thing is that the cyclist was not doored, but I really had to do some 'splaining on the way home.
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WARNING, I'm from New York. Thin skinned people should maintain safe distance.
#14
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Not a dooring incident, but we had a near-miss last Saturday in our club ride. One group of riders was stopped at a light, unfortunately clogging up the right turn lane with a car behind them waiting to turn right with his turn signal on. As I approached with a second group of riders, the light changed, the first group started riding and the car started moving forward. I moved to the left to stay behind the car turning right, but then from behind me about 6 riders passed me, then the car signaling for a right turn, on the right. Car had to abruptly stop, I had to stop, and the second group was squeezing thru a narrow path between the car and the curb. Not good, and I can't fault the car driver at all. It is usually much better for us cyclists to move left and pass turning or parking cars on the left! And if the first group of riders had taken the right thru lane instead of the turn lane, that turning car would have been long gone before the rest of us got there!
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Interesting. If I yelled, "You idiot!" My wife would likely turn and say, "Are you talking to yourself again?"
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#17
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FWIW, I agree, cyclist was an idiot. Never a good idea to ride between vehicles like that, always pass on the left; if you have to pass on the right, do so with EXTREME caution.
You should make a joke of it now, yell "YOU IDIOT" at home, maybe in the kitchen, blame a passing cyclist.
You should make a joke of it now, yell "YOU IDIOT" at home, maybe in the kitchen, blame a passing cyclist.
#18
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Not a dooring incident, but we had a near-miss last Saturday in our club ride. One group of riders was stopped at a light, unfortunately clogging up the right turn lane with a car behind them waiting to turn right with his turn signal on. As I approached with a second group of riders, the light changed, the first group started riding and the car started moving forward. I moved to the left to stay behind the car turning right, but then from behind me about 6 riders passed me, then the car signaling for a right turn, on the right. Car had to abruptly stop, I had to stop, and the second group was squeezing thru a narrow path between the car and the curb. Not good, and I can't fault the car driver at all. It is usually much better for us cyclists to move left and pass turning or parking cars on the left! And if the first group of riders had taken the right thru lane instead of the turn lane, that turning car would have been long gone before the rest of us got there!
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#19
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I am extremely careful when opening any car door, but I did come close to causing a door incident once. I was in the UK, sitting in the left front passenger seat, and our local driver pulled up and parked at a right (wrong over there) side curb. I dutifully checked back, but not forward, when starting to open my door, and almost opened it into an oncoming car.
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"Far and away the best prize that life offers is the chance to work hard at work worth doing." --Theodore Roosevelt
Capo: 1959 Modell Campagnolo, S/N 40324; 1960 Sieger (2), S/N 42624, 42597
Carlton: 1962 Franco Suisse, S/N K7911
Peugeot: 1970 UO-8, S/N 0010468
Bianchi: 1982 Campione d'Italia, S/N 1.M9914
Schwinn: 1988 Project KOM-10, S/N F804069
"Far and away the best prize that life offers is the chance to work hard at work worth doing." --Theodore Roosevelt
Capo: 1959 Modell Campagnolo, S/N 40324; 1960 Sieger (2), S/N 42624, 42597
Carlton: 1962 Franco Suisse, S/N K7911
Peugeot: 1970 UO-8, S/N 0010468
Bianchi: 1982 Campione d'Italia, S/N 1.M9914
Schwinn: 1988 Project KOM-10, S/N F804069
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If I see a double parked car, I wouldn't try to ride between it and a parked car. I might however slow down and think out what better option there might be. IMO, it was a stupid move on the cyclists part. It doesn't matter who is in the wrong when you get launched over or into a car door.
Also the driver should have been aware of the cyclist since he had to overtake him shortly before he stopped.
Opening doors into traffic is illegal according to the driver's handbook so is double parking!
Last edited by VNA; 11-12-14 at 09:53 AM.
#21
Senior Member
I will explain how you should have handled this in a way that gave punishment to the cyclist, while lighting the fires of romance with your wife! Listen to the wisdom of an old single dude who is clueless about women!
As your wife opened the door, you should simply have grabbed her, pulled her close, and gave her a passionate kiss. The idiot would have doored himself on the unattended open door, while your wife's emotional level would... well... would be dependent upon your abilities as a passionate kisser... You could then lambaste the idiot for interrupting your special moment with your siginificant other. See? A perfect plan!
As your wife opened the door, you should simply have grabbed her, pulled her close, and gave her a passionate kiss. The idiot would have doored himself on the unattended open door, while your wife's emotional level would... well... would be dependent upon your abilities as a passionate kisser... You could then lambaste the idiot for interrupting your special moment with your siginificant other. See? A perfect plan!
Which would be easy, beacause he would be inside the car with you!
#22
Senior Member
Easy fix for the future. Decide on ONE name to call your wife when she does something dumb. Use one that will get your message across, but not offend her. Hopefully it can be delivered in a loving way with a bit of humor. Use that term EXCLUSIVELY for her, never calling her anything else, and likewise never call anybody else by that name.
#23
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Been happily married over 25 years.
Deb KNOWS that I would never call her an idiot or whatever, so there's no chance of her being insulted or upset by mistake. I don't have to resort to calling her names in anger because she'd know what I mean or feel by tone or context.
I do have a mild epithet I might use when annoyed, but can deliver it with a smile in proportion to the level of annoyance when she screws up. Likewise she does the same when I screw up.
If getting insulted is enough to strain a relationship, then the relationship wasn't that solid to begin with.
Deb KNOWS that I would never call her an idiot or whatever, so there's no chance of her being insulted or upset by mistake. I don't have to resort to calling her names in anger because she'd know what I mean or feel by tone or context.
I do have a mild epithet I might use when annoyed, but can deliver it with a smile in proportion to the level of annoyance when she screws up. Likewise she does the same when I screw up.
If getting insulted is enough to strain a relationship, then the relationship wasn't that solid to begin with.
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An ounce of diagnosis is worth a pound of cure.
Just because I'm tired of arguing, doesn't mean you're right.
“One accurate measurement is worth a thousand expert opinions” - Adm Grace Murray Hopper - USN
WARNING, I'm from New York. Thin skinned people should maintain safe distance.
#24
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Not the safest move on the part of the cyclist, but the driver was blocking traffic and that include cyclist--obviously there was enough room to go between cars--by the way splitting lane is legal (carefully) particularly with stopped automobile traffic.
Also the driver should have been aware of the cyclist since he had to overtake him shortly before he stopped.
Opening doors into traffic is illegal according to the driver's handbook so is double parking!
Also the driver should have been aware of the cyclist since he had to overtake him shortly before he stopped.
Opening doors into traffic is illegal according to the driver's handbook so is double parking!
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I can see it now in A+S ..... minding my own business riding down a quiet street with my bike lights on, when a idiot cager passes me and then does the squeeze into my travel path, STOPS and then tries to door ME. Then the cager yells at me! Only my catlike reflexed kept me from getting injured
By the way good save, both for the cyclist and more important keeping your wife from getting hurt.
By the way good save, both for the cyclist and more important keeping your wife from getting hurt.
And all too accurate.