5 mph

A week ago, out on a country road, I saw the huge white Tractor Trailer briefly in the mirror . Its lights were still small yellow balls and I guessed I still had time. I was struggling up a long hill in pain and at that moment when you get careless and forget about safety. Then my eyes were no longer on the mirror , they were looking inside.

The Truck was suddenly alongside me. I braced myself for the shockwave and hot breath of diesel and exhaust. But there was none. I looked over and saw that that the driver had actually gone into the opposing lane out of respect. He had given me a wide berth of twenty feet despite the danger of his job. I tried to catch the plate or truck logo, or some lasting impression to remember. I remember trying to wave but being too tired to raise my arm.

For every moment like this, comes another.
Today on a nice wide open four lane road with very little traffic a shiny white Ford crew cab heading to the super market skimmed the edge of the bike lane and I looked over and saw its mirror two inches from me.
When that happens I avoid looking at the driver or his tags or bumper stickers. I just try to forget .

Barrettscv 

I've developed a general philosophy: 80% of the human race is courteous and concerned about fellow human beings and as long as you don't expect too much, most people are fine. The other 20% can be negligent or worse.

The skills needed to survive the worse 20% of humanity shouldn't become a barrier to the other 80%.

CAT7RDR

Truck driving is a profession and the last thing a driver wants is an accident, especially one where there is a fatality.
On the other hand, in SoCal, if you are hit/injured by a domestic, they are 50-50 to run and leave you injured and dying in the street.

I stopped reading the bikinginla blog because it was so depressing reading about all the hit-and-run cyclist fatalities.

Iride01 

I almost never have issues with transport truck drivers and other professional drivers. Usually if I'm going to have an issue it's the average joe citizen that thinks only cars should be on the road and so what if they need to watch a funny video that their friend sent them on their phone while driving. Thankfully I usually only encounter those people while I too am in a motor vehicle.

rydabent

Virtually all professional drivers give you plenty of room.

Then as I have posted on several forums, in town I usually ride my trike. A good percentage of people arent sure of what they are, and many think they are some sort of handicapped device. Almost always they move clear over into the other lane when passing. They must think that they dont want their picture plastered on the front page of the paper saying they hit a handicapped person. Personally I dont want to disabuse them of that thinking.

Champlaincycler

Hope you gave him a wave of thanks. I ride with mirrors and whenever I see someone move far left to pass me or hang back to let an oncoming car go by before passing they get a big wave of thanks. Now, I'm in a pretty rural area so it's not like I'm waving ten times a minute.

Kabuki12

I find the 80-20 rule to be somewhat accurate. I think the tide is turning where I live in Ventura County California. More folks commuting on bicycles and quite a few more road bikes so I think more drivers also ride bicycles. The share the road laws help , unfortunately some still are unaware. Overall better in my observation , riding a few times a week. There will always be those who really don’t understand why someone should ride a bicycle on their road that is meant for automobiles. I rarely let it get to me but there are times.....

Mmassey338

I gave up riding on the road in Florida, but we’re near the amazing 46 mile long Withlacoochee Trail. We do ride the roads in Maine where the drivers are much better behaved toward cyclists.

canklecat

Yup, at least once every week.

And those generalizations about drivers based on their vehicles? Yeah, those are pretty close to being true.

"Ram 2500 Drivers Have the Most DUIs, More Than Twice the National Average: Report"

Because a DUI/DWI is the ultimate FU to society, it's not a stretch to interpolate lesser forms of FU's toward cyclists and pedestrians -- unnecessary and avoidable or preventable unsafe passes, crowding at crosswalks, brush-by passes, right/left hooking, etc. -- committed by other drivers in those vehicle type categories.

But nothing will change until the entire American paradigm changes to regard all infractions against lawful users of shared public resources to be negligence, at a minimum, and not "accidents."

Cyclist0100

I do exactly the opposite. I give them the finger as they pass to tell them they're #1. And if I happen to catch them at the next stop light that's when things can get really fun. I like to use my 1st Amendment rights to give honest, direct feedback about their driving skills and lack of courtesy. If they don't appreciate my feedback and try to escalate the situation to a level that becomes dangerous then I'm covered by my 2nd Amendment rights as well as Florida's "stand your ground" law. I learned a long time ago that the best way to deal with a bully is to punch them in the mouth. I hate bullies.

OldsCOOL

I love truckers. Maybe that’s from watching Breaking Away. Seems like the professionals respect others that live on American asphalt. The guys that make me nervous are the independant small-time dumptrucks pulling a dozer (etc) on flatbeds that act like they are in a NASCAR practice day.

John E

The only bicyclist fatality in my city this year was a right hook, courtesy of a truck driver delivering a PODS storage module, about two km northeast of my house, on a road I frequent as a cyclist, pedestrian, or motorist. The victim was a 64-year-old biotechnologist and family man who worked near UCSD, i.e., a "friend I never met."

https://www.sandiegouniontribune.com...e-in-encinitas

OldsCOOL

Sorry to hear that.