Chicago Lyft Passenger Opens Door in Bike Lane
10-05-21, 04:31 PM
#1
Senior Member
Thread Starter
Chicago Lyft Passenger Opens Door in Bike Lane
10-05-21, 05:08 PM
#2
Jedi Master
Chicago is a dangerous place to ride a bike. 5.8 average fatalities per year. I think we had 7 last year. Unfortunately, painting an outline of bike on the side of the street doesn't magically turn it into a bike lane. We have a long way to go. Totally inexcusable that the driver and passenger left the scene, but when you see a car pull to the right like that, it's pretty risky to try to shoot the gap between the doors because chances are good they are dropping someone off, especially in Lincoln Park. You're never going to stop ridshare drivers from pulling over to let people out, and you're never going to train rideshare passengers to look before they open the door.
Likes For kingston:
10-05-21, 10:29 PM
#3
Senior Member
Join Date: Nov 2013
Posts: 1,085
Mentioned: 1 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 440 Post(s)
Liked 264 Times
in
162 Posts
There should be some blame placed on the cyclist also. In a perfect world, neither the driver and passenger would not have done what they did. This is not a perfect world, so why would any cyclist fly by the SUV? I know I would been going a lot slower then he was.
Likes For Bmach:
10-06-21, 04:27 AM
#4
Senior Member
Join Date: Dec 2006
Location: Houston, TX
Posts: 895
Bikes: 2017 Co-op ADV 1.1; ~1991 Novara Arriba; 1990 Fuji Palisade; mid-90's Moots Tandem; 1985 Performance Superbe
Mentioned: 1 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 390 Post(s)
Liked 572 Times
in
332 Posts
4 situations
There are 4 situations:
1. Car passenger sees cyclist and doesn’t open door. Cyclist passes in door zone. Outcome: No collision and no report of incident in the press.
2. Cyclist does not enter door zone or is slow and alert. Car passenger opens door without looking. Outcome: No collision and no report of incident in the press.
3. Car passenger sees cyclist and doesn’t open door. Cyclist does not enter door zone or is slow and alert. Outcome: No collision and no report of incident in the press.
4. Car passenger opens door without looking.. Cyclist passes in door zone. Outcome: Collision. Possible press report.
Though the resulting collision is more likely to injure the cyclist than anyone else, the possibility of injury to the car passenger exists.
What action does the cyclist have control over? What action does the car passenger have control over?
Now add Murphy’s Law. The cyclist on occasion, even with best intentions, will enter the door zone in a risky manner. The car passenger, even with the best intentions, will open a door with a moving object approaching.
The more often car passengers look, and the more cyclists avoid the door zone, the fewer situation 4 events will occur.
We will now return to our regularly scheduled program.
1. Car passenger sees cyclist and doesn’t open door. Cyclist passes in door zone. Outcome: No collision and no report of incident in the press.
2. Cyclist does not enter door zone or is slow and alert. Car passenger opens door without looking. Outcome: No collision and no report of incident in the press.
3. Car passenger sees cyclist and doesn’t open door. Cyclist does not enter door zone or is slow and alert. Outcome: No collision and no report of incident in the press.
4. Car passenger opens door without looking.. Cyclist passes in door zone. Outcome: Collision. Possible press report.
Though the resulting collision is more likely to injure the cyclist than anyone else, the possibility of injury to the car passenger exists.
What action does the cyclist have control over? What action does the car passenger have control over?
Now add Murphy’s Law. The cyclist on occasion, even with best intentions, will enter the door zone in a risky manner. The car passenger, even with the best intentions, will open a door with a moving object approaching.
The more often car passengers look, and the more cyclists avoid the door zone, the fewer situation 4 events will occur.
We will now return to our regularly scheduled program.
10-06-21, 11:48 AM
#5
Senior Member
Join Date: Jul 2013
Location: NJ, USA
Posts: 1,278
Bikes: two blacks, a blue and a white.
Mentioned: 2 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 444 Post(s)
Liked 844 Times
in
408 Posts
I'd agree that Chicago can be a dangerous place, but it's not six or seven cycling fatalities a year that earns that reputation.
10-06-21, 01:02 PM
#6
Senior Member
Join Date: Oct 2013
Location: Highlands Ranch, CO
Posts: 1,221
Bikes: '13 Diamondback Hybrid Commuter, '17 Spec Roubaix Di2, '17 Spec Camber 29'er, '19 CDale Topstone Gravel
Mentioned: 5 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 590 Post(s)
Liked 445 Times
in
260 Posts
I'd also agree Chicago is a dangerous place. I had just arrived in Wicker Park and was still rolling my luggage down Milwaukee Ave to my hotel (which is a super heavily bike route) and within those 5 minutes I witnessed a car/bike accident due to a stupid driver coming from the other direction and pulling in front of a cyclist that was going going straight and taking the lane, causing the cyclist to t-bone the car. The cyclist couldn't have been riding any better, though they weren't wearing any Hi-Vis at all, not that I like to victim blame.
10-06-21, 02:54 PM
#7
Tragically Ignorant
Join Date: Jun 2018
Location: New England
Posts: 15,613
Bikes: Serotta Atlanta; 1994 Specialized Allez Pro; Giant OCR A1; SOMA Double Cross Disc; 2022 Allez Elite mit der SRAM
Mentioned: 62 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 8186 Post(s)
Liked 9,098 Times
in
5,054 Posts
Oh, hell no. The cyclist had no reason to know that someone would illegally open a door in a traffic lane. There is literally no part of that road that isn't a door zone if you have to assume people are going to randomly open up doors in traffic. And good luck figuring out how fast that bike was going.
Sorry, but there's nothing I hate more than an unfounded "that wouldn't happen to me" post..
Likes For livedarklions:
10-06-21, 02:56 PM
#8
Tragically Ignorant
Join Date: Jun 2018
Location: New England
Posts: 15,613
Bikes: Serotta Atlanta; 1994 Specialized Allez Pro; Giant OCR A1; SOMA Double Cross Disc; 2022 Allez Elite mit der SRAM
Mentioned: 62 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 8186 Post(s)
Liked 9,098 Times
in
5,054 Posts
There are 4 situations:
1. Car passenger sees cyclist and doesn’t open door. Cyclist passes in door zone. Outcome: No collision and no report of incident in the press.
2. Cyclist does not enter door zone or is slow and alert. Car passenger opens door without looking. Outcome: No collision and no report of incident in the press.
3. Car passenger sees cyclist and doesn’t open door. Cyclist does not enter door zone or is slow and alert. Outcome: No collision and no report of incident in the press.
4. Car passenger opens door without looking.. Cyclist passes in door zone. Outcome: Collision. Possible press report.
Though the resulting collision is more likely to injure the cyclist than anyone else, the possibility of injury to the car passenger exists.
What action does the cyclist have control over? What action does the car passenger have control over?
Now add Murphy’s Law. The cyclist on occasion, even with best intentions, will enter the door zone in a risky manner. The car passenger, even with the best intentions, will open a door with a moving object approaching.
The more often car passengers look, and the more cyclists avoid the door zone, the fewer situation 4 events will occur.
We will now return to our regularly scheduled program.
1. Car passenger sees cyclist and doesn’t open door. Cyclist passes in door zone. Outcome: No collision and no report of incident in the press.
2. Cyclist does not enter door zone or is slow and alert. Car passenger opens door without looking. Outcome: No collision and no report of incident in the press.
3. Car passenger sees cyclist and doesn’t open door. Cyclist does not enter door zone or is slow and alert. Outcome: No collision and no report of incident in the press.
4. Car passenger opens door without looking.. Cyclist passes in door zone. Outcome: Collision. Possible press report.
Though the resulting collision is more likely to injure the cyclist than anyone else, the possibility of injury to the car passenger exists.
What action does the cyclist have control over? What action does the car passenger have control over?
Now add Murphy’s Law. The cyclist on occasion, even with best intentions, will enter the door zone in a risky manner. The car passenger, even with the best intentions, will open a door with a moving object approaching.
The more often car passengers look, and the more cyclists avoid the door zone, the fewer situation 4 events will occur.
We will now return to our regularly scheduled program.
10-06-21, 03:34 PM
#9
Full Member
Join Date: Jul 2015
Location: Chicago
Posts: 309
Bikes: nothing to brag about
Mentioned: 3 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 130 Post(s)
Liked 206 Times
in
116 Posts
This definitely is not a case of someone "randomly" opening a door in traffic. It's a case of a car pulling over. That's about as good of a clue as you are ever going to get that the next thing to happen is that a door is going to open on one side or the other.
Likes For mdarnton:
10-06-21, 04:26 PM
#10
Senior Member
The article says
"...when a rideshare driver in a white Honda CRV pulled into the bike lane to let a passenger out."
Why would the cyclist be responsible for any blame if he was riding in the bike lane and the driver intruded into his space?
You wouldn't blame a pedestrian on the sidewalk for getting run over if a driver jumped the curb would you?
Likes For Daniel4:
10-06-21, 04:47 PM
#11
Senior Member
Join Date: Nov 2013
Posts: 1,085
Mentioned: 1 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 440 Post(s)
Liked 264 Times
in
162 Posts
Hell no.
The article says
"...when a rideshare driver in a white Honda CRV pulled into the bike lane to let a passenger out."
Why would the cyclist be responsible for any blame if he was riding in the bike lane and the driver intruded into his space?
You wouldn't blame a pedestrian on the sidewalk for getting run over if a driver jumped the curb would you?
The article says
"...when a rideshare driver in a white Honda CRV pulled into the bike lane to let a passenger out."
Why would the cyclist be responsible for any blame if he was riding in the bike lane and the driver intruded into his space?
You wouldn't blame a pedestrian on the sidewalk for getting run over if a driver jumped the curb would you?
So I stand by what I said and that is how I ride also.
Last edited by Bmach; 10-06-21 at 05:34 PM.
10-06-21, 05:40 PM
#12
Senior Member
oh hell yesssssss. Just slowing down would have changed the result. Cyclist have to watch out for themselves and this is a perfect example of taking care of yourself. Just like any intersection where you have the right of way you still have to be carefull and look out for yourself.
So I stand by what I said and that is how I ride also.
So I stand by what I said and that is how I ride also.
Last edited by Daniel4; 10-06-21 at 05:46 PM.
Likes For Daniel4:
10-06-21, 06:43 PM
#13
Tragically Ignorant
Join Date: Jun 2018
Location: New England
Posts: 15,613
Bikes: Serotta Atlanta; 1994 Specialized Allez Pro; Giant OCR A1; SOMA Double Cross Disc; 2022 Allez Elite mit der SRAM
Mentioned: 62 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 8186 Post(s)
Liked 9,098 Times
in
5,054 Posts
Nonsense, watch the video. The car and the bike are basically parallel, then the car "pulls over" onto the bike lane with the bike already next to him and the door flies open. The bicyclist is going what appears to be a normal bike lane speed when the car cuts him off. You're just trying to take credit for 20/20 hindsight, there was no real warning to the bicyclist. But hey, congrats on not being the bicyclist, it obviously makes you feel better about yourself.
Likes For livedarklions:
10-06-21, 06:47 PM
#14
Tragically Ignorant
Join Date: Jun 2018
Location: New England
Posts: 15,613
Bikes: Serotta Atlanta; 1994 Specialized Allez Pro; Giant OCR A1; SOMA Double Cross Disc; 2022 Allez Elite mit der SRAM
Mentioned: 62 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 8186 Post(s)
Liked 9,098 Times
in
5,054 Posts
oh hell yesssssss. Just slowing down would have changed the result. Cyclist have to watch out for themselves and this is a perfect example of taking care of yourself. Just like any intersection where you have the right of way you still have to be carefull and look out for yourself.
So I stand by what I said and that is how I ride also.
So I stand by what I said and that is how I ride also.
Tell me exactly how fast he was going from that jerky motion video. Then tell me exactly when he was supposed to slow down. There's no real warning.
Likes For livedarklions:
10-06-21, 08:06 PM
#15
Jedi Master
Other than leaving the scene of an accident, I didn't see anything illegal. Cars are allowed to pull over and let people out. That happens thousands of times a day in Lincoln Park. The news guy called it a bike lane, but it's the same street it's always been, it just has a bike painted on it now. Maybe the cyclist could have avoided that accident and maybe he couldn't have, but he definitely wouldn't have gotten doored if he didn’t try to squeeze through that gap.
Likes For homeless in ca.:
10-06-21, 09:08 PM
#17
Been Around Awhile
Join Date: Oct 2004
Location: Burlington Iowa
Posts: 29,969
Bikes: Vaterland and Ragazzi
Mentioned: 0 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 12 Post(s)
Liked 1,532 Times
in
1,043 Posts
10-06-21, 09:24 PM
#18
Senior Member
Join Date: Feb 2007
Posts: 1,435
Mentioned: 5 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 623 Post(s)
Likes: 0
Liked 396 Times
in
274 Posts
You are never going to train motorists or passengers to look before they open that door. As stated there was very little time to react. The bicycle rider was riding in the door zone next to the parked cars on what looks to be a sub standard lane. The Lyft driver pulling over to allow the passenger out was just sauce for the goose. I don't ride in the door zone and I would be out in the lane. Being doored is the major cause of bicyclists deaths in England.
Likes For Rick:
10-06-21, 10:01 PM
#19
Senior Member
Join Date: May 2010
Location: Bastrop Texas
Posts: 4,473
Bikes: Univega, Peu P6, Peu PR-10, Ted Williams, Peu UO-8, Peu UO-18 Mixte, Peu Dolomites
Mentioned: 13 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 961 Post(s)
Liked 1,627 Times
in
1,044 Posts
There are 4 situations:
1. Car passenger sees cyclist and doesn’t open door. Cyclist passes in door zone. Outcome: No collision and no report of incident in the press.
2. Cyclist does not enter door zone or is slow and alert. Car passenger opens door without looking. Outcome: No collision and no report of incident in the press.
3. Car passenger sees cyclist and doesn’t open door. Cyclist does not enter door zone or is slow and alert. Outcome: No collision and no report of incident in the press.
4. Car passenger opens door without looking.. Cyclist passes in door zone. Outcome: Collision. Possible press report....
1. Car passenger sees cyclist and doesn’t open door. Cyclist passes in door zone. Outcome: No collision and no report of incident in the press.
2. Cyclist does not enter door zone or is slow and alert. Car passenger opens door without looking. Outcome: No collision and no report of incident in the press.
3. Car passenger sees cyclist and doesn’t open door. Cyclist does not enter door zone or is slow and alert. Outcome: No collision and no report of incident in the press.
4. Car passenger opens door without looking.. Cyclist passes in door zone. Outcome: Collision. Possible press report....
5. Car driver and passenger see cyclist. Car passenger opens door looking. At observation driver and passenger note there is no severe damage to the bicycle. They then drive off with the bicycle in the trunk. Outcome: Hey... It's Chicago.
In truth this can happen any time in any city any where. I hope he has a speedy recovery...
__________________
No matter where you're at... There you are... Δf:=f(1/2)-f(-1/2)
No matter where you're at... There you are... Δf:=f(1/2)-f(-1/2)
10-07-21, 04:36 AM
#21
Jedi Master
10-07-21, 05:04 AM
#22
Senior Member
Join Date: Jan 2006
Location: Atlantic Beach Florida
Posts: 1,945
Mentioned: 18 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 3773 Post(s)
Liked 1,042 Times
in
789 Posts
I would never had gone between those two cars, especially at that speed. Take the lane and go on the outside.
Likes For work4bike:
10-07-21, 05:08 AM
#23
Tragically Ignorant
Join Date: Jun 2018
Location: New England
Posts: 15,613
Bikes: Serotta Atlanta; 1994 Specialized Allez Pro; Giant OCR A1; SOMA Double Cross Disc; 2022 Allez Elite mit der SRAM
Mentioned: 62 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 8186 Post(s)
Liked 9,098 Times
in
5,054 Posts
Other than leaving the scene of an accident, I didn't see anything illegal. Cars are allowed to pull over and let people out. That happens thousands of times a day in Lincoln Park. The news guy called it a bike lane, but it's the same street it's always been, it just has a bike painted on it now. Maybe the cyclist could have avoided that accident and maybe he couldn't have, but he definitely wouldn't have gotten doored if he didn’t try to squeeze through that gap.
Now we've established it was a sharrow, the story clearly misdescribes what is documented in the video. There is no pullover, that's a shared traffic lane. The car only stops as the bicyclist was already at or past the rear of the vehicle, so the cyclist likely wouldn't have seen the brake lights. The hindsight is absurd in this thread, but I doubt I would have thought I was "squeezing" through anything unless I had a very clear indication that the car door was likely to open.
It's clear to me that opening a door in a shared lane would violate this statute:
https://codes.findlaw.com/il/chapter...5-11-1407.html
Likes For livedarklions:
10-07-21, 06:11 AM
#25
Tragically Ignorant
Join Date: Jun 2018
Location: New England
Posts: 15,613
Bikes: Serotta Atlanta; 1994 Specialized Allez Pro; Giant OCR A1; SOMA Double Cross Disc; 2022 Allez Elite mit der SRAM
Mentioned: 62 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 8186 Post(s)
Liked 9,098 Times
in
5,054 Posts