Drivers R So Nice!

[Mr. Beanz]

I get sheot all the time for saying this but it is true. I think it depends on the way you ride, considerately, obey the rules, and be predictable. I have posted this on other sites and the other riders all chime in about how all drivers are out to kill cyclists. I mention the many many cyclists I have spoken with on this subject, face to face, person to person, friend to friend, and I can see why so many cyclists are mixed up in shitty situations. Observing their habits, IMO, they set themselves up for the messes they get involved with.

I bring this up as last night, I approached an intersection. One car to my left heading straight waiting for the green. Left turn lane to my right and I move up a bit so all can see me, whoever approaches the intersection. Long light so a lady approaches from behind wanting to make a right turn from the lane with a right turn arrow painted in it. I am to the left but she stops back. I wave my hand a bit to let her know it's good to pull up on my right, enough space. Long freakin' green light so she stays back and I wave her on again. She sticks her head out and shouts, "that's OK, I'm good with waiting back here".  Uhh ok thanks and I was impressed that she could stick her head so far out the window ha ha ha!

Couple months back, some hot chick pulls up, rolls down her window in the same exact spot, and asks where I got the little light on the back of my helmet. Had a nice little chat about lights with the long light. People are so nice! I get quite a few people rolling down their windows and commenting or asking questions about my ride, how far etc.

All this is in the dark of night I will add. At times, I am on a busy road, cars flying by at 50-600 mph. I am in the nice wide bike lane but need to turn left at the next signal. I look back access the situation then raise my arm to signal the move but most times, I have no intention of going because the cars are coming freakin' fast. But many times, two cars end up in the lead of the others will slow way down allowing me to cross both lanes to the turn signal at my intersection. Hell yeah I wave thanks EVERYTIME  as I really appreciate those kinds of cool knowledgeable drivers.

I can't count the times the drivers have shielded me for turns. I think because they see my intentions. Really cool!

I have been riding at night, on the road over the last year and a half, once or twice per week. So that totals about, let's say over 120 times and the only incident with a driver was a couple of impatient drivers going around me when I thought they shouldn't. Nothing close, just not expecting they would but still leaving me 10 seconds or more to react. My reaction is to slow the F down and stay alive. I don't care enough about my average speed that I wouldn't slow down rather than get plowed. But there is always a couple in the crowd. But a good impatient to good driver ratio and again, considering I was never in any danger with the two impatient drivers.

But back to the way one rides! I have a bud who every freaking time he rides the same exact roads I ride, but during the day, posts videos almost weekly of him swearing at a driver after a near miss. WTH is going on? Another buddy who we met on the trail, telling us of all these bad drivers trying to kill him on the road. But then we head out on the trail and I see him and his wife on a tandem almost plow down a family with young kids. Yeah, kids aren't perfect but when we approach a family, we slow down and go through safely. This idiot, yes idiot, flew through a group of unorganized parents and young kids, about 5 years old at 22 MPH at an underpass. Wow! Now I can see why he gets in such a mess often. The first guy I mentioned, he ended up sending me a video of his solo crash. How in the world do you go from a nice big bike lane, cross 4 lanes with NO TRAFFIC, and hit the curb turning into a residential area? WTH! Serious injuries and a face plant into a small patch of grass surrounded by pavement. I can't say how lucky he was. Off the bike for 3 months, fractured his vertebrae and has a hard time handling the bike now hoping to fully recover though it has been a year already.

Another ride partner stops in the center of the right turn lane on our rides.  Blocking right turn traffic for no reason. So I say politely, " hey, would be better if you more over her by me so we don't block traffic, keep the  drivers happy so they'll be nice to us in return". Oh yeah, you are right, I hate to block traffic!", the rider says. Then the next few intersections, same thing. Next ride, same thing. I mention it a few times but it doesn't sink it. I don't worry about it too much, just trying to keep them safe and not my problem as we don't ride together too often.

But then, on another ride, that rider invites a friend. 3 of us on the ride. We hit a section where it bottle necks from two lanes into one, then  T intersection, there a quick left at a light then a quick right up into a steep but short little climb about a 10% grade. Only lasts about 2 minutes while leveling out into a 5%.

The three of us approach the T intersection after hauling ass to avoid getting caught from behind by fast traffic (for that stretch).  The friend and I riding side by side at the front, the rider  is about 5 yards behind. The light turns yellow as we approach and I can see traffic approaching from the  cross street, from both directions. I shout stopping and the friend who is neck and neck with me also stops. Kind of a quick stop but we had enough time and not worth racing a yellow light risking a collision with a car. I can see there is traffic approaching and I'm not stupid!

But the rider from behind, squeezes between us and runs the light as it turns red. Luckily the traffic had somewhat slowed before the green or that ride would be dead or in a wheelchair today. Again, another rider that complains traffic and lousy drivers! Really, risking your life to beat a light so you can get a running start on a short little steep section that means absolutely nothing?! I'd rather stay alive.

I've been around forums for a long time, 2004. I have ridden with a ton of forum members. I have read complaint after complaint about lousy dangerous riders. I can give you names of some serious riders who complain but do some stupid sheot on the road. One guy, current member on another site and from the old Love forum, was on a ride with me on GMR. We were doing the 20 mile 4500 ft descent with winding roads. Somewhat racing each other as he has a competitive spirit. I kept on my side of the road, always do. He took risks to try getting around me with way too many switchbacks to not stay on the correct side of the road. I was ahead when we started to round a switchback at about 30 mph. He cut it short and took the inside of the road, wrong side when a Jeep came around the corner. Good thing it was going slow so able to slow even more as he shot to the right trying to avoid a collision but almost going over the side of the mountain to the right. That is a long way down.  Same thing happens to another ride a few years later, hits the car and dies.

Needless to say, last time I rode with that guy and he has a ton of credits to his name. Double centuries, ridden in every state, blah blah blah.  Goes to show, it isn't how much you complain about drivers, it's how you ride.

I argued with posters on other sites and some of my own personal friends. Really, you've been hit by a car 4 times and it's the drivers' fault. Not sure about the other posters, but my friends that have been hit more than once, I can only say that knowing their habits, it would be hard to blame the driver.

So as I said, there are a ton of good drivers out there, very considerate, and if one rides with good etiquette, I'm guessing they're able to avoid trouble on the road.

PS. I see some guys out there at night with no lights at all. I'm guessing they might run into some trouble sometime soon. 

[Razors Edge ★]

On 9/22/2021 at 9:14 PM, Mr Beanz said:

So as I said, there are a ton of good drivers out there, very considerate, and if one rides with good etiquette, I'm guessing they're able to avoid trouble on the road.

PS. I see some guys out there at night with no lights at all. I'm guessing they might run into some trouble sometime soon. 

See and be seen are pretty huge parts to the mix.  If YOU are aware of THEM, and THEY are aware of YOU, that's 95% of the game.  Then, the Golden Rule - "Don't be a dick" comes into play, so if you think like a driver, anticipate the best way to approach any given interaction, and make it about staying safe, most drivers will be reasonable.