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-   -   Beware Passing the Parked Car, Bicycle Reminder. (http://www.cyclebanter.com/showthread.php?t=201868)

Erness Wild April 10th 09 05:16 PM

Beware Passing the Parked Car, Bicycle Reminder.
 
I was "lucky?". Going for a ride on my old 10 speed had me more
interested in how it was working mechanically than remembering to
look for occupied parked cars. Sure enough as I came along side a
parked car the driver decided to begin a u-turn. We missed each other.
I last had that close call on a motorcyle over ten years ago. Each one
brings a sudden wake up call. Most of the street where I ride don't
have parked cars, which probably makes for being less prepared for it.

--
A website is a place, where, when you go there, it does everything
possible to distract you, from finding the information you came there
to see.- E.W.

DanKMTB April 10th 09 06:27 PM

Beware Passing the Parked Car, Bicycle Reminder.
 
On Apr 10, 12:16*pm, Erness Wild wrote:
I was "lucky?". Going for a ride on my old 10 speed had me more
interested in how it was working mechanically than remembering to
look for occupied parked cars. Sure enough as I came along side a
parked car the driver decided to begin a u-turn. We missed each other.
I last had that close call on a motorcyle over ten years ago. Each one
brings a sudden wake up call. Most of the street where I ride don't
have parked cars, which probably makes for being less prepared for it.

--
A website is a place, where, when you go there, it does everything
possible to distract you, from finding the information you came there
to see.- E.W.


I had a near hit myself yesterday. I'm generally really good about
staying out of the door zone, but this was a wierd situation. A big
truck that's always parked at the local sub shop on RT-1 by the
rotary, over the curb on the grass, opened the door. I was pretty
close to the curb, since I was coming out of a rotary into a 50MPH
zone. No harm, no foul, but it was a reminder to stay away from ALL
the doors, not just the cars parked on the side of the street. Never
gave this trucks location any thought in the past, something about it
being over a curb, elevated and what looked to be far enough from the
road had me flying past it for years now.

Erness Wild April 10th 09 08:02 PM

Beware Passing the Parked Car, Bicycle Reminder.
 
DanKMTB wrote:
I had a near hit myself yesterday. I'm generally really good about
staying out of the door zone, but this was a wierd situation. A big
truck that's always parked at the local sub shop on RT-1 by the
rotary, over the curb on the grass, opened the door. I was pretty
close to the curb, since I was coming out of a rotary into a 50MPH
zone. No harm, no foul, but it was a reminder to stay away from ALL
the doors, not just the cars parked on the side of the street. Never
gave this trucks location any thought in the past, something about it
being over a curb, elevated and what looked to be far enough from the
road had me flying past it for years now.


A u-turn miss and a door miss. Interesting on the door obstacle. Now
if cars that had to drive on the right side of the road had right hand
drive there would be less incidents. Like-a-wise if left hand drive
cars drove on the left side of the street, drivers would always be
getting out on the curb side, which seems safer all around.

--
A website is a place, where, when you go there, it does everything
possible to distract you, from finding the information you came there
to see.- E.W.

[email protected] April 10th 09 08:12 PM

Beware Passing the Parked Car, Bicycle Reminder.
 
On Apr 10, 2:02*pm, Erness Wild wrote:
DanKMTB wrote:
I had a near hit myself yesterday. *I'm generally really good about
staying out of the door zone, but this was a wierd situation. *A big
truck that's always parked at the local sub shop on RT-1 by the
rotary, over the curb on the grass, opened the door. *I was pretty
close to the curb, since I was coming out of a rotary into a 50MPH
zone. *No harm, no foul, but it was a reminder to stay away from ALL
the doors, not just the cars parked on the side of the street. *Never
gave this trucks location any thought in the past, something about it
being over a curb, elevated and what looked to be far enough from the
road had me flying past it for years now.


A u-turn miss and a door miss. Interesting on the door obstacle. Now
if cars that had to drive on the right side of the road had right hand
drive there would be less incidents. Like-a-wise if left hand drive
cars drove on the left side of the street, drivers would always be
getting out on the curb side, which seems safer all around.

--
A website is a place, where, when you go there, it does everything
possible to distract you, from finding the information you came there
to see.- E.W.


Left hand drive on left driving roads? And right hand drive on right
driving roads? Likely more head on collisions due to drivers not
being able to judge where the oncoming vehicle is on the road. Or
judge where your own wheels are traveling relative to the yellow line.

N8N April 10th 09 08:15 PM

Beware Passing the Parked Car, Bicycle Reminder.
 
On Apr 10, 3:02*pm, Erness Wild wrote:
DanKMTB wrote:
I had a near hit myself yesterday. *I'm generally really good about
staying out of the door zone, but this was a wierd situation. *A big
truck that's always parked at the local sub shop on RT-1 by the
rotary, over the curb on the grass, opened the door. *I was pretty
close to the curb, since I was coming out of a rotary into a 50MPH
zone. *No harm, no foul, but it was a reminder to stay away from ALL
the doors, not just the cars parked on the side of the street. *Never
gave this trucks location any thought in the past, something about it
being over a curb, elevated and what looked to be far enough from the
road had me flying past it for years now.


A u-turn miss and a door miss. Interesting on the door obstacle. Now
if cars that had to drive on the right side of the road had right hand
drive there would be less incidents. Like-a-wise if left hand drive
cars drove on the left side of the street, drivers would always be
getting out on the curb side, which seems safer all around.


Possibly true, but sitting on the curb side of the car also makes it
more difficult to see the road, especially around curves going in a
curbward direction.

My main objection to that plan is purely selfish; I'm right handed so
shifting with my left hand would take some getting used to.

nate

Tom Ace April 10th 09 09:04 PM

Beware Passing the Parked Car, Bicycle Reminder.
 
On Apr 10, 12:12*pm, "
wrote:

Left hand drive on left driving roads? *And right hand drive on right
driving roads? *Likely more head on collisions due to drivers not
being able to judge where the oncoming vehicle is on the road.


Indeed--especially when passing big trucks on two-lane roads.

Tom Ace


[email protected] April 10th 09 09:13 PM

Beware Passing the Parked Car, Bicycle Reminder.
 
On Apr 10, 1:12*pm, "
wrote:
On Apr 10, 2:02*pm, Erness Wild wrote:



DanKMTB wrote:
I had a near hit myself yesterday. *I'm generally really good about
staying out of the door zone, but this was a wierd situation. *A big
truck that's always parked at the local sub shop on RT-1 by the
rotary, over the curb on the grass, opened the door. *I was pretty
close to the curb, since I was coming out of a rotary into a 50MPH
zone. *No harm, no foul, but it was a reminder to stay away from ALL
the doors, not just the cars parked on the side of the street. *Never
gave this trucks location any thought in the past, something about it
being over a curb, elevated and what looked to be far enough from the
road had me flying past it for years now.


A u-turn miss and a door miss. Interesting on the door obstacle. Now
if cars that had to drive on the right side of the road had right hand
drive there would be less incidents. Like-a-wise if left hand drive
cars drove on the left side of the street, drivers would always be
getting out on the curb side, which seems safer all around.


--
A website is a place, where, when you go there, it does everything
possible to distract you, from finding the information you came there
to see.- E.W.


Left hand drive on left driving roads? *And right hand drive on right
driving roads? *Likely more head on collisions due to drivers not
being able to judge where the oncoming vehicle is on the road. *Or
judge where your own wheels are traveling relative to the yellow line.


Not that I agree with the left/left business (I don't) but any cyclist
who rides assuming drivers have any concept of where they are in the
lane, how big their vehicle is or where it stops and starts in the
physical world is headed for grief. My very unscientific findings: The
Worst: Males in big manly SUVs or trucks, and women in Subarus. Of
course, this paints unfairly, with a very broad brush, but I'm alive.
I have had my shoulder brushed by a side view mirror while coming down
Squaw Pass into Idaho Springs. Close enough, thank you.

tf

DanKMTB April 10th 09 09:41 PM

Beware Passing the Parked Car, Bicycle Reminder.
 
On Apr 10, 4:25*pm, Phil W Lee phil(at)lee-family(dot)me(dot)uk
wrote:
Erness Wild considered Fri, 10 Apr 2009
15:02:59 -0400 the perfect time to write:





DanKMTB wrote:
I had a near hit myself yesterday. *I'm generally really good about
staying out of the door zone, but this was a wierd situation. *A big
truck that's always parked at the local sub shop on RT-1 by the
rotary, over the curb on the grass, opened the door. *I was pretty
close to the curb, since I was coming out of a rotary into a 50MPH
zone. *No harm, no foul, but it was a reminder to stay away from ALL
the doors, not just the cars parked on the side of the street. *Never
gave this trucks location any thought in the past, something about it
being over a curb, elevated and what looked to be far enough from the
road had me flying past it for years now.


A u-turn miss and a door miss. Interesting on the door obstacle. Now
if cars that had to drive on the right side of the road had right hand
drive there would be less incidents. Like-a-wise if left hand drive
cars drove on the left side of the street, drivers would always be
getting out on the curb side, which seems safer all around.


So instead of the driver sitting on the traffic side, you're going to
have a passenger.

While it may be questionable as to how much care drivers take when
entering and exiting vehicles, it can at least be assumed that they
have the basic familiarity with traffic that would enable them to make
reasoned judgements of risk.
Is there anything to suggest that a passenger would be more capable?

And there would be considerably increased problems of visibility, for
almost all aspects of driving.

These problems are great enough that in some countries, certain
classes of "wrong hand drive" vehicles are actually banned.

If there's any change that might be worthwhile, it would be to ban
opening doors on the side of the vehicle furthest from the curb, and
require construction that enabled occupants from that side of the
vehicle to climb across.- Hide quoted text -

- Show quoted text -


I'm not at all for requiring the remanufacture of vehicles, and
additional laws, to bring things down to the lowest common
denominator. Vehicle operators should be, and are legally, required
to be sure the path is clear before opening a door. Cyclists should
be aware of the additional risk they run, and avoid the door zone.
Even from the perspective of someone that almost rode into a door @
~25MPH yesterday, more legislation isn't the solution to this problem,
IMO. Better enforcement to the legislation we have (such as requiring
no vehicle is oncoming before opening a door) is another story
altogether.

Tom Keats April 10th 09 10:30 PM

Beware Passing the Parked Car, Bicycle Reminder.
 
In article ,
writes:

Left hand drive on left driving roads? And right hand drive on
right driving roads? Likely more head on collisions due to drivers
not being able to judge where the oncoming vehicle is on the road.
Or judge where your own wheels are traveling relative to the yellow
line.


Interestingly, all Italian commercial vehicles were right hand drive
until about 1980 after which all these trucks seem to have vanished,
being replaced by left hand drive vehicles as the rest of the right
hand traffic countries use. I would like to read about the origin of
this and the reason for the change. I have not seen a right hand
drive truck in Italy in recent years.


Maybe it has to do with the European Union and uniformity for
trade and import/export purposes as well as compatibility
among various European national law systems? That's just a
guess on my part, but the time frame seems to be at least
loosely contempory with the formative period of the EU.

Strange things happen in some countries such as the Swiss dumping the
William Tell crossbow as the "Swiss Made" symbol. Formerly it was
proudly displayed on all products while today it is gone even on
Victor Inox, an archetype Swiss company that formerly used the symbol.

http://www.tell.ch/schweiz/telldenkmal.htm
http://www.victorinox.ch/index.cfm?page=3D0&lang=3DE
http://www.swisslabel.ch/d/


Maybe that's another EU casualty? Too bad, I like the idea of
a lethal weapon as a trade symbol. It portrays ... attitude.

I suppose some sort of stylized bear could do for a Swiss
trade symbol. On the other hand, with the world's economies
faring as they are, maybe that's not such a good idea.
I guess that just leaves skis, perforated cheese or The
Matterhorn -- all of which is preferable to Canada's lame
maple leaf and aquatic rodent.

Speaking of symbols & logos, the Circle K convenience store is
decidedly ~not~ kosher. Everything in there is overpriced, too.


cheers,
Tom

--
Nothing is safe from me.
I'm really at:
tkeats curlicue vcn dot bc dot ca

Nick L Plate April 10th 09 10:45 PM

Beware Passing the Parked Car, Bicycle Reminder.
 
On 10 Apr, 20:15, N8N wrote:
On Apr 10, 3:02*pm, Erness Wild wrote:



DanKMTB wrote:
I had a near hit myself yesterday. *I'm generally really good about
staying out of the door zone, but this was a wierd situation. *A big
truck that's always parked at the local sub shop on RT-1 by the
rotary, over the curb on the grass, opened the door. *I was pretty
close to the curb, since I was coming out of a rotary into a 50MPH
zone. *No harm, no foul, but it was a reminder to stay away from ALL
the doors, not just the cars parked on the side of the street. *Never
gave this trucks location any thought in the past, something about it
being over a curb, elevated and what looked to be far enough from the
road had me flying past it for years now.


A u-turn miss and a door miss. Interesting on the door obstacle. Now
if cars that had to drive on the right side of the road had right hand
drive there would be less incidents. Like-a-wise if left hand drive
cars drove on the left side of the street, drivers would always be
getting out on the curb side, which seems safer all around.


Possibly true, but sitting on the curb side of the car also makes it
more difficult to see the road, especially around curves going in a
curbward direction.

My main objection to that plan is purely selfish; I'm right handed so
shifting with my left hand would take some getting used to.


Just make sure you have the drivers door deadlocked.

TJ


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