On Dec 6, 5:51 pm, Frank Krygowski wrote:
On Dec 6, 3:47 pm, Dan O wrote:



On Dec 6, 11:56 am, Phil W Lee wrote:

Dan O considered Mon, 6 Dec 2010 08:22:30 -0800
(PST) the perfect time to write:

On Dec 6, 7:58 am, Frank Krygowski wrote:
On Dec 6, 10:36 am, Duane Hébert wrote:

What I like is the idea that when a bicycle is in front
of a truck, the cyclist is controlling the truck.

The driver is controlling the truck and hopefully he's paying attention,
he sees the cyclist and the truck doesn't have any mechanical issues.

If you want to be pedantic, when the cyclist is properly in front of
the truck in a lane too narrow for safe passing, he is controlling the
use of the lane.

Sure, but the point is your tendency to think you know what everybody
else should be doing.

So Duane, when you're bicycling in a 10 foot lane with a truck that's
8' 6" wide coming up behind you, what exactly do you do?

Depends on what's ahead, first of all. Then depends on if the audible
tells me they've seen me. Then, depends on the shoulder. Then, I go
as far right as the conditions allow, brace for the crosswind, and
hang on.

If you really think you're safer trying to ride in the 18" gap left by
the truck trying to pass in the same lane than by staying wide and
demonstrating to the truck driver that you are well aware that there
is insufficient space to pass in-lane, that's entirely your
perogative.
I certainly wouldn't recommend it though, and I don't know of any
recognised training scheme for cyclists that does.

Very few truck drivers would pass a bicyclist by eighteen inches under
any cricumstances. Some do, but I'd say they are few. It's not
pleasant, but they haven't killed me yet.

You need to re-do the math, Dan.

Eighteen inches wasn't my figure, Frank. Read the context.

Nonetheless, you direct your supercilious condescension personally.
Same old same old.

If the usable lane width is ten feet
and the truck is 8.5 feet wide, he's not going to be passing you with
18" clearance. Not if he stays in the lane, anyway.


If the usable space is only a ten foot lane, he can't leave the lane,
and in my experience is not going to try and pass there anyway. If he
can leave the lane, your ten feet, no more, is BS.

So do you _really_ skim the exact edge of the road to let him shave
your shirt off your shoulder without leaving the lane?


Did I say that? No, not at all. (Aren't you taking to heart any of
the feedback you get here, Frank? Your "interpretations" are way off
base. Stop making stuff up and ascribing it to others to fit your
argument.) I said I move as far right as conditions allow. This
signals to the truck driver that I know he's there, that we're going
to have to work together, that I trust his good judgement and good
faith, and - to my right - how much wiggle room I want. This
approach gets cooperation. He's not going to stuff it in there, and
if he does, I have sized up my options and am ready to exercise them.

Of course the whole problem might well be avoided entirely. I imagine
truck drivers really appreciate it when I roll up onto the sidewalk
out of their way, let them pass, then roll back down behind them.
(Plus, I get some of that creative on/off road transition action that
I dig so much :-)

Mostly, though, I avoid getting into situations like that; and if I
were to find myself in such a situation (ugh!), would employ my
sensibility, creativity and consideration of any and every option -
not just those rigidly prescribed by traffic law or some vehicular nut
- to let the good times roll, not play traffic schoolmarm.

Then, I would find a better route if I had to go through there again.
Playing traffic Parcheesi just isn't my style, man - you know
that :-).