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Old December 10th 10, 10:28 PM posted to rec.bicycles.tech
Duane Hébert
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Posts: 39
Default Bicyclist Fatalities in AZ 2009

On 12/10/2010 4:26 PM, Phil W Lee wrote:
Duane considered Thu, 09 Dec 2010
09:11:39 -0500 the perfect time to write:

On 12/8/2010 9:53 PM, DirtRoadie wrote:
On Dec 8, 6:01 pm, Frank wrote:
On Dec 8, 4:02 pm, Duane wrote:

What is there to clarify about that statement anyway? You say that you
ride in the middle of the lane regardless of any circumstances because
you control the lane.

And Frank wrote:
No, I didn't say that! (If you think I did, find a quote.)

Dear Frank: See below.

Frank continued:
I've
mentioned dozens of times over the years that I share the lane
whenever it's safe to do so. And you guys claim I misrepresent you!

"Guys" is what he said. Plural right?
Yeah, thats right. A WHOLE bunch of people find Frank to be a liar.

But Frank then continued:
OK, fine. You're going to bail out and shake your fist.
(and here comes the good part)
I'm going to continue to ride in the center of the lane,
and I'm not going to cede
my legal right to the road out of fear the trucker is really a
murderer.

We rest our case.


Yeah but that's not really a quote. Besides, in my
example, it isn't the trucker that's going to hit me. He's
just being a prick. It's the passing cars that can't see me.
My point was that this idea of controlling the road is an
illusion. I can't control the cars that can't see me.

But you can move out even further, to a point where they WILL see you
as they pass the truck.
If the truck can't pass anyway, it makes no difference to him if
you're in front on the left or in front on the right.
Doing this will also give you dodging space to your kerb-side.

This is only one example. We all have others. We deal with
them and ride our bikes. But we probably don't feel a need
to wave the VC flag above anything else.


I don't give a flying "£$% what you call it, I just try to ride in
positions that allow me to see and be seen and give me space to avoid
the myopic and those who don't bother looking.
Vehicular seems as good a description as any.
It is almost exactly what I always did on a motorcycle (and trained
others to do), but with more provision for vehicles overtaking.

Of course there are details and nuances that vary with road, weather
and traffic conditions, and it's almost impossible to create a single
rigid rule set which encompasses all of those.
In training riders (motorised or not), all you can do is get the
basics across, and give them some idea of the things they need to
consider in order to adjust the basic rules to suit the circumstances.
Only experience will tell them how much to allow for these things in
each situation.



If there is one rule above all others, it's never to let your body
arrive somewhere your mind hadn't been at least five seconds earlier.
If that's followed, you will have a plan for dealing with the driver
that doesn't see you, whichever direction he is coming from.
And sometimes you have to weigh up risks of different courses of
action, and it's sensible to know the actual risks rather than the
perceived ones if you don't want to make the wrong choices.


And this is all that I said that started this whole long line of
nonsense.
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