On Wed, 17 Dec 2014 00:46:01 -0500, Frank Krygowski
wrote:

On 12/16/2014 8:39 PM, John B. Slocomb wrote:
On Tue, 16 Dec 2014 12:01:18 -0500, Frank Krygowski
wrote:

On 12/16/2014 6:18 AM, John B. Slocomb wrote:
On Tue, 16 Dec 2014 05:23:52 +0000, Phil W Lee
wrote:

Joy Beeson considered Sun, 14 Dec 2014
20:25:44 -0400 the perfect time to write:


There's a thread on alt.usage.english with the subject line: "is this
the silliest term of art ever?"

I've been tempted to mention "controlling the lane". You can't
control anything but your own body parts, and not always those, but if
you ask nicely, people nearly always give you what you need.

Or what they *think* you need; clear communication is the key to safe
riding.

If there is any clearer way to communicate "I'm using this lane, if
you want to go past or around me you'll have to use the next one over"
than to occupy the centre of the lane, please do tell.

The problem seems to be the theory that "if he sees me he'll slow
down". But what if he either doesn't want to slow down or cannot for
some reason. The downside risk seems far greater than any possible
benefit that might be gained by getting one's name in the obituary
column. Even the Times :-)

That's the common fear, of course: "What if they don't slow down or
change lanes? What if they run me over?" It's why most cyclists will
balance on a 4" fog line 2" away from a pavement dropoff as motor
vehicles squeeze by inches from their elbow, rather than ride centered
in a narrow lane.

Those of us who have learned to ride in the "primary position" know that
the "What if..." is superstition. It probably happens much less often
than hits-from-behind while riding in a bike lane. Riding in primary
position soon becomes much less scary than edge riding.

But Frank, I described an accident that happened where a little
village road joined a main highway - two women and two kids on a small
motorcycle "seized the lane" and were hit by an overtaking truck
traveling probably 50 or 60 KPH. Two dead at the site and two taken to
the hospital.

When I described the accident you replied with something like - "well
they shouldn't have done that".

Now you say it is the best option. But your "best option" resulted in
two dead at the scene and two with severe injuries who may have died
later.

I may be recalling incorrectly, but I thought that incident involved
suddenly swerving in front of a rapidly overtaking motor vehicle.
That's not how it's to be done.


Perhaps I was not detailed enough. They rode from a small, one lane,
one way, village road onto the main N.S. Phuket highway. The small
road merges with the main road at the exit of a very large 90 degree
bend. They entered the road and started down the outer lane of the
road. A large truck hauling a 4 wheel trailer - probably approaching
80 ton capacity, and loaded - was approaching around the bend. From
living in the village I would guess that two women and two kids on a
90 cc Honda may have been traveling about 15 KMH. The truck was likely
doing 50 - 60 KPH, at least I usually am going about 50 KPH on that
curve and the big trucks sometimes pass me.

The truck driver obviously saw the woman and made an attempt to stop,
apparently braked rather violently as he lost the trailer which was
lying crosswise in the road when I came by a few minutes after the
crash.

The truck couldn't stop in time and hit the motorcycle that was,
apparently, well into the lane. Two dead in the crash and two severely
injured.

Had they not "taken the lane"...

In any case, putting up one lane-center, hit-from-behind incident
doesn't prove that primary position riding is dangerous. After all, I
can put up accounts of horrific crashes to cyclists riding to the right
of wide lanes, or even riding in bike lanes.

Right, ignore it as it happens so seldom.... I'm sure that the woman's
family agrees completely.
--
Cheers,

John B.