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.

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.

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.

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.

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

On Fri, 10 Apr 2009 13:04:25 -0700 (PDT), Tom Ace
wrote:

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


Hello Tom.

The hell with standards. Free for all! So much more exciting.

But the beaver commercial mentioned earlier was pretty funny.

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

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

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

N8N wrote:
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

In our area everything is right hand side of the road way with left
hand vehicle controls, pretty normal. But there's an increase in right
hand drive Japanese cars coming into the country.
I had to laugh the other day when my buddy and I were at the local
donut shop for a coffee. We watched a guy in right hand drive car
backing down the drive through to place his order and pick up a
coffee. Never seen that one before.

--
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.