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  #1  
Old June 3rd 05, 03:15 PM
lokey
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Default right hook


I was going north in a bike lane on a multilane city street. I stop at a
light - not a cross-street intersection but a plaza entrance on the west
side and a senior's complex entrance on the right but still controlled by
signal lights.

I am first at the intersection. A public transit mobility bus [not a
standard bus but one for people with mobility handicaps] pulls up beside me.
Then before the light changes the bus starts inching forward anticipating
the light change so that he is blocking the crosswalk and half his length
ahead of me when the light turns and he makes his right turn in front of me.

I'm pondering calling the Transit Service to make a complaint. Not too many
years ago a bus driver was convicted of causing the death of a cyclist.

--
'Nobody here gets out alive' -jim morrison


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  #2  
Old June 3rd 05, 04:04 PM
Bob Wheeler
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lokey wrote:
I was going north in a bike lane on a multilane city street. I stop at a
light - not a cross-street intersection but a plaza entrance on the west
side and a senior's complex entrance on the right but still controlled by
signal lights.

I am first at the intersection. A public transit mobility bus [not a
standard bus but one for people with mobility handicaps] pulls up beside me.
Then before the light changes the bus starts inching forward anticipating
the light change so that he is blocking the crosswalk and half his length
ahead of me when the light turns and he makes his right turn in front of me.

I'm pondering calling the Transit Service to make a complaint. Not too many
years ago a bus driver was convicted of causing the death of a cyclist.

--
'Nobody here gets out alive' -jim morrison



You should call. Last week, here in Delaware, a cyclist became a
quadriplegic because a car with trailer made a right turn in front of
him. You were stopped, he was not unfortunately.

--
Bob Wheeler --- http://www.bobwheeler.com/
ECHIP, Inc. ---
Randomness comes in bunches.
  #3  
Old June 3rd 05, 04:44 PM
Ken
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"lokey" wrote in
:
I'm pondering calling the Transit Service to make a complaint. Not too
many
years ago a bus driver was convicted of causing the death of a cyclist.


Definately complain, especially if you got the license plate number.
  #4  
Old June 3rd 05, 05:41 PM
Fritz M
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lokey wrote:

I'm pondering calling the Transit Service to make a complaint. Not too many
years ago a bus driver was convicted of causing the death of a cyclist.


Definitely complain and ask for a response on the actions they will
take to ensure this does not happen again.

In my experience, public agencies are pretty good about responding.
Private companies[1] don't make any response at all. I file police
reports on them now.

RFM
--
[1] Two incidents over the past three years that I've reported on:

* Right-hooked by the speeding driver of a Western Disposal (Boulder,
Colorado) trash truck. I bailed into the ditch to avoid death/maiming.
That one was *close*. My complaint to Western Disposal ended up
(apparently) in a black hole.

* Yellow Freight. I was in straight-through lane waiting for light, to
the left of the stripe seperating my lane from right-turn lane.
Right-turning tractor-trailer comes in behind me, swings wide for the
right turn and instead of waiting for me to get out of the way, the
driver just goes. I'm assertive and hold my place and the tire actually
bumps me before I slide myself into the car next to me. I filed a
police report on that one and I also complained to Yellow. No response
from Yellow, and the police told me that truck was registered in
Illinois and there wasn't much they could do.

  #5  
Old June 3rd 05, 05:52 PM
Frank Drackman
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"lokey" wrote in message
...

I was going north in a bike lane on a multilane city street. I stop at a
light - not a cross-street intersection but a plaza entrance on the west
side and a senior's complex entrance on the right but still controlled by
signal lights.

I am first at the intersection. A public transit mobility bus [not a
standard bus but one for people with mobility handicaps] pulls up beside
me. Then before the light changes the bus starts inching forward
anticipating the light change so that he is blocking the crosswalk and
half his length ahead of me when the light turns and he makes his right
turn in front of me.

I'm pondering calling the Transit Service to make a complaint. Not too
many years ago a bus driver was convicted of causing the death of a
cyclist.

--
'Nobody here gets out alive' -jim morrison



I recently filed a complaint with our local transit agency for a similar
issue. They responded to my complaint and kept me informed through out the
process. He was a new driver during a probation period and after reviewing
his history the acency decided not to hire him full-time


  #6  
Old June 3rd 05, 05:55 PM
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lokey wrote:


I'm pondering calling the Transit Service to make a complaint. Not too many
years ago a bus driver was convicted of causing the death of a cyclist.


You absolutely should call. Better yet, write a letter. They can put
it in the driver's file.

Also, when you're stopped at a light, you should be in the center of
the lane to prevent that precise problem.

- Frank Krygowski

  #7  
Old June 3rd 05, 05:57 PM
Neil Brooks
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"lokey" wrote:

I'm pondering calling the Transit Service to make a complaint. Not too many
years ago a bus driver was convicted of causing the death of a cyclist.


In all seriousness: why *wouldn't* you call?

Glad you're ok.
  #8  
Old June 3rd 05, 06:06 PM
lokey
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Default


wrote in message
ups.com...


lokey wrote:


I'm pondering calling the Transit Service to make a complaint. Not too
many
years ago a bus driver was convicted of causing the death of a cyclist.


You absolutely should call. Better yet, write a letter. They can put
it in the driver's file.

Also, when you're stopped at a light, you should be in the center of
the lane to prevent that precise problem.


Without getting into the whole 'bike lane good/bike lane bad' thing: it
was a bikelaned street. I was in the bike lane and the bus driver was in the
first automotive lane.

--
'Just because you're wearing a tie
Doesn't mean you're bloody important'
-chumbawamba



  #9  
Old June 3rd 05, 06:10 PM
rdclark
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Default



wrote:

Also, when you're stopped at a light, you should be in the center of
the lane to prevent that precise problem.


He was in a bike lane, illustrating one reason why bike lanes suck. As
you indicate, when I approach a light in a bike lane in this situation,
I usually take the rightmost full thru lane while waiting for the
light, and merge back into the bike lane as I cross the intersection.
Trucks and buses in that lane often can't even see you if you're on
their right in the bike lane, and even if they can, they don't.

RichC

  #10  
Old June 3rd 05, 06:15 PM
lokey
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Posts: n/a
Default


"Neil Brooks" wrote in message
...
"lokey" wrote:

I'm pondering calling the Transit Service to make a complaint. Not too
many
years ago a bus driver was convicted of causing the death of a cyclist.


In all seriousness: why *wouldn't* you call?

Glad you're ok.



I wasn't really at risk as I was stopped. If I had come up after him as
the light changed to green I would have been at risk.

What really irritated me was that it wasn't like I had ridden up to the
light after the bus and the driver did not notice me - still no excuse but
understandable. But the bus had come up behind me so there really is no
excuse for not seeing me. And _then_ to turn in front of me: I was tempted
to confront the driver but instead I resorted to cant [Calm blue ocean, calm
blue ocean] and got on with my ride to the lake.

Just so you know - I did call Guelph Transit. They said they'd get back to
me. Other than that and the driver caused fatality a few years ago I do have
a favourable opinion of GT. They converted their buses to bio-diesel and run
the service with a balanced budget.

--
'When a man is wrong and won't admit it,
he always gets angry.' -thomas c haliburton


 




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