I need to vent.

[Buck Masterson]

I live in a wonderful little town, but it just is not real bike friendly. My buddy who I gave the bike bug too is now in the hospital because some old lady decided to not stop at a stop sign. At what point do we tell folks, sorry but you can no longer drive?? He is not seriously injured, and the bike can be fixed, but what does it take to get people to see bicyclists? His bike is bright frickin orange, he had on a yellow shirt, it was broad day light, and HE had the right away. This guy is on a fixed income because of a severe car accident he had about 12 years ago, and was just now getting to the point where he could even get on the bike. Since I've started riding again, there has been several close calls. I stay off of the major streets, and at night both of us have our bikes lit up like Christmas. What does it take?

 

[roadmaster]

oh man do i know the feeling. i've been "nudged" a time or two amd i also live in a small town that has alot of senior drivers and medicated drivers, and for me the secret is to check all my directions a few times, asume they don't see me and try to make eye contact with the driver when one of yours right of ways are in question. in fact, at the resturant i work at has constant traffic from the shopping center and drive thru traffic (ok, so its at a mc donalds, but im a boss so its cool), that there are accidents and alot of near misses, with a busy freeway intersection close by. i joke with my co workers that my cause of death will be from a driver not paying attention and mowing me down.

now doesn't that feel better?

 

[Buck Masterson]

Feels much better! Oh and Kudo's on working hard for a living and doing what you have to do to survive, an honest living, is a good living! My buddy is now home and very upset, not over the fact that he can now hardly walk, has a severely bruised back, road rash, skinned elbow and butt damage, but the fact his bike got scratched! I think I'd feel the same way though.

 

[X-RAY]

Where the police involved? if so, what did she get out of it? glad hes home and not to bad. i hope hes well enough to spin wrenches while hes healing. sounds like it hasnt turned him againdt riding. my buddy just sold his crotch rocket after to many close calls, and he asks me how i put up with people while on my bike. i taught my kids to make eye contact so you know youve been seen. and i told my daughter never assume you have the right of way, just cause its not your fault dont mean it wont hurt. not that your friend did any wrong, just you can never be too carefull.

 

[outskirtscustoms]

I was hit myself when I was younger, luckily I got out of it with a broken wrist, a taco rim, and bent fork. So I know first hand what you mean. Glad he got through okay. You could put on bright hunter orange, glow in the dark, and have a million strobe lights on your bike and some idiots would still "not see you". I'd say the only way is make it blatantly obvious that you are there, ride in groups, bright colors, and prayer.

 

[Anonymous]

Where the police involved? if so, what did she get out of it?

wondered the same thing??? if the motorist was at fault it seems his sadness
of the scratched bike should be offset by the coming payday for his pain and suffering!?!?

 

[Buck Masterson]

Yes the Police were involved. I made a point of going over the police report and he is in fact the listed as the victim. He's calling his lawyer on Monday. I stole his bike last night and got to in perfect working order again,and got the scratch barely noticeable. The day before the accident he had just put on 144 spoke wheels on the thing and that is all he was worried about! lol. I got them trued up pretty good for him. For the record I would never buy those, talk about a pain in the backside tightening spokes!!

 

[old school 64]

Ok..how about people on the cell phones ?? Me and bikeangel were out the other night for little ride downtown..she was behind me a ways, and I hear her yelling..turn around and some lady has "almost" hit her twice coming out of the local Mickey D's...then i notice the lady is on a cell phone..driving a manual trans and gives my beloved the "bird"..which lit my fuse...I chased the lady down to a stop light..where she is still on her phone...proceeded to scream at her to hang up her phone before she kills someone (cleaned that way up by the way...) to which she reply's "get a car"...well alot more was exchanged and then she proceeded at a high rate down a side street as I was getting off the bike to go explain the error of her ways..have had a bunch of people locally here talking on cells while driving and the local police seem to be blind to it..bikeangels son was actually hit by a local windshield chip repair van, ended up UNDERNEATH the bumper..a report was made..and the local authorities glazed it over to make it look like he was at fault..I know the kid and he is more than capable of riding within the rules of the road and at 18 years of age is a very smart kid..not real confident in the local police anymore, local chief basically chewed bikeangel out and hung up on her when she was questioning the situation..
Boy..that does feel good...

 

[Buck Masterson]

Well right now there are just the two of us, but we are looking for others to join us in town to start some sort of club. Not just for comradery but to find ways to educate the public. There is a VERY talented bike builder in town that makes some SWEET custom bikes, however he has a bit of a habbit with a powdery substance. Not sure if that is the sort of element I want to associate with, so I have to ask if it is for the sake of bikes if it is worth it. Just got off the phone with my buddy, and he is having a VERY hard time moving today, and is very distraught over the whole situation.

 

[outskirtscustoms]

Well right now there are just the two of us, but we are looking for others to join us in town to start some sort of club. Not just for comradery but to find ways to educate the public. There is a VERY talented bike builder in town that makes some SWEET custom bikes, however he has a bit of a habbit with a powdery substance. Not sure if that is the sort of element I want to associate with, so I have to ask if it is for the sake of bikes if it is worth it. Just got off the phone with my buddy, and he is having a VERY hard time moving today, and is very distraught over the whole situation.

I know a few guys like that, I personally don't associate with them on a personal level, only through e-mail and I buy a few bike parts or finished bikes once in a great while from them just as I would a stranger from Craigslist. I just keep it strictly business.

 

[X-RAY]

PLEASE tell me you took lots of pics before fixing the bike :!: i actually had this thread on my mind all day. i dont know what the answer is.at work, we are required to put an18" square orange flag on an oversize load, like that will make it more visable. if they cant see that big load, they'll never see that little flag. some people just dont pay attention.people will drive right into you and say they didnt see that 14' wide, 100' long load covered in flashing lights. im not claiming to be a perfect driver either, we all do dumb things, but i will say riding with my kids has made me a more attentive driver. unfortunately some people will never see us, no matter what we do. hope your friend is riding again soon.

 

[stretch]

and this is why they outlaw cell phones or ANYTHING to distract you in a car. :roll: idiots cant put down thier technology. plus, i almost got hit countless times by people with cars. i just stare them down and wave my finger at them. they seem to get the idea. and if im crossing a street, and someone has a red light, but wants to go past the white line and into the cross walk, i yell at them, stare them down, bringing attention to them, maybe theyll obey laws and common courtesy.

 

[NLCTVWguy]

There are things you can do to improve your chances out there on the roads.

There are groups you can join, and courses you can take, and literature to read that will not only make you a better cyclist, but improve your chances of establishing legal charges against any driver who injures you or causes you to crash.

Many people do not know about the League of American Bicyclists (LAB) and their advocacy and safety programs. They offer entry level safety courses (TS 101- Traffic Skills 101) up through instructor certification. I'm contemplating taking this course very soon, because I often lead rides around our area.

I am in no way saying that you or your friend were at fault in any of the incidents mentioned, but we all can improve our riding skills and knowledge with the help of some of these groups. Other advocacy organizations include bikesbelong.org and believe it or not, your state DOT (Dept of Transportation) which has since 1995 been required to include bicycle and pedestrian planning in everything they do.

Your state should have a Bicycle Transportation Coordinator or some similar title. CT has published bicycle route maps showing not only recommended routes, but NOT recommended roads for bicycle travel- very helpful. Of course there are areas that are unavoidable in any city- for these, you follow the rules of the road and ride the best you can, smoothly, predictably, making yourself visible, and RIDE WITH TRAFFIC. Seems a great many people do not know this- again I am NOT implying that you or your friend were riding illegally, but if there is an incident, knowing the law helps you.

The state of CT has initiated a new law requiring motorists to maintain 3 ft clearance to cyclists- the state's website is here: http://www.sharetheroadct.org and is a DOT run informational service. About 20 states have adopted similar safety laws to protect cyclists.

However, and this is important, very few bike-car collisions result in criminal charges to the motorist. This is often because the law is vague, or it is not clear who is at fault. Do your best NOT to be the one at fault- ride in the lane, as a vehicle, and be predictable. Frankly, you can't get too mad at a car driver who blows a stoplight if you sometimes do the same thing on your bike. Don't put yourself at risk, follow the rules of the road yourself.

Since I'm the chairman of a fairly new bicycle-advocacy group where I live, I'm involved in cycling safety in many aspects, and we try to both convince our city officials to invest in cycling safety (signs, bike lanes, etc) in town and we try to educate cyclists to keep themselves safe. Sometimes that means choosing another route. Sometimes its as simple as clipping on reflective bands to be visible in evening rides.

Find out who is active in your area and get in touch. My guess is you'll find a group already working on the issues. Your unfortunate experiences will add some fuel to their fire. I've heard such stories many times now, and they deserve to be repeated, so that the rest of us can learn from them.

Best of luck,
--Rob Bareiss
Chairman, Bike New London, Connecticut

 

[X-RAY]

thanx for the info, and the hope that things can be better. on another note, i never wave fingers or yell at drivers anymore. keeping my blood pressure in check is more important to me than getting even. but, if you cant resist the urge to get even when someone flips you the bird, just blow 'em a kiss. that'll get 'em more than anything, and leave you chuckleing instead of mad.

 

[shaggyevil]

Hope your friend is doing okay. Around here it doesn't matter if you're on a bike, walking, or even in another car....somebody will almost always run into you every day. And its not always because of cell phones. Most people around here are either extremely stupid, or they just don't pay attention, because they seem to be of the idea that when they are in their car and going somewhere, they are the most important person on the road and no one should get in their way. I've seen people getting mad over the fact that the car in front of them was holding them up because they were waiting for someone that had already started backing out of a parking spot.

I've almost been hit a few times, whether I was walking or riding, and no one around here seems to know what a cross walk is. A couple months ago some idiot in a truck ran a red light, claiming it was green, and caught the front of her bike and sent her down to the pavement. She was okay and he got out long enough to ask if she was okay, do a half-assed attempt at straightening her handlebars, and then took off before the cops got there. She had the little white guy on the crosswalk sign and there was an older gal in the waiting for her to cross before turning and the truck went right across in front of her.

Back when I did have a car, I almost got hit a few times. I gave up counting how many people pulled out in front of my car, just because they weren't paying attention. Of course, its kind of hard to notice pedestrians, bicyclists, or other cars, when all that can be seen of you in the car is the back of your head because you don't bother to look around before hitting the gas...

Shaggy

 

[JoKeR63]

.................... What does it take?

$20 a gallon gasoline will be a good start.
I like to ride assuming that everyone driving around me is retarded, I'm gonna' be right at least 25% of the time.

I'm also a big believer in mirrors, so I can watch the idiots behind me.

 

[outskirtscustoms]

.................... What does it take?

$20 a gallon gasoline will be a good start.
I like to ride assuming that everyone driving around me is retarded, I'm gonna' be right at least 25% of the time.

I'm also a big believer in mirrors, so I can watch the idiots behind me.

What really gets me is these people who are borderline midgets driving big Suburbans and stuff. You know they can't handle something that big safely. Then these kids that get a brand new sports car from their daddy and can't drive it responsibly.

Don't get me wrong I know there are some (VERY VERY FEW) kids who are responsible in how they drive and I don't mean to put them down, but I think you should be limited to what type of car you can drive when you're learning how to drive.

Such as putting a 21 year old age limit on sports cars, a height requirement on SUV's and large trucks, and make a mandatory safety coarse for all new drivers. I'll admit my first car was a 1970 Mustang Mach One and I loved it and had there been a law like this I'd have been upset about it. BUT had there been a law like this I might still one it. I wrecked it the first time I took it out because I was stupid and immature and trying to impress a hot girl. Luckily no one was harmed in the accident with the exception of my ego.

 

[X-RAY]

for the past 12 years, ive been driving for a living. one thing ive noticed is traffic increases every year, no matter what the price of fuel, and most every car has only one person in it. when it was $5/gallon a few summers back there were more cars on the road than the year before, you would think people would stay home! if risingfuel costs do anything, i believe it puts MORE cars out there. sounds stupid, but the price of flying goes up too, so they figure gas is cheaper. besides, alot of folks are aprehensive about flying these days anyhow.
anyhow, none of my views on all this have done anything to keep us safer, so ill shut up now. Buck, if your friend isnt already a rat, invite him to join us here.

 

[Buck Masterson]

He's not joined yet, but I'm working on him. He does jump on my account and check things out. I have got some grief from a few people about my mirror on the handlebars, but I know what is coming up from behind me! The kicker with the woman who hit John (My buddy) she was po'd that he was riding on the road, she was in a rush to get to a yard sale! He was laying on the road and all she had to say was OH MY GOD YOU BROKE MY WINDSHIELD!! Not even are you OK or anything! THEN as the Police was taking his statement, she left the scene and walked to the yard sale anyway! She was given 2 tickets, and was listed as perpetrator on the police report, so I hope he takes her for all she is worth, even if it is not much. If anything this lady needs to have her license revoked! I know it's hard because she is elderly, but there is no age limit on being an A-Hole. Just the nerve she had alone tells me what kind of person she is.

 

[outskirtscustoms]

He's not joined yet, but I'm working on him. He does jump on my account and check things out. I have got some grief from a few people about my mirror on the handlebars, but I know what is coming up from behind me! The kicker with the woman who hit John (My buddy) she was po'd that he was riding on the road, she was in a rush to get to a yard sale! He was laying on the road and all she had to say was OH MY GOD YOU BROKE MY WINDSHIELD!! Not even are you OK or anything! THEN as the Police was taking his statement, she left the scene and walked to the yard sale anyway! She was given 2 tickets, and was listed as perpetrator on the police report, so I hope he takes her for all she is worth, even if it is not much. If anything this lady needs to have her license revoked! I know it's hard because she is elderly, but there is no age limit on being an A-Hole. Just the nerve she had alone tells me what kind of person she is.

That is low down and dirty right there. That is another thing that gets me is these people who are way to old and frail to drive safely, but again there are some able bodied, young, old, middle aged, doesn't really matter, you'll never get ALL the A-holes off the road but it'd at least reduce the number a little.
We could talk all day about the type of drivers we hate. Take them all off the road and you'd always find one more. Around here I have gotten into road rages a few times and had to pull over and think "Is it really worth kicking the side of their car at the next stop light?"