When you screw up driving - why not just say sorry?

Purrybonker · 02:25 AM

nothing to see here.

drcoastline · 01:09 AM

I ride as well, I'm with the SUV owner on this one based on your telling of the story. He did stop let another rider go, didn't see you and began to move but when he did see you he stopped again. You approached the intersection at an unsafe speed. You put your life in danger.

Whether he stopped or not you have a level of responsibility just like in a car. When driving just because you have a right of away that does not give you the right to intentionally cause an accident in the US can't speak for Canada but I assume it's similar.

Yes you inflamed the situation by yelling. Had you not he may have said sorry didn't see you. You put your life massively at risk by approaching that road at an unsafe speed. You chose to be on the bike entering the intersection at an unsafe speed. Don't blame him for sitting in his air conditioned vehicle listening at his choice of music because you decided to enter the intersection at an unsafe speed.

What would you say if crossing the intersection was another cyclist or an elderly person with a walker or a mother pushing a baby carriage and you hit them?

I observed a similar incident just last week while riding. I was on a causeway two lanes each direction riding at a steady clip prepping for an upcoming Triathlon. Not supper fast but not slow. Two guys riding together passed me abut a half mile from a small bridge with a moderate incline. A sped up and trailed them slightly behind. As we approached the crest of the bridge several cars passed us. on the down side of the bridge to the right is a jug handle that then crosses the road we were on. The intersection is managed by a traffic light. The cars crossing the road at the light have a blind spot of approaching traffic due to shrubbery, you must pull forward into the shoulder of the crossing road before you can see approaching traffic. The two or three cars that passed went into the jug handle and stopped at the red light. I am the third bike in line about thirty feet behind the second cyclist and can clearly see these cars go into the jug handle. As we approach the light maybe fifty or so yards out our green light turns yellow. I can not see the cars sitting at the light at this point due to the shrubbery that is also obscuring their view, but, I know they are there so I stop peddling and begin to slow the other two cyclists keep going. At about twenty five or so feet our light changes red the cyclist make no attempt to stop. Sure enough the car at the light rolls forward into the shoulder when they see the cyclists and stops.

The two cyclists slam on the brakes and run into each other. They both start yelling at the driver. In my opinion the cyclist were at fault. They could easily observe the cars go into the jug handle, saw the light turn from green to yellow to red ample time to slow and or stop. The driver in the car had a green light and the right of way.

Way to many cyclists have your attitude that you are entitled to the road and everyone yield to you. You may be right but what good does it do you if you loose the battle with a truck and you are dead?

Here in NJ we also have a law that pedestrians in a crosswalk have right of way even if traffic has the green light. It is mind boggling how many people will walk right off a curb into traffic moving at 25, 30, sometimes 50 MPH with out looking or stopping. I may have the right of way but I am not taking on the battle of me and my carbon fiber Trek with my little foam helmet against a dump truck.

Sorry you were wrong from one rider to another.

gregpark · 08-14-2021, 01:43 AM

You've been hit a dozen times? Wow, you must be the unluckiest cyclist I've ever heard of

drcoastline · 02:09 AM

The SUV did stop, he didn't "go through a stop sign and almost collides with a cyclist" You almost collided with him. You said he stopped. "As I was approaching an intersection at speed, around 30kph, I noticed that an SUV had stopped to allow a bike ahead of me to pass."

YOU were travelling "at speed" again, you said it. You were travelling at an unsafe speed through the intersection. The driver didn't have lack of attention, the cyclist was riding in an unsafe manner. What part of that don't you understand?

He had to stop suddenly because you were riding in an unsafe manner through the intersection. First you shouldn't have yelled at him and yes you should have apologized for being unsafe. Again, he didn't go through a stop sign. He did stop and let a cyclist through. You said so. He saw a clear path until another cyclist YOU travelling at an unsafe speed approached and he stopped again.

Yes 30KPH was clearly an unsafe speed for the situation. Is 30KPH unsafe if not approaching an intersection with a stop sign? Probably not, in this instance yes based on your description. Is 30KPH unsafe on a bike path with little kids on bikes and mothers with strollers every fifty feet? Yes it is.

You were not on a road you were on a dedicated bike path, again, you said it. See "today I was riding on a dedicated pedestrian/cycle path which happens to intersect with several crossing roadways which have stop signs on the roadway side."

I also ride on dedicated bike paths in my area that have vehicle traffic cross. The vehicles have stop signs as well. I always slow to cross. It's just stupid to fly through.

You have been hit a dozen times on your bike, see you said it "I've been hit about a dozen times and have survived to tell the tales." I have never been hit.

To my knowledge I have ever been close to being hit and most drivers seem to be very courteous. I ride most often on a causeway the one in my story above, it has a speed limit of 50MPH but it is not unusual for cars to travel well above 70MPH. I ride right on the white marker line. That in it's self may be risky but I can't say I have ever had a close encounter. Most drivers will move to the center line to give me room. I have never had a close encounter at an intersection, but then again, I use caution, I slow I get out of the saddle so I can see what is going on. I don't rely on the drivers, I protect myself.

But you do you, blame the other guy for your unsafe behavior.

drcoastline · 02:33 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Purrybonker

Oh, that's an easy, conservative number and it has nothing to do with luck, it has to do, mainly with inconsiderate or inept drivers and . You would probably be very surprised at the mayhem out there.

Here is an example of me riding on a residential street in Vancouver, speed limit is 50 KPH, I'm going approximately 45 KPH. Miata tailgates me, honks his horn, then passes at first opportunity, immediately makes a left turn.

He couldn't wait a few seconds rather than putting my life at risk?

Bikes have the same right to roads as cars. So many drivers ignore that fact.

You're an ass.

First from what I can tell you rode right through a red light, the Miata was stopped at the light.

2nd, you were riding right down the middle of the lane, plenty of room for you to move to the right on the dotted line giving the vehicle traffic room.

3rd, The Miata gave a toot I see that as him being courteous to let you know he was back there. Probably because you were riding right down the middle of the lane like the entitled cyclist you are. If you moved to the right slightly he would have had room to pass safely.

You are the type that gives all cyclist a bad name. YOU are the problem not the vehicle drivers.

drcoastline · 02:26 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Purrybonker

I give up.

You should give up. Give up cycling before you get dead or worse yet you injure someone else.

drcoastline · 01:42 PM

Where is the bike cam of the incident that started this thread? BTW- why did you delete the OP?

KNS · 08-14-2021, 02:29 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by gregpark

You've been hit a dozen times? Wow, you must be the unluckiest cyclist I've ever heard of

That stood out to me as well.

I'm 54 and have been riding - road bike - almost my entire life (since old enough to know how). I've been hit once but have also had plenty of close calls. If you've been hit a dozen times you need to modify your thinking and actions while on the bike.

gregpark · 08-14-2021, 02:29 AM

We have rights yes, but to me it's more about survival. I swallow my rights a lot on my bike. Haven't been hit yet. Been riding for 40 years. Knock on wood

ckelly78z · 08-14-2021, 04:01 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Purrybonker

nothing to see here.

And now, he has deleted the OP out of shame !

manbridge 74 · 08-14-2021, 12:00 PM

Or like his PARF rant of late, it likely never happened.

speeder · speeder's Garage

Of course now I can't read this thread but it sounds like someone revealed more than they intended on here. It happens.

dad911 · 08-14-2021, 02:32 PM

I say sorry for the other driver's mistakes too....Sorry I can't raise my middle finger any higher.

pwd72s · 08-14-2021, 02:58 PM

Another who didn't read the opening post. But it seems to me there should be a unit patch for bicyclists who think they own the road...something denoting the deserved name of "Spandex Mafia"...a title bestowed by a Portland talk radio host. Coffee out my nose the first time I heard it...such an apt description of some cyclists. All motorists have had experiences with members of the spandex mafia...

speeder · speeder's Garage

Every once in a while, cyclists will piss-off the wrong motorist and the motorist will murder them. It’s happened a couple of times here in SoCal that I can recall. I don’t condone that reaction but I certainly see how it could happen.

pwd72s · 08-14-2021, 03:45 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by speeder

Every once in a while, cyclists will piss-off the wrong motorist and the motorist will murder them. It’s happened a couple of times here in SoCal that I can recall. I don’t condone that reaction but I certainly see how it could happen.

Well, that's pretty extreme...

TV news story in Portland some years back. A cyclist got angry at a tri-met bus driver.
Rode past the front of the bus, stopped, turned his bike sideways. began yelling, flipping the bird.

A pissed off rider exited the bus, flattened the cyclist with a single punch.

daepp · 08-15-2021, 06:06 AM

Did the OP delete a post here?

Anyway, few year back I was driving near my home (I live at in the foothills beneatha 10,000 ft peak) and I was headed downhill and I misjudged a situation and I cut a guy off. He was approaching faster than I realized, and tt was not great as the traffic in front of me was also slowing for a stop light. And I live in the area... So the guy I cut off had to really get on his brakes. It wasn't potentially life threatening, but if it had happened to me I'd have been pissed.

This guy was pissed, layed on his horn but avoided a collision. And as luck would have, he ended up net to me in a right-turn-lane. As he glared at me I rolled down my window, and because I did he got ready to let me have and rolled down his window. Anyway, he started to yell but I cut him off in a loud but unthreatening voice, "Hey man, I'm so sorry - I BLEW IT - that was entirely my fault." Aside from whatever confrontation I might have avoided as well as trying to do the right thing, it was just really interesting to see how disarming my apology and my owning it was to him. I would say he was shocked, surprised, and was practically speechless.

I learned a good lesson that day. Probably should have learned it earlier, but that's my MO now if it happens again.

drcoastline · 08-15-2021, 06:21 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by daepp

Did the OP delete a post here?

Anyway, few year back I was driving near my home (I live at in the foothills beneatha 10,000 ft peak) and I was headed downhill and I misjudged a situation and I cut a guy off. He was approaching faster than I realized, and tt was not great as the traffic in front of me was also slowing for a stop light. And I live in the area... So the guy I cut off had to really get on his brakes. It wasn't potentially life threatening, but if it had happened to me I'd have been pissed.

This guy was pissed, layed on his horn but avoided a collision. And as luck would have, he ended up net to me in a right-turn-lane. As he glared at me I rolled down my window, and because I did he got ready to let me have and rolled down his window. Anyway, he started to yell but I cut him off in a loud but unthreatening voice, "Hey man, I'm so sorry - I BLEW IT - that was entirely my fault." Aside from whatever confrontation I might have avoided as well as trying to do the right thing, it was just really interesting to see how disarming my apology and my owning it was to him. I would say he was shocked, surprised, and was practically speechless.

I learned a good lesson that day. Probably should have learned it earlier, but that's my MO now if it happens again.

Yes- The gist is the OP was on his bike on a designated path that crossed a road. Vehicle traffic crossing the path had a stop sign. An SUV stopped to let a cyclist through, then began to go, saw the OP and stopped again but must have been in the path. The OP had to lay his bicycle down to keep from hitting the SUV. The OP stated "he (the OP) was travelling at speed" Approximately 30KPH. He feels the SUV was at fault and should have apologized to him. You can get a little more feel for the original post in my responses.

Bob Kontak · Bob Kontak's Garage

Quote:

Originally Posted by daepp

Did the OP delete a post here?

Video of the subject incident can be found in post #5. Buried in the quoted text.

Here it is

https://upride.cc/incident/bikes-should-not-be-on-public-roads-according-to-this-guy/

Bob Kontak · Bob Kontak's Garage

Quote:

Originally Posted by drcoastline

Yes- The gist is the OP was on his bike on a designated path that crossed a road. Vehicle traffic crossing the path had a stop sign. An SUV stopped to let a cyclist through, then began to go, saw the OP and stopped again but must have been in the path. The OP had to lay his bicycle down to keep from hitting the SUV. The OP stated "he (the OP) was travelling at speed" Approximately 30KPH. He feels the SUV was at fault and should have apologized to him. You can get a little more feel for the original post in my responses.

So that link I reposted was not the "incident"?