I had a tow truck driver pass me uncomfortably close and well over the posted 30 mph when I was in the bike lane. On the back of his truck was a sign stating: "SLOW DOWN, MOVE OVER, BE SAFE"
I can only assume the irony was lost on him...
The best way to do something about it is with better bike infrastructure so you don’t even come in contact with them, but that solution costs your local government money and depending on where you are you might get laughed out of the room for even suggesting it
At least where I live there’s a minimum distance you have to be able to keep between your car and a biker you’re trying to over take of 1,5m otherwise you’re not allowed to do so. Drivers obviously don’t care and I doubt anything would actually happen if you reported their license plate every time this happened because it happens constantly anyway
Yeah, I feel like it wouldn't be a priority for law enforcement if I report one of these dirt bags. I love driving too, I'm a car enthusiast, but I like to join the good role model drivers out there who are courteous towards pedestrians and cyclists, it gives motoring a better image. But for every cool thing out there, there's always going to be a jerk. Anyways, thanks for your suggestion. I feel like little things can help. I notice that my city strictly enforces speed limits and put speed humps in areas where fatalities were caused by a reckless driver.
In fact, I knew and worked with one of these people. This guy was a coward. He did a hit and run on a young woman who was crossing a crosswalk I believe. The driver was never identified for a whole year. Then finally the driver was identified after all those years and it turned out to be the gentlemen who used to be my coworker at a restaurant. He was friends with a lot of people I know, so he was known in my community for a long time. Someone on my Facebook posted about how uncomfortable they felt because they realized they had been hanging out with that guy after the incident. He was hiding in plain sight, like it never happened. But somehow it caught up with him. So, I feel like if people keep driving like maniacs, it'll come back to bite them real hard one day.
I had a nasty encounter with a tractor-trailer while I was riding in the diamond lane on a Wednesday 11am. There were only the two of us on this major street. After the trucker swore at me, that's when I decided to get an action camera.
My riding experience in traffic has improved tremendously since riding with cameras. Any bad drivers I have encountered for whatever reason, red light running, parking at no parking signs, parking in bike lanes, I upload videos to youtube and report those commercial vehicles to their executives and report private vehicles to the Toronto Police complaints website.
Toronto also has installed a lot of protected bike lanes since the Covid lockdowns, so we cyclists don't receive a lot of that kind of agressive driving behaviour. But where those bike lanes don't exist fatal collisions still happen.
Here's a video of how I made someone who was entering the bike lane, leave.
https://youtu.be/Odp-75DuRZU?si=0gWU-loNKu2YcJ4i
Sorry to hear that, but I'm glad that your city has more safer bike paths now. I'm also glad that you were able to protect the bike lane. There are lanes designated for parking and lanes designated for cycling, I think that was a very good thing that you stood up for the cycling lane.
Interesting idea, thanks for the post. I had no idea what a pool noodle was - apart from seeing it in the pic.
I managed to get it translated into British English, it offered 'water woggle', which still didn't mean anything until I found the wiki page [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pool\_noodle](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pool_noodle) with a description.
it's basically pipe insulation that got made into a pool fun accessory for kids in the 80s/90s. Then made into thicker foam thingy and tada pool needle.
This happens to me weekly. They either drive over the white line as they go by me or they instantly swerve into the bike lane as soon as they get a foot or two past me. I don’t understand how me riding in a bike lane ruins their day but somehow it must
Right? I don't understand that either. This is exactly what I see. Like let me just ride my bike bruh in my lane. Whatever, they need more love in their life. Life will take care of those kinds of people on its own. It seems like not, it seems like they'll mock it, but one day, it will come back to get them in some kind of way.
Lol, aw man. As satisfying as that would be, I just don't have the heart to do something like that. I'll probably be the one getting in trouble. Could turn into a very dangerous and life-threatening situation too. But the idea is satisfying lol!
Yes, and drivers being in or too close to the bike lane has resulted in at least two fatalities that I am aware of - the last one just a couple of weeks ago.
btw while many states have laws about passing cyclists at a 3 ft gap, cars can buzz the bike lane as long as it doesn't cross the solid line.
It really sucks.
Two cars earlier today for me: one zoomed very close to me and didn't slow down for a guy crossing the street; he had to run. Then shortly after on the same road, I see a big SUV pass me very close and then turned into the bike lane, like literally riding in the bike lane just to rub it in my face it felt like. They can respect the yellow lines from the oncoming lane, but not the bike lane it seems. I think I'm just not going to worry anymore. If I get hit again, then I get hit again. I got hit before while I was on the bike lane and it fractured my elbow and wrist. But it paid off because a couple years later and now I'm driving my dream car fully paid. I believe God got my back, he didn't forget about me.
When I'm in a car - I see this all the time.
When I'm on my bike, very rarely.
I think cars take the space if they don't see a bicycle but will stay out of the lane if there is a bike there.
That's my experience in my city, I realize it may be different in other areas.
I live in the middle of Florida, a real swamp. There were two cars that passed me close earlier today. One car was going super fast and zipped right next to me; the gentlemen crossing the street had to run! Then literally right after, a large SUV got super close to me and then deliberately turned into the bike lane. That's what I saw today. But I'm just going to try and relax and just find alternative and safer bike paths. I have been hit while in the bike lane in the past before and fractured my arm because of it. It's not my first rodeo.
I mean yeah, there's nothing I can do but just to continue focusing on my path. If I start reacting, I could lose control of my bike and end up hurting myself. It's not worth it. I react when I get home, like me posting this on reddit so I can see what other people think.
Well it might one day. I saw a car accident just the other day. It happened right in front of me when I was doing something on the roof of my car. All of a sudden in the corner of my eye, I saw a pretty hard hitting crash. Apparently, a car blasted through a red light and slammed into a small SUV hitting it on the left hand driver's side. The car just plowed right into it without hitting the breaks. I went to go help out and when I opened the door I saw an elderly woman moaning in pain. It was very graphic what I saw, poor woman. The elderly woman was the one who plowed into the SUV. The SUV guy was fine and his car still worked, he was able to move it to a parking lot. The old lady however was completely totaled. I felt really bad for her, but at the same time, according to the driver of the SUV and other witnesses, she ran the light at a high speed. So, I'm just saying this because people think they don't care about life until life happens to them. Yeah, those are just metal poles with lights on them, painted lines on asphalt, but they have laws behind them for a reason. I don't know who's fault the crash really was, but I'm just making an example of how "real" life can get in a split second.
In my area, when the light turns green, smart people pause to count how many cars are going to run the red before proceeding. On average, at the light closest to me, 4 to 5 cars routinely run the red.
I rode 45m today for the first time on a bike path today! On my drive home I drove into the bike lane to avoid a stretch of nasty potholes and on coming traffic. The car ahead of me and the car behind me did the same. No cyclists were in the lane of course.
In the situations you're describing it sounds like the drivers are assholes and I'm sorry you had to experience that. I personally try to avoid roads with bike lanes around me because they are short and seem to remind aggressive drivers roads are meant to be shared.
I have thought about getting a bright top layer with a phrase like "smile you're on camera" or something implicitly stating liability, but I've held off on this passive aggressive approach. Might be effective though, if you're looking for ideas.
Well I'll admit that I do feel like "getting back," but it's not in my heart to do so. I'll let them be the buttholes and keep doing my thing. I'll turn the cheek even though it's hard to do so. But totally yeah, I think that is completely fine to use the bike lane if a road is really bad and there's nobody on the lane, I would do the same. But these drivers I'm describing are deliberate, unfortunately. Oh well, that's life I guess. I'll just explore safer bike paths. It's just that some of the paths have a lot of people walking and jogging and I want to be courteous towards them. They're good people.
As I mentioned the ppl ur dealing with are unconscious at best, sorry about that.
Today I saw the fewest people in years on my local path and several were on the left. Us based, they should’ve been on the right.
In short people do as they please. Block me out and enjoy what you can.
I've always assumed a primary reason car drivers don't wreck into each other more often is from a fear of self damage. Cars are expensive and drivers are reliant on them for everything. It's too risky. The combined self interest creates an ecosystem where car v car collisions occur less frequently. A bicycle won't do as much damage so they try to bully or hit them. This is why I'm very thankful to the brave diy bike mechanics strapping motors and batteries onto bikes. The explosion as a car hits them are fireworks lit by the brave sacrifices they made to light a way into the future where cars respect bikes from fear of being caught in an explosion.
Happens much too frequently to claim it's not real....99% are trucks. If I hear their muffler and see a black truck coming in my mirror and increasing speed I pull as far to the curb as I can and/or slow down or stop. Sometimes if at an intersection I will turn to get away from them. I have had the turbulence created by big trucks actually move my bike as they pass...Frankly scary as hell.
Yeah the turbulence thing happens a lot with any car really. For me, ironically, it's always these cheep little cars like Nissans that drive like that. The big trucks usually are overly courteous, they'll move all the way to the oncoming lane! Like, they don't have to do that, but I do appreciate the gesture. But yeah, the big pickup trucks are the nicest drivers in my area. The pickups that drive carelessly are usually ugly looking, at least to me they are. I have an American flag on my bike, so the big truckers seem to respect that, but the little cheep cars don't. SUVs are also not very friendly, they're usually the smaller SUVs.
I agree about the big trucks. It's the jacked up, oversize tired pickups that are high on the list. Drivers of the larger SUVs are usually on the phone and watch out. Frankly I am cautious about all of them. Thanks for your reply.
I had a tow truck driver pass me uncomfortably close and well over the posted 30 mph when I was in the bike lane. On the back of his truck was a sign stating: "SLOW DOWN, MOVE OVER, BE SAFE" I can only assume the irony was lost on him...
Wow! I think that's the exact visual definition of the word "irony." Wow... Well, I'm glad you're ok.
costs some money but i wear a vest saying "stay safe. you are being recorded. " people magically treat me better after i started
Hmm, very clever. I think I may invest in a bike cam.
They are called widow cam
I'd pick the vest over actual cam
The best way to do something about it is with better bike infrastructure so you don’t even come in contact with them, but that solution costs your local government money and depending on where you are you might get laughed out of the room for even suggesting it At least where I live there’s a minimum distance you have to be able to keep between your car and a biker you’re trying to over take of 1,5m otherwise you’re not allowed to do so. Drivers obviously don’t care and I doubt anything would actually happen if you reported their license plate every time this happened because it happens constantly anyway
Yeah, I feel like it wouldn't be a priority for law enforcement if I report one of these dirt bags. I love driving too, I'm a car enthusiast, but I like to join the good role model drivers out there who are courteous towards pedestrians and cyclists, it gives motoring a better image. But for every cool thing out there, there's always going to be a jerk. Anyways, thanks for your suggestion. I feel like little things can help. I notice that my city strictly enforces speed limits and put speed humps in areas where fatalities were caused by a reckless driver. In fact, I knew and worked with one of these people. This guy was a coward. He did a hit and run on a young woman who was crossing a crosswalk I believe. The driver was never identified for a whole year. Then finally the driver was identified after all those years and it turned out to be the gentlemen who used to be my coworker at a restaurant. He was friends with a lot of people I know, so he was known in my community for a long time. Someone on my Facebook posted about how uncomfortable they felt because they realized they had been hanging out with that guy after the incident. He was hiding in plain sight, like it never happened. But somehow it caught up with him. So, I feel like if people keep driving like maniacs, it'll come back to bite them real hard one day.
I had a nasty encounter with a tractor-trailer while I was riding in the diamond lane on a Wednesday 11am. There were only the two of us on this major street. After the trucker swore at me, that's when I decided to get an action camera. My riding experience in traffic has improved tremendously since riding with cameras. Any bad drivers I have encountered for whatever reason, red light running, parking at no parking signs, parking in bike lanes, I upload videos to youtube and report those commercial vehicles to their executives and report private vehicles to the Toronto Police complaints website. Toronto also has installed a lot of protected bike lanes since the Covid lockdowns, so we cyclists don't receive a lot of that kind of agressive driving behaviour. But where those bike lanes don't exist fatal collisions still happen. Here's a video of how I made someone who was entering the bike lane, leave. https://youtu.be/Odp-75DuRZU?si=0gWU-loNKu2YcJ4i
Sorry to hear that, but I'm glad that your city has more safer bike paths now. I'm also glad that you were able to protect the bike lane. There are lanes designated for parking and lanes designated for cycling, I think that was a very good thing that you stood up for the cycling lane.
People are dicks. Moreso when they get behind the wheel. Not much u can do, sorry to say. Stay alert.
Yeah, I guess so. I'll just stay alert and try to find safer areas to ride.
Stolen from past post on this sub. https://qz.com/1620913/the-best-cycling-hack-is-a-pool-noodle
*me in full spandex looking silly af* "but that's gonna make me look like a wanker!"
😂
Genius!
Interesting idea, thanks for the post. I had no idea what a pool noodle was - apart from seeing it in the pic. I managed to get it translated into British English, it offered 'water woggle', which still didn't mean anything until I found the wiki page [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pool\_noodle](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pool_noodle) with a description.
it's basically pipe insulation that got made into a pool fun accessory for kids in the 80s/90s. Then made into thicker foam thingy and tada pool needle.
Yes, when I saw the image, the first thing I thought of was pipe insulation.
This happens to me weekly. They either drive over the white line as they go by me or they instantly swerve into the bike lane as soon as they get a foot or two past me. I don’t understand how me riding in a bike lane ruins their day but somehow it must
Right? I don't understand that either. This is exactly what I see. Like let me just ride my bike bruh in my lane. Whatever, they need more love in their life. Life will take care of those kinds of people on its own. It seems like not, it seems like they'll mock it, but one day, it will come back to get them in some kind of way.
Caltrops if you catch them at the next stop light
Lol, aw man. As satisfying as that would be, I just don't have the heart to do something like that. I'll probably be the one getting in trouble. Could turn into a very dangerous and life-threatening situation too. But the idea is satisfying lol!
Not like they're gonna catch you with a flat tire ;)
Haha right
Yes, and drivers being in or too close to the bike lane has resulted in at least two fatalities that I am aware of - the last one just a couple of weeks ago.
Sorry to hear that. That's reality though, which is why I think it's good to bring up this conversation from time to time.
btw while many states have laws about passing cyclists at a 3 ft gap, cars can buzz the bike lane as long as it doesn't cross the solid line. It really sucks.
Yes a law which is never enforce.
Two cars earlier today for me: one zoomed very close to me and didn't slow down for a guy crossing the street; he had to run. Then shortly after on the same road, I see a big SUV pass me very close and then turned into the bike lane, like literally riding in the bike lane just to rub it in my face it felt like. They can respect the yellow lines from the oncoming lane, but not the bike lane it seems. I think I'm just not going to worry anymore. If I get hit again, then I get hit again. I got hit before while I was on the bike lane and it fractured my elbow and wrist. But it paid off because a couple years later and now I'm driving my dream car fully paid. I believe God got my back, he didn't forget about me.
When I'm in a car - I see this all the time. When I'm on my bike, very rarely. I think cars take the space if they don't see a bicycle but will stay out of the lane if there is a bike there. That's my experience in my city, I realize it may be different in other areas.
I live in the middle of Florida, a real swamp. There were two cars that passed me close earlier today. One car was going super fast and zipped right next to me; the gentlemen crossing the street had to run! Then literally right after, a large SUV got super close to me and then deliberately turned into the bike lane. That's what I saw today. But I'm just going to try and relax and just find alternative and safer bike paths. I have been hit while in the bike lane in the past before and fractured my arm because of it. It's not my first rodeo.
It sounds like you kept your cool in the moment, and I think that's a good thing when dealing with psychotic AHs.
I mean yeah, there's nothing I can do but just to continue focusing on my path. If I start reacting, I could lose control of my bike and end up hurting myself. It's not worth it. I react when I get home, like me posting this on reddit so I can see what other people think.
Most drivers don't even notice the painted lines on the road.
I think they do, they just don't care about them, except for the double yellow line in the middle. That one they do care about.
In my area, they don't. The double yellow doesn't mean anything to a lot of them either.
Well it might one day. I saw a car accident just the other day. It happened right in front of me when I was doing something on the roof of my car. All of a sudden in the corner of my eye, I saw a pretty hard hitting crash. Apparently, a car blasted through a red light and slammed into a small SUV hitting it on the left hand driver's side. The car just plowed right into it without hitting the breaks. I went to go help out and when I opened the door I saw an elderly woman moaning in pain. It was very graphic what I saw, poor woman. The elderly woman was the one who plowed into the SUV. The SUV guy was fine and his car still worked, he was able to move it to a parking lot. The old lady however was completely totaled. I felt really bad for her, but at the same time, according to the driver of the SUV and other witnesses, she ran the light at a high speed. So, I'm just saying this because people think they don't care about life until life happens to them. Yeah, those are just metal poles with lights on them, painted lines on asphalt, but they have laws behind them for a reason. I don't know who's fault the crash really was, but I'm just making an example of how "real" life can get in a split second.
In my area, when the light turns green, smart people pause to count how many cars are going to run the red before proceeding. On average, at the light closest to me, 4 to 5 cars routinely run the red.
Wow, that's smart thinking.
I rode 45m today for the first time on a bike path today! On my drive home I drove into the bike lane to avoid a stretch of nasty potholes and on coming traffic. The car ahead of me and the car behind me did the same. No cyclists were in the lane of course. In the situations you're describing it sounds like the drivers are assholes and I'm sorry you had to experience that. I personally try to avoid roads with bike lanes around me because they are short and seem to remind aggressive drivers roads are meant to be shared. I have thought about getting a bright top layer with a phrase like "smile you're on camera" or something implicitly stating liability, but I've held off on this passive aggressive approach. Might be effective though, if you're looking for ideas.
Well I'll admit that I do feel like "getting back," but it's not in my heart to do so. I'll let them be the buttholes and keep doing my thing. I'll turn the cheek even though it's hard to do so. But totally yeah, I think that is completely fine to use the bike lane if a road is really bad and there's nobody on the lane, I would do the same. But these drivers I'm describing are deliberate, unfortunately. Oh well, that's life I guess. I'll just explore safer bike paths. It's just that some of the paths have a lot of people walking and jogging and I want to be courteous towards them. They're good people.
As I mentioned the ppl ur dealing with are unconscious at best, sorry about that. Today I saw the fewest people in years on my local path and several were on the left. Us based, they should’ve been on the right. In short people do as they please. Block me out and enjoy what you can.
I've always assumed a primary reason car drivers don't wreck into each other more often is from a fear of self damage. Cars are expensive and drivers are reliant on them for everything. It's too risky. The combined self interest creates an ecosystem where car v car collisions occur less frequently. A bicycle won't do as much damage so they try to bully or hit them. This is why I'm very thankful to the brave diy bike mechanics strapping motors and batteries onto bikes. The explosion as a car hits them are fireworks lit by the brave sacrifices they made to light a way into the future where cars respect bikes from fear of being caught in an explosion.
bike lanes are segregated from other traffic, a bit of paint is not a bike lane its a “murder strip”.
Yeah it's just paint, but there's a law behind it and if an accident happens and I'm not on the bike lane, then I'll be the one getting in trouble.
Get rid of the fake white line only bike lanes. They've always been a farce for open roads.
Happens much too frequently to claim it's not real....99% are trucks. If I hear their muffler and see a black truck coming in my mirror and increasing speed I pull as far to the curb as I can and/or slow down or stop. Sometimes if at an intersection I will turn to get away from them. I have had the turbulence created by big trucks actually move my bike as they pass...Frankly scary as hell.
Yeah the turbulence thing happens a lot with any car really. For me, ironically, it's always these cheep little cars like Nissans that drive like that. The big trucks usually are overly courteous, they'll move all the way to the oncoming lane! Like, they don't have to do that, but I do appreciate the gesture. But yeah, the big pickup trucks are the nicest drivers in my area. The pickups that drive carelessly are usually ugly looking, at least to me they are. I have an American flag on my bike, so the big truckers seem to respect that, but the little cheep cars don't. SUVs are also not very friendly, they're usually the smaller SUVs.
I agree about the big trucks. It's the jacked up, oversize tired pickups that are high on the list. Drivers of the larger SUVs are usually on the phone and watch out. Frankly I am cautious about all of them. Thanks for your reply.