FUCK TRAFFIC
Thread started by
_iJunes at 01.27.09 - 9:35 am
If any of you frequent Western Ave for your morning commute, you know how hectic it can get. I would like to formally say F U to the driver of the 08 escalade you daughter of a bitch. We made eye contact on Sunset Blvd heading south, and before the light turned green i was out of your way. But to be a douche you sped up and got caught at the very next light at least 15 seconds before i got to Fountain Ave. As if that wasn't enough, you speed past me at the light again, this time attempting to jump lanes to avoid cars. The light was green, I was ready to go, you jump into my lane literally 7 feet before the light, my left hand touches the right side of your car., your fat ass car is too big to fit, and at the green light you come to a complete halt.
no time to react, i turn left, skid my back tire and BAM throw myself into your back window. Your back window has several cracks, and you proceed to stop for one second while i am in shock. I walk towards your window, you speed away and jump on the freeway. ok so now i'm in the middle of the street from all this shock checking my baby to see if its ok, and you, the asian lady in the audi, start honking your horns, and i understand your vulgarity, because i too speak korean. you bitch.
i pulled out my u-lock and if i didn't hesitate, you'd be in the body shop. you saw the guy stop right in front of me, you almost end up rear ending me, as if you couldn't see the brake lights of the car ahead of me, would've killed me, and then proceed to cuss me out when i'm making sure i'm ok.
FUCK YOU ESCALADE i guarantee the next time i see you, all your windows are gone.
FUCK YOU AUDI, old korean ladies should stop driving
AND FUCK YOU LA... your traffic caused me 27 collisions on a bicycle in 2 years, and only a few of them i am really at fault for.
watch yourselves on the road and please fucking watch for me on the road. i know how to ride my bike, cuss me out, and we're fighting. i don't care anymore if you're a 60 year old grandma. your grandson in the passenger seat is going to get it.
you all need to fucking learn a lesson.
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and you made me bleed on my legs and i'm missing a pinky toenail..
you will fucking pay if i ever see you.
VENDETTA and that's a promise.
_iJunes01.27.09 - 9:38 am
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If you got any of the driver's info, submit it to the
BikeXDatabase. This chick is collecting license plates so that particularly nasty drivers can be prosecuted.
danya01.27.09 - 9:39 am
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And I'm glad you're not hurt too bad, that could be very nasty stuff. Feel better. Sorry for the spaz posting, just woke up.
danya01.27.09 - 9:41 am
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the initial pain didnt set in, my whole right leg is numb right now. i dont know where the pain begins and where it ends. FUCKKKKKKKKKKK
im seriously jsut hoping my bike does not have cracks in it. i threw my body into a car just to make sure, but theres no telling what happened to the bike itself. i mean the impact was enough to snap the brake cable from the brake, but the bike was never on the ground because i know how to control my bike.
i need teh killer teh pain.
_iJunes01.27.09 - 9:42 am
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fuck traffic indeed, glad your not seriously injured
widowmaker01.27.09 - 9:45 am
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1. The Right Cross
The right cross is the most common way to be hit or almost to be hit by a car while on a bicycle. It consists of a car pulling out of a side street, parking lot, or a driveway on the right and hitting a cyclist. There are two possible types of collisions here. Either the cyclist is in front of the car and the car hits the cyclist or the car pulls out in front of the cyclist and the cyclists hits the car.
Ways to Avoid this Accident: a headlight so that cars see the bike and a horn that is loud and is used, a lot.
2. Door Prize
In a "door prize" accident, a car's driver opens the car door right in front of a cyclist. The cyclist runs into the door because he or she is unable to stop in time or swerve to avoid the door. This type of accident or collision is more common than one would think. It is actually the most common car-bike collision in Santa Barbara.
Ways to Avoid this Accident: ride far to the left of parked cars. Riding far to the left of a parked car will prevent the doors from being close enough for this situation to be a problem.
3. Crosswalk Slam
In a crosswalk slam, a cyclist is riding on the sidewalk and crosses a street in a crosswalk and a car makes a turn right into the cyclist. This accident occurs because cars don't expect bikes in a crosswalk so cyclists must be extra careful to avoid this type of accident. This type of accident is so common that some studies show that sidewalk riding is twice as dangerous as riding on the road. Another study showed that sidewalk riding was more than twice as dangerous as riding.
Ways to Avoid this Accident: Use a headlight, slow down, or don't use the sidewalk at all
4. Wrong Way Wreck
A wrong way wreck occurs when a cyclist is riding against traffic. A car will turn onto the street right into the cyclist. The car doesn't see the cyclist because it was looking for traffic coming from the left, not the right. There was no reason to expect someone on a bike to come at them from the wrong direction.
Ways to Avoid this Accident: Always ride with traffic, not against it.
5. The Red Light
Red lights are very dangerous for cyclists. In red light accidents, a cyclist will stop to the right of a car that has already stopped at a red light or stop sign. Unfortunately, the driver of the car can't see the cyclist. When the light turns green, the cyclist moves forward and a car that turns right will turn right into a cyclist.
Ways to Avoid this Accident: don't stop in a car or other vehicle's blind spot.
6. Right Hook
The right hook occurs when a car passes a cyclist and then tries to make a right turn directly in front of the cyclist or right into the cyclist. The car thinks a bike isn't going fast because it's a bicycle so it never occurs to the driver that he or she can't pass the cyclist in time. Even if a cyclist has to slam on his or her brakes to avoid hitting the car, the driver won't feel he or she did anything wrong. This kind of collision is very hard to avoid because it is typically not seen until the last second and then there is nowhere for the cyclist to go to avoid the accident.
Ways to Avoid this Accident: Ride in the center of a lane of traffic. This reduces a car's ability to pass a cyclist and so reduces the possibility of turning directly in front of the bike.
7. Right Hook, Part 2
The second type of right hook occurs when a cyclist passes a slow-moving car or other bike on the right and then it unexpectedly makes a right turn into the passing cyclist.
Ways to Avoid this Accident: Don't pass on the right.
8. Left Cross
This accident occurs when a car coming from the opposite direction of the cyclist makes a left turn right in front of the cyclist or right into a cyclist. This type of collision is very similar to the right cross accident, above.
Ways to Avoid this Accident: Use a headlight, wear something bright even during the day, and avoid sidewalks
9. Rear End
A cyclist innocently moves a smidge to the left to go around a parked car or other road obstruction when it gets hit from behind by a car behind it.
Ways to Avoid this Accident: Never move to the left without looking first; use a rear view mirror; and don't swerve in and out of the parking lane and the traffic lanes
10. The Rear End, Part 2
The rear end part two is the biggest fear for many cyclists. In this accident, a car hits a cyclist from behind. While it is a significant fear, it is not a very common accident. This type of accident makes up only 3.8% of all bicycle-car accidents. This is, however, one of the hardest collisions to avoid since a cyclist rarely looks behind it. Any risks of being hit from behind are greater at night and during rides outside of a city where the traffic is faster and the lighting is worse.
_iJunes01.27.09 - 9:57 am
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Solution;
Military, fuckin' flare launcher-tubes on the back of bike!!!
Or, scaled-down ones for smaller road flares.
bentstrider01.27.09 - 10:05 am
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dude flare gun doesnt sound bad. just fire it into someone's car.
and i will. i'm tired of fucking cars, thinking they're always in the right.
THERE IS A VERY CLEAR REASON I GIVE YOU THE MIDDLE FINGER.
_iJunes01.27.09 - 10:07 am
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Hey did your bike survive?
Riding in traffic and fighting with motorist is a losing battle.
You really have to watch your ass.
If you wanted to you could get in a fight everyday with some
dumm fuck motorist.
I try to stay off the main busy streets, riding residential streets when I can.
Good rule to remember don't draft cars.
Remember the Idiot that took us out in the all city race was drafting a SUV.
Dedicated81801.27.09 - 10:08 am
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the bike is fine for now, im going to go check it in a second once this intense tingling feeling in my leg stops.
the brake cable snapped, like the whole cable flew off the back brake.
this is why i need a commute bike, because i was more concerned for the bike than myself, and i neglected to notice that i'm missing a fucking toenail.
_iJunes01.27.09 - 10:10 am
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Sounds like you want to get in trouble for road rage.
Its a felony you know.
Dedicated81801.27.09 - 10:12 am
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road rage is a felony, but so is a felony hit and run.
and fuck me for not being able to read license plates without glasses that do no good once you're in a wreck.
_iJunes01.27.09 - 10:13 am
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I will be home later about 7;00 if you need help with the brake.
Dedicated81801.27.09 - 10:14 am
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Another way I try to stay positive in the 99.999999998%, car-dominated landscape of this desert-town is by imagining how many of these cars would be strewn all over the place if I immune to a virus that wiped most of everyone here, out.
bentstrider01.27.09 - 10:14 am
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I hope you & you're bike are really OK, Junes. You're numb leg sounds no good, see if you can visit a chiro or find someone who knows a chiro who will check you out pro bono. A numb leg can be an obvious indicator of a pinched nerve in your spine.
Escalades are monsters. The drivers of them are *most often* monsters too. Glad this wasn't any worse for you. Too bad she got away, I hate that more than anything. I hope you do see the car again - It probably won't be hard to spot now that it has your mark on the rear window.
Feel better!
kryxtanicole01.27.09 - 10:17 am
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Some old lady was riding her horn yesterday behind me and Sheli and Tim. I believe what came out of my mouth was "Eat 8 dicks, grandma!"
I hope she heard it.
monovsstereo01.27.09 - 10:19 am
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Has anybody heard of the poor mans ray gun ?
made out of microwave oven parts
Its said to dissable the electronics of automobiles
mount one of these on your commuter bike.
When the car comes to a stop from the electronics being fried,
the motorist will be asking for mercy.
Dedicated81801.27.09 - 10:22 am
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Who got the camera? Who got my nine? Yall done did it this time.
tortuga_veloce01.27.09 - 10:23 am
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Fuck it, I'll just start going slower if there's no room to move over.
"You lay on your horn, I'll lay on my brake!!!"
First one to get out of their car is being slapped with a road-rage charge!!
bentstrider01.27.09 - 10:24 am
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When I first started bike commuting in LA, with the help & lessons from the bicycling community, I was riding on the same streets I drive my truck on. Take the full lane to avoid the door zone, etc. I hated Olympic and Pico @ rush hour, it seemed like it was a NASCAR qualifying run for the car drivers...
Solution: I mounted my GPS on my handlebars & have a 'rolling map'. Now, I take residential streets, I see soo few cars it amazes me how quiet it is. I cross the busy streets, instead of riding on them.
Gern01.27.09 - 10:26 am
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i only take western for that section because the 101 runs across it and you have to take a major street over it.
the bike is fine, because i now realize the bruise on my inner thigh confirms that my leg stopped the frame from actually hitting the car.
so it was full body impact on the car. thank god i played football.
_iJunes01.27.09 - 10:30 am
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obviously make sure that your bike is ok, that would be a total bummer
that being said
TAKE CARE OF YOU!
plz kthx
<3
i heard its really hard to replace an ijunes
moondance01.27.09 - 10:30 am
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Junu, glad you're not too seriously injured.
Okay i have to ask...27 collisions in 2 years? Something is wrong there.
brassknuckle01.27.09 - 10:42 am
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thats just with cars. but if you've ridden with me, i have the worst of luck with cars.
_iJunes01.27.09 - 10:43 am
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sorry to hear about your run in with the Asscalade™
i hate that strip of western If I can I try to take wilton to avoid that part.
i hate any strip of raod that feeds to a freeway
people are always in such a rush to get in 10mph stop and go traffic
i'm sure it is only a small consolation that what ever part of your body hit their window caused at least $400-$800 worth of damage.
Unfortunately there is no such justice for the Audi.
Speaking of the Audi
I had something similar happen to me on the bike path
just after a crash while i was collecting myself, some snooty roadie yelled at me that it was a "bad place to stop"
'I yelled back that it was "also a bad place to crash.... asshole".
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trickmilla01.27.09 - 12:32 pm
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GPS locater with a 2 week battery and a magnetic backing.
"I'll deal with you later, peasant!!!"
bentstrider01.27.09 - 12:35 pm
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27 collisions in 2 years? wow that is quite a lot. I guess I consider myself lucky for going 5 years with only one mild car bump from a right hook into a bike lane... *knocks on wood....
Roadblock01.27.09 - 12:47 pm
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27 accidents in 2 years? I don't know that its "bad luck with cars."
The asscalade passed you at every light as well. Just because we ride bicycles and can be first at every light doesn't mean we should be.
gregb01.27.09 - 12:48 pm
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I'm with Gern. I have my side treet routes to avoid Western, Vermont, Santa Monica East, and of course 4th st. Bicycle Blvd. to avoid wilshire (though I kind of like 3rd better heading east to west....
Roadblock01.27.09 - 12:56 pm
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bentstrider,
you live in a fucking comic book
but thats why we love you.
trickmilla01.27.09 - 1:05 pm
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yeah he does, though I think that magnetic gps locator is not a bad idea....
Roadblock01.27.09 - 1:14 pm
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Well, when you live in a town-turned-suburb like Victorville, it's better to think that way to survive.
bentstrider01.27.09 - 1:30 pm
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When you have the kind of disadvantages that a bicycle has incompeting with vehicular traffic, EVERY accident is your fault. It is your fault for not riding defensively enough to avoid a situation that you have no other control over. Ask anyone who has survived riding a motorcycle for 10+ years and every one of them will tell you that it is up to the operator of the smaller, less visible vehicle to ensure his or her own safety. If you are counting on the drivers to do it, you will eventually die or wind up with severe injuries.
27 incidents in 2 years should be a
very loud wakeup call. You need to modify your riding style in ways that prevent the circumstances that are leading to actual impacts. I don't know how you ride so can't say whether you are riding too aggressively or not aggressively enough, but you definitely need to change something. In the last 10,000 miles of commuting across LA at the heart of rush hour, I've had exactly one impact, and that was done intentionally by the driver and I was able to minimize the damage done to myself by mostly getting out of the way because I knew he was coming.
Bikes are different than motorcycles, for sure. We have neither the acceleration nor braking that a motorcycle uses as its prime tools for evading a situation, which makes it that much more important for cyclists to be proactive in riding defensively. If someone is driving like a moron, put a gap between them and you. You will
never win an altercation against a 4000 pound vehicle on a bicycle.
ideasculptor01.27.09 - 1:42 pm
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change the route... I don't even like driving a CAR on Western....
adrian01.27.09 - 1:51 pm
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Good to hear you didn't get worst messed up than it could have been Junu. Hope all is well with you soon.
I can't wait for the $5 / gallon plus prices to come back. Let's hope it's soon!
User101.27.09 - 1:58 pm
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Dude, this is after your monday thread in which you were afraid of how much worse the day could get?? Watch the fuck out tomorrow. Stay home maybe, have a bath and try not to get drowned by invading mongol hordes or some fuckin' thing. No air travel.
Hope all is well physically and mentally.
supersano
01.27.09 - 2:07 pm
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Fucked up story, glad you are relatively okay considering. Cars do suck, but I have to agree with some others here that that number of accidents sounds excessively high and there may be some defensive cycling strategies and route selection that could help reduce a lot of that.
Although regarding Sam's comment to say it is always the smaller vehicles fault, um no, I mean I get the sentiment of survival, and riding defensively is super important, but drivers have a lot of legal obligations they often don't follow, and legally speaking are at fault in many situations. I think it is important to acknowledge this and for cyclists to start actively pursing legal action where ever possible to defend them selves when a driver is at fault.
However the most common bike on car accidents are the cyclists fault, like riding against traffic. Maybe it is time for a super nerdy ride based on safe riding issues and legal discussions.
GarySe7en01.27.09 - 2:18 pm
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2 accidents with cars in 2 years.
They happened to be 2 days apart (and right when i started to wear a helmet again)
richtotheie01.27.09 - 2:19 pm
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I think you should wear a helmet from now on.
stillline01.27.09 - 2:23 pm
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i only kept passing him because of the lights, and the cars that were backed up on western
this guy came to a screeching halt thinking he can squeeze into the right most lane, when the light ahead was filled with cars. so it came to a complete halt.
if i had my gt, i would've thrown my bike at the car.
i would say i'm not the nicest cyclist out there, but i know how to ride in traffic and have been doing so, i throw up hand signals where needed, i take up lane for visibility issues, i know i can start rolling when the other side of the street has the left only green arrow and there are no cars in that lane.
i'm not your typical inconsiderate cyclist, and when the cyclist is at fault, the driver does not usually run away.
you can pretty much ask everyone i've ridden with while making car contact. well except for that one lunch ride which was plain stupid.
_iJunes01.27.09 - 2:24 pm
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"drivers have a lot of legal obligations they often don't follow, and legally speaking are at fault in many situations. "
I think it was pretty obvious that Sam was not speaking in terms of legal obligation. I took the intent of his comments as strictly survival....
.
Roadblock01.27.09 - 2:26 pm
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actually majority of those accidents came from wearing a helmet.
my large head makes me readjust my strap every few feet or so, and makes turning back to view the road very difficult.
although i wanted to go and opt for those old school helmets that prefer little to no protection, but better than nothing.
_iJunes01.27.09 - 2:27 pm
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btw 27 means bike to car contact, aka dooring, accidental parked car.
how many times have i FALLEN off my bike? that's a much smaller figure maybe 7 or 8 times.
besides, i'm kinda known for wrecking, maybe not as bad as syoma, but yea more or less when im riding solo.
_iJunes01.27.09 - 2:31 pm
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honestly guys, if my death meant more awareness for safety of cyclists..
it would be an honorable death.
and i want a titanium ghost bike.
with boras....
and mountain bike bar ends.
_iJunes01.27.09 - 2:35 pm
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looked up that street Junu, when coming from Hwood to Ktown I like to take Gower south, left on melrose, right on PLYMOUTH. I knew it was something about pilgrims...anyway basically any of those streets between Wilton and Rossmore are all pretty chill streets. Rich hoods ya know
la duderina01.27.09 - 2:36 pm
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Oxford is also a very nice alternative to Western.
la duderina01.27.09 - 2:37 pm
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Wait, were you passing the line of cars on the left (between the lines of cars) or on the right (between the cars and the curb)? Or am I totally misreading the whole thing here?
P.S. Speaking of "just because the cyclist can be first at the light doesn't mean he should be," there was a particularly stupid but typical situation like that at the Three Kings ride. The group came up to a red light where there was one, count 'em one, taxi already waiting at the light. A bunch of cyclists went around him and stopped with some in front of him, some beside him, and most behind. When the light changed, of course the driver was frustrated and started to do a confused little start-stop thing, which prompted some of the more retarded members of the group to go into full "self-righteous cyclist" mode, yelling at the driver and slapping his fenders. Had everybody just stopped behind that ONE fucking cab, none of that would have been necessary.
PC01.27.09 - 4:31 pm
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the street is a three way street. because the other side does not run all the way through because of the freeway. it was green the direction we were travelling in. i never ride on the left lane unless i'm making a left turn when i'm riding solo. the car tried to squeeze right and jump the light only to find that the other side was the street was gridlocked. she came into a non-existant lane to cut me off about 7-10 feet short of the intersection. i was maybe 2-3 feet from the curb until she cut me off.
TOTALLY her fault.
_iJunes01.27.09 - 4:35 pm
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Yep. My point was not about legal fault. But what were you doing in a situation where you could not stop or get around a vehicle without hitting it? And arguably, you are almost always at least somewhat culpable (legally speaking) in a rear-ending. It is a myth that the rear-ender is always 100% at fault, but most insurance adjusters will give at least some of the blame to the person in back unless there is evidence to suggest that it was a brake-check maneuver or similar (which this incident bears at least a passing resemblance to). I don't suppose you were riding brakeless when this went down? That would certainly transfer all legal and moral culpability to you.
If you assume that the drivers around you are pretty much always going to do the dumbest thing imaginable, a lot of these incidents can be avoided. If you've already witnessed moronic behaviour from the driver in question, all the more reason to give them a lot of leeway. I generally try to ride with enough awareness of my surroundings that I have at least 2 evasive maneuvers at hand. I'm always looking at gaps between parked cars, cross streets, and the space between lanes as places where I can quickly go to minimize a threat, and I try to always know where the cars behind me are for at least a couple of car lengths. I look over my shoulder or under my armpit a couple of times per block when traffic is heavy (I've even been known to stick one of those dorky mirrors on my helmet for commuting). I never pass a cross street with traffic to my left without assuming I might have to make a quick right turn to avoid someone turning across my path, and I've lost count of the number of times I've had to do so in order to avoid broadsiding someone who did exactly that. And, of course, I have
brakes, front and rear, and I've always got the levers covered if I'm in traffic.
ideasculptor01.27.09 - 8:55 pm
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preach on Sam, I'm not coming down on Junu by any means, but I am advocating exactly the attitude that Sam is talking about. you must constantly imagine that every single driver is out to kill you at any second. you have to constantly calculate your escape routes and maintain your space from all cars. I ride with my minewt nightrider on blink mode in the day time as well as night, I ride in the same space at a consistent speed but am ready and often do switch lanes to avoid tie ups. I'm looking everywhere I can for possible threats. cars pulling out of drive ways, cars turning left, right hooks. If I am moving faster than traffic I like to pass cars on the left when there is a jam up at an intersection. I believe I am able to better avoid right hooks that way.
Roadblock01.27.09 - 9:04 pm
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Jesus crap Junes, you've got a thing with lady luck. I hope you're ok, dude. Oh, and fuck old Asian people driving, in fact, fuck all old people driving. I can't defend Asian drivers anymore. It has been a constant let down for me. Being Asian ruins my driving street cred. V_V
Stomachache01.27.09 - 9:58 pm
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yeah Junu, you need to take a good, long, hard look at what you have been doing to offend the bike gods.
and I have seen you plow into the back of parked cars, sober, in broad daylight. maybe you
could be paying a little better attention. fuckin a man. lol.
la duderina01.27.09 - 10:03 pm
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Luckily, you tend to drive alot better when starting in semi's, I tell you what.
I never even drove on a freeway prior to jumping into a big truck.
After that, I tended to pick out any and all things that might be lurking.
Although, after a year and a half of driving experience with a rig, I am too used to using the side-views.
bentstrider01.27.09 - 10:08 pm
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PC -
there was a particularly stupid but typical situation like that at the Three Kings ride. The group came up to a red light where there was one, count 'em one, taxi already waiting at the light. A bunch of cyclists went around him and stopped with some in front of him, some beside him, and most behind. When the light changed, of course the driver was frustrated and started to do a confused little start-stop thing, which prompted some of the more retarded members of the group to go into full "self-righteous cyclist" mode, yelling at the driver and slapping his fenders. Had everybody just stopped behind that ONE fucking cab, none of that would have been necessary.
Me -
If I had a buck for every time I've seen this happen on a ride I'm on, I could easily spring for Junu's death wish of a titanium ghost bike. This has to be the most irritating move I see us constantly doing.
User101.27.09 - 10:21 pm
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I don't suppose you were riding brakeless when this went down? That would certainly transfer all legal and moral culpability to you.
-ideasculptor
actually Sam, that would only be on a brakeless freewheel. Brakeless fixed is still arguably within the law which states that the bike "must contain a device with which to make one braked wheel skid on clean dry pavement" which, obviously a fixed gear does as a function of it's hub, same way a coaster brake functions to stop a bike.
FuzzBeast01.28.09 - 3:28 am
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Yet another thing I hate about the law, the overuse of an ancient language called Latin.
Then when it gets translated to English, it reads out like some actual, English guy from the 1700's wrote it.
I wouldn't say I'm under-cultured, I'm just over-simplistic when it comes to certain shit.
How does this pertain to traffic laws?
All the legal jargon that's included when you go to look up the offense!!
bentstrider01.28.09 - 11:43 am
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that is such an insane photo
I think it was in mexico.
its really sad
the dude had been drinking
fell asleep at the wheel
and woke up to being a killer
he sobbed openly between apologies when he was being interviewed about it,
trickmilla01.28.09 - 2:12 pm
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-->
Ridazz Roulette!
or you could ride with this on! :)
or this...