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I almost hit a biker this morning.
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Anonymous
| He was wearing ALL black and it was dark. He whizzed by me and I just saw him at the last minute. It would have been my fault, but why would anyone wear all black when it is dark out? |
Anonymous
| Was he in business/work clothes or a sports type outfit? I usually see bikers in sports type outfits that are reflective or have reflective patterns, or they use those safety lights, to make themselves more visible in the dark. |
Anonymous
|
bikers are like car drivers - some of them are good and some of them not so good
(note: I am a biker / runner and I am very aware of what I am wearing so that others may see me) |
Anonymous
| He had a light of the back of his helmet. I approached him on the side. Even when I saw the light, it was barely visible, teeny. He should have had a white or reflective jacket or vest over everything. |
Anonymous
I don't understand why bikers don't ride in lanes or paths when available. I've almost run over some when they fall off bikes [i suppose they are weekend warriors]. Bike commuters are more hazardous at the end of the day - evening . I see more weaving . |
Anonymous
|
If this guy wasn't dressed for visibility, then shame on him. Just like drivers who don't turn their lights on in the rain or a thousand other transgressions.
As for the issue of why cyclists don't use paths or lanes. Some do, where they are available. I often cycle to work (or did before I became pregnant) and occasionally moved out of the bike lane and into a regular lane of traffic. Why? Because drivers only sometimes pay attention to what's in the bike lane before they make a turn, potentially cutting off a cyclist. Or, if lots of people are getting in and out of parked cars, there's the risk of being hit by a car door being opened without the driving looking behind them first. In almost every jurisdiction in this area, cyclists have the same legal right to be on the road as cars. Yes, we have an obligation to also then be responsible and law-abiding users of the road. Although there are definitely some stupid cyclists, like the one OP described, I think there is much more education to be done of drivers than of cyclists in this area right now. On my bike, I know I have the same legal rights you do, but I also know that your car will flatten me and my bike so I do what I can to minimize that risk and make you as aware of my presence as possible. |
Anonymous
| I felt like hitting a biker this morning. I was driving in traffic on Connecticut Ave, and he was riding in the far-right lane. I carefully passed him, waiting for a chance to safely swing around him. I stopped at a red light, and he passed between me and the curb and ran the light. I again carefully passed him, driving at his speed until I could do so safely. At the next light he wove to my outside and passed me, then ran the light. Next several blocks, same story. Sheesh! |
Anonymous
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I almost (well it wasn't really close at all but the biker thought it was) hit a biker near rock creek park and got a earful from him at the time. It was early Sat morning and the entrance was closed to cars (he was entering the park). We both had stop signs but he ignored his and I stopped, looked for a car, and started making my left turn. I take full fault for not seeing him but in my defence i was expecting to see a stopping/stopped car not a whizzing by bike. Lesson learned - i'm much more careful at this intersection now.
Are bikers suppose to stop at stop signs? I rarely see that they do. |
Anonymous
|
Here's a story about a driver who was fed up with some cyclists in his neighborhood:
http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/lanow/2009/01/a-brentwood-phy.html |
Anonymous
On a jaunt up Macarthur blvd [MD section ner and past Glen Echo] we saw many in regular lanes. Many on bike lanes and the path. Had the misfortune of being behind some fat behinds in spandex . Impossible to pass since if a car a cop would have stopped for potential drunk driving. |
Anonymous
| I was almost hit by a biker as I crossed the street (on foot) this morning. It happens about once a week. A car stopped for me (DC plates, natch), but not the biker who wizzed by us both without slowing or looking. |
Anonymous
| OP, don't worry, just try harder. You probably didn't have the right angle. I'm sure you'll get him next tim . . . oh. You meant that as a bad thing. Sorry. |
Anonymous
| I've been brushed or bumped by cyclists on the sidewalks more times than I can count. (Haven't been knocked down yet, but I'm sure it's a matter of time.) I always tell them off, but on the rare occasion they even hear me (usually have headphones on) they get all defensive. Of course, any cyclist that gets hit by a car will claim that HE was obeying the law. Whatever. It's the absolute exception for a cyclist to be looking out for all the hazards. They just assume we (pedestrians and drivers) will cede the road-- and the sidewalks!-- to them. Jerks. |
Anonymous
| Some bikers are just idiots. See, for example, the ones who insist on riding on Beach Drive/Rock Creek Parkway at rush hour on weekdays despite the bike path that parallels the road. My husband was driving, but we almost hit an older man the other day who was getting onto the road, from the path, on a blind curve. WTF? |
Anonymous
| I can't believe how mean spirited these posts are. There are a lot of bad drivers out there and there are a lot of bad bikers and pedestrians, out there. There are also a lot of good bikers, peds and drivers. There are a lot of good people out there and there are a lot of A--holes. |