Things that you see motorists do....
I was traveling to work the other morning- got to the intersection of Williams and Fullarton Road in Norwood. Usually quite busy, but a good place to cross.
I pulled over into the right of the lane as I was going straight ahead and there was a 4WD wanting to turn left behind me, also had a car directly behind me wanting to turn right. Fair bit of traffic going both ways so everyone is holding back. A space develops, there is a convertible Saab coming from the right, has his left hand indicator on, but is a bit far to the right of the lane. The car behind him also has the indicator on to turn left up Williams. The 4WD on my left, turning left onto Fullarton starts to gun his engine to enter the break in traffic, but then holds back - I certainly wasn't about to head out in front of this Saab. The Saab cruises straight past the intersection, top down, left hand indicator still going, music on and the driver concentrating on shaving with his electric razor in the rear view mirror. I turned and looked at the guy in the 4WD who is shaking his head and gesticulating shaving gestures as we share this moment. What a joke, if he had gone for it, the t-bone mess of Saab vs. Prado would not have been pretty...
I see this sort of thing everyday, drivers distracted by the environment of their cars that creates a private world mediated through technology. For the cyclist it means that we have to be extra vigilant, ride defensively and read what people are doing around us. Some of these skills are learned, others develop over time becoming a 6th sense of anticipating others behavior.
I am sure that you all have similar stories. Please comment, I would be interested in knowing what your experiences are.
Cheers
Jeremy
http://www.bisa.asn.au/
I pulled over into the right of the lane as I was going straight ahead and there was a 4WD wanting to turn left behind me, also had a car directly behind me wanting to turn right. Fair bit of traffic going both ways so everyone is holding back. A space develops, there is a convertible Saab coming from the right, has his left hand indicator on, but is a bit far to the right of the lane. The car behind him also has the indicator on to turn left up Williams. The 4WD on my left, turning left onto Fullarton starts to gun his engine to enter the break in traffic, but then holds back - I certainly wasn't about to head out in front of this Saab. The Saab cruises straight past the intersection, top down, left hand indicator still going, music on and the driver concentrating on shaving with his electric razor in the rear view mirror. I turned and looked at the guy in the 4WD who is shaking his head and gesticulating shaving gestures as we share this moment. What a joke, if he had gone for it, the t-bone mess of Saab vs. Prado would not have been pretty...
I see this sort of thing everyday, drivers distracted by the environment of their cars that creates a private world mediated through technology. For the cyclist it means that we have to be extra vigilant, ride defensively and read what people are doing around us. Some of these skills are learned, others develop over time becoming a 6th sense of anticipating others behavior.
I am sure that you all have similar stories. Please comment, I would be interested in knowing what your experiences are.
Cheers
Jeremy
http://www.bisa.asn.au/
Replies to This Discussion
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Permalink Reply by Karloskar Hall on -
I'm guilty of the odd bit of texting on a quiet street, and answering the phone to pull over and talk...
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Permalink Reply by Charles on -
If youu are texting whislt driving a motor vehicle then you should be ashamed of yourself. Please do not do this least you kill some one who is obeying the law.
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Permalink Reply by Doddsy on -
Not sure how this discussion called "things that you see motorists do" turned into complaints about cyclists.
Motorists and cyclists have something in common. We are all human. Its strange that you have a dig at cyclists about talking on their mobiles but the reality is that they aren't driving a heavy vehicle so talking on the mobile while cycling is nothing in comparison to doing it while driving.
Every cyclist should feel as free as they want to talk on mobile phones while cycling because the odds are you are only going to help yourself. Especially in Australia where we all use helmets and can use the straps as a hands free kit.
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Permalink Reply by Charles on
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In some states it is not illegal for cyclist to use mobile phones whislt riding. Not sure about SA however.
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Permalink Reply by Mike H on -
Saw a cyclist knocked off his bike on Duthy Street this morning. I was only 20 yards behind him, heading towards town. Queue of traffic along Duthy St. We were cycling down the bike lane. A driver stopped in traffic suddenly decided to cut left into Eton St. Took out the cyclist and sent him sprawling. Thankfully not seriously injured. The driver was of course very apologetic. I stopped and gave the cyclist my details as a witness. Two blokes parked in a truck also offered to help. Not one car driver in the queue in Duthy St. pulled over, despite them seeing the whole incident at close quarters. I'm always a bit nervous about zipping down the bike lane when the traffic is queued up. You've got the potential hazard of car doors opening from your left, and cars or motor bikes on your right suddenly deciding to pull left across the bike lane. Nothing the cyclist could do about it. But, be vigilant guys and girls - there are a lot of careless drivers out there.
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Permalink Reply by Rob W on -
The same thing happens at the intersection of Muller road and North east, the cars get sick of waiting to turn left (left lane) and dart into the right lane (straight across). I used to ride the line, but now I take the entire right lane (two close calls), since the lights are always red when I get there, and it's usually empty.
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Permalink Reply by Just another psycho-list on -
Good point Mike. Gee, you look a lot like Oscar a part of Brighton Road at peak hour where people heading south just past the Brighton oval give way to traffic turning right into Highet Avenue. They just stop because the Sturt Road traffic signals stops everything and it all banks up. Then they kindly let the other motorists through. This is all very nice of them, but if a cyclist is hammering along unimpeded in the bike lane, chances are they won't be noticed until they are on the bonnnet or under the wheels. The worst time for this would be when it is winter time and dark earlier - then the headlights obscure the motorists view as well.
Just to wanted to warn others to be aware of that one. If I am in a vehicle being given that offer to go through, I creep up, but I have to admit, it is so hard to see if someone is coming along the bike lane and you are practically in it before you can really tell what's coming.
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Permalink Reply by Jeremy Miller on -
Another of my least favorite things is motorists who pull away from the curb without indicating - from a cyclists perspective those little flashing lights really help understand what someone behind the wheel of a car is intending to do. When indicators are not used - it adds to the unpredictability of the drivers behavior, turning left? turning right? going around or through a round-a-bout? who knows?!?
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Permalink Reply by Josh Krueger on
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I think we all know that taxi drivers dont think much when they drive, but when they are parked on the side of roads and wating for passengers, why do they get out and lean against the drivers side door, in the bike lane, jamming us against cars coming behind us. They do it constantly on Rundle St, and Pulteney St heading north (in between Rundle and Grenfell, where the bike like mysteriously goes into thin air after the whole street has a bike lane)
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Permalink Reply by Just another psycho-list on
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Don't you love them...
The disappearing bike lanes of Adelaide...
Phantom lanes I guess.
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Permalink Reply by Mike H on
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Almost knocked off my bike by a passenger car door being opened right as I passed. This was in Pultney Street, heading south, near the shops (IGA, post office etc) by a car parked in the bike lane, next to the cars parked at an angle. This is a common problem in Pultney Street. It pulled over and parked as I was heading south, I sounded my bell, watching for the driver to hop out, and the bloody passenger nearly 'doored' me - I just managed to swerve in time. If I'd had my usual panniers on the back, I'm sure I would have caught them, it was that close. Then to make it worse, just heard the occupants of the car laughing at the whole thing.
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Permalink Reply by Doddsy on
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I was once cycling down pirie street when i proceeded to pass a badly parked removalist truck out the front of 100 pirie.
The truck was blocking the bike lane and obscuring my vision from other parked cars up ahead. As i passed the truck a v6 commodore decided to do a burn out from the carpark infront and proceeded to accidently push me into oncoming traffic. I was forced to cross the road to avoid oncoming traffic and ended up dodging a couple of j-walking pedestrians as i temporarily cycled the wrong way up pirie street in the other bike lane.
The motorists burnout was completely unwarranted as there was a red light at Pulteney street so traffic proceeded to slow to jogging pace anyway. I was enraged so i asked him what the f he thought he was doing? He turned and told me to f off and swerved at me as he accused us bike messenger pricks as being all over the road. Being on a bicycle i could easily out manouvre him. I challenged his manlyness for trying to run a cyclist down while he was in a car. He said allright as i turned left into hindmarsh square. So he pulled in to hindmarsh square and proceeded to get out of his car. I subtly cycled to the left of his vehicle to make sure he was facing west and used the two way radio to call to my mates who were on standby at hindmarsh square. He squared off and i proceeded to wonder why this little guy with a crooked nose wanted to fight a 6.2 90kg bike messenger. He pushed me and i dropped my bike, He then took a swing at me that luckily missed. By that time at least 8 bike messengers had run across the road to confront him. He poo'd in his pants and ran back to his car. At that time i cowardly snapped and pushed him in the back as he ran. He then proceeded to try and get in his car but i slammed the door on him (not as hard as i could have) and then when he got in the car i bitch slapped him through the window.
That was about 11 years ago and i can remember never feeling so ashamed as i did then. Everyone watched it happen, friends at work, people on their lunch breaks and one of our biggest clients at 41 hindmarsh square RAA travel. It was a big mistake and if i had the opportunity again i would not have engaged in conversation with him.
About 6 months later my lower back, shoulders and flexibility started to feel really bad from riding a bike 40hours a week so i decided to take up thai boxing again. I trained for a week at this Gym untily i got to do a session with the boxing coach (no feet) it was the same guy that i got into the altercation with and he had a trophy cabinet full of nationalish type titles.
I was so lucky that he didn't put me in hospital.
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