Getting my groove back on with the Platypus - dealing with near misses

[Jay LePree]

Hi all:

I live in car-centric, crowded, northeastern NJ.  I joined a gym two towns over and ride my bike to the gym, about 3.5 miles each way.  I take the least busiest streets possible, but unfortunately, I need to ride through a semi-busy, though traffic-lit intersection.

In my last 12 trips to the gym, I have had two near misses which could have been hits if I did not ride like Kent Peterson had described.  "Treat cars like big animals with poor eyesight that can't see you.  In one case, at night, although I have a Schmidt Edelux II, a huge reflective ankle bracelet on my basket, wear a reflective vest and have reflective ankle bands, I had a car nearly make a left turn into me while I was crossing the intersection.  The car was going straight through, and without signalling, decided to turn left at the last minute.  I stopped in time to prevent "the left cross".  Not less than 5 days later, in clear, bright daylight, I had a car pass me on the right and then proceed to turn right in front of me.  (I think this is called the right hook?).  Again, applying Kent's approach to riding, I was able to stop in time.

I am thankful my skills were sufficent to prevent contact, but now I am skittish.  Given the legalized weed and the propensity for peope to drink around this time of year, I am finding excuses not to ride to the gym, even in daylight.  I think it is the back-to-back nature of these incidents that has me most unnerved.  

How have all of you got your groove back on?  

Kind regards,

Jay LePree

Demarest, NJ

[Jason Fuller]

Sorry to hear that Jay.  I've been finding that drivers are getting worse and worse every year - less patient, more distracted, more aggressive. Plus, cars keep getting bigger and bigger as is safety of people outside the vehicle isn't even a consideration (what the heck, FMVSS??).  I have slid further and further into the belief that massive change to how North Americans get around daily needs to happen, but I am not optimistic it'll happen. It shouldn't be an extreme point of view to want a comprehensive network of non-motorized pathways in every community. 

Anyway, the way I've been dealing with this is: 
- Avoid streets that are busy or that I've had bad experiences with, even if it means a longer route
- Take the sidewalk (and be slow and courteous around pedestrians) if I need to, to feel safe
- If on the street, I make sure to ride 3-4 feet from the curb so that I am more visible and cars are less able to "squeeze" past me .. this one is a challenge as I am a conflict avoider, but it is safer to be annoying to a driver than to be unnoticed 
- Use a mirror to be able to see cars behind me, and be always on alert and like you say, never assuming a driver sees me unless I make eye contact and they give me a cue 

It's tragic that we have to accept these risks to get around by bicycle, considering in doing so we're protecting those around us by not driving. Not to mention children and all those who can't drive for one reason or another. 

[Bill Schairer]

I keep at it.  As I learn the traffic patterns on my route it becomes easier to navigate safely.  I actually feel this when driving, walking or biking.  I don't know the NJ traffic laws but in CA, if I'm approaching an intersection (or even a parking lot) where I know lots of people turn right, I'll take the lane.  Otherwise, if someone passes me and puts on their right blinker, I pull out behind them in order to pass them on their left rather than chance that they are going to wait for me to pass them on their right before completing their turn.  But, when I take a lane it is at full gas and I yield the lane, demonstrably, as soon as safe to do so. I consider myself an actor - I want the drivers to be able to read my actions.  I want them to know I know they are there, that I might be in their way but that I am as going as hard as I can and will get out of their way as quickly as I can.  Yeah, some get pissed, some try to intimidate, some try to scare but I think it very, very rare (next to never) that anyone intends to do me harm.  Honestly, I experience all that when I'm in my car or on foot as well.  For some people, you will always be in their way no matter what so I try (too often unsuccessfully) not to take it personally as a cyclist when someone does something that I don't like.  Lots of times, someone just makes a mistake.  I know I make them.  

Then, at night, I'll sometimes wobble my front wheel hoping the moving headlight will be more noticeable.  I have no idea if that is effective or not.

I don't use a mirror but have recently used a Garmin radar detector sometimes.  It can be useful but I don't find it essential and try never to rely on it.  I'm a huge believer in head checks (part of the "acting" business) - it is my blinker.  In traffic, I'll generally use three head checks, when I can, before I move.  The first very quick check gets my left ear out of the wind and alerts traffic I'm contemplating something; sounds clear - the second gives me quick shallow look; look and ears tell me following traffic knows I'm up to something and usually slows so now I take a third, deeper check to make sure I can move - arm signal and then an appreciative wave in thanks if someone slowed for me. For me, nothing comes anywhere close to a head check in getting motorists attention and response.  Maybe it is the clear indication to motorists that I am IN traffic, I am NOT some debris in the gutter?

The other thing I do is try to pick my times.  Sometimes as little as 10 or 15 minutes can make a big difference in volume and patterns.

Of course, there are times when nothing seems to work but getting out of bed in the morning is risky yet I do it everyday.  Cycling gives me so much satisfaction that I deem it worth the risk.

Bill S

San Diego

[Patrick Moore]

Jay: I'm sorry to hear about your near misses. I've had my share and they leave a "sour taste in your mouth" -- a kind of lingering depressed or dark feeling that is -- in my case at least -- even stronger than the inevitable lingering residual fear. 

Were these occasions at night? I try to err on the egregious, excessive side of night-time illumination and use copious reflective gear, front and rear, as well as top-quality front and rear lights, always duplicate systems; thus 2 rear red lights and a second battery headlight in addition to the dyno light that I turn on at least at busy intersections. IME, cars treat you with more respect at night if so illuminated than during the day.

Funny, though: during 56 years and more of riding in traffic -- I started shorlty after my 11th birthday in Indian urban traffic after my father bought me my first "adult" bike, a 28" wheel, rod-braked roadster -- I learned that riding somewhat "aggressively" incurred fewer near misses than riding timidly. 

Examples: in the bike lane adjacent to busy auto lanes, ride mid-lane and not too the right; riding close to the curb sees more drivers committing that cardinal sin of skimming the right edge of their traffic lane. Ride mid-lane or even flirt with the left edge of the bike lane and more cars swing left when they pass.

Stopping at stop signs or traffic lights: pull out to middle of right lane -- even if there is a bike lane -- before stopping or, on greens, when going straight; this noticeably reduces near right hooks from cars behind me. 

When going straight through an intersection, for oncoming cars going straight through the intersection or slowing to turn left: even more aggressively, pull out to the middle of your lane or even move to the left of your lane, look the driver in the eye -- even "glare" at the driver (that's purely physiological, not psychological) -- and stand as if to speed up. It sounds foolish, but after starting to do this I've had fewer near left hooks.

I emphasize again that I learned to do all of that out of growing caution and after multiple near misses.

And of course, ride with complete 360* attention to what is around you; rather as you learn to be more cautious (or at least, I do) when riding a fixed gear around corners than when riding a freewheel; a sort of permanent caution.

I have to say that the potentially most serious near miss, for me, was my own fault: Riding in the bike lane along a 4-lane, I failed to be sufficiently cautious when making a left turn across 2 auto traffic lanes and turned before the left-turn cutout to find myself stopped in the righthand side of the left traffic lane with cars barreling down on me from behind at 50 mph. I was damned lucky not to be hit! I quickly pulled my bike onto the median as passing drivers very rightly cussed me out.

I always start my rides with a brief prayer; for non-believers, at least recognize and commit yourself to the undeniable source of universal existential equilibrium, according to the fundamental Buddhist (and perfectly obvious) axiom of "Actions and concordant reactions." (Garth! Are you listening?)

All this strictly FWIW. I realize fully that my riding environment and my riding style are not those of everyone.

May we all ride safely in 2023!

--
You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "RBW Owners Bunch" group.
To unsubscribe from this group and stop receiving emails from it, send an email to rbw-owners-bun...@googlegroups.com.
To view this discussion on the web visit https://groups.google.com/d/msgid/rbw-owners-bunch/c931832a-3509-4b4a-9b26-ca86087d1f11n%40googlegroups.com.

--

-----------------------------------------------------------------------

Patrick Moore

Alburquerque, Nuevo Mexico, Etats Unis d'Amerique, Orbis Terrarum

[Jay LePree]

Hi all:

All good advice.  I am lacking in the "take the lane" approach.  Had I done that, the "right hook" in front of me would not have happened.  I am, admittedly timid, and have trouble with this approach, though I know it is legal.  in NJ, a cyclist should remain to the right as safety allows, and certainly at parking lot and road intersections, it makes good sense to take the lane.  I am always afraid of the errant driver that will ride up my back.  (I do use a mirror, so it will allow me to see them...and see them riding up my back :) ). 

In this case, traffic was fairly slow, so taking the lane would make perfect sense. 

One riding skill I use regularly when approaching a light at an intersection is that I remain to the right but take the spot of the car in front of me;  I don't ride up to the front car.  It saves me the trouble of having cars that I passed then need to pass me again. Additionally, it prevents the "right hook". 

I do use lights and reflectors.  I wear reflective ankle straps for the motion (the ones you recommended Patrick..silver and about 2 inches wide), and placed reflective stips on my crank arms for added motion.  I use two bright tail lights and have reflective tape on my rear rack. I have a Schmidt Edelux II headlight and affixe the another ankle band to my basket so I have a 5 inch x 2 inch band of reflection on the front.

Thanks again,

Happy New Year

The Platypus rides again to the gym.

Jay LePree

[Ryan]

About the infamous left hooks...If I'm going straight through , I point my arm straight ahead to signal to those cars making a left turn that I AM going straight through...seems to work; I'm still here.

Busy traffic sucks...no way around that...before I retired I arranged my working hours so I could ride to work on off-peak hours. In Winnipeg, our network of active transportation routes is improving. Not perfect, but definitely getting better. 

Stay safe everyone!

[Marc Irwin]

You definitely don't want to be intimidated from taking the lane.  It prevents a lot of terrible decisions that motorists make.  I ride around in city traffic daily and the most dangerous thing I see EVERY DAY is drivers yielding when they shouldn't.  They will suddenly stop  a line of traffic and wave me to ride through  even when I am stopped with both feet on the ground.  It's ridiculous, in the absence of bike infrastructure we should all follow the rules of the road and not be overly courteous.  Incidents where people are rude and negligent are really quite rare in my daily experience.

Marc

[mgst...@gmail.com]

+1 for take the lane [rural Western Mass]
other things that are helpful (to me)
- handlebar mirror
- being a little wild looking, it was in fact a Grant suggestion to wobble a little when a car is a few lengths back, so they both see you due to rapid motion, and also then they assume you’re unpredictable. Drivers dont want a bloody body on their hood
- I assume EVERY car wants to kill me, either proactively or just as part of their daily routine, “oh so sorry didn’t see you” (how many times have you heard that?)
- I practice ditching, crashing the bike a few times a week, yes slow speeds ≠ real time experience, but it puts the muscle memory in there. The few times i’ve gone down (never as a result of a car interaction usually ice or on a trail), i’ve automatically done the proper sequence hitting the ground.
- Also re practice ditching, since adding kettlebell getups (Turkish Get up) into my routine, my falling has improved dramatically
- If i have a verbal interaction with a driver, i have multiple strategies
1. I do my best to sound and appear mentally unbalanced [my friends and family say i’m a natural]. Or
2. I beg their extreme pardon for being in their way, to the point of absurdity / parody, it works well, especially if there’s an audience (a decent life skill for me was acting class)
3. I work on the kindness factor, esp if i’ve chased them down, ‘don’t be afraid, i just wanted you to understand from my perspective, you could have killed me, and then i give them the graphic alternative to what it would have been for my family, if they had scraped me to death under their car. And I like to end with, how about a hug, ok a fist bump then / yeah it's off-putting ,but i know it makes them think 
and sometimes a combination of all of them.

Because i live in a relatively small community and i have 'the car gene' and also easily memorize license plates, i have a good mental rolodex of many of the cars around me. I'm ofttimes on a tandem (the Riv tandem), and it's even more important then. Especially taking the lane, because it's 400+ pounds to be muscling at the end of the roadway. 

Ron 

Western Ma

[Garth]

Remember and acknowledge Grace as Grace acknowledges You .

Graciousness ..... Gratitude .... Greatness .... and that we all Live .... Breathe ... Exist by and as Grace.

[Joe Bernard]

I was just having this conversation last night (with an Platypus rider btw), I mentioned that I've cut a couple rides short recently cuz drivers are so stressed, distracted and often drunk during the holidays. Hopefully your area will calm down soon after New Year's. 

Joe Bernard 

[Bob Ehrenbeck]

Some great advice here -- especially to stay far enough to the left to discourage unsafe passing, and to take the lane when approaching an intersection. When I do need to take the lane, I also try to keep up with the vehicle speeds as best I can.

When approaching an intersection, I make sure to never, ever ride alongside a vehicle (that might turn into me with no warning). I always stay behind that car and still make sure I'm visible to the car behind.

Begin crossing an intersection right after the cross traffic stops and just before your light turns green. Giving yourself a head start before all the chaos of turning traffic increases your visibility and also helps avoid the left crosses and right hooks. This works like a Leading Pedestrian Interval traffic signal -- but just be sure to watch out for red light runners on the street perpendicular to you (that practice unfortunately seems to have been normalized).

Also, ride assertively and be communicative with arm gestures. 

I'm also in New Jersey, but in a fairly dense area where there are so many side streets and cut-throughs that I can avoid busy and dangerous roads. (I'm also thankful that my gym is a only mile away.)

Bob E

Cranford, New Jersey

[Pam Bikes]

I understand how you feel.  We all feel this way occasionally and most places are car centric in that there is not bike specific infrastructure.  And gyms are located on heavily traveled roads as most businesses are.  I'm a Cycling Savvy Instructor which helps riders understand the traffic system so you can have a better experience.  I invite you to join me for my next course Jan 27th.  The classroom session is on Zoom so you can attend from anywhere.  Please let me know if you are interested and I can send you the link.  By all means you should be able to ride your bike wherever you want.  Cycling Savvy has helped me do just that.  I make all my trips by bike except one per week (to keep the battery charged).  If I can, you can too.  I'm in Charlotte, NC which is also car centric.