Monday, January 9, 2012

"Outta my way!"

January's unseasonably mild weather allowed me to bike to work every day last week. We're normally coping with a foot of snow on the ground and a double-digit below zero wild chill.  I'm out early, before traffic is much of an issue, but with short daylight and heavier traffic, the ride home is a little more treacherous.  I wear hi-viz and run some high-tech lights, though, and am not afraid of a little nighttime riding.  I generally find Lincoln driver's to be considerate and patient when I am the same.

One evening last week, I had an encounter with an irate motorist--a rare occurrence for me. My route included a short two-block stretch on a multi-lane arterial.  It was dusk, and I was in the inside lane, about 3.5 feet out from the curb--basically in the right tire track.  The angry motorist was directly behind me, and I think he was probably annoyed that he couldn't pass right away due to other traffic in the outside lane which prevented him from swinging around me.  He had to dog it for about half a block, and when he finally passed, he executed a right turn directly in my path, rolled down his window, made the universal peace sign, and shouted a colorful greeting that I will translate as,  "Outta my way!"

I wasn't trying to be an obstruction, but I just couldn't get over any closer to the curb safely.  Here's why:


This particular species of pothole tends to form where the poured curb meets a seam in the roadway surface.  This short stretch of road had quite a few in quick succession. While I would ordinarily choose to ride a little closer to the curb, the safest course of action in the situation I suddenly found myself was to assert my presence emphatically in the lane.  If you were behind me in a car, you would not be tempted to pass until you had plenty of room to move into the inside lane.   I could have kept a tighter line to the right, and simply zig-zagged around the obstructions for the next couple of blocks, but it would not be a good thing to be following a cyclist who suddenly changes course to dodge one of these buggers, rather than one maintaining a steady and more predictable course.  He obviously doesn't realize it, but this was safer for both of us.

While I have occasionally seen a cyclist acting boorishly or disobeying the law by failing to right as close as practicable to the right hand side of the road, most of the time when I see a bike out in that right tire track or the center of the lane, it's for the same reason: debris, storm sewer grates, uneven pavement joints, potholes, in preparation for a lane-change or turn.  The vast majority of motorists are respectful of me in traffic, and the vast majority of cyclists understand the physics involved in an encounter between a 22 lb. Huffy and a two-and-a-half ton SUV.

11 comments:

Steve said...

When I did a lot of riding (on a bicycle), I tried very hard to not be an obstacle for motorvehicles. Most of the "encounters" I had were with some smart-a** teenagers just messing with me for the fun of it rather than because of anything I did. There were a few drivers who got annoyed if they had to slow down for me, and I got pretty much the same treatment as you a number of times. It seems some people are perhaps more bold when encountering a bicycle than they might be with another motorvehicle, probably because they figure there's no chance the cyclist will ever catch up to them to avenge the rude behavior.

I suppose you're not the vengeful type, but with all your electronic devices, I had have though you could have taken a picture of the inconsiderate driving, posted it through one of your apps, and the driver been ticketed by one of your officers before you even got home.

ARRRRG!!!! said...

In case a pirate ever waves at you.

Anonymous said...

A young professional in town told me of the time he was at a light, westbound, on 19th an O. A "gentleman" pulled up and asked for directions to 33rd and Holdrege. As he was starting the directions the light changed and he had to move on. The guy started cussing him out, and when asked said he gave him the peace sign--your words, not his! Thought the guy deserved it.

Anonymous said...

Last spring there were a few potholes that were life threatening if you hit them wrong on a bicycle/motorcycle. I ride all winter long, weather permitting, so I keep track of the potholes. However every so often one sneaks up on me. Sometimes I wonder if there aren't terrorists blowing up sections of our streets.

Gun Nut

Steve said...

If you want to find a pothole, just take your eyes off the road for a second or two.

Anonymous said...

I trust that you dropped a dime on the perilous pothole, using the appropriate tool.

Anonymous said...

They have that app for iOS too.

Tom Casady said...

6:21,

Natch.

Anonymous said...

Chief, don't think that reference to a 22 pound Huffy slipped by unnoticed :-)

Anonymous said...

ARRRRG!!!!, LOL!!!!

Anonymous said...

I'm not sure that any Huffy adult bike ever weighed as little as 22 lbs, but I could be wrong about that.