bike lane right of way?

[george]

Yesterday I was about to paralell park on Wells street just south of North Ave(for any Chicagoans) it has a marked bike lane. I find an empty spot, so I pull to the right, check my mirrors, start to reverse it in the spot and during this manuever a cyclist in the bike lane rode by and SLAMMED his palm/fist on my car. At first it scared the sh** out of me. My first impression was to chase down and educate but I went into Zen, finished parking, fed my meter and continued my errands. Instead of that SLAM BAM on my car the cyclist could and should of rode to the left...what do you think... When I checked my mirrors I did not see him (no light and it was dark). I feel he saw the 3500 pound Crown Victoria with reverse lights on????

[Serotta PETE]

I have always felt that it was in the best interest for all parties to figure that the other party would do something not expected. I know that I RESPECT A Crown VIC both in my car and especially on my bike.

Why one has to slap a car as they pass is not understandable to me - - it could lead to escalting aggressiveness thus two people act like an *** instead of just one. You let the other party have center stage as the ***.


You are the better person.


PETE

[Cadence230]

Yeah.

[george]

Yeah, I feel like this particular cyclist was like the kind of driver who starts honking if you wait one second too long at a stop sign...

[flydhest]

george,

I am of multiple minds about this and I hope I don't come across wrong with this. If the cyclist slammed your car really hard, that's not cool. Ultimately, I think you're right and the cyclist was a bit of a jerkwad. On the other, I simply cannot accept the "defense" (not the right word, but bear with me) of having looked in a mirror and not seen the cyclist. I don't think of mirrors as being in anyway a good substitute for looking while in a car that is standing still. I don't do it on a bike while riding and I certainly don't do it in a car where I can sit perfectly still and look behind me.

Now, in DC, the person backing up to parallel park has right of way. For me, that means the cyclists have to yield, too. Add the fact that it was dark, if the cyclist didn't have on lights, the shared responsibility gets shifted EVEN more to the cyclist (I tend to think of every incident as having shared responsibility, even if sometimes it is 99% to 1%). The fact that it was a bike lane, however, makes me want to salvage some support for the cyclist.

The bottom line for me, however, is that it is irrelevant. If I had been the cyclist, I don't know if I would have gone around or not, but I would have avoided the situation. I assume, as was the case here, that the driver wouldn't look, or at best would use their mirror, and therefore wouldn't see me. It's my responsibility in my book. The driver (george) wasn't being malicious or particularly negligent, as far as I can tell. It's just the way cars are driven.

I do, on somewhat frequent occasion, rap lightly on quarter panels when a car is drifting out of their lane into mine. Either that or I shout out a loud "yo, yo, yo!" Those who know me know I'm loud. Knocking gently to let the car know you're there is perfectly acceptable in my book. Shouting to make sure they know I'm there is a good thing. I try to make sure I can avoid the potential collision on my own if need be, but I have a right to the road, so I'd rather use it.

I have knocked hard when, in broad daylight, someone looking the other way has pulled out in front of me. I hope I scared them because realizing that you almost killed someone is something worth getting scared for. For my own safety, however, I try to always be aware of an "escape route" on sidewalks and such.

[bluesea]

The bike lane has the right of way, you know...through traffic and all that jazz. Bikes have to obey traffic laws, and have the same rights on the road. The way you describe it, there is the posibility that you did not see him coming and may have drove into his right of way. *If* that was the case, then his conduct was understandable even if it was rude and unacceptable. I asked the question in another thread: When you are driving, are you a cyclist or a motorist?

[manet]

what flydhest meant to say:

let it wash over you like a:
http://lynx.uio.no/jon/gif/misc/kili-golden-shower.gif

[flydhest]

manet,

I get the impression you're trying to piss me off. You're in luck.

[manet]

fly:

http://www.munauseum.com/images/urinalcakecandy.jpg

[Fixed]

bro ah-ha the other side every story has to tails i.m.h.o. cheers :beer:

[shaq-d]

let me get this straight. you almost back over and kill a cyclist, and you're feeling indignant he slapped your car?

sd

[bluesea]

http://www.rudecactus.com/archives/DSC00385a.edit-thumb.jpg

[BumbleBeeDave]

. . . a flame-fest in the making. But before I run for cover, no one seems to have conisdered that the slap may have simply been the cyclist’s way of letting you know he was there. Very possibly no slight intended from him.

BBDave

[manet]

. . . a flame-fest in the making. But before I run for cover, no one seems to have conisdered that the slap may have simply been the cyclist’s way of letting you know he was there. Very possibly no slight intended from him.

BBDave

was the slap, before love, during love, or after love?

http://gracedeprived.tripod.com/d/nny-angie-slap.jpg

http://www.demmons.net/images/slap.jpg

[Too Tall]

What Fly said. I survived riding motorcycles for many yrs. and bicycles many many more yrs. Something I've learned is this: if a person is not looking for and expecting to see a rider / cyclist traveling fast and perhaps close to the curb they actually DON'T see you...shocking ain't it? They are looking for cars and trucks etc. NOT two wheelers. Also, their sense of relative speed is all muffed up. How often have you had cars speed around you to make a r.h. turn only to have to slow real fast or veer around a corner because they could not judge your speed? I'm not excusing the louts, they are just louts...hehe destined to be Muppets ;)

Yeah I know they SHOULD be looking and expecting but they don't more often than not so don't get all in a huff over it. Ride defensively, protect yourself, look for danger.

That rider who smacked your car was not using good judgement...what if you were hopped up on Jolt Cola and Twizzlers? It would have been ugly ;)

[Fixed]

bro I tap on cars all the time I've never hurt one yet cheers :beer:

[victoryfactory]

Posted by Flydhest:
"the person backing up to parallel park has right of way. For me, that means the cyclists have to yield, too."

Guys, A bike lane does NOT give cyclists the ultimate right of way in all
situations. It just serves to separate bikes and cars when there are no
conflicting right of way issues.

As with all other traffic rules, when they conflict (like when you have a green
light and you want to turn into a street, you must give a pedestrian the right
of way to cross) You have to use common sense.

A bike lane does not give you carte blanche to continue along without a care
for other traffic and their legal right to park. It also does not give drivers the
right to double park and block the bike lane or to swerve into the bike lane while passing a car on the right who is waiting to turn left.

On the other hand, as was pointed out on another recent thread, drivers need to
learn that they don't have the right to cut off a cyclist while making a right
turn.

Does anyone remember the concept "Share the road"?

VF, paragon of common sense

[flydhest]

vf,

I hope that means you were agreeing with what I wrote.

[victoryfactory]

Fly;

Yes, I am agreeing with you.
I disagree with the people who feel that just being in a bike lane
gives you the right to keep going at speed regardless of the other traffic.
Some guys I know ride in a perpetual state of anger and combat against
the car traffic (and pedestrians too) not a good way to go IMHO.

Riding in the city demands sacrifice.

VF

[ClutchCargo]

but I slap the car with one hand while simultaneously fingering my trusty Glock 9mm with the other and smile serenely while shouting out a vaguely disturbing "How dare you threaten me with that dastardly disparity of force!" to the driver. Of course I usually also crash into a parked car or the curb. Maybe that's what actually diffuses the confrontation with the driver! :beer:

Oh, sorry. Do I have the right thread?

slap/shoot/shout/ride on !

[bluesea]

but I slap the car with one hand while simultaneously fingering my trusty Glock 9mm with the other and smile serenely while shouting out a vaguely disturbing "How dare you threaten me with that dastardly disparity of force!" to the driver. Of course I usually also crash into a parked car or the curb. Maybe that's what actually diffuses the confrontation with the driver! :beer:

Oh, sorry. Do I have the right thread?

slap/shoot/shout/ride on !


He wouldn't crash. (http://www.gasolinealleyantiques.com/celebrity/images/Cowboy/c-pc-rr2.jpg) :beer:

[ClutchCargo]

He wouldn't crash. (http://www.gasolinealleyantiques.com/celebrity/images/Cowboy/c-pc-rr2.jpg) :beer:

but he should stay with Trigger. Imagine Roy pedaling a bike with those teeny legs ?

[bluesea]

Yeah but how about that jersey?

[christian]

Bike lanes which attempt to co-exist with parked cars are poor transportation design. Cyclists are better served with wide lanes than with bike lanes.

In this scenario, he should have passed to your left, just as any car would have done. In the event he could not do this, he should have stopped and waited for you to park before proceeding. The fact you didn't see him is alarming but immaterial.

Bikes are vehicles and should be treated as such and afforded the same respect.

- Christian