Critical mass and driver behavior – a story

[americancyclo]

my wife bought a ‘share the road’ license plate since she wants to support my cycling.

[rcannon100]

My wife tried to run me off the road right near my house the other night. I think she got out of the car and called me a dodo.

[creadinger]

Great story, but we have a long way to go before we even have civilized driving in some areas of the city.

This morning on Suitland Road near the water tower at SFC, I saw (from my car) another car pass a moving school bus and the car in front of the school bus by going around the right side using the shoulder. Let me state that again – this a-hole who was probably going 45 mph, veered onto the shoulder to pass a school bus and another car.

The same shoulder that I use when I’m riding to work. What was the jack-ass thinking? No idea! But I do know that he absolutely did not have anything remotely resembling good driver etiquette in relation to bikes on his mind. These are the MFers that keep me up at night.

I already reported the incident to a PG County online service and I plan on calling county police later to say something as well. They need to enforce some goddamn laws on Suitland Road. It’s like the Road Warrior out there.

[cyclingfool]

@creadinger 98924 wrote:

It’s like Maryland out there.

ftfy

[Orestes Munn]

What’s the big deal about the yellow line? It takes a few seconds for a motor vehicle to get around most cyclists, less time (and with better visibility) than to go around a stopped garbage truck. What’s wrong with crossing it to pass something moving slowly when it’s safe to do so?

[mstone]

And this is why you don’t ride on the shoulder!

[rcannon100]

I spent a lot of time on Maryland highways this weekend, shuttling back and forth between the Baltimore ER.

I would like to say, I am sooooooooo glad to be back on a bicycle. Amazing. Just amazing. I mean normally you can avoid stuff by driving gently and hanging out on the right – allowing the crazies to be on the left. But apparently this is not true in Merrlynn any more.

[jrenaut]

@Orestes Munn 98930 wrote:

What’s the big deal about the yellow line? It takes a few seconds for a motor vehicle to get around most cyclists, less time (and with better visibility) than to go around a stopped garbage truck. What’s wrong with crossing it to pass something moving slowly when it’s safe to do so?

You mean other than it being illegal? It’s unsafe, and probably in ways that a lot of people don’t realize. What if someone has just parked on the opposite side of the street, checks behind them for traffic, and opens the door? Or a similar situation where I was driving and making a right turn from a stop sign onto a one-way road with a bike lane. I almost hit an idiot on a bike who was going the wrong way in the bike lane because I wasn’t expecting her to be there.

[cyclingfool]

On the topic of double yellow lines, I recently read this. It’s long, but well thought out and well written.

http://iamtraffic.org/engineering/crossing-double-yellow-line/

[Orestes Munn]

@jrenaut 98934 wrote:

You mean other than it being illegal? It’s unsafe, and probably in ways that a lot of people don’t realize. What if someone has just parked on the opposite side of the street, checks behind them for traffic, and opens the door? Or a similar situation where I was driving and making a right turn from a stop sign onto a one-way road with a bike lane. I almost hit an idiot on a bike who was going the wrong way in the bike lane because I wasn’t expecting her to be there.

Seems to me all of that could happen with a broken white line, as well, and there are instances where crossing a yellow line is legal, as in the case of a non-moving obstruction, as I pointed out above. I would much prefer being given a couple of feet more room, even on a broad lane, than have someone give me a close brush due to a slavish adherence to the letter of the law.

[jrenaut]

@Orestes Munn 98937 wrote:

Seems to me all of that could happen with a broken white line, as well, and there are instances where crossing a yellow line is legal, as in the case of a non-moving obstruction, as I pointed out above. I would much prefer being given a couple of feet more room, even on a broad lane, than have someone give me a close brush due to a slavish adherence to the letter of the law.

I agree about the extra room – that’s why I generally ride in the middle of the lane when there’s not room to give me 3 feet.

If you’re suggesting we change the law so that passing a cyclist becomes a legal exception to the yellow line rule, we can have that discussion, but I think 1) It won’t make any noticeable difference and 2) I don’t like putting cyclists in the same bucket as “non-moving obstructions” as I think it sends the wrong message.

[Orestes Munn]

@jrenaut 98939 wrote:

I agree about the extra room – that’s why I generally ride in the middle of the lane when there’s not room to give me 3 feet.

If you’re suggesting we change the law so that passing a cyclist becomes a legal exception to the yellow line rule, we can have that discussion, but I think 1) It won’t make any noticeable difference and 2) I don’t like putting cyclists in the same bucket as “non-moving obstructions” as I think it sends the wrong message.

I’m in general agreement with you. If I’m “taking” the lane, I certainly expect not to be passed over a double yellow, but if I’m not, I don’t really care and, in fact, often prefer it, if some driver puts their left wheels in the other lane for a second or two, assuming it’s safe to do so. Maybe this latter is the source of my confusion here.

[americancyclo]

@jrenaut 98939 wrote:

I agree about the extra room – that’s why I generally ride in the middle of the lane when there’s not room to give me 3 feet.

I do this whenever I am in DC proper, particularly through Georgetown on my AM commute and down Independence on my PM commute. Where I still struggle, is the corner just before my house. It’s a single lane around a blind corner and most drivers are already going about 40 mph. It’s difficult not to hug the inside curve there.

[jrenaut]

@Orestes Munn 98941 wrote:

I’m in general agreement with you. If I’m “taking” the lane, I certainly expect not to be passed over a double yellow, but if I’m not, I don’t really care and, in fact, often prefer it, if some driver puts their left wheels in the other lane for a second or two, assuming it’s safe to do so. Maybe this latter is the source of my confusion here.

Ok, yeah, I don’t think we’re really disagreeing (or at least not by much). In general I take as much of the lane as I need to minimize the chances of being passed too closely. On roads I ride regularly, that can vary. In the spirit of this thread, in general I’ve found the more cyclists regularly on a given road, the less of the lane I have to take to get enough room. Not sure which is the cause and which is the effect, though.

[mstone]

The question is, if the passing vehicle is suddenly faced with an incoming vehicle, will the passing vehicle complete the pass, brake and pull back into the lane behind the cyclist, or change lanes into the cyclist?

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