Missed connection

[komorebi]

@wheels&wings 119725 wrote:

Fortunately for me, this happened near Trader Joe’s, so I could slip inside and munch on free-sample apples dipped in almond butter and distract myself by comparing cookie varieties (I chose the Soft and Chewy Chocolate Chip ones) until I was ready to get back on the bike.

The last time I had a close call with a car, I wobbled slowly home, got in bed, and pulled the covers over my head until the shaking stopped. I like your coping mechanism much better!

[Drewdane]

@mikoglaces 119625 wrote:

Yup, that’s happened to me too. I usually yell “Stay right!” Might make ’em think before they do it again.

You’re a better person than me – I would’ve yelled “A##HOLE!”

[GovernorSilver]

Was driving on Huntington, back from the “how to replace a tube” workshop at Spokes Etc. in Belle View with my bike racked up, waiting at the red light at the Rt.1 intersection. I saw two 20-something cyclists approach the intersection from the direction of the Rt1-Washington MUP bridge. They stopped at the intersection. Cyclists decided to ride into the intersection to cross Huntington after the light turned green, taking me and probably other motorists by surprise.

Some cyclists like to gamble with their lives a lot more than I do with mine. When I get to that intersection on my bike, I never run the red light to cross Huntington to get to the MUP bridge because there’s no telling when a car might come around that blind corner at high speed trying to cross Rt. 1 or get onto Rt. 1 before the light change.

[GovernorSilver]

I passed a pedestrian on the MVT heading north and forgot to check over my shoulder for faster cyclists behind me. I thus forced a cyclist off the trail who intended to pass both me and the pedestrian.

Sorry man!

[jabberwocky]

If he didn’t call his pass, thats on him.

[Emm]

@GovernorSilver 119757 wrote:

I passed a pedestrian on the MVT heading north and forgot to check over my shoulder for faster cyclists behind me. I thus forced a cyclist off the trail who intended to pass both me and the pedestrian.

Sorry man!

Agreed with jabberwocky. This is not your fault. Maybe next time he’ll learn to call his pass. There’s a chance he didn’t see the pedestrian in front of you but all the same–it’s not your fault.

As a general rule, whoever is in front has the right of way. This sometimes means people need to slow down to let the slower bike in front of them pass a pedestrian, or just make sure they have enough distance between them and the person in front of them to stop if the front person suddenly stops or swerves.

[mstone]

@jabberwocky 119758 wrote:

If he didn’t call his pass, thats on him.

Did GovernorSilver signal his pass? If not, there’s blame enough to go around.

[GovernorSilver]

@mstone 119763 wrote:

Did GovernorSilver signal his pass? If not, there’s blame enough to go around.

Yup, I rung my bell. I usually give one ring when I get within the length of a school bus, then another ring when I’m about 5 feet behind.

[mstone]

@GovernorSilver 119764 wrote:

Yup, I rung my bell.

Totally his fault then.

[Drewdane]

@mstone 119763 wrote:

Did GovernorSilver signal his pass? If not, there’s blame enough to go around.

No there isn’t. If you’re passing, you call it. Period. Any mishap that takes place that could have been avoided by calling your pass is on you. Double period.

[TwoWheelsDC]

@jabberwocky 119758 wrote:

If he didn’t call his pass, thats on him.

I’d add that riders should yield to the front-most rider to pass first. Riders need to be aware not only of what’s directly in front of them, but what’s in front of those in front of them. Why people in the rear choose to pass when the person at the front is going to need to pass, is beyond me. This seems to be a simple matter of common sense, but people seem to think that society is a free-for-all.

[Terpfan]

@TwoWheelsDC 119768 wrote:

I’d add that riders should yield to the front-most rider to pass first. Riders need to be aware not only of what’s directly in front of them, but what’s in front of those in front of them. Why people in the rear choose to pass when the person at the front is going to need to pass, is beyond me. This seems to be a simple matter of common sense, but people seem to think that society is a free-for-all.

Agreed and this problem seems to rear it’s ugly head in the summertime when a lot of folks hit the trails. I noticed a week or so ago a guy try to pass four of us. It’s as if he thought the random cabi, commuter-looking, and guy decked out with jersey an all in front of me were somehow together. Or, if he just didn’t care that we were all following the unspoken (or spoken here at least) rule that the duty to pass falls back to the first behind rider. I mean, if the person were driving, I doubt they would pass several cars at a time (although I did see this on a side road near 404 last weekend on the Shore where a guy passed 6 cars and barely made it in within a head-on–so stupid people do exist).

[kwarkentien]

@Drewdane 119766 wrote:

No there isn’t. If you’re passing, you call it. Period. Any mishap that takes place that could have been avoided by calling your pass is on you. Double period.

Disagree. There’s culpability on both parties if neither called the pass (not the case in the present instance as GovernorSilver did call his pass but failed to look). It’s just like if you were driving and pulled out in the left lane while failing to signal and, more importantly, failing to look to see if there was traffic coming up behind you in that lane. You would in all likelihood be found at fault for an accident in that case. The rules on the bike trail are pretty analogous to what you would do on the road in a car. If you wouldn’t do it in the car, don’t do it on the bike.

[Arlingtonrider]

When I’m preparing to pass someone on the trail or bridge, I usually put my left arm out a bit and hold it there for a second or two, sort of in between a slowing down and left turn signal, to let anyone who happens to be behind me know that I’ll be veering to the left momentarily. Seems to work.

[americancyclo]

@kwarkentien 119773 wrote:

The rules on the bike trail are pretty analogous to what you would do on the road in a car. If you wouldn’t do it in the car, don’t do it on the bike.

I think of it more like a ski slope, where the uphill rider has more responsibility, since they have a better perspective. Everyone has a responsibility not to crash in to the back of someone in front of them. If I need to slow or stop, so be it. I can’t be held responsible for someone else skiing/driving/riding way too fast behind me and not able to control themselves.

[Author]

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