Missed connection

[anomad]

A real FedEx truck or FedEx Ground? Usually the regular company guys have purple-ish and orange on their trucks. While the contractors have green and purple-ish. Or maybe you recall seeing FedEx ground?

Anyway, the FedEx ground are contractors and are generally effing retards, in my experience. They once ruined an entire shipment of computers to my office, I have many examples. But don’t get me started. It would probably serve you and the company well to report the near accident regardless. This is kind of a personal rant since a friend of mine (also a bike rider) works for FedEx proper and cares about the companies good standing.

@Brett L. 153300 wrote:

Situation: Classic right hook x5
Location: Sunnyside Avenue, Beltsville MD
Perpetrator: FedEx delivery truck
Time: Approx. 11:18am Saturday January 21
Description: A group of five of us were out for a fun casual ride this morning, heading out to the farms north of Greenbelt. We were traveling east along Sunnyside Ave single file, close but not really pace line. A FedEx delivery truck overtook us, we weren’t really going fast, and neither was the truck. He probably took 15s or so to over take all 5 of us, plenty of time for him to notice us. I was leading the group. As we crossed the tracks, he turned right into the WMATA rail yard, as I was beside him, no further than 5 feet back. Fortunately we were all going fairly slow and able to slam the brakes to avoid. There were five very loud cursing cyclists at that one, fortunate that we didn’t hit him, and fortunate that we didn’t pile up on each other. I didn’t get the license plate, but have time and location. Very much considering calling FedEx to complain, but doubt it would do any good.

[Drewdane]

I swear, I am this close to a policy of swiveling my headlight up directly into the eyes of oncoming cyclists who don’t cover their effing lights for people coming the other way!

[anomad]

A strong helmet light works really well for that.

@Drewdane 154110 wrote:

I swear, I am this close to a policy of swiveling my headlight up directly into the eyes of oncoming cyclists who don’t cover their effing lights for people coming the other way!

[Tania]

@Drewdane 154110 wrote:

I swear, I am this close to a policy of swiveling my headlight up directly into the eyes of oncoming cyclists who don’t cover their effing lights for people coming the other way!

I turn my up from (almost always) the lowest setting and pointing down at the ground to the highest lumen setting and pointing straight forward.

And what’s with the spotlights people use at dusk?

[sjclaeys]

@Drewdane 154110 wrote:

I swear, I am this close to a policy of swiveling my headlight up directly into the eyes of oncoming cyclists who don’t cover their effing lights for people coming the other way!

Ah yes, the two wrongs make a right approach, always ends well.

[dasgeh]

@Drewdane 154110 wrote:

I swear, I am this close to a policy of swiveling my headlight up directly into the eyes of oncoming cyclists who don’t cover their effing lights for people coming the other way!

The other night I had the occasion to be riding East after sundown (during peak commute) on the W&OD and Custis. On the W&OD, nearly everyone covered their lights. It was nice, but also unnecessary. My light is mounted to my fork, and focused down (I periodically check to make sure the focus is not too high). I can’t reach it to cover it. I could move it, but then it would have to be angled in a way that would put in more in the view of on-coming cyclists to get the same coverage. One person chastised me for not covering mine, which was just silly.

[drevil]

@sjclaeys 154149 wrote:

Ah yes, the two wrongs make a right approach, always ends well.

If you multiply two negatives, you get a positive, so there’s that…

[secstate]

@dasgeh 154151 wrote:

One person chastised me for not covering mine, which was just silly.

Some people are self-righteous about their pet peeves rather than recognize them for what they are!

[Tania]

I don’t require that people cover their lights. But if you’re blasting me with a high beam and you don’t dim it down or swivel it or something, I’m going full lumens too. Spotlights (or worse, spotlights that flash) just aren’t needed on the part of the Custis/W&OD that I ride.

[lordofthemark]

I think if someone is aiming a spotlight at you, the best reaction would be stop right in front of them, dismount, and sing a showtune.

[bentbike33]

@Drewdane 154110 wrote:

I swear, I am this close to a policy of swiveling my headlight up directly into the eyes of oncoming cyclists who don’t cover their effing lights for people coming the other way!

I find that for the few handlebar-mounted unfocused fusion reactors that are a problem (most lights don’t bother me), raising my left hand with arm extended blocks the excessive light while allowing me to see the trail and any ninjas that might be present. This also works for cars.

[secstate]

@bentbike33 154159 wrote:

I find that for the few handlebar-mounted unfocused fusion reactors that are a problem (most lights don’t bother me), raising my left hand with arm extended blocks the excessive light while allowing me to see the trail and any ninjas that might be present.

This has the advantage of signaling that the oncoming light is too bright without getting steamed about it.

[cvcalhoun]

I normally swivel mine down and right. But one day, I had an oncoming cyclist who had such a bright light it was blinding me to the point I couldn’t see the trail unless I pointed my own headlight straight forward. The person then complained as he passed that I should cover my light. I try both to be considerate of my own light, and not to go off on people who fail to cover their lights, but this was ridiculous!

[sjclaeys]

@Tania 154156 wrote:

I don’t require that people cover their lights. But if you’re blasting me with a high beam and you don’t dim it down or swivel it or something, I’m going full lumens too. Spotlights (or worse, spotlights that flash) just aren’t needed on the part of the Custis/W&OD that I ride.

“An eye for an eye leaves the whole world blind (literally in this instance)” – Gandhi (maybe)

[Crickey7]

Oh, fer crissakes, you whippersnappers have no idea how good you have it. Back in the day, we’d have to catch live fireflies and stick them in a Mason jar on the front handlebars!

http://classiccycleus.com/home/antique-lighting/

[Author]

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