My Close Call 2007 (1)

[what does THIS button do?]

I propose an omnibus thread to gather all the missed-me-by->that<-much
posts and offer the following to start

when/where:
today about 15:35, on Prairie north of Wilson in Batavia (IL) , going
to work.


Me:
ultraflourescent hit-me-orange with retroflective stripes, made for
autobahn workers, high vis vest, blaze-clip-me-orange hunting gloves,
flashy spandex speedo tights. MTB, riding right wheel rut, 18 in a 25.
Sunny.

what:
Giant ,*shiny* jacked-up black 4 door chevy pickup, Daddy driving, wife
and daughter onboard, passes so close that his mirror missed my head by
about 4 inches. speeding. Guy laughs at me when i inform him of his
near whacking experience. Fortunately, wife and little girl look
mortified.

oh well. beats getting stuck in a fenderwell.

..max

[Bill Baka]

what does THIS button do? wrote:
> I propose an omnibus thread to gather all the missed-me-by->that<-much
> posts and offer the following to start
>
> when/where:
> today about 15:35, on Prairie north of Wilson in Batavia (IL) , going
> to work.
>
>
> Me:
> ultraflourescent hit-me-orange with retroflective stripes, made for
> autobahn workers, high vis vest, blaze-clip-me-orange hunting gloves,
> flashy spandex speedo tights. MTB, riding right wheel rut, 18 in a 25.
> Sunny.
>
> what:
> Giant ,*shiny* jacked-up black 4 door chevy pickup, Daddy driving, wife
> and daughter onboard, passes so close that his mirror missed my head by
> about 4 inches. speeding. Guy laughs at me when i inform him of his
> near whacking experience. Fortunately, wife and little girl look
> mortified.
>
> oh well. beats getting stuck in a fenderwell.
>
> .max
>
If you had time to inform him, you didn't have time to drag him out of
the truck and teach him some manners? Face to face is a great equalizer.
Many of the pickup yahoos I have run ins with will just not get out of
their protective box, now thinking they have ****ed off a lunatic.
Maybe in my case.
Bill Baka

[dgk]

On Wed, 03 Jan 2007 07:28:52 GMT, Bill Baka > wrote:

>what does THIS button do? wrote:
>> I propose an omnibus thread to gather all the missed-me-by->that<-much
>> posts and offer the following to start
>>
>> when/where:
>> today about 15:35, on Prairie north of Wilson in Batavia (IL) , going
>> to work.
>>
>>
>> Me:
>> ultraflourescent hit-me-orange with retroflective stripes, made for
>> autobahn workers, high vis vest, blaze-clip-me-orange hunting gloves,
>> flashy spandex speedo tights. MTB, riding right wheel rut, 18 in a 25.
>> Sunny.
>>
>> what:
>> Giant ,*shiny* jacked-up black 4 door chevy pickup, Daddy driving, wife
>> and daughter onboard, passes so close that his mirror missed my head by
>> about 4 inches. speeding. Guy laughs at me when i inform him of his
>> near whacking experience. Fortunately, wife and little girl look
>> mortified.
>>
>> oh well. beats getting stuck in a fenderwell.
>>
>> .max
>>
>If you had time to inform him, you didn't have time to drag him out of
>the truck and teach him some manners? Face to face is a great equalizer.
>Many of the pickup yahoos I have run ins with will just not get out of
>their protective box, now thinking they have ****ed off a lunatic.
>Maybe in my case.
>Bill Baka

Good way to get shot Bill.

[Paul Hobson]

>> what does THIS button do? wrote:
>>> what:
>>> Giant ,*shiny* jacked-up black 4 door chevy pickup, Daddy driving, wife
>>> and daughter onboard, passes so close that his mirror missed my head by
>>> about 4 inches. speeding. Guy laughs at me when i inform him of his
>>> near whacking experience. Fortunately, wife and little girl look
>>> mortified.
>>>
>>> oh well. beats getting stuck in a fenderwell.
>>>
>>> .max

> On Wed, 03 Jan 2007 07:28:52 GMT, Bill Baka > wrote:
>> If you had time to inform him, you didn't have time to drag him out of
>> the truck and teach him some manners? Face to face is a great equalizer.
>> Many of the pickup yahoos I have run ins with will just not get out of
>> their protective box, now thinking they have ****ed off a lunatic.
>> Maybe in my case.
>> Bill Baka

dgk wrote:
> Good way to get shot Bill.

Indeed. After catching up to one near misser at a light and quite
calmly explaining my grievances, the driver who was wearing army
fatigues threatened to "shoot my white ass."

While I don't think he actually would (he had a startled passenger with
him), he did have that borderline-crazy look in he eye.
\\paul

[Marz]

Bill Baka wrote:
> what does THIS button do? wrote:
> > I propose an omnibus thread to gather all the missed-me-by->that<-much
> > posts and offer the following to start
> >
> > when/where:
> > today about 15:35, on Prairie north of Wilson in Batavia (IL) , going
> > to work.
> >
> >
> > Me:
> > ultraflourescent hit-me-orange with retroflective stripes, made for
> > autobahn workers, high vis vest, blaze-clip-me-orange hunting gloves,
> > flashy spandex speedo tights. MTB, riding right wheel rut, 18 in a 25.
> > Sunny.
> >
> > what:
> > Giant ,*shiny* jacked-up black 4 door chevy pickup, Daddy driving, wife
> > and daughter onboard, passes so close that his mirror missed my head by
> > about 4 inches. speeding. Guy laughs at me when i inform him of his
> > near whacking experience. Fortunately, wife and little girl look
> > mortified.
> >
> > oh well. beats getting stuck in a fenderwell.
> >
> > .max
> >
> If you had time to inform him, you didn't have time to drag him out of
> the truck and teach him some manners? Face to face is a great equalizer.
> Many of the pickup yahoos I have run ins with will just not get out of
> their protective box, now thinking they have ****ed off a lunatic.
> Maybe in my case.
> Bill Baka


Almost got myself shot in Texas one time because I yelled at a dumbass
redneck in an F150. After he almost whacked me into a ditch and I
yelled something about his mother, he gets out and points some sort of
hand cannon at my head. He's says something about 'next time I'll g'it'
you bouiy' ..(it all got too country for me to understand).... and
drives off. I'd just moved to the US from the UK where you can yell at
drivers without fear of getting your head blown off; I learnt I good
lesson that day. Can you guess which one....

1, don't mouth off at drivers in Texas 'cos everyone's armed

2, buy a bigger gun, maybe something that says desert eagle down the
side

3, buy some new cycling gear in HPD colours

4, all of the above

Laters,

Marz

[Leo Lichtman]

"dgk" wrote: Good way to get shot Bill.
^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
There are no good ways to get shot.

[fastturtle]

Close call #1, 2003

Where/When: Outskirts of small town, daylight, fair weather.

Me: riding road bike on main road, back from a good ride, 25 km/h ?

What: A guy starts from a roadside business parking lot and accelerates
straight towards me from my side. I escaped by accelerating vigourously
and managed to put 20 cm between his front fender and my rear wheel. Guy
seemed a bit puzzled.

Close call #2, 2004

Where/When: Downtown, winter morning, night.

Me: riding road bike with a small diode headlight, because the commuter
was at the bike shop for a repair. Downhill, 35 km/h ?

What: A guy starts straight in front of me from a private parking lot,
with poor line of sight. I brake like hell, and end up shouting
leaning with my hand against the back of his car. Guy stops, and says he
hasn't seen me. Has been asking the city to put a mirror there for some
time, without success.

Close call #3, 2006

Where/When: Downtown, evening, night. Roadworks reduce street width to one
lane for a short distance (about 20 m). I have the right of way, oncoming
trafic has to yield.

Me: Riding my commuter bike with SON/Lumotec light (= visible), at the
center of the only lane, ~20 km/h.

What: A guy coming the other way, instead of waiting for me to be out of
the way (would have taken 5 seconds ?), accelerates towards me with high
noisy rpms. Out of fear I pull to the right, but out of rage I can't
resist banging my fist against his window. Very stupid idea: he is going
so fast that my banging actually got me a swollen and painful thumb, which
is curing only slowly. The guy didn't stop, didn't even slow down.


More-than-close call #4, 2005

Where/When: Outskirts of small town, morning, mist/light fog against
rising sun. Major road, 2 lanes in each direction, low trafic.

Me: riding loaded touring bike, yellow vest, red panniers, at the far
right edge of the road (too far to the right perhaps ?).

What: Guy hits me from behind and sends me flying into the grass. Broken
rib, bike damaged. The guy says he hasn't seen me - well, I expect he
didn't hit me on purpuse...


Plus a few others... all this, lined in row, might seem scary, but
actually these events are rather rare. No close call yet in 2007, but it's
been only 4 days...

[Roger Zoul]

what does THIS button do? wrote:
> I propose an omnibus thread to gather all the missed-me-by->that<-much
> posts and offer the following to start
>
> when/where:
> today about 15:35, on Prairie north of Wilson in Batavia (IL) , going
> to work.
>
>
> Me:
> ultraflourescent hit-me-orange with retroflective stripes, made for
> autobahn workers, high vis vest, blaze-clip-me-orange hunting gloves,
> flashy spandex speedo tights. MTB, riding right wheel rut, 18 in a 25.
> Sunny.
>

This made you an excellent target.

> what:
> Giant ,*shiny* jacked-up black 4 door chevy pickup, Daddy driving, wife
> and daughter onboard, passes so close that his mirror missed my head by
> about 4 inches. speeding. Guy laughs at me when i inform him of his
> near whacking experience.


See.


Fortunately, wife and little girl look
> mortified.
>
> oh well. beats getting stuck in a fenderwell.
>
> .max
>

[Bill Baka]

dgk wrote:
> On Wed, 03 Jan 2007 07:28:52 GMT, Bill Baka > wrote:
>
>> If you had time to inform him, you didn't have time to drag him out of
>> the truck and teach him some manners? Face to face is a great equalizer.
>> Many of the pickup yahoos I have run ins with will just not get out of
>> their protective box, now thinking they have ****ed off a lunatic.
>> Maybe in my case.
>> Bill Baka
>
> Good way to get shot Bill.

Nobody lives forever and I am approaching forever quickly.
Besides, I just can't stand to let these assholes drive off with a smile
like they just scared the **** out of me.
My personality flaw.
I've been stabbed before, but not seriously, nor shot, yet.
Bill Baka

[D Wells]

On 2 Jan 2007 20:45:33 -0800, "what does THIS button do?"
> wrote:

>I propose an omnibus thread to gather all the missed-me-by->that<-much
>posts and offer the following to start
>
>when/where:
>today about 15:35, on Prairie north of Wilson in Batavia (IL) , going
>to work.
>
>
>Me:
>ultraflourescent hit-me-orange with retroflective stripes, made for
>autobahn workers, high vis vest, blaze-clip-me-orange hunting gloves,
>flashy spandex speedo tights. MTB, riding right wheel rut, 18 in a 25.
>Sunny.
>
>what:
>Giant ,*shiny* jacked-up black 4 door chevy pickup, Daddy driving, wife
>and daughter onboard, passes so close that his mirror missed my head by
>about 4 inches. speeding. Guy laughs at me when i inform him of his
>near whacking experience. Fortunately, wife and little girl look
>mortified.
>
>oh well. beats getting stuck in a fenderwell.
>
>.max
This happened this past summer.

I was in the country and came upon a sweeping, gentle right curve as
the oncoming car approached, to is, a gentle, sweeping left curve.

At the moment we were able to see each other the car made such a
purposeful move right at me that I figured it was a stupid kid trying
to scare the guy on the bike.

I pulled all the way to the berm and stopped, determined to make eye
contact with the driver -- you know, sort of like that poster "The
Last Great Act of Defiance" (a mouse giving a hawk the finger as the
hawk scoops down to make a meal of it.)

I'm assuming the car was doing better than 50 mph.

Anyway, as I stood in the berm the car kept coming right at me, well
past what I would have considered needed for let's-scare-the-biker
fun. And this is where it got scary.

When the car got close enough to make eye contact I noticed it was a
little old lady looking up over the steering wheel. She wasn't trying
to scare me ... she just hadn't seen me.

She cranked the wheel hard to the right when she saw me. I kept an eye
on her as she bobbed down the road to make sure she didn't end up in
the soy beans.

I'm pretty sure this is the same little old lady I saw blow through a
stop sign, without slowing, a couple of weeks before. I'm sure she
looked as she approaced the Y in the road, noticed there was nothing
as big as a tractor or car coming, and then didn't bother to stop. Had
I been a little quicker that day she might have hit me broadside.

[Qui si parla Campagnolo]

Bill Baka wrote:
> what does THIS button do? wrote:
> > I propose an omnibus thread to gather all the missed-me-by->that<-much
> > posts and offer the following to start
> >
> > when/where:
> > today about 15:35, on Prairie north of Wilson in Batavia (IL) , going
> > to work.
> >
> >
> > Me:
> > ultraflourescent hit-me-orange with retroflective stripes, made for
> > autobahn workers, high vis vest, blaze-clip-me-orange hunting gloves,
> > flashy spandex speedo tights. MTB, riding right wheel rut, 18 in a 25.
> > Sunny.
> >
> > what:
> > Giant ,*shiny* jacked-up black 4 door chevy pickup, Daddy driving, wife
> > and daughter onboard, passes so close that his mirror missed my head by
> > about 4 inches. speeding. Guy laughs at me when i inform him of his
> > near whacking experience. Fortunately, wife and little girl look
> > mortified.
> >
> > oh well. beats getting stuck in a fenderwell.
> >
> > .max
> >
> If you had time to inform him, you didn't have time to drag him out of
> the truck and teach him some manners? Face to face is a great equalizer.
> Many of the pickup yahoos I have run ins with will just not get out of
> their protective box, now thinking they have ****ed off a lunatic.
> Maybe in my case.
> Bill Baka

Gent in Denver had this sort of thing happen. Got a cross bow arrow in
the chest, died..Altho I am one that is very militent on my bicycle and
will shout and gesture, ya gotta be careful.

[Kristian M Zoerhoff]

When/where: Today, about 13:15, Willow Ln just east of IL 31 in West Dundee,
IL, heading eastbound (42.091121N, 88.290532W).

Me: Street clothes, red Champion lightweight shell jacket. 22 in a 25, middle
of the lane. Sunny.

What: Small, silver sedan coming out of a side street (new, so not in Google
Maps yet), makes eye contact with me, then proceeds to roll right through his
stop sign anyway, coming to within a foot or so of me (remember, I'm in the
/middle/ of my lane). He didn't fully stop until I threw my right arm out at
him, giving him the "stop right there" sign. I don't know if he was just out of
it, or if he massively misjudged my speed.


I also had a close encounter with a dog today, involving a possibly autistic
pedestrian, but that's another thread.

--

__o Kristian Zoerhoff
_'\(,_
(_)/ (_)

[frkrygow@gmail.com]

Kristian M Zoerhoff wrote:
> When/where: Today, about 13:15, Willow Ln just east of IL 31 in West Dundee,
> IL, heading eastbound (42.091121N, 88.290532W).
>
> Me: Street clothes, red Champion lightweight shell jacket. 22 in a 25, middle
> of the lane. Sunny.
>
> What: Small, silver sedan coming out of a side street (new, so not in Google
> Maps yet), makes eye contact with me, then proceeds to roll right through his
> stop sign anyway, coming to within a foot or so of me (remember, I'm in the
> /middle/ of my lane). He didn't fully stop until I threw my right arm out at
> him, giving him the "stop right there" sign. I don't know if he was just out of
> it, or if he massively misjudged my speed.

For what it's worth:

One hour ago. Waiting for a green arrow in a left turn lane. Cars
facing me have a red light.

I get my green arrow and start to turn left. Motorist facing me
simultaneously decides he doesn't want to wait for his red light any
more. He starts up at the same moment I do and heads straight for me
as I'm making my turn. I slam on the brakes and barely miss him. As I
blare the horn, he yells something at me, but never even slows down.

Yes, I blared the horn. You see, I was driving my car. With
headlights on.

There are idiots and jerks out there. You encounter them while riding
a bike, driving a car, riding a motorcycle or just walking. Keep it in
mind, but don't let it keep you off your bike.

- Frank Krygowski

[Kristian M Zoerhoff]

In article om>,
says...
>
> There are idiots and jerks out there. You encounter them while riding
> a bike, driving a car, riding a motorcycle or just walking. Keep it in
> mind, but don't let it keep you off your bike.

BTDT. The only thing that'll keep me off the bike is some shop time it needs
(front der. went off the reservation during today's ride, and I'm overdue for a
tune-up/shopping excursion anyway). That's after tomorrow's ride, though.

--

__o Kristian Zoerhoff
_'\(,_
(_)/ (_)

[Bill Baka]

qui si parla Campagnolo wrote:
> Bill Baka wrote:
>> If you had time to inform him, you didn't have time to drag him out of
>> the truck and teach him some manners? Face to face is a great equalizer.
>> Many of the pickup yahoos I have run ins with will just not get out of
>> their protective box, now thinking they have ****ed off a lunatic.
>> Maybe in my case.
>> Bill Baka
>
> Gent in Denver had this sort of thing happen. Got a cross bow arrow in
> the chest, died..Altho I am one that is very militent on my bicycle and
> will shout and gesture, ya gotta be careful.
>
Sort of unique and not the kind of encounter I am looking for, but a
cross bow, that is different. Around here there are some idiots with
guns, but mostly just dumb asses in pick up trucks. I did get hit just
before Christmas by an old man in a pickup truck but didn't mention it,
since it was a case of a guy who really didn't see me. My thumb got
cracked and is still sore but he gave me a ride home and was very sorry
so I didn't bother to get the police involved. That was an accident, but
most of my encounters are not. For what it's worth it was at a stop sign
and my bike didn't register so he pulled out just in time to clip my
rear and dump me. Why a 65 year old who had a stroke a few years back
was driving a jacked up 4 x 4 is beyond me, but there he was.
Bill Baka

[Bill Baka]

Kristian M Zoerhoff wrote:
> In article om>,
> says...
>> There are idiots and jerks out there. You encounter them while riding
>> a bike, driving a car, riding a motorcycle or just walking. Keep it in
>> mind, but don't let it keep you off your bike.
>
> BTDT. The only thing that'll keep me off the bike is some shop time it needs
> (front der. went off the reservation during today's ride, and I'm overdue for a
> tune-up/shopping excursion anyway). That's after tomorrow's ride, though.
>
My shop time involves some quality time either in the cold and crowded
garage with the bike or in the living room watching the Discovery
channel while truing a wheel or something time consuming. My LBS knows
me for coming in and buying those exotic little parts you can't buy
anywhere else. Wife does not like the bike in the living room, but at
least I can watch a special about someplace I would like to be while
turning a wrench.
Bill Baka

[nash]

"Bill Baka" > wrote in message
et...
> qui si parla Campagnolo wrote:
>> Bill Baka wrote:
>>> If you had time to inform him, you didn't have time to drag him out of
>>> the truck and teach him some manners? Face to face is a great equalizer.
>>> Many of the pickup yahoos I have run ins with will just not get out of
>>> their protective box, now thinking they have ****ed off a lunatic.
>>> Maybe in my case.
>>> Bill Baka
>>
>> Gent in Denver had this sort of thing happen. Got a cross bow arrow in
>> the chest, died..Altho I am one that is very militent on my bicycle and
>> will shout and gesture, ya gotta be careful.
>>
> Sort of unique and not the kind of encounter I am looking for, but a cross
> bow, that is different. Around here there are some idiots with guns, but
> mostly just dumb asses in pick up trucks. I did get hit just before
> Christmas by an old man in a pickup truck but didn't mention it, since it
> was a case of a guy who really didn't see me. My thumb got cracked and is
> still sore but he gave me a ride home and was very sorry so I didn't
> bother to get the police involved. That was an accident, but most of my
> encounters are not. For what it's worth it was at a stop sign and my bike
> didn't register so he pulled out just in time to clip my rear and dump me.
> Why a 65 year old who had a stroke a few years back was driving a jacked
> up 4 x 4 is beyond me, but there he was.
> Bill Baka


You have to be extremely vigilant when looking for safe manoevers, referring
to the driver, as you get older because your eyes are getting slower too.
After a stroke probably worse than normal. Tired folks after Christmas
shopping or any other time. I noticed a more than the usuall amount of
people in stores were very aggravated about everything. Good thing I was
not on a bike much cause of the weather.
SN

[marian.rosenberg@gmail.com]

Close call 2002
I'm moronically riding the wrong direction up the bike road. Hugging
the curb only helps slightly when you consider I'm sharing the road
with about a million bikes. Near the McDonald's another bike's
handlebars hit me across the hand and I get a nasty scrape and bruise.
I don't have that much farther to go and given my general fear of the
big scary trafficness of the car road continue riding the wrong
direction.

Close call 2003
I'm riding my pretty pink city bike. No special clothing. I think I
had a helmet when I lived in Shijiazhuang but from this vantage I don't
remember if I actually wore it much. The bike has just had an odometer
installed so we're talking about four weeks after I bought it and two
weeks before it was stolen.
Bike road approaching a reasonably large intersection properly built
intersection. This city has good bike road (minimum 1.5 cars wide),
nice lines of sight, and really good intersections with separate
traffic lights for cars, bikes, and peds.
I've got a tailwind and a bit of attitude so I'm going faster than I
ought to be (about 20kph). Not a whole lot of vehicles on the car road
or bike road.
Taxi making a left hand turn (with turn signal and permission from
the light) misgauges my speed (since when do _bikes_ go that fast?) and
two vehicles (him and me) come to a screeching halt. If either had
been two inches farther along the other would have hit.

Close call 2004
Discover while going downhill (again in the bike road, again the
wrong direction) that the brakes on my borrowed bike don't do a very
good job of STOP. Nothing happens but it scares me and I vow to never
again ride a bike without thoroughly inspecting it first.

Close call 2005 (1)
Riding the wrong direction in the bike road (does anyone begin to
sense a theme?) I'm passing a bus stop when a small child, in the midst
of a temper tantrum, bolts from her mother and right in front of me.
I've got time to pull on the brakes but I still go down and she still
ends up with a wet tire track all the way from toe to hairline.

Close call 2005 (2)
I'm decked out in full touring gear, with panniers. I'm making a
legal U-turn. I'm checking out the scary beasts of doom (cars) coming
my direction when a putt putt motorcycle going the wrong direction down
the middle of the lane strikes my rear wheel. She flees the scene but
is later apprehended. (I was the first foreigner to ever have a
traffic accident in that city. I believe the entire police force
mobilized to find her.)

Close call 2006
I'm merging across a four lane highway. Checking out the scary
beasts of doom behind me. An elderly man with mental issues riding a
work bike has come the wrong way up the U-turn and is crossing
diagonally the wrong direction across traffic. I glance to check that
my front is clear in time to see him and think "oh ****" as a I hit the
side of his bike, and do an endo over him, cracking my helmet on the
pavement. Due to some minor issues with things like counting and
homonyms I think I may have had a minor concussion but was unwilling to
go to a Chinese hospital during a national holiday. My shoes probably
cost more than he makes per month. Needless to say I get no
compensation.

Close call 2006 (2)
I'm outside of town coming back from an all day ride on new roads I'd
never previously been on (including unexpected cyclocross and
hitchhiking on a tractor incidents). A black sedan comes up behind me
and starts honking until I move out of his way (rather than pass me in
the totally empty lane to our left). Having succeeded in forcing me
onto the shoulder/bike lane he notices that it's a foreigner on a bike
going fast and doesn't actually pass me. I'm debating sprinting and
sitting in front of him at 10kph or whether or not I should come to a
complete stop when it becomes apparent that a) I will not be able to go
around the van parked in the shoulder up ahead and b) that van isn't
parked because c) it's driving the wrong direction towards me and d) OH
****.
Sedan flees the scene.
Van driver takes me to the hospital and pays the bills for 14
stitches (leg and forehead), and new front fork (visible to the
uneducated naked eye as being scrap metal). I also broke the
windshield and left a dent in the bumper.

-M

[Zoot Katz]

I guess there's not many I remember past a week. It's taken me a few
days to try recalling any really close ones lately.

Then I remembered the honk of a street sweeper squeezing the
red-light and me having to hold a track stand while it passed
entirely too close to my body. That was in early autumn.

Since then I've been reminding myself to double check - again.
Now I'm not so eager to dash off the instant the light turns green.
--
zk

[nash]

"Zoot Katz" > wrote in message
...
>I guess there's not many I remember past a week. It's taken me a few
> days to try recalling any really close ones lately.
>
> Then I remembered the honk of a street sweeper squeezing the
> red-light and me having to hold a track stand while it passed
> entirely too close to my body. That was in early autumn.
>
> Since then I've been reminding myself to double check - again.
> Now I'm not so eager to dash off the instant the light turns green.
> --
> zk

Almost makes you wonder if our free medical system makes people want to play
God more than they would in the States.
SN

"Marz" > wrote in message
oups.com...
>
> Bill Baka wrote:
>> what does THIS button do? wrote:
>> > I propose an omnibus thread to gather all the missed-me-by->that<-much
>> > posts and offer the following to start
>> >
>> > when/where:
>> > today about 15:35, on Prairie north of Wilson in Batavia (IL) , going
>> > to work.
>> >
>> >
>> > Me:
>> > ultraflourescent hit-me-orange with retroflective stripes, made for
>> > autobahn workers, high vis vest, blaze-clip-me-orange hunting gloves,
>> > flashy spandex speedo tights. MTB, riding right wheel rut, 18 in a 25.
>> > Sunny.
>> >
>> > what:
>> > Giant ,*shiny* jacked-up black 4 door chevy pickup, Daddy driving, wife
>> > and daughter onboard, passes so close that his mirror missed my head by
>> > about 4 inches. speeding. Guy laughs at me when i inform him of his
>> > near whacking experience. Fortunately, wife and little girl look
>> > mortified.
>> >
>> > oh well. beats getting stuck in a fenderwell.
>> >
>> > .max
>> >
>> If you had time to inform him, you didn't have time to drag him out of
>> the truck and teach him some manners? Face to face is a great equalizer.
>> Many of the pickup yahoos I have run ins with will just not get out of
>> their protective box, now thinking they have ****ed off a lunatic.
>> Maybe in my case.
>> Bill Baka
>
>
> Almost got myself shot in Texas one time because I yelled at a dumbass
> redneck in an F150. After he almost whacked me into a ditch and I
> yelled something about his mother, he gets out and points some sort of
> hand cannon at my head. He's says something about 'next time I'll g'it'
> you bouiy' ..(it all got too country for me to understand).... and
> drives off. I'd just moved to the US from the UK where you can yell at
> drivers without fear of getting your head blown off; I learnt I good
> lesson that day. Can you guess which one....
>
> 1, don't mouth off at drivers in Texas 'cos everyone's armed

Guess the Brits were right during WWII. They said the Yanks didn't fight
fair. Just when the Brit got started warming up in the insults, the
American would deck him. One is supposed to discuss it first. Anything
else is just ungentlmanly. Also, quite painful.


>
> 2, buy a bigger gun, maybe something that says desert eagle down the
> side

Chances are, that "Redneck" would still have the bigger gun and he would
just take yours and beat you stupid with it anyway.


>
> 3, buy some new cycling gear in HPD colours

That's one useful thing in a row. Bright Colors always in order.


>
> 4, all of the above

There you go, now you are laying on the side of the road beaten stupid, your
thousand dollar gun is gone but my, don't you look great in those new riding
clothes :)

[kristian.zoerhoff@gmail.com[_2_]]

Got my second close call of the year today. This is actually a much
better rate than last year, so I'm encouraged.

When/where: Today, 07:12, Big Timber Rd at Tyrrell Rd, Gilberts, IL
[1]

Me: Black tights ('twas chilly this fine morn), orange jacket. Full
set of lights [2] enabled, even though it was past sunrise. Heading
west on Big Timber Rd, so sun was not a factor. Going 16mph in a 45
zone, right half of thru lane (Big Timber has both right and left turn
lanes here).

What: Dump truck blows by at 45mph+, about a foot to my left.

I was already on alert, as I'd watched a dump truck run the red light
at Big Timber and Lyle Ave [3] about 5 minutes earlier while waiting
for my light. As I approached Tyrrell, I took up my customary location
in the right half of the thru lane so SB traffic on Tyrrell wouldn't
think I was turning right and cut me off. I heard the truck about 1/4
mile behind me, and a mirror check showed him bearing down, with no
sign of movement (most truckers seem to move early, so I get a good
gauge of whether to move over or not). At about 50 yards, I decided he
wasn't going to move, so I dodged right, and he blew by at full speed,
maybe a foot away. Had there been a headwind rather than a tailwind,
I'd have had a nice draft to follow into the downhill to Tyler Creek.

I'll give him the benefit of the doubt, and say he didn't see me,
because I'm actively working on keeping a more positive outlook on
things.


[1] <http://tinyurl.com/2cpsje>

[2] CatEye Opticube headlight in solid mode (I don't regularly
commute, so it's good enough to be seen by), Trek red taillight in
solid mode, PlanetBike amber blinkies front and rear, in blink mode.

[3] <http://tinyurl.com/2bwtxq>

--
__o Kristian Zoerhoff
_'\(,_
(_)/ (_)

[Bill]

wrote:
> Got my second close call of the year today. This is actually a much
> better rate than last year, so I'm encouraged.
>
> When/where: Today, 07:12, Big Timber Rd at Tyrrell Rd, Gilberts, IL
> [1]
>
> Me: Black tights ('twas chilly this fine morn), orange jacket. Full
> set of lights [2] enabled, even though it was past sunrise. Heading
> west on Big Timber Rd, so sun was not a factor. Going 16mph in a 45
> zone, right half of thru lane (Big Timber has both right and left turn
> lanes here).
>
> What: Dump truck blows by at 45mph+, about a foot to my left.
>
> I was already on alert, as I'd watched a dump truck run the red light
> at Big Timber and Lyle Ave [3] about 5 minutes earlier while waiting
> for my light. As I approached Tyrrell, I took up my customary location
> in the right half of the thru lane so SB traffic on Tyrrell wouldn't
> think I was turning right and cut me off. I heard the truck about 1/4
> mile behind me, and a mirror check showed him bearing down, with no
> sign of movement (most truckers seem to move early, so I get a good
> gauge of whether to move over or not). At about 50 yards, I decided he
> wasn't going to move, so I dodged right, and he blew by at full speed,
> maybe a foot away. Had there been a headwind rather than a tailwind,
> I'd have had a nice draft to follow into the downhill to Tyler Creek.
>
> I'll give him the benefit of the doubt, and say he didn't see me,
> because I'm actively working on keeping a more positive outlook on
> things.

One of these days you are going to be "Dead right", legal, but roadkill.
This sounds like a road I would ride on the wrong side just to be able
to know exactly when to get the hell OFF the pavement. Big trucks are my
problem on one 10 mile stretch but they run 4, 5, or even 6 at a time so
only the first one sees me and sometimes even the first won't pull over.
The next never get a chance to see me or move over. I ride ever so
proper on the right side of the road as long as there is at least 3 feet
of pavement to the right of the white stripe, but when that disappears I
go wrong way so I can see a convoy coming at me. That's the point where
I see if I am going to have to dismount and stand back in the weeds.
I always get ragged on for this 'blatant' bad behavior, but thanks to
that behavior I am not yet of the flat type of rider.
Bill Baka
>
>
> [1] <http://tinyurl.com/2cpsje>
>
> [2] CatEye Opticube headlight in solid mode (I don't regularly
> commute, so it's good enough to be seen by), Trek red taillight in
> solid mode, PlanetBike amber blinkies front and rear, in blink mode.
>
> [3] <http://tinyurl.com/2bwtxq>
>
> --
> __o Kristian Zoerhoff
> _'\(,_
> (_)/ (_)
>

[fluffy bunny]

In article . com>,
" > wrote:

> Got my second close call of the year today. This is actually a much
> better rate than last year, so I'm encouraged.
>
> When/where: Today, 07:12, Big Timber Rd at Tyrrell Rd, Gilberts, IL
> [1]
>
> Me: Black tights ('twas chilly this fine morn), orange jacket. Full
> set of lights [2] enabled, even though it was past sunrise. Heading
> west on Big Timber Rd, so sun was not a factor. Going 16mph in a 45
> zone, right half of thru lane (Big Timber has both right and left turn
> lanes here).
>
> What: Dump truck blows by at 45mph+, about a foot to my left.

Congrats on being around to write about it.

A near miss by a dump truck, much like you describe, finally swore me
off my fave 10-mile cornfield loop west of Batavia... once the
surveyor's stakes sprout, the end is at hand. It's all MacMansions now.



..max

[Kristian M Zoerhoff]

On 2007-03-30, fluffy bunny > wrote:
> In article . com>,
> " > wrote:
>
>> Got my second close call of the year today. This is actually a much
>> better rate than last year, so I'm encouraged.
>>
>> When/where: Today, 07:12, Big Timber Rd at Tyrrell Rd, Gilberts, IL
>> [1]
>>
>> Me: Black tights ('twas chilly this fine morn), orange jacket. Full
>> set of lights [2] enabled, even though it was past sunrise. Heading
>> west on Big Timber Rd, so sun was not a factor. Going 16mph in a 45
>> zone, right half of thru lane (Big Timber has both right and left turn
>> lanes here).
>>
>> What: Dump truck blows by at 45mph+, about a foot to my left.
>
> Congrats on being around to write about it.

Thanks.

> A near miss by a dump truck, much like you describe, finally swore me
> off my fave 10-mile cornfield loop west of Batavia... once the
> surveyor's stakes sprout, the end is at hand. It's all MacMansions now.

That stinks; cornfield loops are getting too hard to come by 'round these
parts.

The real bummer is that the dump trucks are followed by SUVs. They certainly
were in this development, so I'm glad we have a 20 mph limit in the village,
aggressively enforced (gotta pay for those new police somehow).

--

__o Kristian Zoerhoff
_'\(,_
(_)/ (_)

[Kristian M Zoerhoff]

I think I accidentally mailed this to Bill instead of posting here.

On 2007-03-30, Bill > wrote:
>
> One of these days you are going to be "Dead right", legal, but roadkill.

Nah, my cat-like reflexes will keep me in it :-)

> This sounds like a road I would ride on the wrong side just to be able
> to know exactly when to get the hell OFF the pavement.

But I did get off the pavement -- more correctly, I got /over/ on the
pavement, as I had 12' of right turn lane next to me, plus several feet
in my lane.

> I ride ever so
> proper on the right side of the road as long as there is at least 3 feet
> of pavement to the right of the white stripe, but when that disappears I
> go wrong way so I can see a convoy coming at me. That's the point where
> I see if I am going to have to dismount and stand back in the weeds.

This is what mirrors, ears, and head checks (when you don't have mirrors)
are for. I'm all about "situational awareness", and it was needed this
morning.

> I always get ragged on for this 'blatant' bad behavior, but thanks to
> that behavior I am not yet of the flat type of rider.

Then I'll let you off withotu a ragging today. :-)

--

__o Kristian Zoerhoff
_'\(,_
(_)/ (_)

[D_Frumious_B@ndersnat.ch]

> wrote:

> What: Dump truck blows by at 45mph+, about a foot to my left.

> I was already on alert, as I'd watched a dump truck run the red light
> at Big Timber and Lyle Ave [3] about 5 minutes earlier while waiting
> for my light.
<SNIP>

I used to wonder why dump truck and cement truck drivers seem to be the
most reckless in the profession. I mentioned my impression to a number of
long-haul and local freight drivers, and they all agreed with me. Many
dump and cement truck drivers are young kids, just working part-time, and
often newly hired. In addition, these vehicles are designed for very
heavy loads, so if they happen to be empty, they have a surprising amount
of acceleration. So the testosterone-loaded drivers drive them like
they're daddy's Camaro.
Around here there's one company in particular [1] that's notorious for
hiring idiot drivers, not caring how recklessly they drive, and not
maintaining minor little non-essential items on their trucks, like the
brakes. I currently have a busted windshield thanks to one of them. I
always give them extra leeway if it's possible. (The truck that broke my
glass was oncoming.)
Bottom line: always watch out for this type of truck.

Bill


__o | What is objectionable, and what is dangerous about extremists
_`\(,_ | is not that they are extreme, but that they are intolerant.
(_)/ (_) | --Robert F. Kennedy



[1] For any Salt Lakers two whom it isn't already obvious, I won't name
the company, but it rhymes with "warper."

[Kristian M Zoerhoff]

On 2007-03-30, > wrote:
> > wrote:
>
>> What: Dump truck blows by at 45mph+, about a foot to my left.
>
>> I was already on alert, as I'd watched a dump truck run the red light
>> at Big Timber and Lyle Ave [3] about 5 minutes earlier while waiting
>> for my light.
> <SNIP>
>
> I used to wonder why dump truck and cement truck drivers seem to be the
> most reckless in the profession. I mentioned my impression to a number of
> long-haul and local freight drivers, and they all agreed with me.

So it's not just me! I had also noticed that long-haul semi drivers always
gave me sufficient room, while dump trucks seemed to be on autopilot.

> Bottom line: always watch out for this type of truck.

Oh, I do, believe me. Hence my still being here :-)

--

__o Kristian Zoerhoff
_'\(,_
(_)/ (_)

[John Kane]

On Mar 30, 6:11 pm, Kristian M Zoerhoff >
wrote:
> On 2007-03-30, > wrote:
>
> > > wrote:
>
> >> What: Dump truck blows by at 45mph+, about a foot to my left.
>
> >> I was already on alert, as I'd watched a dump truck run the red light
> >> at Big Timber and Lyle Ave [3] about 5 minutes earlier while waiting
> >> for my light.
> > <SNIP>
>
> > I used to wonder why dump truck and cement truck drivers seem to be the
> > most reckless in the profession. I mentioned my impression to a number of
> > long-haul and local freight drivers, and they all agreed with me.
>
> So it's not just me! I had also noticed that long-haul semi drivers always
> gave me sufficient room, while dump trucks seemed to be on autopilot.
>
> > Bottom line: always watch out for this type of truck.
>
> Oh, I do, believe me. Hence my still being here :-)

I believe you need to think of them like the trucker version of a
taxi. They, usually,are paid by the load and typically have short
runs. Therefore there is a strong economic incentive to drive like
mad. Combined with the above points and you have a 'lovely'
mixture.

Long haul drivers almost certainly are more skilled, probably have
more experience and, while they may be paid by the load, there is
likely to be much less incentive to rush since over a 1,000 or 2,000
km run they won't save much time.

I bought my first mirror after riding on a very winding road populated
by short haul logging trucks


John Kane, Kingston ON Canada