Bike Lanes

I drive a bus for a living. The other day while driving on University
Avenue in Waterloo. A cyclist was in the bike lane riding towards me.
I have always assumed that the cyclist should be in the bike lane
riding in the same direction as vehicle traffic. What happened next
made my heart skip a beat. The cyclist going the wrong direction in
the bike lane met another cyclist going the right direction and to
avoid a collision with the other cyclist crossed the solid line and is
now in the vehicle lane coming towards me. Luckily, there was no
vehicles next to me in the second lane and I was able to move over.

I know that some bike lanes accommodate both directions of bicycle
traffic but they are usually marked with a broken line down the middle
of a wider lane.

Can I get the word out to use the bike lanes the way they were
designed and to use them in the direction of vehicle traffic?

Wayne

On Mar 2, 10:38*am, wrote:
I drive a bus for a living. The other day while driving on University
Avenue in Waterloo. A cyclist was in the bike lane riding towards me.
I have always assumed that the cyclist should be in the bike lane
riding in the same direction as vehicle traffic. What happened next
made my heart skip a beat. The cyclist going the wrong direction in
the bike lane met another cyclist going the right direction and to
avoid a collision with the other cyclist crossed the solid line and is
now in the vehicle lane coming towards me. Luckily, there was no
vehicles next to me in the second lane and I was able to move over.

I know that some bike lanes accommodate both directions of bicycle
traffic but they are usually marked with a broken line down the middle
of a wider lane.

Can I get the word out to use the bike lanes the way they were
designed and to use them in the direction of vehicle traffic?

Wayne



Wayne,

This should be common knowledge to most cyclists. Especially those who
ride in city traffic.

I guess, by facing traffic, the cyclist wants to see the vehicle that
hits her!

Regards,
Cullen
http://www.comatimes.blogspot.com/

I drive a bus for a living. The other day
while driving on University Avenue in Waterloo. A cyclist was
in the bike lane riding towards me. I have always
assumed that the cyclist should be in the bike lane
riding in the same direction as vehicle traffic. What happened
next made my heart skip a beat. The cyclist going
the wrong direction in the bike lane met another cyclist
going the right direction and to avoid a collision with
the other cyclist crossed the solid line and is now
in the vehicle lane coming towards me. Luckily, there was
no vehicles next to me in the second lane and
I was able to move over.
I know that some bike lanes accommodate both directions of
bicycle traffic but they are usually marked with a broken
line down the middle of a wider lane.
Can I get the word out to use the bike
lanes the way they were designed and to use them
in the direction of vehicle traffic?
Wayne

I know the feeling Wayne. I use to drive a gravel train and
encountered almost the same scenario on a secondary road near a local
university. The difference was I had no clear left side cushion to
slide directly over toward.
I was afraid the bulging eyeballs of the offending oncoming cyclist
were going to be the last living vision of this fellow that I was going
to see.
With only yards to spare I was able to pitch my rig into a sweeping
right hand arc as a short break developed in oncoming bumper to bumper
motor vehicle traffic.
A quick glance in my right hand mirror assured me the law abiding
cyclist had chosen to ride and tumble down a steep grassy embankment on
his right, relinquishing his right of way to the offending cyclist.
Had I not been empty at the time I could not have executed the
evasive move and would have been left with no other option other than to
flatten the reckless offender beyond recognition.
When I reached the job site about 2 miles down the road I told the
boss that I needed a few minutes to calm my nerves before heading out
with another load of dirt. His reply was, "Take as much time as you
need, you're as white as a sheet."

Best Regards - Mike Baldwin

On Sun, 2 Mar 2008 12:43:19 -0500, (Michael Baldwin)
wrote:

Had I not been empty at the time I could not have executed the
evasive move and would have been left with no other option other than to
flatten the reckless offender beyond recognition.

May I suggest you get help for your anger/revenge issues, as you make
this option sound entirely too palatable to you.

EasyCompany wrote:
On Sun, 2 Mar 2008 12:43:19 -0500, (Michael Baldwin)
wrote:

Had I not been empty at the time I could not have executed the
evasive move and would have been left with no other option other than to
flatten the reckless offender beyond recognition.

May I suggest you get help for your anger/revenge issues, as you make
this option sound entirely too palatable to you.

His post didn't sound like that to me at all. Maybe it's because I
once took a lifeguarding class, in which we were taught that the first
person whose life you should look out for is your own. You only try to
rescue a swimmer in distress when you're sure you won't by exceeding your
abilities and/or the possibilities under the circumstances, turn one
tragic death into two.
Had I been driving that gravel truck, and had there been nowhere to
swerve safely, I would have braked but stayed in my lane, and if it meant
a dead cyclist, that would be tragic but better than killing potentially
many others by rolling the truck or colliding with other traffic.
I think that I have just been struck with a new phrase for wrong-way
riders: "Nice bike. You should learn how to ride it." If I'm ever
confronted by a wrong-way while in a bike lane, I think I'll just stop,
shout that, and make the fool do the swerving.
But I won'd endanger myself or anyone else to save him.

Bill

__o | The American fascist would prefer not to use violence.
_`\(,_ | His method is to poison the channels of public information
(_)/ (_) | --Henry A. Wallace

On Sun, 2 Mar 2008 12:43:19 -0500, (Michael Baldwin)
wrote:
**Had I not been empty at the time I could
not have executed the evasive move and would have been
left with no other option other than to flatten the
reckless offender beyond recognition.
May I suggest you get help for your anger/revenge issues,
as you make this option sound entirely too palatable to
you.
******His post didn't sound like that to me at all.
Maybe it's because I once took a lifeguarding class, in
which we were taught that the first person whose life
you should look out for is your own. You only
try to rescue a swimmer in distress when you're sure
you won't by exceeding your abilities and/or the possibilities under
the circumstances, turn one tragic death into two.
******Had I been driving that gravel truck, and had there
been nowhere to swerve safely, I would have braked but
stayed in my lane, and if it meant a dead
cyclist, that would be tragic but better than killing potentially
many others by rolling the truck or colliding with other
traffic.
******I think that I have just been struck with a
new phrase for wrong-way riders: "Nice bike. You should learn
how to ride it." If I'm ever confronted by a
wrong-way while in a bike lane, I think I'll just
stop, shout that, and make the fool do the swerving.
******But I won'd endanger myself or anyone else to save
him.
Bill


Thank You Bill.

Best Regards - Mike Baldwin

On Sun, 2 Mar 2008 12:43:19 -0500, (Michael Baldwin)
wrote:
**Had I not been empty at the time I could
not have executed the evasive move and would have been
left with no other option other than to flatten the
reckless offender beyond recognition.

Sgt Rock offers his help

May I suggest you get help for your anger/revenge issues,
as you make this option sound entirely too palatable to
you.


Hello Sgt. Cock

I'm sure you're a virtual expert on many things. May I suggest you
trot your treatise down to the nearest truck stop. There, you may share
your wisdom face to face with the men _and_ women who make split second,
life saving decisions everyday.
The last thing _any_ professional wants, regardless his or her trade,
is to be haunted by the totally unwarranted maiming or death of a fellow
human being.

just regards - Mike Baldwin

On Tue, 4 Mar 2008 18:30:37 -0500, (Michael Baldwin)
wrote:

On Sun, 2 Mar 2008 12:43:19 -0500, (Michael Baldwin)
wrote:
**Had I not been empty at the time I could
not have executed the evasive move and would have been
left with no other option other than to flatten the
reckless offender beyond recognition.

Sgt Rock offers his help

May I suggest you get help for your anger/revenge issues,
as you make this option sound entirely too palatable to
you.


Hello Sgt. Cock

I'm sure you're a virtual expert on many things. May I suggest you
trot your treatise down to the nearest truck stop. There, you may share
your wisdom face to face with the men _and_ women who make split second,
life saving decisions everyday.
The last thing _any_ professional wants, regardless his or her trade,
is to be haunted by the totally unwarranted maiming or death of a fellow
human being.

just regards - Mike Baldwin

I had no idea you were so juvenile Mike.

Note the operative phrase was not his exercise of a 'safe option', but

''flatten the reckless offender beyond recognition".

This rather gorey description sounds to me like a thinly veiled anger
issue. Ymmv.

That does not mean I think his anger at the recklessness is not
justified.

I just take issue with people envisioning bikers as potential road
kill.

On Sun, 02 Mar 2008 08:38:46 -0800, wybell wrote:

I drive a bus for a living. The other day while driving on University
Avenue in Waterloo. A cyclist was in the bike lane riding towards me. I
have always assumed that the cyclist should be in the bike lane riding
in the same direction as vehicle traffic

Yes, they should be.

.. What happened next made my
heart skip a beat. The cyclist going the wrong direction in the bike
lane met another cyclist going the right direction and to avoid a
collision with the other cyclist crossed the solid line and is now in
the vehicle lane coming towards me. Luckily, there was no vehicles next
to me in the second lane and I was able to move over.

I know that some bike lanes accommodate both directions of bicycle
traffic but they are usually marked with a broken line down the middle
of a wider lane.

Can I get the word out to use the bike lanes the way they were designed
and to use them in the direction of vehicle traffic?


No, sorry, these idiots don't generally hang out in places like this,
and when they do, they are remarkably resistant to education.

On Tue, 04 Mar 2008 20:17:42 -0500, EasyCompany wrote:

On Tue, 4 Mar 2008 18:30:37 -0500, (Michael Baldwin)
wrote:

On Sun, 2 Mar 2008 12:43:19 -0500, (Michael Baldwin)
wrote:
Â*Â*Had I not been empty at the time I could
not have executed the evasive move and would have been left with no
other option other than to flatten the reckless offender beyond
recognition.

Sgt Rock offers his help

May I suggest you get help for your anger/revenge issues, as you make
this option sound entirely too palatable to you.


Hello Sgt. Cock

I'm sure you're a virtual expert on many things. May I suggest you
trot your treatise down to the nearest truck stop. There, you may share
your wisdom face to face with the men _and_ women who make split second,
life saving decisions everyday.
The last thing _any_ professional wants, regardless his or her trade,
is to be haunted by the totally unwarranted maiming or death of a fellow
human being.

just regards - Mike Baldwin

I had no idea you were so juvenile Mike.

Note the operative phrase was not his exercise of a 'safe option', but

''flatten the reckless offender beyond recognition".

This rather gorey description sounds to me like a thinly veiled anger
issue. Ymmv.

That does not mean I think his anger at the recklessness is not
justified.

I just take issue with people envisioning bikers as potential road kill.

He was talking about driving a Gravel Train, these things don't stop that
quick. I read it that his options were, 1. Take out a completely innocent
car coming the other way, or 2. Flatten the idiot in the wrong.

Neither option would have been something he would have wanted, the other
one would resulted in the probable death of however many people were in
the car.( or cars) )