Ride long enough and it will happen: pedalling along, minding your own business as well as that of the surrounding traffic, as you approach an intersection or junction the car behind you passes so it can immediately turn right in front of you. Well, even if it doesn't happen to you, it happened to me this morning. It's probably the fourth or fifth time someone's done it to me over the last three years.
How I deal with it: First of all, I watch the road, see where I'm going and where the opportunities for automotive mischief — intersections, side roads, potholes, suddenly ending shoulders and so on — are. At the same time, I'm keeping an eye on oncoming traffic and an ear out for cars behind me. This morning I could smell that the car on my ass would pass and turn on to the upcoming side road. Though I slowed slightly I had to maintain some momentum since I was on a slight grade. With about about 150 feet or so to the junction, she passed. Since I expected it I braked and stopped, let traffic pass and got going again. One more thing I would have done, had I really been thinking, was downshift one or two gears to make restarting on the rise a little easier.
In some situations there will be even less space and less time to react. What cycling safety folks advise in such cases is to turn right on the inside of the car. I had just enough distance and shoulder that I didn't need to even though I considered it. Keep in mind it's a move that's probably hard as hell to rehearse. Just be ready.
Upshot: the driver's body language indicated an appropriate level of embarrassment and I didn't get flattened. Though not optimal the result is acceptable.
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2 comments:
This actually happens to me pretty regularly, but I bike through downtown Atlanta so (a) the traffic is pretty slow, and (b) extreme vigilance is necessary for survival anyway. I do have a strong - and obviously suicidal - urge to slap cars on the trunk when they pass me too closely. I had a car squeak by me the other day, then veer into the opposing lane to give themselves plenty of space to get by some parked cars.
In a related development, I am vigorously pursuing my hobby of inventing new obscenities.
This person was so obviously oblivious until after she had passed that I didn't even give her the finger. If you're feeling really suicidal and traffic's moving get right on somebody's bumper and draft 'em — might as well use that gasoline for more than one vehicle. Few things gratify me more than filling someone's mirror. After all, our brakes should stop us more quickly if we're paying attention. We need to share our vocabulary additions.
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