[funetical]

I've been involved in one, never seen one though. I got the distinct displeasure of seeing one on my vacation. I caught the tail end of it, although it happened within 100 yards.

All of South Padre Island is covered in bike lanes although it's only a couple of miles in total area.
South Padre Island, Texas - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Well a delivery driver not paying any attention took a hard quick right, through the bike lane and seriously hurt a cyclist. I didn't see it myself, obstructed view, but I was in time to see the cyclist laying on the roads covered with blood, still conscious and pale as can be. The delivery driver was on the phone. I was angry. I understand things happen, but the entire island is covered in bike lanes, all of it. It's a prevailing feature of the island, so how someone who makes regular deliveries to said island managed to hit this guy is beyond me. There was aid being rendered, he was part of a large group (even more baffling, all roadies, not a fred in sight) who were apparently cycling in a group. I guess he was the tail. I'm a big fan of "if we can't do it safely, don't do it at all," but that was ridiculous. I tried finding anything about it in the local papers and there was nothing. I could have punched the driver. I wanted to. The wife said no.

 

[whyeyebike]

Was almost a victim a few weeks back. The only thing that saved me was I could hear the car accelerate to get by me, then the woman turned hard right into a Dunkin Donuts parking lot. Worse part was that she knew I was there because she had to floor it to get around me. I had a feeling she was going to do something stupid so I started braking. That slowed me down enough that when she made the damn turn, I could slam the breaks and stop myself before I met her rear quarter panel on a more intimate level. I tried hard to think she wasn't an evil human being, so she must have just misjudged how fast I was traveling; thinking she could safely get around me in time to make the turn and not hit me (or have me hit her). Probably the only time I wanted to punch a girl....but I didn't.

 

[funetical]

Dunkin Donuts is important. I always get mystified, when I see some one shoot around me only to go to Whataburger. Really, it couldn't wait 30 seconds? No one is so important they can't suffer a minor inconvenience. No one.

 

[whyeyebike]

Dunkin Donuts is important

Agree....I guess if I would die for my coffee, I could be killed for someone elses.

 

[Industry_Hack]

I know it's different on a motorcycle, since I'm out in traffic, but I've gotten really good at anticipating the ignorant moves that drivers make.

 

[whyeyebike]

Pretty much what it all boils down too. It is sad, but when I am riding on certain busy roads....I am constantly thinking to myself, where is the next place I could get hit. Good situational awareness I guess.

 

[Industry_Hack]

Pretty much what it all boils down too. It is sad, but when I am riding on certain busy roads....I am constantly thinking to myself, where is the next place I could get hit. Good situational awareness I guess.

You're so polite. Yesterday, I was thinking "that effin' cow is going to pull out without even looking to her left". But she was the sort of genius that looks after they are in the middle of the road, and then stops, blocking the lane. She was at a two-way stop, and proceeding straight across from our right. It's gotten to be so common that I've already downshifted, and I'm covering the brake well in advance by the time I approach the intersection.

 

[funetical]

I know it's different on a motorcycle, since I'm out in traffic, but I've gotten really good at anticipating the ignorant moves that drivers make.

Being able to get up to fast speeds quickly is definitely a plus.

 

[Industry_Hack]

Being able to get up to fast speeds quickly is definitely a plus.

I'm old enough and wise enough to choose the brakes instead of the throttle.

 

[funetical]

I've learned in my car that brakes don't get you out of a situation, it only keeps you in one. Hesitation, seems to be the issue in most avoidable accidents.

 

[Industry_Hack]

I've learned in my car that brakes don't get you out of a situation, it only keeps you in one. Hesitation, seems to be the issue in most avoidable accidents.

Throttle or brake - you need to decide in a split second, and then commit. But it seems as though most of my time is spent anticipating stupid, so braking is easier.

 

[funetical]

See in a car I anticipate stupid in different in way. But you're right, you have to commit or things are just going to get worse.

 

[Texasbikeguy]

I assume all drivers are complete idiots. That being said, drivers are overall ignorant of what Bike lanes are for or even bicycle laws themselves. It does not help that the typical commuter does stupid stuff like ride the wrong way against traffic. I cannot tell you how many times I had a rider correct me for going WITH the flow of traffic, or how many times I had to argue with a stupid rider that going against traffic is incredibally stupid and dangerous. Pile this on top of driver habits like:
Texting and driving.
Not paying attention to the rode for other reasons.
A general hatred or antipathy for all cyclists period.
Whenever a person subconciously dislikes something like a cyclist, their ability to pay attention to it or really care for their safety is undermined. It is also impossible to literally do two things at once, so texting and driving is an amazing and stunning phenomena in our nation. I simply cannot understand HOW people came to the logical conclusion that either talking on or texting on a phone is intelligent and safe while driving. I get angry at drivers on my commute and have several sagas about confrontations where the driver was either negligent or in many cases being a plain *******. I sympathize with you and can only say you have to watch at all times and hope for the best or stop riding.

 

[funetical]

It surprises me when I see people eating. Being overweight, I refuse to eat in the car, I think it's what people expect, but seeing it makes me mad. You're not even taking the time to enjoy the food that was prepared for you? It seems like a professional insult more than anything.

 

[whyeyebike]

You're not even taking the time to enjoy the food that was prepared for you? It seems like a professional insult more than anything.

I never actually thought of it that way....very interesting perspective!!!!

 

[funetical]

People undervalue what I do. It explains the crap pay. You trust me to feed you, not poison you (it's harder than it sounds, especially in the bulk most of us handle), and all I get is mistreated and looked down on.
When people ask me what I do it goes like this, "What do you do?"
"I'm a cook (I don't use chef, cause I never did my internship.)."
"Oh... that's nice."
"I run the place."
"Oh, at least you got that."

I spent as much time in school as most of them, and I make several thousand less, although, like I said, the food poisoning thing.

If your computer messes up it won't kill you, but if I under cook the pork, you're going to be sick. If I don't wash my hands every ten minutes, you get sick, but I get paid less? Sometimes things don't make no sense.

 

[Industry_Hack]

I hate when people eat in the car, especially my car. That's not as bad as the TV screens for the kids.