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SUV Can't Wait to Turn
I'm a bike commuter. I follow the rules of the road; I stay visible; and I try to stay out of the way.
On part of my route home, I have use the sidewalk because the road is too narrow for a bike and cars. This also forces me to cross the road at a light by pressing the button and waiting for the "WALK" signal (though I ride across because I can immediately get into a bike lane on the other side of the intersection).
A few nights ago, I stopped at that light. I pressed the button for the "WALK" signal and waited. There were no cars going the same direction I would be going. There were three coming opposite me, two of which wanted to turn left. I made eye-contact with the first driver in that line, so I knew he knew I was there. It was after sunset but not full dark yet. Even so, I had my reflective jacket on and my headlight and taillight flashing.
The light changed. The "WALK" signal lit. The drivers coming opposite me were waiting. I checked to the left, and traffic was stopped on their red light. I checked to the right, and traffic was stopped there as well. (All of this in just a second or two, of course.) Thinking it was clear, I pushed off and started pedaling forward.
As I reached the halfway point in the crosswalk, some guy in an SUV roared up into the right-turn lane from my right and stopped directly in front of me. My front tire was pointed as his door handle. He looked right at me. His eyes widened. I was close enough to him and already moving fast enough that stopping was not a good option, so I swerved my front wheel to the left to skirt around in front of him (you know, because he did stop).
At that same instant, he punched the gas and lurched forward, completing his right turn and taking off down the street. I braked, wobbled, swerved harder, corrected, and started pedaling again, all while yelling something furiously unintelligible at him. How his back bumper missed my front wheel is still a mystery to me. I completely expected them to hit; the gap between them must have been tiny.
I fumed about that most of the way home.
The kicker: he was on his cell phone. He was talking through that whole scene. Not only was I close enough to see his mouth moving; I was close enough to see the Apple logo on the back of what must have been his iPhone.
And all this in a state where driving while using a cell phone (without a hands-free device) is illegal and where police officers can pull you over just for seeing you using your phone while driving.
On part of my route home, I have use the sidewalk because the road is too narrow for a bike and cars. This also forces me to cross the road at a light by pressing the button and waiting for the "WALK" signal (though I ride across because I can immediately get into a bike lane on the other side of the intersection).
A few nights ago, I stopped at that light. I pressed the button for the "WALK" signal and waited. There were no cars going the same direction I would be going. There were three coming opposite me, two of which wanted to turn left. I made eye-contact with the first driver in that line, so I knew he knew I was there. It was after sunset but not full dark yet. Even so, I had my reflective jacket on and my headlight and taillight flashing.
The light changed. The "WALK" signal lit. The drivers coming opposite me were waiting. I checked to the left, and traffic was stopped on their red light. I checked to the right, and traffic was stopped there as well. (All of this in just a second or two, of course.) Thinking it was clear, I pushed off and started pedaling forward.
As I reached the halfway point in the crosswalk, some guy in an SUV roared up into the right-turn lane from my right and stopped directly in front of me. My front tire was pointed as his door handle. He looked right at me. His eyes widened. I was close enough to him and already moving fast enough that stopping was not a good option, so I swerved my front wheel to the left to skirt around in front of him (you know, because he did stop).
At that same instant, he punched the gas and lurched forward, completing his right turn and taking off down the street. I braked, wobbled, swerved harder, corrected, and started pedaling again, all while yelling something furiously unintelligible at him. How his back bumper missed my front wheel is still a mystery to me. I completely expected them to hit; the gap between them must have been tiny.
I fumed about that most of the way home.
The kicker: he was on his cell phone. He was talking through that whole scene. Not only was I close enough to see his mouth moving; I was close enough to see the Apple logo on the back of what must have been his iPhone.
And all this in a state where driving while using a cell phone (without a hands-free device) is illegal and where police officers can pull you over just for seeing you using your phone while driving.
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