Replies to This Discussion

Permalink Reply by Carter O'Brien on October 12, 2012 at 3:43am

Yeah, and another thing to consider is the really problematic drivers don't even respect their fellow motorists. 

Oh, if I had a dollar for every motorist I've seen floor it to pass traffic in the oncoming, or illegally on the right, or to turn in front of a stopped bus, etc.  The list is really endless... cyclists aren't even a blip on the severely-impaired radar of people like that.   I agree with Dug that cyclists should always be aware of the fact that our safety is ethereal at best, no bike infrastructure is a match for a massive vehicle with a distracted (cell phone using), intoxicated or just downright aggressively obnoxious driver behind the wheel. 

The main value of bike lanes IMO is at least they convey to society that cyclists do belong on the streets.  One very encouraging change I've seen since the 90s is a slow but steady decrease in the number of jerks who scream out their car windows to "get back on the sidewalk!"  Not even the most tone-deaf driver can argue that you don't belongon the street when there's a bike lane marked on it.

James BlackHeron said:

It is good that doorings have become a hot topic with the general public at the moment.   That it is even being talked about is a good thing to get the public's awareness on the subject up.  I think a lot of folks think that it is the responsibility of bicyclists to watch out for them and their car doors -rather than the other way around.    Anything that changes this has to be a step in the right direction.

And the awareness of the problem of dooring can only help with understanding of why we are not hugging the parked cars and "getting out of their way."  Again, I think a lot of folks think we should be moving over for them and don't even realize how dangerous the door zone is to us.  They just see a slower-moving road user IN THEIR WAY.   Many get pissed and impatient and decide to buzz rather than wait for a safe place to pass because it is our fault for being "jerks" and not moving over for them.    If more of them realize just how dangerous it is for us to be in the door zone perhaps they will realize why we are not in it.

A dooring PSA/campaign would be a good focus for the city spin machine.  Maybe after the elections are over and all the money that is driving up ad time costs is gone there might be an effort to make some PSA's to air on TV and radio to get the word out about dooring and why bikes avoid the door zone and why they should be checking extra-carefully before opening up a door onto the road.

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Permalink Reply by Anne Alt on October 12, 2012 at 5:19am

One very encouraging change I've seen since the 90s is a slow but steady decrease in the number of jerks who scream out their car windows to "get back on the sidewalk!"  Not even the most tone-deaf driver can argue that you don't belong on the street when there's a bike lane marked on it.

That's certainly one of the most encouraging changes I've seen in recent years.  I'm hearing that very infrequently these days.  If I never hear it again, that would be fine with me.

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Permalink Reply by David Barish on October 12, 2012 at 5:34am

Did anybody see the Letter to the Editor in the Trib yesterday where a guy suggested that drivers be instructed to open their door with their right hand? I found this fascinating. It forces the driver to look backwards. As a lefty the thought never came to me but the idea makes sense. If drivers used their right hand to open their door they would be more likely to see something coming up behind them before they opened the door. I am going to try to employ this and pass it on.

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Permalink Reply by Dirke on October 12, 2012 at 5:37am

These are great, and cheap!  but primarily gone.

Worn to gatherings with non-cyclists, the conversation-piece statement could facilitate word-of-mouth education to great success.

They do have a "Request a reprint" button so with increased interest from the community, could easily get them back in stock, so spread the word to "request a reprint."

Jenn_W said:

I own and it's on sale at Threadless, for VERY limited size(s):

http://www.threadless.com/product/3673/Bicycles_in_Mirror_are_Close...

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