The Chainlink

Mum's the word?

We've all had our near misses, and I'm sure the recent deaths of three cyclists in the Chicago area has that risk on everyone's minds.  So, how much do you tell your spouse/significant other/kids/parents/etc about your near misses?

I used to tell my wife about all my close encounters.  I haven't told her about my latest near miss though.  Her mom already thinks bikes should be relegated to padded tubes far from cars, and never fails to voice her disapproval about bike commuting whenever the topic of riding in the city comes up in conversation.  So, this time I kept my mouth shut when I got home.  I don't think the details of the incident are all that important, though it has stuck with me for the past week or two, making it one that stood out.

So, what about you?  Do you regale your family with all your near misses or do you try to avoid worrying them and keep your mouth shut some, most or all of the time?

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Permalink Reply by Doug Haynes on November 25, 2012 at 12:45pm

The real question for me here is what do you consider a close call or a near miss?

I also have to wonder about your riding practices if you have enough near miss stories that it is becoming an issue...

To me it is only a 'near miss' if you were legitimately in danger of being injured; like whatever happened required to take an evasive maneuver that caused you to nearly loose control or you actually made contact with a car or something.  I have probably one or two incidents like that a year.  What is more common is the incident that is not really a 'near miss' but more of a 'what the hell man!'  I had a perfect example of that the other day; headed down North Ave. approaching a light an oncoming car making a left made a turn in front of me.  I saw the edge out and was on my guard for it so I had plenty of time to stop  but was never in any real danger, just very annoyed by it.  I would hardly call that situation a near miss.

Permalink Reply by h' Zerocats on November 25, 2012 at 1:09pm

I think all of us that ride daily have times on the bike where we get lost in thought or otherwise are not as mentally present as we should be, and then snap out it to realize that we're only able to ride along unscathed by the mercy of the subsection of motorists we were lucky enough to encounter who are driving cautiously and responsibly.

I am encouraged that Skip makes it a point to reflect on those situations and presumably examine his own practice to figure out how to best keep them from happening again.  I'd hope for all of us to do so rather than write them off as something the driver is wholly responsible for.

notoriousDUG said:

The real question for me here is what do you consider a close call or a near miss?

I also have to wonder about your riding practices if you have enough near miss stories that it is becoming an issue...

Permalink Reply by Skip Montanaro 0mi on November 25, 2012 at 1:10pm

I don't have that many near misses.  A "near miss" is one where it's too close for comfort.  I realize that is a subjective measure, but I have a long history of city riding, dating back to my college days in the 1970s.  I didn't start this thread lightly.  I don't believe I take unnecessary risks.  In this case, even though I needed to make a quick maneuver, I thought the driver's response was unsafe.  He passed me within a foot or two, and accelerated strongly to pass me.  When I tried to talk to him, he screamed at me and took off.  In total, I think the driver's behavior was reckless, and dangerous on its face.

Recall also that I placed my original post in the context of the recent deaths of three cyclists in the Chicago area.  I suspect that recent history raises the baseline stress level for many people, especially those non-cycling people who are married to people who do ride bikes regularly.  Hence, my question.

Permalink Reply by Tim Heckman on November 25, 2012 at 6:03pm
One clear near miss, with an SUV clipping me with a foldover rear view mirror. I was not able to catch a plate number. I told my wife, and have told several others in my life, as well as adjusting the route for my commute.

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