Any suggestions on what to do when drivers ignore my polite request to shut their car door?

As I ride, I will occasionally ask a driver of a parked car who has their door wide open to "Watch the door, please." There are times when I look over my shoulder and the door is still wide open. One time I circled back and wrote down the plate number. Does anyone have suggestions on whether it is worth calling 311, for example, and reporting them?

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Permalink Reply by Skip Montanaro 0mi on July 23, 2013 at 4:46am

That seems reasonable.  Today on Elston I saw a driver zip around a line of four or five cars stopped at the light at Ashland in the bike lane.  I got her license (262 8630, green VW New Beetle - if you know her, please wag your finger at her in a very stern manner).  Later on, I had to move into traffic to get around a semi idling in the bike lane just north of McGrath Acura.

I suppose I could have called about either one.  Just would have slowed me down (I had no trouble keeping up with the VW lady), and the person at the other end of the 311 line would have probably just rolled their eyes...

That said, if an open car door, parked semi, or person driving briefly in the bike lane doesn't warrant a to call 311, where do you draw the red line?  Realize, of course, that you will often not generate any real action, especially if the offender was moving (gone by the time the police get there).


Rich S said:

I don't think reporting individual violators will accomplish much to be honest. Maybe if you saw a cop you could ask them to write a ticket or issue a warning. 

Permalink Reply by Cheryl on July 23, 2013 at 5:04am

I also thought it was a 311 call until I made a call! That makes sense, though. 

David P. said:

Calling over an open door is a bit much, and I won't get a response. Calling about, say, a car parked in the bike lane or someone who is standing (idling) there and won't move is not too much. I thought that was a 311 thing, but the first time I called someone in the operator told me it was a 911 call since it would require an officer to be sent over to ticket them. Last time I did it (I got sick enough of this stuff that I do it whenever I see someone parked in the lane, etc.) the operator happily took my information and passed it on. Still feels weird, since I associate 911 with life-or-death kind of stuff.

Permalink Reply by Haddon on July 23, 2013 at 6:04am

I feel like I'm being anti-trolled.

Permalink Reply by Anne Alt on July 23, 2013 at 6:28am

;)

Tim S said:

so true, so true... I like it!

Kevin C said:

Who are you and what have you done with Adam?

Adam Herstein (5.5 mi) said:

Let it go and move on with your day.

Permalink Reply by Tony Adams on July 23, 2013 at 6:59am

Kassholes?

h' 1.0 said:

So if we're going to label the Adam Hersteins of the world "complainers" for giving a damn, we need a nice loaded derogatory term for the folks that tirelessly defend the status quo.

"Uncle Tom" is already taken....

Permalink Reply by joey Luna on July 23, 2013 at 2:52pm

I always kick the door on them...that teaches them.

 

Permalink Reply by Reboot Oxnard on July 23, 2013 at 4:06pm

I think all of us don't have to imagine the circumstance you're talking about - we know it from first hand experience. The difference is this: nobody positioned in the left side of the lane in your scenario has to dodge an open door. The only way OP's scenario makes sense seems to be that she was riding into traffic, swerved to miss a door and somebody in a car came around the corner, not expecting to be facing oncoming (bike or otherwise) traffic.

Jeff Schneider said:

Drivers cut corners when they turn, that's how.

I had a guy in a giant SUV almost run me over at a stop light in this way.  I was standing in my lane and behind the white stripe at a stop light.  I was in the left side of my lane (preparing for a left turn).  He approached the intersection from my right, making a left turn.  He swore at me because the position of my bike prevented him from making a fast cut across my lane.  He had to slow down a bit, make a square corner, and stay in his lane.  So, I pretty much ruined his day, maybe his life.  I can see why he was angry...

Reboot Oxnard said:

Trying to figure out how this happened - unless you were salmoning...?

Anne Alt said:

Thank you!  Leaving a door open longer than necessary can be a hazard.  I had a crash last year when some dork was just sitting there with his door open - close to an intersection.  I had to swing wide to avoid the door - just as a car turned the corner and was coming right at me.  Fortunately her brakes and mine worked well, but I crashed trying to avoid the oncoming car.  If that dork hadn't left his door open, there wouldn't have been any near collision or crash.

Permalink Reply by bk (aka: Dr. Mambohead) on July 24, 2013 at 12:20am
Dunno... here's some of what I've tried...

... first, formost? i thank the motorist for allowing me to use their roads.

... give them cookies. bakery items always get attention.

... give them the can of beer that is leaky

... chain lube!!!!

... have a frank and earnest discussion about my needs and feelings. if frank and earnest are available, but i think they're out of town this week.
Permalink Reply by Alex Z on July 24, 2013 at 1:02am

I wonder if, in Anne's case, the driver was double-parked.

Reboot Oxnard said:

I think all of us don't have to imagine the circumstance you're talking about - we know it from first hand experience. The difference is this: nobody positioned in the left side of the lane in your scenario has to dodge an open door. The only way OP's scenario makes sense seems to be that she was riding into traffic, swerved to miss a door and somebody in a car came around the corner, not expecting to be facing oncoming (bike or otherwise) traffic.

Jeff Schneider said:

Drivers cut corners when they turn, that's how.

I had a guy in a giant SUV almost run me over at a stop light in this way.  I was standing in my lane and behind the white stripe at a stop light.  I was in the left side of my lane (preparing for a left turn).  He approached the intersection from my right, making a left turn.  He swore at me because the position of my bike prevented him from making a fast cut across my lane.  He had to slow down a bit, make a square corner, and stay in his lane.  So, I pretty much ruined his day, maybe his life.  I can see why he was angry...

Reboot Oxnard said:

Trying to figure out how this happened - unless you were salmoning...?

Anne Alt said:

Thank you!  Leaving a door open longer than necessary can be a hazard.  I had a crash last year when some dork was just sitting there with his door open - close to an intersection.  I had to swing wide to avoid the door - just as a car turned the corner and was coming right at me.  Fortunately her brakes and mine worked well, but I crashed trying to avoid the oncoming car.  If that dork hadn't left his door open, there wouldn't have been any near collision or crash.

Permalink Reply by Reboot Oxnard on July 24, 2013 at 1:11am

I suppose that anything is possible. As long as we're searching for alternatives to the probable, it could have been a Mini full of insane clowns looking to scatter bikers and pedestrians like skittles.

Alex Z said:

I wonder if, in Anne's case, the driver was double-parked.

Reboot Oxnard said:

I think all of us don't have to imagine the circumstance you're talking about - we know it from first hand experience. The difference is this: nobody positioned in the left side of the lane in your scenario has to dodge an open door. The only way OP's scenario makes sense seems to be that she was riding into traffic, swerved to miss a door and somebody in a car came around the corner, not expecting to be facing oncoming (bike or otherwise) traffic.

Jeff Schneider said:

Drivers cut corners when they turn, that's how.

I had a guy in a giant SUV almost run me over at a stop light in this way.  I was standing in my lane and behind the white stripe at a stop light.  I was in the left side of my lane (preparing for a left turn).  He approached the intersection from my right, making a left turn.  He swore at me because the position of my bike prevented him from making a fast cut across my lane.  He had to slow down a bit, make a square corner, and stay in his lane.  So, I pretty much ruined his day, maybe his life.  I can see why he was angry...

Reboot Oxnard said:

Trying to figure out how this happened - unless you were salmoning...?

Anne Alt said:

Thank you!  Leaving a door open longer than necessary can be a hazard.  I had a crash last year when some dork was just sitting there with his door open - close to an intersection.  I had to swing wide to avoid the door - just as a car turned the corner and was coming right at me.  Fortunately her brakes and mine worked well, but I crashed trying to avoid the oncoming car.  If that dork hadn't left his door open, there wouldn't have been any near collision or crash.

Permalink Reply by Tony Adams on July 24, 2013 at 2:47am

Oh! that explains the Uncle Tom reference. You want a term for one of our own who tirelessly defends the status quo. Does this include the uh, people who think it is necessary to stop at red light and wait for the green even when there is no other traffic?


h' 1.0 said:

OK, maybe I didn't frame that well.

Let's try.. "aggressively complacent cyclist who thinks everything we've gained just happened on its own."

Tony Adams 7 mi (dirtbag hipstr) said:

Kassholes?

h' 1.0 said:

So if we're going to label the Adam Hersteins of the world "complainers" for giving a damn, we need a nice loaded derogatory term for the folks that tirelessly defend the status quo.

"Uncle Tom" is already taken....

Permalink Reply by Anne Alt on July 24, 2013 at 3:22am

He was not. It was a narrow 2-way street, and he was parked at the curb, close to the intersection.  I was riding on the right side before swerving around the door. There were cars parked on both sides of the street, making the open traffic area about a lane and a half wide - not an unusual scenario in my 'hood.

I don't know that the turning driver looked very carefully or made a full stop at the stop sign before turning.  It was dark, and my bike was lit up like a Christmas tree. If she'd looked first, she should have seen me.  Too many drivers are only looking for car headlights and don't notice anything else at night.  That may have been the case with the turning driver.

There was NO salmoning involved.

Alex Z said:

I wonder if, in Anne's case, the driver was double-parked.

Reboot Oxnard said:

I think all of us don't have to imagine the circumstance you're talking about - we know it from first hand experience. The difference is this: nobody positioned in the left side of the lane in your scenario has to dodge an open door. The only way OP's scenario makes sense seems to be that she was riding into traffic, swerved to miss a door and somebody in a car came around the corner, not expecting to be facing oncoming (bike or otherwise) traffic.

Jeff Schneider said:

Drivers cut corners when they turn, that's how.

I had a guy in a giant SUV almost run me over at a stop light in this way.  I was standing in my lane and behind the white stripe at a stop light.  I was in the left side of my lane (preparing for a left turn).  He approached the intersection from my right, making a left turn.  He swore at me because the position of my bike prevented him from making a fast cut across my lane.  He had to slow down a bit, make a square corner, and stay in his lane.  So, I pretty much ruined his day, maybe his life.  I can see why he was angry...

Reboot Oxnard said:

Trying to figure out how this happened - unless you were salmoning...?

Anne Alt said:

Thank you!  Leaving a door open longer than necessary can be a hazard.  I had a crash last year when some dork was just sitting there with his door open - close to an intersection.  I had to swing wide to avoid the door - just as a car turned the corner and was coming right at me.  Fortunately her brakes and mine worked well, but I crashed trying to avoid the oncoming car.  If that dork hadn't left his door open, there wouldn't have been any near collision or crash.

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