The Chainlink

Post your right hooks (or near right hooks) here

On the way in this morning, Chicago cop nearly took me out turning right onto Knox (between Cicero & Kennedy) westbound off of Montrose.

When I gave him a disheartened "Really?", he rolled down his window and said "fuck off."

Views: 470

▶ Reply to This

Replies to This Discussion

Permalink Reply by Davo on May 7, 2014 at 12:55pm

Class Act. what a Douche

It must suck being that angry all the time.

Permalink Reply by dan brown on May 7, 2014 at 1:00pm

+1 for my scientific theory of cyclist envy. not that it justifies that attitude / behavior at all; but how would you like sitting in a car all day with a bulletproof vest on ?

Permalink Reply by Apie (11) on May 7, 2014 at 1:01pm

This morning southbound at Central Park and Milwaukee, a wide berth for me to wait on the right.   No turn signal, but i knew it was possible because no one likes to put on their blinker at this intersection.   She waved, as if saying "Hi!  I'm not stopping!  Thanks for playing!"

Permalink Reply by Skip Montanaro 0mi on May 7, 2014 at 1:31pm

Should license plate numbers be posted where known?

Permalink Reply by Madopal (16.5 mi) on May 7, 2014 at 4:10pm

I'm sure you could. I wouldn't post the info about the cop, as I like my life the way it is. Don't see why not for other drivers.

I know Steve Vance has a close calls site, but I'm curious as to how often most of us are right hooked/almost right hooked on a regular basis.

Skip Montanaro 12mi said:

Should license plate numbers be posted where known?

Permalink Reply by Skip Montanaro 0mi on May 7, 2014 at 5:12pm

There's right hooks, and there's just asking for trouble. On the way home today in Edgewater, there was a guy in front of me who twice pulled alongside cars which were stopped, with their right-hand turn signals flashing. The first time, he went straight. The second time he was also turning right. I'm not sure about some people...

Permalink Reply by Madopal (16.5 mi) on May 7, 2014 at 6:33pm

Only time I pull ahead when a signal is on is if there's no turn on red.  Then I want to make sure I'm seen.

But it brings up an excellent point...do you wait in a line of traffic at an intersection where you risk getting right hooked by cars not using signals/behind you, or do you move up to the front to hopefully get through the light before the turning traffic starts?

I lean towards the latter, myself, as a) I figure that's why most bike-friendly setups put the green boxes at intersections, and b) I also figure I'm better being seen.

Skip Montanaro 12mi said:

There's right hooks, and there's just asking for trouble. On the way home today in Edgewater, there was a guy in front of me who twice pulled alongside cars which were stopped, with their right-hand turn signals flashing. The first time, he went straight. The second time he was also turning right. I'm not sure about some people...

Permalink Reply by h' Zerocats on May 7, 2014 at 8:54pm

My last one was at least a year ago, maybe two.  I ended up in an ugly confrontation with the driver that involved them chasing me around and throwing random items from their car at me. Ultimately I happened upon a cop and they skedaddled.   I don't have some magic ability to avoid shitty drivers, but this is a fairly preventable problem IMO. Or maybe I just gear my rides so that I encounter less cars.

Permalink Reply by David Altenburg on May 7, 2014 at 9:44pm

If by right-hook, you mean a driver turning right in front of me without adequate clearance, where I would potentially crash if I weren't being extra attentive, that happens nearly daily. Fortunately, I've learned to anticipate most of those situations, so actual close calls due to right hooks are pretty rare for me (usually they are drivers that appear to have changed their minds as to where to go at the last second).

That said, I don't want to disregard the seriousness of the former because:

1. All cyclists are newbies at some point, and close calls (or actual crashes) due to right hooks by inattentive drivers - even those that experienced cyclists can easily anticipate and avoid - can potentially scare off those cyclists before they get a chance to get experienced.

2. I'm not perfect, and it only takes one trip where my mind or attention is elsewhere to result in a crash. I think our streets should have some margin of error.

Permalink Reply by Tricolor on May 7, 2014 at 10:02pm

You're a lot less likely to get hooked (or rather hit) by someone behind you.  You get hooked when you are in a car's blind spot.  Judging when a light will turn and the likelihood of cars turning right is something you can learn, but never just go flying along to pass on the right at intersections, ever.

I drove around tonight on a whim before doing some shopping (Lake Shore, Lower Wacker, Dearborn and Lincoln) and I saw a lot of people were riding without lights or with only a rear light.  Even without reflectors headlight pick up a bike.  Anything behind me completely invisible without a light.  It's nice to see so many bikes even after dark but lights make a huge difference when it comes to being seen.

Madopal (2.4 mi) said:

But it brings up an excellent point...do you wait in a line of traffic at an intersection where you risk getting right hooked by cars not using signals/behind you, or do you move up to the front to hopefully get through the light before the turning traffic starts?

Permalink Reply by Alex on May 7, 2014 at 10:20pm

On Monday, I was southbound in the Clark bike lane. A USPS minivan turned onto Clark from the right side totally cutting right in front of me. We continued in the same direction. Less than a block later, the driver right hooked INTO my side and I had a rearview mirror in front of my arms/chest and the side of the minivan pushing me to the side of the road. I managed to get loose and went forward. I turned around and was like "wtf??", he gave me a "I dunno" and drove off. I got a witness' info--a crossing guard for the school right there that was there at the time. 

Permalink Reply by Jim Freeman on May 8, 2014 at 8:58am

CPD right hook video from a week or so ago can be seen here (not me in video):

Today on the way in I came to a 4 way stop.  Car approaching from my right totally arrived at the stop after me and blew it at about 30 miles an hour.  I could tell the car wasn't going to be able to stop, so I waited and let it go in front of me.  As it went by I saw it was a CPD vehicle (MP plates).  Nice.     

RSS

Groups

© 2008-2016   The Chainlink Community, L.L.C.   Powered by

Disclaimer  |  Report an Issue  |  Terms of Service