a point of view video of dooring.

Found it on vimeo

http://vimeo.com/24709620
Do any of you look when you get out of a cab?

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Permalink Reply by Bernard Joseph Hannigan on November 8, 2011 at 3:39pm

No, they don't...I would have blamed that accident on YOU for not looking out for yourself as a bicyclist in the city.

Permalink Reply by MagMileMarauder on November 8, 2011 at 3:43pm

I think all three people people here share the blame, the cab driver for parking on the bike lane (although that's impossible to control), the passenger for not looking and swinging the door open, and the biker for not slowing down and not gauging the possibility of getting doored. We have to remember that even though we're not legally liable for getting doored, it's in the best interest of our safety to expect getting doored whenever you're within 5 feet of a stopped car. Therefore, it's best to slow down to have more time to react.

Permalink Reply by Joe TV on November 8, 2011 at 3:44pm

Foreseeable.  Also, the driver is the one with the mirror, not the passenger.  

Permalink Reply by Joe Willis on November 8, 2011 at 7:02pm
This also shows a major nono. NEVER pass a stopped cab on the right!
Permalink Reply by Thunder Snow on November 8, 2011 at 7:49pm

To be fair, the cyclist could just as easily been doored by a cab passenger exiting the streetside door, unless the cyclist passes way left, outside the door zone and right into the oncoming lane. But riding quickly past, in the door zone of any stopped car is foolish, as others above have said.  You can get doored by a vehicle other than a cab in that video as well--a spouse being dropped off while a light remains red might exit the curbside door as did the cab passenger, a friend may quickly hop out the back seat on the streetside without looking. 

Joe Willis said:

This also shows a major nono. NEVER pass a stopped cab on the right!
Permalink Reply by Billy Poore on November 9, 2011 at 4:54am

I never pass any merging or parked vehicle on the right, ever.  I merge left and go around the vehicle that is pulling over, or is pulled over.  I'd rather take my chances with moving traffic and have potential for space to avoid than to be pinched and out of options.  Or, god forbid, I stop the motion of my bicycle and wait for the coast to clear if the situation is at all too risky to proceed safely.

Permalink Reply by Kossman on November 9, 2011 at 10:11am

Glad to see how everyone has great hindsight recommendations on how to handle this situation.

 

The crux of the issue was the cab in question was driving in traffic, had just slowed down (watch the video to see him driving in a straight line, and then applying his brakes), then stopped and decided to let his passengers out right where he was. So, while i dont pass a stopped cab on the right, i do pass a stopped cab/car/truck/motorcycle/ on the right when he is sitting in traffic (with brake lights on) as was the case here. Typically I expect a cab to put his turn signal or hazards on when he is letting out passengers in a high traffic area (but of course, i don't rely on it). Hell, I even expect them to pull over to the right and completely block the bike lane to make their intentions clear. Of course, none of this happened.

 

and for the record, i did look out for myself and did gauge the possibilty of getting doored, which is why I stopped in enough time where no one was hurt in this incident. The cab, the passenger and the biker all walked away without a scratch. 

 

Everyone has a responsibility to look out for themselves. Everyone has to look out for their own interests and safety. I made a judgement call at the :07 mark of the video to keep in the bike lane knowing my safety will be compromised. At :08 i see the door and begin to stop quickly. Its not until i actually make contact with the door does the passenger realizes what he did. Of course I use whatever part of the road is necessary to avoid trouble, but if I had veered into the oncoming lane and got hit by an oncoming car or the other cab door, then I'm also at fault because i'm considered driving 'recklessly' into oncoming traffic or not riding in the defined bike lane. Furthermore, if I veer around the cab to the left, the grey car coming up quickly behind it is not anticipating me cutting it off, and therefore that move also puts me at risk of being hit by that car. I had all of these factors to consider in a span of a couple seconds, and i still stand by my decision to stay in the bike lane while I am driving to the right of braking vehicle traffic. 

 

As far as stopping my bicycle and waiting for the coast to clear: if you stopped and waited before every stopped cab in the city, you might as well walk everywhere—you'll probably get there sooner. The coast was clear, until it wasn't clear, in that one second things changed (one second sooner or later, this incident never happens). I ride my bike with confidence, not apprehension or fear. I anticipate the worst of every situation, and make calculated decisions on the fly based on what is happening in front of me. These are the same split-second decisions any bike rider in the city has to make every day. If you commit to a decision, you better be ready to deal with any outcome. Thats what I did here, and i walked away from it unharmed. 

Permalink Reply by Juan 2-3 or more mi. on November 9, 2011 at 10:17am

When I'm feeling naughty, I like to take the opportunty to teach those cagers how stupid they are by running my front wheel with just enough force into the door to startle them.

Permalink Reply by Duppie on November 9, 2011 at 10:54am

Glad to hear you were unharmed.

Looking at the video it appears that you are not slowing down when you are approaching the cab?

My general rule is that the narrower the opening, the slower I will go. It falls into the category of looking out for myself.

 

 

Kossman said:

Glad to see how everyone has great hindsight recommendations on how to handle this situation.

 

The crux of the issue was the cab in question was driving in traffic, had just slowed down (watch the video to see him driving in a straight line, and then applying his brakes), then stopped and decided to let his passengers out right where he was. So, while i dont pass a stopped cab on the right, i do pass a stopped cab/car/truck/motorcycle/ on the right when he is sitting in traffic (with brake lights on) as was the case here. Typically I expect a cab to put his turn signal or hazards on when he is letting out passengers in a high traffic area (but of course, i don't rely on it). Hell, I even expect them to pull over to the right and completely block the bike lane to make their intentions clear. Of course, none of this happened.

 

and for the record, i did look out for myself and did gauge the possibilty of getting doored, which is why I stopped in enough time where no one was hurt in this incident. The cab, the passenger and the biker all walked away without a scratch. 

 

Everyone has a responsibility to look out for themselves. Everyone has to look out for their own interests and safety. I made a judgement call at the :07 mark of the video to keep in the bike lane knowing my safety will be compromised. At :08 i see the door and begin to stop quickly. Its not until i actually make contact with the door does the passenger realizes what he did. Of course I use whatever part of the road is necessary to avoid trouble, but if I had veered into the oncoming lane and got hit by an oncoming car or the other cab door, then I'm also at fault because i'm considered driving 'recklessly' into oncoming traffic or not riding in the defined bike lane. Furthermore, if I veer around the cab to the left, the grey car coming up quickly behind it is not anticipating me cutting it off, and therefore that move also puts me at risk of being hit by that car. I had all of these factors to consider in a span of a couple seconds, and i still stand by my decision to stay in the bike lane while I am driving to the right of braking vehicle traffic. 

 

As far as stopping my bicycle and waiting for the coast to clear: if you stopped and waited before every stopped cab in the city, you might as well walk everywhere—you'll probably get there sooner. The coast was clear, until it wasn't clear, in that one second things changed (one second sooner or later, this incident never happens). I ride my bike with confidence, not apprehension or fear. I anticipate the worst of every situation, and make calculated decisions on the fly based on what is happening in front of me. These are the same split-second decisions any bike rider in the city has to make every day. If you commit to a decision, you better be ready to deal with any outcome. Thats what I did here, and i walked away from it unharmed. 

Permalink Reply by lauren sailor on November 9, 2011 at 2:23pm

On a dooring note, I've heard that in some progressive European country (Holland, maybe?), drivers ed classes teach drivers to open their car door with their right hand, instead of the left. This means the driver is reaching across their body to open the door, and this twisting motion makes it oh-so-easy to check behind them for oncoming cyclists. 

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