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 S.Presley☠ on July 22, 2013 at 3:04pm

http://youtu.be/hgCqz3l33kU?t=22s

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Permalink Reply by Duppie on July 22, 2013 at 3:16pm

In a different thread I saw this post. I have no idea who SLR is, but he has a very valid point:

"Take control of your feelings and your experience on the road. Expect that the majority of motorists will actively disregard you. Ride accordingly. Don't get upset when you see it, because you knew it was going to happen. If you're an aggressive biker then you can swerve around cars parked in the bike lane, and if you're not then you have to expect to make unforeseen stops as a consequence of your riding style. Either way, know what to expect, and that way you are in control of your own experience.

Judgments about types of people and types of cars are irrelevant. It's about you and whether or not you're enjoying biking. And if other people are interfering with your ability enjoy one of your passions, then you need to figure out a way to take control."

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Permalink Reply by yaj 7.4 on July 22, 2013 at 3:35pm

Thank you, that MFB link is hilarious. Sometimes I get so frustrated because so many folks are doing things wrong - just today I encountered people walking down the bike lane, standing in the bike lane talking on their phone, salmoning, etc. I need to remember to just enjoy the ride, because I'm lucky that all my body parts and all my bike's parts work well enough for me to ride every day. I'll try not to be the person on a MFB.

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Permalink Reply by SlowCoachOnTheRoad on July 22, 2013 at 4:02pm

People with cars must look before opening their doors so as not to door a bike or face hefty fines, but there is no law to my knowledge (is there?) prohibiting someone from keeping their door open (say, to rummage through their stuff, vacuum, pack, or enjoy the cool air). They may have looked when they opened it, and after that it is our responsibility surely to avoid that which we can plainly see ahead. Just ride around it and don't worry about it too much....

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Permalink Reply by Anne Alt on July 23, 2013 at 12:43am

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.

h' 1.0 said:

Sorry, coach, that's not accurate.

18634

9-80-035 Opening and closing vehicle doors - Permalink

No person shall open the door of a vehicle on the side available to moving traffic unless and until it is reasonably safe to do so, and can be done without interfering with the movement of other traffic, nor shall any person leave a door open on the side of a vehicle available to moving traffic for a period of time longer than necessary to load or unload passengers.

Added Coun. J. 3-12-08, p. 22781, § 2

SlowCoachOnTheRoad said:

People with cars must look before opening their doors so as not to door a bike or face hefty fines, but there is no law to my knowledge (is there?) prohibiting someone from keeping their door open (say, to rummage through their stuff, vacuum, pack, or enjoy the cool air). They may have looked when they opened it, and after that it is our responsibility surely to avoid that which we can plainly see ahead. Just ride around it and don't worry about it too much....

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Permalink Reply by Reboot Oxnard on July 23, 2013 at 2:50am

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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Permalink Reply by Adam Herstein on July 23, 2013 at 3:06am

Let it go and move on with your day.

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Permalink Reply by Kevin C Dormant on July 23, 2013 at 3:19am

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.

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Permalink Reply by Rich S on July 23, 2013 at 3:49am

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.

But if you see this happen frequently on a particular block or especially in front of a specific business like delivery drivers in front of a pizza joint then you may be able to get some results. Document the times you see it happen and try contacting the manager. If you don't get anywhere or if it's a certain block that's bad then call the alderman's office and ask for department of revenue enforcement.

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Permalink Reply by Adam Herstein on July 23, 2013 at 3:51am

If I complained about every idiot with his door open, I'd never leave Chainlink. Gotta pick and choose what to complain about. :-)

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.

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Permalink Reply by David P. on July 23, 2013 at 4:14am

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.