Aggressive left turns.

How often does this happen to everyone? You’re cycling through an intersection and a car is waiting to turn left and right as you clear them they are practically turning into your rear wheel. What the hell is up with that?

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Permalink Reply by TonyP on December 30, 2018 at 2:20pm

All the time. Or they start moving when you are in front of them, do they see me or not.

They're probably very important people who have to get home and watch TV or something.

Permalink Reply by Skip Montanaro 0mi on December 30, 2018 at 4:13pm

I think part of it is that most drivers are only used to interacting with other cars. The kind of moves which scare the beejezus out of us bike riders are largely inconsequential when they involve two cars at low speed.

Permalink Reply by TonyP on December 30, 2018 at 4:37pm

I'd say that you've hit the nail on the head, and that that part is a rather large part.

Permalink Reply by Anne Alt on January 3, 2019 at 4:01am

Yep, that's a biggie.

Permalink Reply by Phillip Hutchinson on January 3, 2019 at 4:54am

I encounter this all the time while cycling and driving. The left turning driver is usually creeping into the intersection anticipating the turn as well. I end up slowing down and moving further to the right to make sure they see me, which then makes them even more aggressive. They do this to pedestrians too. 


These are the same people that accelerate out into the middle of the intersection at a busy 4-way stop while pedestrians are crossing on the far side, then stop (or slowly roll) while blocking cross-traffic because it was "their turn" and they didn't want to let other cars go while they waited for pedestrians to cross. 

It's not a visibility issue. They see you, they just don't give a crap and find your presence in the roadway annoying. 

Permalink Reply by Ernesto Lube on January 3, 2019 at 4:56am
Happened to me as I was crossing a street. Pedestrians had the right of way. A Dodge Neon sped through, running the red light, only coming to a halt because I decided to cross the intersection when the crosswalk signal lit up. I kicked the car on the back panel.
Permalink Reply by Ernesto Lube on January 4, 2019 at 5:26am

Last night, around 5:40ish PM, I was at the intersection of Oak St. and Michigan Ave. I always cross at that crosswalk, off the bike, walking. And I always cross as soon as I get the walk signal going north. Always. I don’t care if up to five cars trail one another, running the left turn red light. Those drivers need to judge time and space… because I don’t think they know what rules and common sense are.

There was a CTA bus at the intersection that was going to make a left turn (headed on Oak towards the lake). It was one of those long ones with the accordion in the middle. You know which ones they are. It was already half way in the intersection…

Naturally, as I got the walk signal, I began crossing – bus revs it up to cut off traffic who had the green light heading north. I am half way the crosswalk and driver yelled at me “TRAFFIC LAWS!”

Yeah, obey traffic laws, rules, common sense.

Permalink Reply by Phillip Hutchinson on January 4, 2019 at 5:48am

That intersection is particularly bad for motorists running the red on the South Bound left turn arrow. Also, there is no CTA bus route that goes down Oak (which is actually called "East Lake Shore Drive" east of Michigan). Not sure why they would even be making that turn.

Regardless, glad to hear you're OK and didn't get hit. I've seen some really close calls there, and this is the location where Blaine Klingenberg was killed by a bus driver in 2016. 

Permalink Reply by Ernesto Lube on January 4, 2019 at 5:55am

Thanks, Phillip. I failed to mention that the bus was void of passengers - I think that's why the driver felt the liberty to yell. I hope he's allergic to asparagus, and if he has a dog and does pick up his dog's poop, there's an extra hole in the bag he uses so his finger gets it also.

I've gotten yelled at by other drivers at that intersection when I cross - especially in the summer when that intersection is crowded with pedestrians. 

Permalink Reply by Phillip Hutchinson on January 4, 2019 at 6:24am

Haha. Awesome. 

I also typically start crossing here as soon as I get the signal, but almost every time I have to stop and wait for a few red-light-running motorists to complete their turn and clear the intersection, and they often get super aggressive if they can't. 

I don't understand why there isn't a red light camera to at least ticket motorists running that left turn red light. Also it's ridiculous that there isn't a crosswalk on the North leg of Michigan. Over 20,000 pedestrians (and 700 cyclists) a day access the lakefront at Oak Street Beach during the summer, and the intersection design forces them all to cross at this single point on the South and East side of the intersection so that a handful of motorists can get through faster. 

This whole area is a great example of terrible design that prioritizes motorists above all else. Michigan is 7 friggin lanes wide, and pedestrians are left with about 10 feet of sidewalk squeezed up against the curb and littered with traffic signal poles and equipment. There's no space for bikes anywhere. Don't even get me started on that North Bound 151 CTA Bus Stop on the tiny concrete median... sigh.

Permalink Reply by Ernesto Lube on January 4, 2019 at 6:45am

Yes, cameras with a constantly flashing light as a warning, maybe, would deter red running drivers. 

Last summer, there was a group of pedestrians ready to cross and I told them that as soon as we get the walk signal, we cross. Did so only to get three left red light running cars stuck at the intersection because people who were crossing on the other side also started to cross. 

Honking ensued from the legit traffic headed north. Hey, if its our turn to cross, I cross. I get hit, it is that driver's fault.  

Permalink Reply by mike w. on January 4, 2019 at 10:35am

i hope that when you're dead right you don't get right dead! There are a lot of homicidal drivers out there!

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