"Watch for bikes" warnings in cabs?

I think it's a good idea (as I've been doored by a cab).

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Permalink Reply by Sean Struble on July 17, 2012 at 7:38am

I've had worse problems with cabs cutting me off by not signaling.  Happens almost everytime I'm on a busy road.

Permalink Reply by Sean Struble on July 17, 2012 at 7:47am

Of course it's a good idea! I didn't think I was implying that. I was just commenting that cabs in this city are something I feel I always have to be wary of.

Serge Lubomudrov said:

Hmm . . . So you don't think an extra warning for a passenger exiting a cab is a good idea?

Sean Struble said:

I've had worse problems with cabs cutting me off by not signaling.  Happens almost everytime I'm on a busy road.

Permalink Reply by Anne Alt on July 17, 2012 at 7:47am

As someone who's been doored by a taxi passenger, I think this is a great idea.

Permalink Reply by Mike Keating on July 17, 2012 at 2:28pm

Coincidentally I had a cab vs. bicycle case up today in court. The cab that hit my bicyclist client was a Yellow Cab. Anyways, the attorney for Yellow Cab is a decent guy. We were talking on the way out and he told me that Yellow Cab will vigorously defend any case where there is a dooring on the passenger (right) side of the cab. He said this is because cabs are required to let the passengers out on the curb side, not into the street. He said the only exception they make is when the cab lets the passenger out onto the bike lane from the middle of the street. Yellow Cab takes the stance that if the bike tries to go around the cab on the cab's passenger side, the cab is at fault.


While I disagree on their approach (no surprise there) there is a lesson to the story. Unlike most cars where we all know to watch for the driver popping out, with a cab there is always a risk that any door on any side could pop open. So be extra careful. And while the cab is supposed to let all passenger out on the curb side, we all know they rarely do.

Permalink Reply by MackenzieTruck on July 17, 2012 at 2:34pm

i agree! about damn time!

Permalink Reply by Anne Alt on July 17, 2012 at 2:41pm

In my situation, the cabbie stopped at the stop bar at a 4-way stop next to the centerline - far from the curb.  He looked like he would be either going straight or turning left.  We know how often they forget to use their turn signals.

Mike Keating said:

Coincidentally I had a cab vs. bicycle case up today in court. The cab that hit my bicyclist client was a Yellow Cab. Anyways, the attorney for Yellow Cab is a decent guy. We were talking on the way out and he told me that Yellow Cab will vigorously defend any case where there is a dooring on the passenger (right) side of the cab. He said this is because cabs are required to let the passengers out on the curb side, not into the street. He said the only exception they make is when the cab lets the passenger out onto the bike lane from the middle of the street. Yellow Cab takes the stance that if the bike tries to go around the cab on the cab's passenger side, the cab is at fault.


While I disagree on their approach (no surprise there) there is a lesson to the story. Unlike most cars where we all know to watch for the driver popping out, with a cab there is always a risk that any door on any side could pop open. So be extra careful. And while the cab is supposed to let all passenger out on the curb side, we all know they rarely do.

Permalink Reply by Far'arned Retrogrumpalunkus #63 on July 17, 2012 at 3:26pm

Great idea.  I like it.

When it comes to cabs I always assume that the doors will fly open at any time if they are running at <5MPH and plan accordingly.  Also they can dart to the side and change lanes very rapidly -especially curbward to let off a fare or pick one up.  Keep a lookout for peds on the curb hailing them -that's a warning sign that a cab may zoom out of nowhere to snatch a fare. 

Permalink Reply by Michael A on July 17, 2012 at 4:09pm

I take a lot of cabs. They already have a exit on curb side only sticker that is ignored, a watch for bikes will be ignored just as well

Permalink Reply by Adam Herstein on July 17, 2012 at 4:49pm

I don't understand... Do you have this backwards? I'd think that if a cyclist tries to go around on the passenger side, then the cab company would blame the cyclist, since the cabbie is following the rules in that case.

Mike Keating said:

Yellow Cab takes the stance that if the bike tries to go around the cab on the cab's passenger side, the cab is at fault.

Permalink Reply by Anne Alt on July 18, 2012 at 12:52am

If there is enough room for the bike to pass on the passenger side, then the cab is NOT pulled over to the curb as legally required.

Adam Herstein said:

I don't understand... Do you have this backwards? I'd think that if a cyclist tries to go around on the passenger side, then the cab company would blame the cyclist, since the cabbie is following the rules in that case.

Mike Keating said:

Yellow Cab takes the stance that if the bike tries to go around the cab on the cab's passenger side, the cab is at fault.

Permalink Reply by Far'arned Retrogrumpalunkus #63 on July 18, 2012 at 12:53am

Exactly!

Anne Alt said:

If there is enough room for the bike to pass on the passenger side, then the cab is NOT pulled over to the curb as legally required.


Permalink Reply by Melanie K on July 18, 2012 at 1:19am

We had a cab that suddenly and without warning stopped in the road and the passenger just flung the door out into the bike lane.  There was no warning, no signal, and no indication that the cab was going to stop.  We guessed that the passenger told the driver to "stop here".  Didn't have much problem settling with the cab company on that one as they acknowledged the driver shouldn't have just stopped in the middle of the street like that and should have pulled to the curb or to the next intersection to let out the passenger.  I think warning stickers would be a good idea and wouldn't cost much for a taxi company to put them in.

On a similar, I wish the city would put in "Watch for Bikes" signs on busy bike routes similar to those stickers.

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