Relay-Version: version B 2.10 5/3/83; site utzoo.UUCP Posting-Version: version B 2.10.1 6/24/83; site pur-ee.UUCP Path: utzoo!linus!philabs!cmcl2!floyd!vax135!houxz!houxm!ihnp4!inuxc!pur-ee!ecn-ee!tk From: tk@ecn-ee.UUCP Newsgroups: net.bicycle Subject: Re: life with cars - (nf) Message-ID: <1899@pur-ee.UUCP> Date: Fri, 8-Jun-84 13:30:59 EDT Article-I.D.: pur-ee.1899 Posted: Fri Jun 8 13:30:59 1984 Date-Received: Sat, 9-Jun-84 08:17:03 EDT Sender: notes@pur-ee.UUCP Organization: Electrical Engineering Department , Purdue University Lines: 33 #R:gargoyle:-14500:ecn-ee:18200004:000:1683 ecn-ee!tk Jun 8 09:57:00 1984 _ Whether the driver uses his turn signal in a situation like the one you described is really beside the point. If you were in a car, wouldn't you think it incredible if somebody passed you on the left and then turned right, even if they were signaling? One of my early experiences with cyclist-meets-right-turning-car did not have such a gentle ending. I never had a chance to see if the driver was signaling or not. I was about 15 feet from a busy intersection traveling at around 20mph when a car passing me on the left began to turn right when it was directly beside me. I was pinned against the side of the car before there was any chance to react, the next thing I knew I was on the ground. The driver never stopped, and probably never heard or saw me from inside their air-conditioned dinosaur. Even then I knew enough to put myself further out into the lane than usual when approaching an intersection, but I wasn't obtrusive enough to keep this driver(?) from getting around. I don't think it was somebody that was intentionally trying to run me down, it's just that I was on a bicycle so it didn't really matter. Cyclists are put into this situation so often that the point can't really can't be made strong enough: when you're approaching an intersection, GET OUT IN THE MIDDLE OF THE LANE. I'm not sure if you can get far enough out to keep some people from trying to get around you (ever seen someone make a right turn from the left lane on a 4-lane road?), but try. You may piss off a lot of drivers, but it's your right to protect yourself from them. -------- Tom Kirk UUCP: {allegra|decvax|harpo|ihnp4|teklabs|ucbvax}!pur-ee!tk ARPA: pur-ee!tk@berkeley.arpa