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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
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