Let me preface this with: I am not those types of drivers who speed up to try and make the orange light. I used to be, but it just wasn’t worth it, and quite frankly what’s another 30 seconds or so?
I am also not a speed monkey. I don’t like going over the speed limit if it is unsafe and I can help it, and if I ever do cross north of the speed limit, it isn’t more than 5 km/h or so.
So pedestrians, please be careful and DO NOT do any of the following:
1. Stand in the road, rather than well onto the sidewalk.
Why?
Because when I am turning left or right, I just might hit you, because you’re standing on a road that is narrow for a car of my size to begin with.
I can judge the turning, I can go slow, but you are making it a HELL Of a lot harder by standing in the street and not on the sidewalk.
I really don’t want to run over your toes.
2. Dash out in front of my car without catching my attention first
If I see you, why not?
If you just decide to cross while I am waiting at a light, without any pause or warning that you are doing so, I JUST MIGHT HIT YOU.
Surprised? YOu shouldn’t be, or else you’d have crossed at the light or taken more of a precaution for your precious life, stored in your smooshable body.
Also, just because someone lets you go on one lane, doesn’t mean the other person will. Someone could be kind enough to wave you by, but if it’s a two-lane road, check that the second lane is also free. This goes for cars AND pedestrians.
3. Crossing when the lights are not meant for you
Seriously, I may just be looking at the fact that the light is green, and driving through.
If you decide to dash out in front when it is MY turn to go, I will try to brake very hard and miss you, but why would you put me in that position?
I don’t want to hit you.
I don’t want to hit anyone for that matter.
I have a right of way as per my green light, so I am not likely to think that I’d have to stop at any moment.
Please! I can’t see you sometimes!!
4. Being a bicyclist or pedestrian and trying to squeeze past my car on the right
I am very good with bicyclists, I think.
I go extra slow, I try to give them a wide berth, and if they need to take up space in front of me because the road is too narrow, I don’t sweat it if they’re pedaling as fast as they can, but are still slower than my car.
I chill out, crank up the tunes and wish that it was safer in the city so that -I- could bike to work too.
But please don’t try and sneak up and pass me on my right-hand side no less, where I have blind spots, and are unable to see your tiny self on your tiny bicycle (in comparison to my tiny self in a huge vehicle).
5. Not being careful at night when you are wearing all black or very dark colours
Please be careful. If you are wearing all black, with a black cap, and a black winter coat, with black pants.. I am not likely to see you as easily against the dark night.
I try to be careful, but if you are crossing without checking, or dashing out in front of cars because you think you’re invincible, you are going to get in trouble one day.
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That catching the eye bit sounds good. I sincerely wonder however: is it feasible to ask a cyclist to do that in city traffic? (I have not been to NY, been twice in cities in US and not impressed with the amount of eye contact most drivers would be trying to make).
About the sneaking and pass on the right: isn’t that normal behaviour for a bike if the car stands still (traffic light?) and the cyclist can pass?
I am from a cyclist country (NL), so I know that things can be different across the pond. The questions are sincerely puzzling to me, not ment any other way.
“I am very good with bicyclists, I think.”
No you are not, this post proves it.
“But please don’t try and sneak up and pass me on my right-hand side
no less, where I have blind spots, and are unable to see your tiny self
on your tiny bicycle (in comparison to my tiny self in a huge vehicle).”
This is complete crap. We aren’t sneaking up on you we are riding. In most cities we have the legal right to take up the whole lane but still ride to the far right to allow motorist to pass. How many times have you passed a cyclist you share a lane with? That is ok but a cyclist doing the same isn’t? BS, complete motorist hypocrisy and what I call motorist murder privilege.
“….no less, where I have blind spots…”
It’s called a shoulder check. I remember this vividly because the lady giving me my driving tested blasted me for shoulder checking when I made a right hand turn when I had the inside corner.
“…. and are unable to see your tiny self on your tiny bicycle (in comparison to my tiny self in a huge vehicle).”
In other words. “I have a machine that can kill you, do as I say and bow to me!”
Give me an f—ing brake.
Although I do write on this blog on a regular basis, I didn’t write this one. I’m therefore not replying in the name of the author, but I do agree with most of what’s written.
You wrote: “I have a machine that can kill you, do as I say and bow to me!”
It’s not about doing as a motorist say and bowing to it, but a car is a machine that can kill a cyclist. That’s a fact. And even though we, as car drivers, have to do shoulder checks on every turn AND as often as possible to have consciousness about what’s going on all around, I think the statement simply meant that cyclist should ALSO keep in mind that blind spots do exist for everyone on the road and make sure the motorist saw you before turning, crossing, getting closer on the right side, etc.
It’s simply a matter of safety on both sides.
I live in Seattle and I completely agree with all this. Bicyclists act like their life is not valuable. I love the bike lanes, I use the bike lanes and I wish we had more. But it’s a street with Lots of Cars. And pedestrians walking about sort of aimlessly in dark clothes in dark cloudy rainy weather is epidemic. Recently, a tiny elderly woman with gray everything jaywalked on a cloudy gray day, dam near gave me a heart attack. I am not from here and having a hard time adjusting. If it were a small town, it would be different? Or maybe a sunshiny bright town? I don’t know, I can’t wait to move.