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I have little confidence in my ability as a biker to recognize which of the dozens of cars I bike past might h person in them. The car could appear empty becau

by dpark 10y ago

I have little confidence in my ability as a biker to recognize which of the dozens of cars I bike past might h person in them. The car could appear empty because the driver is bent over picking something off the floor. Or their head might be blocked by the headrest. Or I might just not notice them. More to the point, what am I supposed to do if I see a car with someone in it? Slam on my brakes, assuming they will door me, and get hit by the cyclist behind me instead? Turn my 30 minute ride into an hour because I'm constantly stopping randomly? I totally agree that simply assuming that because you have the right of way that you will get it is a terrible idea. But I don't think pushing the burden onto the cyclist is the fix either. We should be reducing the requirement for constant human vigilance because humans suck at being vigilant.

et-al 10y ago
You can control how vigilant the other person is, but you can control how vigilant you are. In a bike lane, right as far away (to the left) of parked cars as possible. That already gives you a safety buffer. And if you happen to be in tight valley of parked cars, then slow down and be extra cautious, or ride fast and take the lane. And wave to a driver every now and then to say thanks. They're people with places to go, too.
- et-al 10y ago
  Ugh, that was supposed to read: You cannot control how vigilant the other person is, but you can control how vigilant you are.
FullMtlAlcoholc 10y ago
> But I don't think pushing the burden onto the cyclist is the fix either. We should be reducing the requirement for constant human vigilance because humans suck at being vigilant. I don't see it as a burden. I see it as a duty to keep myself safe. Even if a law is passed, people make mistakes, people are drunk or high, people are old and have slow reaction times, and some people are just klutzes. Most importantly, they are always going to be more vigilant because there is no omnipresent danger guiding their behavior. The threat of any ticket is not severe enough to equate with possible brain damage. It would be great if everyone were more conscientious. Even then, I would still be as vigilant. At the end of the day, you're still a 200lb vehicle moving probably around 20 mph with weak brakes (when compared to a car) and no real evasive ability riding amongst a herd of 2-ton armored vehicles. In California at least, bikes don't have to stay in the bike lane. They can use regular lanes as they see fit. If the car lane is empty as I'm riding past parked cars, I will simply change to that lane. If not, I slow down. And I accept that that isn't likely to change because I live in Los Angeles

by dpark 10y ago

et-al 10y ago

You can control how vigilant the other person is, but you can control how vigilant you are. In a bike lane, right as far away (to the left) of parked cars as possible. That already gives you a safety buffer. And if you happen to be in tight valley of parked cars, then slow down and be extra cautious, or ride fast and take the lane. And wave to a driver every now and then to say thanks. They're people with places to go, too.

et-al 10y ago
Ugh, that was supposed to read: You cannot control how vigilant the other person is, but you can control how vigilant you are.

FullMtlAlcoholc 10y ago

> But I don't think pushing the burden onto the cyclist is the fix either. We should be reducing the requirement for constant human vigilance because humans suck at being vigilant. I don't see it as a burden. I see it as a duty to keep myself safe. Even if a law is passed, people make mistakes, people are drunk or high, people are old and have slow reaction times, and some people are just klutzes. Most importantly, they are always going to be more vigilant because there is no omnipresent danger guiding their behavior. The threat of any ticket is not severe enough to equate with possible brain damage. It would be great if everyone were more conscientious. Even then, I would still be as vigilant. At the end of the day, you're still a 200lb vehicle moving probably around 20 mph with weak brakes (when compared to a car) and no real evasive ability riding amongst a herd of 2-ton armored vehicles. In California at least, bikes don't have to stay in the bike lane. They can use regular lanes as they see fit. If the car lane is empty as I'm riding past parked cars, I will simply change to that lane. If not, I slow down. And I accept that that isn't likely to change because I live in Los Angeles