Justin Serna
I would have to agree with Chris in this situation if the cyclist was in fact traveling at the speeds you described he had every right to hold the lane he was in and the bus should have given him the right of way. However I will agree with you that merging in front of a bus at that speed and proximity is very dangerous. I have found that quite often bus drivers can be the worst offenders when it comes to giving way to cyclist. Unfortunately with the increased popularity of cycling we will see many different types of riders just as we see in those who drive automobiles. I think the key is to judge each situation as an individual case and then remember that everyone has a point of view, but I guess that would be a bit idealistic.
Cheers and safe training and riding..........
J. Serna
#1250
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From: Chris Alling
To: Obra
Sent: Thursday, April 2, 2009 10:54:05 AM
Subject: Re: [OBRA Chat] What was he thinking.
>From your description it sounds as if the bus should have yielded the right of way to the cyclist and he should be lambasted for not applying the brakes and yielding. It sounds like the bike was traveling legally with the flow af traffic.
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From: JRaedeke@roguecc.edu
To: obra@list.obra.org
Date: Thu, 2 Apr 2009 10:07:49 -0700
Subject: Re: [OBRA Chat] What was he thinking.
Amen !!! Lets all try to not give motorists any reasons to dislike cyclist on the roadways. Lets make positive progress.
john
From:obra-bounces@list.obra.org [mailto:obra-bounces@list.obra.org] On Behalf Of Mike Rosenfeld
Sent: Thursday, April 02, 2009 9:38 AM
To: OBRA
Subject: [OBRA Chat] What was he thinking.
I am not one to publicly lambaste another cyclist but I witnessed such a huge display stupidity this morning I have to take the time to vent.
The incident took place where Capitol Highway merges onto Barbur Blvd. I have attached a picture of the area to refresh memories.
There is a bike path for those heading towards downtown to go around the overpass and then merge back onto Barbur Blvd safely.
It was about 7:45am, pouring down rain, and very low visibility.
I was driving (yes I know...you can pick on me for driving) towards downtown and was passing under the overpass. I see a cyclist with minimal lighting and dark cycling gear, The rain jacket was Red, bluish helmet. I would have to gauge this cyclist as a racer due to the type of bike, smooth spin, and speed at which he was traveling, also the gear was indicative of someone who knows how to ride in the rain....speed would be maybe 25 to 30 mph. They decide to bypass the bike path round-about and go under the over pass.
As I close the distance and pass under the overpass I see a Trimet bus coming down the ramp getting ready to merge onto Barbur from Capitol.
The cyclist stands up and starts to sprint.
The Bus increases speed.
I slow down in case the cyclist needs to veer into my lane....Every muscle in my body tenses and I mutter a curse under my breath through clenched jaws as the cyclist cuts across in front of the bus. And this is no joke.....there was only 5 feet of clearance between the rear wheel of the cyclist and the bus...it was even less by the time the cyclist clears the bumper of the bus and is safely across the lane.
The brake lights on the bus never even flickered.
I really thought I was going to watch this guy die....not just hurt but actually dead. The bus was doing at least mid 30's and would have smeared the cyclist for at least 100+ feet before stopping.
This is the sort of thing that gives people legitimate complaints against cyclists.
I know the argument that some experienced cyclists have with regards to being in control of their environment and know the limitations of their handling skills and speeds....but for goodness sake this was just down right STUPID!!
I hope the cyclist is in fact a racer, a member of OBRA, and is reading this. My message to you is this:
Your actions impact more than just you. If you had been wrong in your abilities to clear the buses bumper, I and at least 30+ other people would have watch you die. Horribly. Think of how the driver of the bus would have felt knowing he or she had taken your life. For what?? 30 extra seconds? Not wanting to deal a little bit of gravel? Think about this before you do something like this again. Your actions.....your decisions....have consequences to yourself and others.
I am a cyclist. I have been riding both competitively and for leisure on and off for 25 years. I state this to lend credence to my assessment of the situation.
Mike Rosenfeld
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