Thursday, February 21, 2013

What to do in a "Pinch".

For the last few days I've been riding in along Mill Street.  I don't know why.....I was a little late.  It's shorter.  I was on my road bike and it's fun to pass all the traffic backed up at lights.  It's just the route I chose.  It was all happy days until yesterday, just about as I was at the office.  That's when I got the classic bike lane pinch.  It happens a lot with "traditional" bike lanes at larger intersections (in this case Rock and Mill) and looks like this....


I was heading east on Mill St. at the time and the right turn lane was backed up a bit due to morning traffic.....just about to the location where the cars cross the dashed bike lane.


In the picture above I tried to show the problem area.  The red is a car and the yellow dash is me.  Start the scenario with at the far left.....this is where a large City of Reno truck towing a tank of asphalt (or thermoplastic) passes me, totally getting on the gas only to realize his right turn option is backed up almost crossing the bike lane. 

Meaning he definitely saw me and knows I was there beside him (he was trying to pass).  About 3-5 seconds later, at the center red circle and yellow line, he hasn't cleared me because he's now on the brakes.  He still decides to come through me attempting to enter the right turn lane. 

In response I slammed his passenger side door with my fist as hard as I can, because he's definitely not looking or thinking about me.  He gets a clue and moves back into the primary right lane allowing me to ride through. 

At the far right circle and line you can see he's now even with me at the red light.  I told him he could have killed me!  He tells me to fuck off and gives me the finger.

Nice guy!  I hope he gets scalded by whatever was in the tank he was towing!

Here's an image to give you perspective from the google street view.  I would have been on the left of the vehicle in the picture.

1 comment:

  1. And all whilst in the employ of the great city of Reno.

    ReplyDelete