While bike commuting last wk, a car speeding around traffic at Market/Van Ness swerved to get into the lane for cars to get onto 10th/11th streets, stopped at an angle. It's a screwy intersection, but it blocked 2 lanes of cars and the route for bikes to shift lanes.
-
Show this thread
-
I was forced to hop off my bike to get around the car, glared at the driver and remounted only to see 30 feet ahead, a bicyclist doing a weird maneuver at Market/11th. I remember thinking, "What is he doing?" And then I hit the pavement.
1 reply 0 retweets 0 likesShow this thread -
With a second of distraction, my wheel went into the rut for the trolley track in the middle part of Market Street. My knees were black, blue and bloodied, and they still hurt, but otherwise I am fine. (My bike, too.)
1 reply 0 retweets 0 likesShow this thread -
Another day. Another motorized vehicle following too closely. Maybe falling the other way, into a car. The incident could have been worse.
1 reply 0 retweets 0 likesShow this thread -
So excuse me if I get mad when I hear about bicyclist Tess Rothstein being struck and killed by a truck at Howard and 6th streets after, according to early reports, swerving to avoid an opening car door.
1 reply 0 retweets 0 likesShow this thread -
I've deliberately gone down, and required knee surgery, to avoid a cab running a stop sign. I've been hit by a car. I've freaked out at potholes and, once, a low manhole cover, went over the handlebars and broke my elbow. And I've swerved to avoid dozens of car doors.
1 reply 1 retweet 1 likeShow this thread -
Side note: The potholes and pavement depressions at manhole covers along Market Street have gotten dangerously severe for cyclists.
1 reply 0 retweets 1 likeShow this thread -
I realize the city can't instantly redo our streets. I realize people have various ways to get to/from/between work, including cars. I realize some bicyclists fly through intersections. We're all just trying to get to the next place as quickly as possible. We get distracted.
1 reply 0 retweets 0 likesShow this thread -
None of that takes away from the fact that protected bikeways save lives: Cyclists move more easily with fewer worries like being "doored," and car/truck drivers have a heightened awareness of where cyclists are on the road.
1 reply 0 retweets 0 likesShow this thread -
In the meantime, slow down, watch for others around you, check the mirror, turn and look around. Take a second to look. Cede 10 feet in front of you so you don't block traffic. The time and space will still be there. Tess Rothstein, however, won't be.
1 reply 1 retweet 5 likesShow this thread
Thank you for sharing all this.
Loading seems to be taking a while.
Twitter may be over capacity or experiencing a momentary hiccup. Try again or visit Twitter Status for more information.