Morning incident

[JProdun]

I've decided to keep the videos of the little incidents (here's never to a real, small or big, accident!) I encounter while riding/commuting in the great city of New York. Mostly for educational purposes. To learn how to avoid the situations that could be avoided and how to deal in the situations where it couldn't.

So today's lesson was the one everyone already knows and most of you have experienced.

Never assume they see you! Even if they look straight at you!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eIgULqdhPnI

[Loftness]

Glad you're ok.  People.....

[MGPilot]

Not just assuming that people see you, but are even looking.

Also, glad you're OK.

[oldbike54]

 Commuting in large metro areas is a challenge . A video record of commuting in NYC should be interesting , I noticed the "English two finger salute" being employed 

  Dusty

[Guzzistajohn]

I don't know how you do it. Big cities are fun to visit, but................ ............


Glad you're OK

[Nic in Western NYS]

Out of the blue, nothing to do about it.  Nice miss.  My great memories of riding in NYC was summer Sunday mornings - no traffic, lots of beauty.

[Shorty]

You were going way faster than I would on that street. Not that the person who almost took you out would have  paid any more attention either way. Glad you are uninjured.

[NCAmother]

Glad you're ok brother 

[Loftness]

Commuting in large metro areas is a challenge . A video record of commuting in NYC should be interesting , I noticed the "English two finger salute" being employed 

  Dusty

I lived in Rome for a couple years and did a lot of Vespa commuting....I've never had so much fun on two wheels.  That said, people there instinctively are aware of bikes around them, and I never had a close call (well, none that weren't partially my fault anyway).

[lucydad]

Whew...

We are all invisible.

Thanks for sharing!

[pikipiki]

Wondering with these car pulls out kind of situations? As the gap narrows - is there a point where you ditch going for the gap and aim at the cars front wheel, plan on a dive off the  bike over bonnet into clear road to avoid ending under something, crushed between cars or knocked sideways face planting the back of a parked RangeRover or similarly slab sided vehicle?

[oldbike54]

Wondering with these car pulls out kind of situations? As the gap narrows - is there a point where you ditch going for the gap and aim at the cars front wheel, plan on a dive off the  bike over bonnet into clear road to avoid ending under something, crushed between cars or knocked sideways face planting the back of a parked RangeRover or similarly slab sided vehicle?

 I don't know anyone whose mind and reflexes are that fast .

 Dusty

[erice]

As a thought, you may want to check the aim of your headlight.  My wife's V7 had it aimed too low, and it was almost impossible to see it coming.  I aimed it up a bit and it made it a LOT more visible.

Eric

[balvenie]

  I aimed it up a bit and it made it a LOT more visible.

Eric

Honestly, that is only if they are looking. Both my GF and I witnessed a car pull out into the street from a business, right in to a passing Car. Happened right in front of us. If it had not collided, we were in its path

[Tom]

Just an observation.  A couple of things.  I always have the horn button covered just in case.  Beep if needed or perceived to be needed.  Your speed seems a little high and why no braking.  Yelling helps.  Yes, I've ridden in the City frequently. 

[Scud]

Thanks for posting that video. I watched it a few times see how it unfolded. The oncoming car was certainly a factor - blocking visibility when the other car began its approach into your lane.

I also noticed that you covered some distance between the time you noticed the car (started movement of two fingers to the brake lever) and when you were able to apply the brake. It seems to me that riding with two fingers on the brake lever would allow you to react more quickly. Applying the brakes about 20 feet earlier can make a big difference in those tight situations.

[JProdun]

Thank you all for chiming in! Truly appreciate!

I completely realize that there are mistakes on my part as well and will learn from them as well as your advices.

One of the reasons I posted the video here is to get advices from more experienced riders than myself and you guys are a lot of help!

Thank you all and be safe!

[Nic in Western NYS]

Very cool that you are open to the advice of the peanut gallery without being defensive.  I strive for that in life with varying degrees of success.

[tazio]

Very cool that you are open to the advice of the peanut gallery without being defensive.  I strive for that in life with varying degrees of success.

:1:

[oldbike54]

Very cool that you are open to the advice of the peanut gallery without being defensive.  I strive for that in life with varying degrees of success.

 After thinking on this for most of the day , I came up with this , hope it helps .

 Dealing with heavy traffic requires seeing it in layers . There will be a vehicle stopped , attempting to turn , or cross straight across the road the MClist is traveling on . Then there will be another vehicle beside that one , on its own course , that must be accounted for . Then there is a bicycle approaching on a tangent , along with a delivery truck parked in an awkward spot . Dealing with all of this means not focusing on one target , but a constant scanning and assessment of the constantly changing conditions . The important thing it seems , is remembering the layer thing . Dang , did that make any sense ? Kind of hard to put in words .

  Dusty

[JProdun]

Makes perfect sense and I constantly follow the routine you've written down, but then there's this one moment when you let yourself relax on your easier than usual morning commute and this happens. So another lesson is to never let yourself go unfocused.

[TobyJug]

'usual morning commute' - I was an instructor many years ago and I noticed that trainees would make good progress from week to week and then, by chance, we'd ride along their 'usual morning commute' route and their riding standard would drop noticeably.

Just an observation.

[tris]

Commuting in large metro areas is a challenge . A video record of commuting in NYC should be interesting , I noticed the "English two finger salute" being employed 

  Dusty

Nice to see that our "culture" is crossing continents   

The initial history behind the gesture is interesting though

http://www.urbandictionary.com/define.php?term=V+Sign

[Jules Ballore]

I don't know anyone whose mind and reflexes are that fast .

 Dusty

I'm currently undergoing recovery from doing what pikipiki said. It is possible. I always ride with the assumption that everyones out to kill me.

But I was traveling on a 4 lane road (two lanes going west, two lanes going east) heading west in the left lane (lane closest to the center). There was traffic to my left heading east and a car to my right keeping pace with me. A car at a cross street waiting at a stop sign began heading north and turning to join the traffic heading east. Because he couldn't merge he slowed quickly when he should've waited anyways. When i saw him start to leave the stop sign i glanced in my mirrors and realized i had no exit. So I stood on my bike and jumped and as the bike hit his front left bumper. I cleared the car for days and rolled on my right arm dislocating it and fracturing my left knee cap. This happened Sept 25th. I'm still in a brace currently, but i'm getting mobility back. Totaled the bike (Actually that's how i landed in this forum) and I used my insurance settlement to buy a Guzzi.

 - Jules

[old as dirt 2]

what I take from the video.

black helmet
black jacket
black motorcycle
too fast for conditions
rider not prepared for stopping by covering brake lever.

[oldbike54]

I'm currently undergoing recovery from doing what pikipiki said. It is possible. I always ride with the assumption that everyones out to kill me.

But I was traveling on a 4 lane road (two lanes going west, two lanes going east) heading west in the left lane (lane closest to the center). There was traffic to my left heading east and a car to my right keeping pace with me. A car at a cross street waiting at a stop sign began heading north and turning to join the traffic heading east. Because he couldn't merge he slowed quickly when he should've waited anyways. When i saw him start to leave the stop sign i glanced in my mirrors and realized i had no exit. So I stood on my bike and jumped and as the bike hit his front left bumper. I cleared the car for days and rolled on my right arm dislocating it and fracturing my left knee cap. This happened Sept 25th. I'm still in a brace currently, but i'm getting mobility back. Totaled the bike (Actually that's how i landed in this forum) and I used my insurance settlement to buy a Guzzi.

 - Jules

 Ouch ! Still , a bit different than what Pikipiki was describing .

  Dusty

[Solojoe]

Good you missed him. I drove urban/interurban bus for 35 years and it always surprised me when someone collided with the bus and said they hadn't seen me. On a bike we are sooooo small. 

[boatdetective]

I live in an area that is at least as congested as this- every car can be a visual block- you really need to get in the habit of predicting what's on the other side (for example, car to your left slows for a left turn and you pass on right- you MUST slow because he could be blocking a car that is in the process of turning left.

The other car was a complete buthead for tryuing to bang a U turn on a tiny street. No doubt empowered by the fact that they were driving a motorized dung beetle. However- I do think you were going a bit fast there.

Oh yeah- buy a white helmet

JKK

[MGPilot]

I think it's relevant to note that the turning car had just been passed by another vehicle that probably blocked his view of the approaching motorcycle. Yes, there were other poor choices made as well.

Probably a lot like NYC, here in Seattle we have a noticeable percentage of foreign drivers who seem to have grown up with public transportation in their home countries and are now trying to cope with a foreign land, signs and traffic -- and driving for them is Not a dominant (well learned, internalized) response.

(And then the really scary part is I see those same drivers giving their kids driving instruction. Like a blind parent helping their kids color-coordinate their clothes for the day.)

Makes driving all the more entertaining.

[toaster404]

Nice magic reflexes.  I like them.  I got mine bicycle commuting in DC - have saved my ass a number of times!!!   

Bright colors etc help, but some people are recklessly indifferent to others on the road. 

Thank you for stopping and educating the moron.  We need to do that.

The saddest experience I had that way as a stop sign coaster over by Loudon Dam.  Honked and pulled over.  She was in tears - literally.  Her head in her hands.  She didn't really look, coasted the stop sign, and I dodged.  Her husband had not been so lucky and was killed when someone did exactly what she did.  I held her a little bit until she stopped shaking and gave her some mental hints on remembering to look and how to look.  I worry about driving becoming automatic for me.

Nice thing about motorcycle destinations is that the local drivers get used to bikes.  I'm up in N. Virginia right now, and suspect I'd have similar incidents several times a week if I were riding!!!!  These guys don't even acknowledge my car.

Bright jacket, carry a trauma kit, Jason Bourne level situational awareness.

Be well all