[SDCBC] Cycling Etiquette

[Eric Hollenbeck]

When you turned and looked at the motorist in
question, was she looking at you before you merged?

If she wasn't looking, you were in the right.
If she was looking, you were in the right.

If you didn't look, your guilty of startling a
distracted motorist, and lucky to be alive.

Eric

--- James Hotchkiss <jhotchkiss at cox.net> wrote:

> I got into a yelling match with a motorist on my way
> home (on my bike) this
> afternoon.
> I feel bad because I know that the motorist went
> home with a sour experience
> with a cyclist.  I also question as to whether I was
> in the right.
> Going west on Fletcher Parkway, coming out of El
> Cajon, the (3 lane) road
> forks.  2 lanes go to the left and remain Fletcher
> Parkway, 2 lanes go to
> the right and become Navajo Road.  The center lane
> splits.  I need to follow
> the road to the left (Fletcher Parkway).  As a
> cyclist I position myself in
> the middle of the center lane, forcing cars that are
> going to go to the
> right of the fork to take the lane to my right, and
> forcing the cars that
> are going to go to the left of the fork to take the
> lane to my left.  Once
> past the fork, I move over to the right side of the
> road.
> This motorist came up behind me and leaned on her
> horn.  I caught her at a
> traffic light and she was furious with me.  She told
> me that she almost hit
> me and had to take evasive action to get around me. 
> (When I had moved in to
> occupy the center lane, there was no one within 200
> yards of me).
> I told her that I needed to establish myself in the
> center lane to let
> motorists know my intentions.  She felt that I was
> cycling recklessly.  I
> think she thought I should have stayed to the
> extreme right and moved over
> only at the last minute. 
> Was I following proper bicycle/automobile etiquette?
> Is there a quick response that I could have given
> this motorist to get her
> to see my predicament and maybe come out of the
> exchange with compassion for
> what it is like to commute on a bicycle?
> 
> Thanks,
> 
> JimH
> 
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