by 
A four intersection, but a three way stop. The road I’m on is one way once you pass through. Traffic to my left, up the hill and in front of me at the stop sign. Nothing to the right, which is essentially a parking lot.
Girl to my left goes, turning left on to the roadway I will soon be traveling. Car in front of me should be next right? One and one?.
No.
Cop to the left behind the first car lights it up and follows the girl through the stop sign. Ok. Now, the car in front of me turns left up the hill, to where the cop just came from. My turn now, right?
No.
Girl who was behind cop on the left, on her cell phone mind you, turns left as I’m halfway through the intersection. I hit the brakes and sit up, she passes in front of me by less than four feet. I’d give her the finger, but I’m too busy white knuckling the handlebars.
It’s over now, right?
No.
Cop has now pulled over girl in first car. He’s parked halfway in the bike lane, and halfway out into the street. I decide to go around him on the traffic side as there isn’t enough room on the right.
He allows the girls who cut me off, still on her cell phone mind you, to pass him by and then he throws open his door and damn near fucking kills me.
Why? Because I’m invisible.
Six foot five, two hundred and twenty pounds and I’m fucking invisible.
Tonight’s link dump:
[coolness] wired.com
[top 9 manliest names] cracked.com
[blogness] megabottleride.blogspot.com
[blogness] thedailymusette.blogspot.com
[puttin in work] cnn.com
by 
sounds like the jungle. Sucks when your biker friendly town has this happen on a regular occurance… thats why road riding is so dangerous in so-cal.
That sounds a lot like what I have gotten ridding on some of my loops. I’m 6’4″ 280lbs and I’m riding with 6’2″220lbs and we are always getting cut off.
…you are quite right, you are invisible…
…despite all the work by the various bike coalitions, cycling clubs & concerned individuals around the country, we are becoming less visible all the time…
…rather than getting better, it’s becoming more of an uphill battle…
…if there was one public service announcement reminding people to consider the safety of cyclists for every one hundred advertisements on tv or the internet, for cell-phones, i-pods, blackberry’s, all of the devices that become distractions for drivers, we might stand a better chance…
…but don’t count on it…count on becoming even more invisible…
Sounds like you were in bike-friendly Portland, OR. Next time you’re here, let me at least buy you a beer.
Don’t begin to think the cops care. Stopped to talk to one after seeing a bunch of people parked in a bike lane (they eat at the resturant across the street and think the bike lane is on street parking). Cop says,”if I write a bunch of tickets, then the businesses will get upset with the police.” I smiled and thanked him, then left and kinda gave up on the local law. No one cares, other than cyclists. I just can’t wait ’til these assholes are paying $5 a gallon to run us off the road.
Met a Harley rider who complained of the same problem. (it happens to motos too). His solution was a pair of chrome 45’s bandito style across his chest. Claimed it worked like a charm. Kindof a big weight penalty on a bike though.
Thats why they make them nice, light Glocks though, right?
Any weight ‘penalties’ are deferred with the benefits of scaring the shit out of some soccer mom bitch with her cell permanently attached to her ear getting a back panel that looks like swiss cheese.
Fuck a H2, and cars in general.
It could always be worse.
I made eye contact with a bus driver who was picking up passengers. (Smiled and nodded, he nodded and smiled back.)
I pulled past him, stopped at the red light, and he ran right into me.
It wasn’t bad, he was stopping for the light as well.
Apparently he didn’t expect me to stop for the light so he pulled up to the intersection while distracted by a passenger.
whoops. :)
This is why sometimes I use bike lights during the day. (Daytime running lights for bikes).
I am in NYC and invisible not only to vehicles (cars, trucks, nypd, scooters, etc) but also to pedestrians. I’ve found that having the front blinkie on frequently gives me a clear path through throngs of peds. It also helps prevent oncoming traffic from turning left in front of me and cutting me off.
It’s pretty silly but it works. It also helps that my front light is quite bright.
Lights are good. So is Dayglo clothing. It looks corny but it does work. My moto touring jacket is visible as a glowing green dot at extreme (like 7-8miles) range. Pretty cool. Especially in National Parks I have had people come wipping out and suddenly see me. I credit the obcene color. It also has the armor to survive a car hit. I feel naked on a bicycle now.