Spare Tire Hazard...

[K'Tesh]

Forwarded from mercurialFred, a new member who still cannot post yet...

I saw an SUV (this particular one was a 90s GMC Jimmy) with an unsecured spare tire arm on the rear swinging way out to the right (looked like 3 feet), definitely intruding into the space where an unlucky cyclist might have found him or herself.

I don't have a great solution for it aside from the usual mirror hypervigilance and riding in full body armor, but I think it's something worth mentioning.

I can provide you with more, less germane details if that's somehow helpful.

His request to be included has been made.

Thanks mercurialFred for the Warning...

Rubberside Down!
K'Tesh

[brock]

Last year I passed an old beat up sedan on Terwilliger in the bike lane during the evening commute when the cars were all stacked up. As he (driving without passengers) came to a stop as traffic stuttered, the passenger door swung open right into the bike lane. I had plenty of time to avoid it but as I passed I spoke to the guy, who told me (and seemed to thing it was funny) that the latch doesn't work and sometimes it swings open when he stops. He got an earful from me to say the least.

[the Wumpus]

Last year I passed an old beat up sedan on Terwilliger in the bike lane during the evening commute when the cars were all stacked up. As he (driving without passengers) came to a stop as traffic stuttered, the passenger door swung open right into the bike lane. I had plenty of time to avoid it but as I passed I spoke to the guy, who told me (and seemed to thing it was funny) that the latch doesn't work and sometimes it swings open when he stops. He got an earful from me to say the least.

I don't know... It's a tossup between calling the cops about some car door swinging all over the place, or taking a little time to tell the guy about the seat belt trick: Loop the belt through the door handle and latch it, door stays shut. Probably the latter. At least it won't be swatting parked cars or people wherever he goes.

I haven't encountered one of those out on the bike yet, but have seen plenty of RV steps left out, big pickups with strap-on fifth wheel mirrors the drivers aren't used to having hanging way out there, and trailers wider than the vehicle pulling them. I get a little proactive with anything that looks like something the driver doesn't deal with every day. Especially U-Haul rentals.