Actions by Nice Drivers...

[wsbob]

Yesterday, I was in the bikelane, westbound on Milikan at one of those cross streets going into Tektronix. One of those big ugly rectangular Cadillac fastbacks from many years ago was ahead of me at the stop sign with it's right turn blinker going. There was a car ahead of the Caddy too. In the bike lane, I stayed back a car's length from the Caddy's bumper as the car ahead was already moving out, allowing the Caddy to follow, where I presumed it was likely to transition with a slow moving stop into it's right turn.

Instead, the Caddy hesitates, stops, making me wonder....then through the reflection glaze of the back window, I can just make out the Caddy driver's body cranked around, back and over the driver's seat, and he's motioning with his right arm and hand for me to proceed. Awfully nice of him to do that, but I wonder if drivers understand how difficult it can be for someone outside the car for to see what's going on inside the car.

Once I was sure what he was doing, I proceeded on and gave him the smile and thumbs up as I passed his passenger side window. Someone was in the passenger seat, but maybe they couldn't signal for the driver. At any rate, it's probably not a good idea to trust the signal if it's not from the driver.

[rawillis3]

my partner and I are new to Portland, having arrived from St. Louis less than a week ago (staying at the hostel on Hawthorne until we find a place to live with other transportational cyclists).

initial observations are that motorists are considerably more aware of the presence of cyclists on the roads here, and we have encountered several instances of motorists on the dominant cross street yielding out of turn --which tends to confuse me, and I am only grudgingly learning to cooperate, and then only when it is absolutely clear there are no other motorists around who might not be with the program. as a general principle, I feel that the rules controlling who has the right of way are there to lend predictability to the whole mess, and ought to be followed.

yesterday encountered my first green box. coming up behind a pickup truck who was already at the intersection and had his right turn signal on. my instinct was to pull to the left, behind him, to stay out of the right hook. he was looking in his rearview, hesitating, and then waving us through. we declined, and eventually he made his turn ahead of us.

one positive and one negative for the green box: negative, it created this moment of confusion, positive, the motorist was made hyper-aware of the likely presence of cyclists.

[wyeast]

I only wish this state could figure out an economical way to make raised street markings. Paint on the pavement is awfully hard to see among reflections in the rain.

[biciclero]

Yesterday (6/9) SB in the bike lane on Watson. I had just come across the nightmare intersection of Watson-Broadway-Farmington and was settling back into the bike lane. As traffic that had been behind me was passing to my left, I saw a parked pickup ahead on my right and noticed its driver-side door was ajar. I then saw the door open a bit, then quickly close again, as though the driver saw me coming and pulled the door out of my way, which I am pretty sure is what happened. Thanks to the driver for paying attention, as I had no leftward escape due to passing traffic, and would have had to pull a pretty harsh emergency stop to avoid running into the door had it been opened all the way.

[djasonpenney]

Man, that gives me a warm feeling inside.

They say that the more bicyclists there are, the more likely it is that the motorist is, herself, a bicyclist...

Originally Posted by biciclero

Yesterday (6/9) SB in the bike lane on Watson. I had just come across the nightmare intersection of Watson-Broadway-Farmington and was settling back into the bike lane.
<snip>

[K'Tesh]

Riding to work today, I was pacing a semi... I looked up and the driver gave me a peace sign! When he managed to pull ahead of me, I saw he was driving a big ole' Coors beer truck.

Riding home today, while I was waiting on the frontage between the hwy and the Denny on-ramp (NB)... a cop tried to wave me thru the intersection... I respectfully declined (he was the last car in the bunch, I wanted to go behind him).

Rubberside Down!
K'Tesh

[djasonpenney]

I spent a large part of Saturday on back roads in Yamhill, Marion, and Linn counties. Most of the ride was not on highways of any sort, but rather the farm-to-market roads that all the locals know will git ya there.

I want to report that Oregon rural drivers are the most polite drivers. I could recount numerous instances where the drivers were perfectly comfortable waiting as much as half a minute until it was safe to pass. Almost always, the drivers would fully utilize the pavement (i.e., go onto the left side of the road) in order to pass.

I have a theory that these people are just plain used to farm machinery, livestock, and other obstructions in the road, and, as my wife points out, live at a completely different pace.

I think the next time someone buzzes me too closely on SR-47 I'll have to remind myself that it's probably a gol-darned city slicker trying too hard to get between Newberg and Banks, and probably not a farmer.

[fredlf]

A few weeks back I was riding Marine Drive and came up behind an ODOT truck that was spraying something (herbicide, pesticide?) on the foliage along the median. I got ready to hold my breath as I went by, but they must have seen me in their rear view and they stopped spraying as I rode by them. How cool is that?

[bonny790]

Went on a pretty good ride yesterday out Springwater to Gresham, then North to Prescott (via 205 path), stopped in at Revolver Bikes, then back home near Ross Isl. About 50+ miles and no issues with any drivers. I did have many, many drivers yield to me when it wasn't necessary which earned them a smile and a wave There was a maintenance worker cleaning up the Springwater Corridor far East of 205 and she was very aware of her surroundings and would stop the leaf blower long before i got there. Had nothing but positive encounters with commercial drivers. No shock there, I've always (almost) had good dealing with commercial drivers no matter what form of transportation I'm in.

My only beef was the usual along the Esplanade, you know, peds 4-5 abreast and the racers slicing and dicing, but that's a different thread.

[K'Tesh]

This thread has been too quiet... So, I'll post about someone who did something nice yesterday (8/25/08 )

As I was commuting home yesterday on Hwy 217, I got stuck at the NB Scholls onramp by metered vehicles being packed too close together...

I stopped in the No Mans Land between the hwy and the onramp and realized that I hadn't downshifted, so I picked up the rear of the bike and shifted... when I looked up, a guy in a silver Subaru with two bike racks on top (no bikes) had slowed to a crawl and was holding back at least two other cars to allow me to cross...

Thanks Dude!
K'Tesh