Submitted by Unfair_Isopod534 t3_127v6nc in boston
Hi all, a bit of a rant.
If you happen to own a driving school in Brookline, you might consider learning a bit more about passing people on the road. I was on Washington Street crossing Comm Ave, and this fabulous driver decided to pass me on right side, about foot away from me.
I don't like ranting online, but this is just purely ridiculous. Especially when a driving school car does it to you. I wish I had my GoPro on me.
Yeah i wasn't in the left turn lane, i was going straight. I guess just not fast enough...
I thought cyclists are generally supposed to stay to the right? https://thecce.org/cycling-skills/traffic/where-should-i-ride/
Not in Massachusetts.
Statewide law here is that cyclists may use the entire lane, on any and every roadway (except limited access expressways - if it has exit numbers don't go there on a bicycle ...).
We have to use the right-most lane that allows travel in our intended direction (typically only matters at intersections or when making left turns).
But whichever lane we're in, we can absolutely use every last inch of that lane.
You can, but you should also put your own safety first, over your entitlement of the entire lane.
My friend, taking the entire lane ABSOLUTELY IS safer than making love to the curb or the fog line. It puts you in front of cars, where they can and WILL see you. Where they will unmistakably recognize that they cannot "just squeeze past" (which puts you in imminent, serious danger).
Should be in the center of the lane to make close passes untenable.
In the middle of 2 streets crossing? I thought you are not supposed to pass people there, especially both are going straight.
christ in an intersection? that had to be terrifying
i don't even like it when scooters / other bikes try on the right.. just shakes you
Thankfully it was a sedan so somewhat less scary. It's usually the big boys that make question my transportation choice.
If the left lane is for passing then you should only be in it in order to pass.
And where did the OP say they were in the left lane?
Looking at the intersection in question, I can EASILY see some hyper-impatient motorist deciding to pass a cyclist by moving to the right (into the bicycle lane), in order to stay in the rightmost lane themselves.
Once last year a goddamn dump truck passed me on the right using a right turn only lane and then cut me off. And that was right after a dump truck driver killed someone on Mass Ave. Professional drivers are often very bad at driving.
They likely had to cut into the crosswalk to pass you as well. Ugh.
My Boston driving instructor was the worst driver I've ever met
To be clear. If you ride in the left lane, that means you can dictate the speed of traffic. And no one has the right to pass you?
Can you point where op said they were in the left lane
Good point. I still wonder if a bicycle should be dictating the speed of traffic. There are all sorts of drivers and all sorts of cyclists. They put bike lanes on the right side of the road for a reason.
Not all roads have bike lanes yet
Correct, my point is that the roads that do put them near the curb. That seems safer. Does it not?
You’d think people would know by now that riding a bike around the city is risky
yeah it's definitely the bikes that are the problem here
I didn’t say they were the problem. I said that it’s risky to ride a bicycle through the city. I’m not wrong
You'd think drivers would stop trying to kill people too but here we are
And when they do kill people there’s virtually no punishment
Nobody’s trying to kill cyclists. Don’t be an idiot
Not specifically cyclists, also pedestrians and other drivers too
Nobody’s intentionally trying to hurt anyone.
--Nobody’s intentionally trying to hurt anyone.--
You obviously don't ride.
Are you aware of road rage?
The #1 cause of road rage is bicyclists.
K
lifeisakoan t1_jefybtp wrote
If a bicycle is in the left turn lane it makes perfect sense to pass on the right.
Passing by a foot isn't cool though.