[NMCycling] The punishment pass and close calls

[New Mexico Sports Online via Bike-racers]

Ya, there are some crazys out there and always will be. We even have been
shot at. And with txting the close calls happen even more. 

 

I do understand why some drivers hate cyclist so much.. For all the stop
signs and lights we blow through. 

 

I ride on Tramway almost every weekend and watch many cyclists, novice and
team riders run many lights. I have seen drivers throw their hands in the
air as the cyclist blow right through. Many times you can tell the rider is
trying to get in their AT workout and on record pace and don't want to stop.
It looks so bad as 20 cars are waiting at the light and the cyclist just
keeps on rolling.  The other maneuver is the, "light turns red and you take
a quick right, cross the street, take a left then another right to keep on
going. Some hide it better than others (you have to go up the street a
little further)

 

The other spot is Constitution an Chelwood as many riders scream through
there as cars are approaching as they know the car has to stop. 

 

As we all know it only takes a few cyclist riding poorly and we all get the
bad wrap. 

 

AND YES, I have run a few stop signs in my past.. I always felt a little
guilty.. Now I try to ride so cars don't have a reason to hate me. 

 

I'm all for the Close Call Database as long as we are rider better and
obeying all the laws ourselves. 

 

:)

 

 

From: Bike-racers [mailto:bike-racers-bounces at mailman.swcp.com] On Behalf Of
Doug via Bike-racers
Sent: Wednesday, October 26, 2016 8:50 AM
To: bike-racers at mailman.swcp.com
Subject: [NMCycling] The punishment pass and close calls

 

My experience is there are way too many drivers who want to punish
bicyclists for being on "their" road by swerving in front of me or driving
dangerously close when passing. You have likely experienced the same driver
harassment and endangerment. The close call database seems like one tool for
punishing drivers who harass and endanger bicyclists with driving behavior.
Read more about it by clicking on the Close Call Database link below.

>From VeloNews:

"I was riding one day, and police were out in the town of Hygiene, Colorado
ticketing cyclists that didn't come to a complete stop
<http://velonews.competitor.com/2015/05/news/legally-speaking-with-bob-mions
ke-the-idaho-stop_371067>  at an intersection. They ticketed some cyclists
that came to a stop, but didn
<http://www.oregonlive.com/commuting/index.ssf/2013/08/joseph_rose_no_need_f
or_bicycl.html> 't put their foot down. I didn't get a ticket and was
enjoying my ride. About three miles later, an RV swerved two feet inside the
white line at 60 mph and nearly killed me. I could see the driver laughing
in the side mirror. That's when I had the first epiphany that led to the
database. The police were doing a great job of protecting cars from
cyclists, but it was the cyclists, not the cars, that needed protection."

Boulder cyclist and software developer Ernest Ezis was writing to tell me
about the close call that led to the creation of his "Close Call Database.
<http://closecalldatabase.com/> " The RV driver was making a blatant
"punishment pass." The entire point is to shave it as close to the cyclist
as the driver can, to teach the cyclist a lesson for riding on "their" road
and being in "their way." In this case, the RV driver went out of his way to
shave it as close as he could.

 

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