[NMCycling] The punishment pass and close calls

[Larry Coons via Bike-racers]

Great points. I watch team cyclists I know and rec cyclists alike blow through the stop sign at Montgomery and Glenwood Hills without ever touching the brakes. If you partake in that risk please know that I see cars also flying through that intersection also without touching their brakes. I see it from my house every day. Been meaning to get that out there , now''s a good time.  Larry


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-------- Original message --------From: New Mexico Sports Online via Bike-racers <bike-racers at mailman.swcp.com> Date: 10/26/16  10:04 AM  (GMT-07:00) To: 'Doug' <dstiebl at comcast.net> Cc: bike-racers at swcp.com Subject: Re: [NMCycling] The punishment pass and close calls 
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.  J  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 at an intersection. They ticketed some cyclists that came to a stop, but didn’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.” 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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