Prius Writing and More Unsafe Passing

Prius Writing and Unsafe Passing

In another case of crazy Brookfield drivers, the driver of a Prius passed on a blind hill while writing on a clipboard resting on his steering wheel.  Just a few miles down the road a woman was in such a hurry she passed into oncoming traffic so blatantly the other driver had to take evasive action.  SMH.

Brookfield, Again.

I don't know why I seem to run into so many problem drivers in Brookfield, WI.  I know good people who live there and everyone who drives through there can't be from there so I can't blame it on Brookfield residents I guess, but I can't figure out what it is that gives so many people on the roads of Brookfield such a bad case of "must get in front".
Tuesday evening at about 6:45 the driver of this red Chevy license 494-JTL had the whole oncoming lane available to safely pass and decided to buzz me instead, of course after honking at me. Note to drivers, honking first doesn't entitle you to break traffic laws at will. Sadly what can allow drivers to break traffic laws is a police department and city government that doesn't recognize the rights of cyclist to use the roads.

https://youtu.be/eDW3m5gwnaQ

As some of you may remember from years ago this same city's police department told me that I couldn't legally ride on any of their streets unless I was going the speed limit and their city attorney told me that even if I was going the speed limit I had to pull over to let speeding drivers pass without using the oncoming but lane to do so.

I guess I may have figured out why drivers in Brookfield are so bad when it comes to sharing the road with bicycles.
Just FYI I was riding on the white line and not on the shoulder because I had just hit two very large rocks that I'm surprised didn't flatten my brand new tire and then saw very large nails scattered on the shoulder so moved to avoid the hazards as I'm legally allowed to do.

The Red Light Runners

I see this all the time in certain parts of the Milwaukee area, but not usually out in the western suburbs at 8 a.m.
Until today.

I pull up to the light and like a good law abiding cyclist stop and wait for the it to change.  Good thing I did because this woman who, although you can't really tell from the video, was on her phone and proceeded to blow this light.  Now I understand if you misjudge and think you'll make it on yellow but this was red for almost a full second before she even entered the intersection.  I wish I had gotten the plate, I would have gone to the police for sure. People PUT THE PHONES DOWN!

If you kill someone while on your phone and you get sentenced to prison, I'm guessing you will realize that call or text could have waited!

Invisible Again

It happens quite often to bicyclists; drivers do something stupid, dangerous, or illegal, or all of the above which affects a cyclist, and if called out claim they "didn't see the bicyclist".  I've often thought this was more of an admission of guilt than an excuse, but regardless, it never ceases to amaze me how utterly clueless some people are while on the public roadways.

This guy then had the nerve to honk at me after I let him know that there was someone else on the road that had the right of way who he had cut off.

Looking Right and Turning Left

The woman driving the red car was looking the wrong way for almost the entire time she was turning.

She only looked in the direction she was turning at the last second.  I think the first car turning in front of me is what saved me from getting hit by the red car.  If I hadn't slowed down for the first car, I might have been going fast enough that I couldn't avoid the red car like I did.

I couldn't get the plate number.  I certainly would have called the cops on her if I could have.

All For a Red Light

The woman in this Lincoln 597-XWL was in such a hurry to get around me that she had to pass into oncoming traffic in spite of the fact that the road widens out to two lanes in each direction just a few feet past her crazy pass.  But the most ridiculous part is that you could see the traffic light ahead, it was yellow, so she knew she'd have to stop and wait anyhow, but still felt it necessary to risk her life and the life of the driver in the oncoming lane.

The Bearded Litterbug

So I come around a bend and see this guy with a long white beard siting on a bench.

Apparently he was smoking a cigarette because he launched his butt onto the bike path.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O6Q9B0KDI88

I'm not a fan of launching your litter into a public park, so I called him out and told him if he didn't pick it up I'd call the police. On my way back through, he claimed he picked it up but and then proceeded to tell me how it was no big deal and that he's been throwing his cigarette butts on the ground since before I was born.  He seemed to think my calling him out on this was "being and asshole".  His words.  He was part of an organized ride so I told the organizers about his behavior.  Hopefully someone can explain that if anyone was acting like an asshole it would probably be the guy littering up the public park and then bragging about doing it for 50 years.

Another Landscape Trailer!

So riding the same route as the other day when I was buzzed by the landscaping trailer, it happened again, by another similar trailer.  And then again by another pickup truck.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PPdtXTNK3XE
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iPoC_kzjFz4
I couldn't get the license number of the white truck, but did have a chat with the driver of the  www.BestChoiceLandscaping.com truck.  He assured me that I wasn't the first bicyclist he'd passed.  If true I feel bad for the others before me.  He barely touched the yellow line if at all which means he certainly did not give me anywhere near three feet especially with the trailer.  I'll be calling the company soon and perhaps the police depending on the reception I get from the company.

He Says He's Sorry.

The driver of this truck started screaming at me as soon as I pulled up to him at the red light moments after he buzzed me.  His first words were YOU F*@(ING KNOW YOU HAD 3 FEET AND YOU COULD HAVE MOVED OVER.
I tried to tell him that it's not my responsibility to move over and that he could have waited for one oncoming car to pass us so HE could moved over but he wasn't interested in anything I had to say.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ojqi5qgeDbw

Brookfield Police were contacted and the officer says she contacted the driver and he thought he had given enough room.  She said he apologized to me and she was sure he wouldn't do it again.  I'm not sure he was sincere in his apology given his tone at the red light, but the bigger concern is that the officer told him that what might have alarmed me is the trailer coming close to me at the end of the pass. She seemed under the impression that his truck might not have violated the 3 foot rule, just his trailer.  That is very concerning to me.

The fact is that the lane I was using is likely 11 feet wide, (I'll attempt to confirm that soon), which means since I was on the white line, and my handlebars are 18 inches wide, his mirrors would have to be no less than 3 feet 10 inches, away from the white line to comply with the 3 foot rule since.  If his mirrors are 8 inches from the side of his truck, that would mean the side of his truck would have to be a minimum of 4 1/2 feet away from the white line to be the minimum distance away from me.  That means he would have to vacate at least one third of the lane to be legal.

It appears pretty clear to me that neither his truck or his trailer was at any time that far out of his lane if at all.

I might have to follow up with Brookfield police to make sure they understand what 3 feet actually means when applied to real life situations.

I'll keep you posted

The Oncoming Danger

I've written about it before but since it continues to occur with frightening frequency, I'll continue to show it.

https://youtu.be/UcZOrA2FPi8

The pass into oncoming traffic.  They move over to give me room, but can't wait 5 or 10 seconds to pass until the oncoming traffic clears.  Sometimes they just barely get over before the oncoming vehicle, sometimes they cause the oncoming driver to slow, stop or dive for the shoulder, but it's ALWAYS dangerous and always unnecessary.

https://youtu.be/AEubMSyy8_w

I can't really complain about the other issue on my ride yesterday, snow and ice pellets.  BRRR!!!
But I can deal with the cold, I shouldn't have to deal with the dangerous impatient drivers.

If He Can't See Me in a Truck...

If drivers can't even be troubled to look out for and see other cars and trucks it's no wonder they don't see bikes.  

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FnWjSTTSML8&feature=youtu.be

I don't think this guy even knew I was there.  When I honked the horn and and got next to him, he looked stunned that I was there.  Then after I passed him he cut across all three lanes he just cut across to almost hit me to make a U-turn.  

Almost a "Brush" with disaster

So you're hauling a bunch of brush and branches in your truck?  Make sure the debris is not hanging out the side of your truck 3 or 4 feet, or at the very least wait to pass until you can assure that your branches aren't going to hit a cyclist.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8hbJgB5UyZQ

Thankfully, the branches just brushed over me and didn't snag on my helmet or jersey or bike and send me flying into the other traffic or under this guys truck.  When I pulled up next to him at the red light he did say he would stop and fix it.  Thanks for that, but how about not driving that way to begin with!

Another game of Frogger

I've written about the Oak Leaf Trail crossing on HWY 100 just south of Howard.  It feels like a game of Frogger trying to get across the street there.

I went back out a few weeks ago with my cameras rolling to see how many cars, if any, would yield as state law requires.  The results weren't good.  In about 10 minutes of crossing, 227 cars failed to yield while I was in the marked crosswalk.  4 yielded, but one of those was basically forced to either yield or hit me.

I read this today,
http://www.wisconsinbikefed.org/2015/10/22/police-stop-64-drivers-for-failing-to-yield-to-pedestrians/
and decided to try again.

The results were about the same.
In about 10 minutes 202 vehicles failed to yield and only 3 yielded with two of those basically being forced to yield.
Among the vehicles who failed to yield were a Milwaukee County Transit bus, and many marked commercial trucks including a FedEx truck.  Many vehicles actually had to change lanes to avoid hitting me as I started to cross in the hopes that cars in the middle lane would yield to a pedestrian actually in the roadway, I was generally wrong.
This video is from today.  I had to speed it up to make it short enough to upload on blogger, but you get the idea.
I've decided to try contacting the local police again.  I'll let you know what if anything they say.

Entitled and Clueless?

Ran into a couple women on the bike trail in the last few rides who don't seem to understand the concept of two way traffic.

The first one just seemed clueless as she rode on the the wrong side of the two way trail.  Annoying but since I was as always, riding defensively it wasn't a huge danger.

Then two women walking their dog had a comment for me as I went by.  The pass was uneventful so her comment surprised me.  I decided to go back to see what she said.
For the record when I first saw the women I was going about 18 mph and when I actually passed them I was going 15 mph at the most.  Not much faster than a runner in a sprint.

I especially liked her last comment telling me I should work out at a gym, maybe she shouldn't walk on a bike trail if she's worried about bikers passing her.

Another Red Light Runner

This didn't happen while I was on my bike but it's another of the many traffic incidents that drive me crazy.
So I'm in the right lane and there's a car waiting to turn left in the left lane.  The light turns yellow so I stop, easily.  The left turning car waits until the light is red and completes his turn.  Then a full second after the light has turned red the guy behind me pulls around me and goes through the intersection.  Never a cop around when you need one.  If the van waiting to turn left on the other side of the intersection wasn't paying attention there likely would have been a major accident.

Six Times on One Ride

Six times in a one  hour ride, people passed me by going into oncoming traffic.  Each time they caused the oncoming driver to take some type of evasive action, either slowing, (sometimes almost to a stop) or moving off the road onto the shoulder.
I guess since they all gave me plenty of room they aren't necessarily anti bike, just anti anyone else on the road who might slow them down in the least.

Some were more egregious than others but all endangered not just the offending drivers but everyone else on the road.  

Three Times in Less Than a Mile

First it was a guy in a minivan who waved his middle finger at me after he swerved in front of me. Then there was the elderly couple in the VW who at the next stop light kept laughing at me and telling me to get on the (non-existent) bike path, then there was the monster truck that honked at me as he buzzed by.

Police have been contacted, I'll update when I hear back.

Then today this guy decides to farmer blow on a busy bike path without looking behind him first.

Thanks for that.

38 Lawbreakers

In the span of just under a minute we waited for 38 lawbreakers.  I say we, meaning my wife and I trying to cross one half of 108th St., and the jogger waiting to cross the other side. Granted they didn't commit any misdemeanors or felonies, but they disregarded a law meant to insure the safety of pedestrians.  They did so seemingly without a second thought. Perhaps they don't understand the law. I'll put it in simple terms, when someone is waiting to cross at ANY crosswalk especially a marked pedestrian crossing, you must stop if you are able.

I've called the police department who has jurisdiction over this crossing and asked them for extra enforcement, even offering to pay for overtime if necessary.  I was told by the officer, he would talk to his superior officer and someone would get back to me.  That was weeks ago.  No one has ever called me back and the problem continues.   

The Trifecta

Had the trifecta today, close pass, passing into oncoming traffic and ignorant comments.  For a bonus the passenger yelled something at me as they passed.
Past the next stoplight the woman driving (388 HJB), told me I should be on the "bike path".  For the record there's not a bike path anywhere near this road.

The Big One?

In some NASCAR races they talk about the "big one", referring to a really bad crash.  I'm afraid at some point I will end up witnessing a big one because of drivers who are either really impatient or don't understand the concept of lanes and when and how to pass.
Yesterday and today I had people who gave me plenty of room when they passed but since they passed directly into oncoming traffic they almost caused the big one.

In the pass that the  Lexus (License 432MJM)  made, you can see in the rear facing camera that the car in the oncoming lane was almost off the road when the Lexus moved into that lane.

Then the bonus was Chevy pick up truck parked IN the road, blocking the entire lane of a two lane road at the base of a hill at the end of a curve.  It was still parked there an hour later so I called the police and hopefully they either ticketed or towed this truck or both.

I'm running out of things to say about the people who drive like this, but maybe I'll give the police a call about the Lexus, as it was a pretty egregious pass.
Bikesafer
Jeff