Letter to My Transit Authority
Last night on the way home from work a public transit bus either didn't see me (hard to believe) or decided not to respect my space on the road and pushed me nearly into another lane. The first sign I had that it was there came from my peripheral vision as the nose of the bus passed scarily close to my elbow (I easily could have touched it) as we neared the intersection.
It was so blatant and rude I couldn't believe it, I just stared up in angry shock as I waited for the light to change. I've had drivers yell and honk at me, but never had my Personal Bubble invaded. A small passenger car would barely have had enough room to pass in front of me, let alone a huge bus.
Looking back I should have scratched "EAT PUSSY!!!" or something into the side of it, but instead I calmly noted it's bus number and sent the following complaint to Hampton Roads Transit. Feel free to contact them and send in a complaint of your own. Mine is below:
I would like to make a complaint against the driver of bus number 916. On Wednesday, December 12th around 6:00pm I was commuting West along Virginia Beach Blvd. on my bicycle.
As I approached a red light Bus 916 came up along my left side way too close, forcing me into the turning lane on the right. A more jumpy rider may have been startled (these buses are almost silent until the engine at the tail-end is near, especially at low speeds) and moved quickly into the turning lane and into traffic, possibly causing a bad accident.
By the time the bus stopped at the intersection I was barely behind the front-most door and was effectively pinned on the painted white line between the lanes of traffic.
This was very dangerous, illegal, and unnecessary. I was obeying all laws and easily visible under the streetlights and with the flashing red light on the rear of my bike.
Please speak with the driver (and possibly the other drivers) and inform them that by law bicycles are to be treated the same as any other vehicle on the road. I'd hate for someone to get into an accident over something so easily avoided.
Thank you for your time.
Who knows, maybe I'll get some free Ferry passes or something out of it. I doubt they'll speak to the driver involved, let alone the other drivers, which is a shame because I can easily see an accident happening in a situation like this.
So far police officers and public transit people are the worst drivers I've encountered on the road, which doesn't seem right to me.
Be careful out there, think fast and move smooth. The last thing you want is to jump out of the frying pan and into quick-moving traffic.
- David
It was so blatant and rude I couldn't believe it, I just stared up in angry shock as I waited for the light to change. I've had drivers yell and honk at me, but never had my Personal Bubble invaded. A small passenger car would barely have had enough room to pass in front of me, let alone a huge bus.
Looking back I should have scratched "EAT PUSSY!!!" or something into the side of it, but instead I calmly noted it's bus number and sent the following complaint to Hampton Roads Transit. Feel free to contact them and send in a complaint of your own. Mine is below:
I would like to make a complaint against the driver of bus number 916. On Wednesday, December 12th around 6:00pm I was commuting West along Virginia Beach Blvd. on my bicycle.
As I approached a red light Bus 916 came up along my left side way too close, forcing me into the turning lane on the right. A more jumpy rider may have been startled (these buses are almost silent until the engine at the tail-end is near, especially at low speeds) and moved quickly into the turning lane and into traffic, possibly causing a bad accident.
By the time the bus stopped at the intersection I was barely behind the front-most door and was effectively pinned on the painted white line between the lanes of traffic.
This was very dangerous, illegal, and unnecessary. I was obeying all laws and easily visible under the streetlights and with the flashing red light on the rear of my bike.
Please speak with the driver (and possibly the other drivers) and inform them that by law bicycles are to be treated the same as any other vehicle on the road. I'd hate for someone to get into an accident over something so easily avoided.
Thank you for your time.
Who knows, maybe I'll get some free Ferry passes or something out of it. I doubt they'll speak to the driver involved, let alone the other drivers, which is a shame because I can easily see an accident happening in a situation like this.
So far police officers and public transit people are the worst drivers I've encountered on the road, which doesn't seem right to me.
Be careful out there, think fast and move smooth. The last thing you want is to jump out of the frying pan and into quick-moving traffic.
- David
posted by BuddhaDave at
12:18 PM
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