Sorry to hear that Jay.  I've been finding that drivers are getting worse 
and worse every year - less patient, more distracted, more aggressive. 
Plus, cars keep getting bigger and bigger as is safety of people outside 
the vehicle isn't even a consideration (what the heck, FMVSS??).  I have 
slid further and further into the belief that massive change to how North 
Americans get around daily needs to happen, but I am not optimistic it'll 
happen. It shouldn't be an extreme point of view to want a comprehensive 
network of non-motorized pathways in every community. 

Anyway, the way I've been dealing with this is: 
- Avoid streets that are busy or that I've had bad experiences with, even 
if it means a longer route
- Take the sidewalk (and be slow and courteous around pedestrians) if I 
need to, to feel safe
- If on the street, I make sure to ride 3-4 feet from the curb so that I am 
more visible and cars are less able to "squeeze" past me .. this one is a 
challenge as I am a conflict avoider, but it is safer to be annoying to a 
driver than to be unnoticed 
- Use a mirror to be able to see cars behind me, and be always on alert and 
like you say, never assuming a driver sees me unless I make eye contact and 
they give me a cue 

It's tragic that we have to accept these risks to get around by bicycle, 
considering in doing so we're protecting those around us by not driving. 
Not to mention children and all those who can't drive for one reason or 
another. 

On Wednesday, 28 December 2022 at 11:58:14 UTC-8 Jay LePree wrote:

> Hi all:
> I live in car-centric, crowded, northeastern NJ.  I joined a gym two towns 
> over and ride my bike to the gym, about 3.5 miles each way.  I take the 
> least busiest streets possible, but unfortunately, I need to ride through a 
> semi-busy, though traffic-lit intersection.
>
> In my last 12 trips to the gym, I have had two near misses which could 
> have been hits if I did not ride like Kent Peterson had described.  "Treat 
> cars like big animals with poor eyesight that can't see you.  In one case, 
> at night, although I have a Schmidt Edelux II, a huge reflective ankle 
> bracelet on my basket, wear a reflective vest and have reflective ankle 
> bands, I had a car nearly make a left turn into me while I was crossing the 
> intersection.  The car was going straight through, and without signalling, 
> decided to turn left at the last minute.  I stopped in time to prevent "the 
> left cross".  Not less than 5 days later, in clear, bright daylight, I had 
> a car pass me on the right and then proceed to turn right in front of me.  
> (I think this is called the right hook?).  Again, applying Kent's approach 
> to riding, I was able to stop in time.
>
> I am thankful my skills were sufficent to prevent contact, but now I am 
> skittish.  Given the legalized weed and the propensity for peope to drink 
> around this time of year, I am finding excuses not to ride to the gym, even 
> in daylight.  I think it is the back-to-back nature of these incidents that 
> has me most unnerved.  
>
> How have all of you got your groove back on?  
>
> Kind regards,
> Jay LePree
> Demarest, NJ
>

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