Know your horn button
Posted: Tue Mar 28, 2006 2:05 pm
I had the weirdest thing happen to me on Sunday. I have learned to expect the unexpected while riding, but some guy caught me napping.
I had just exited a freeway and was at a stoplight at the bottom of the ramp. I was number two in the right turn lane, with a pickup truck ahead.
After being stopped for about 10 seconds, the pickup lurches and the guy starts backing up. He had no reverse lights, was not looking in his rearview mirror and had absolutely no reason to go backward from his position (i.e. he wasn't encroaching on the crosswalk). I've to to say, it took me completely by surprise and in a second, he'd pushed me back a couple of feet before I could do anything but yell. Of course his windows were closed, so he didn't hear me.
Just when I thought this jerk was through, he starts backing up some more. It took a few stabs at the turn signal switch, but I finally found the horn button as my front tire was getting wedged under his rear bumper. He heard the horn and FINALLY checked his rearview mirror to see me waving him forward, which he did. This was, of course, followed by several more universally accepted hand signals.
Fortunately for me, no damage was done. He squeezed the front tire between his bumper and the ground and came an inch or so from taking out the front fender.
Afterward, it occured to me that if I'd managed to hit the horn earlier, I would have been much better off. I don't use the horn that much, and when I do, it's usually because someone is about to encroach on my lane, so I'm already prepared with my finger on the button. I think I'm going to have to make it a point to use the horn more, so I can instinctively hit it when I need it.
I had just exited a freeway and was at a stoplight at the bottom of the ramp. I was number two in the right turn lane, with a pickup truck ahead.
After being stopped for about 10 seconds, the pickup lurches and the guy starts backing up. He had no reverse lights, was not looking in his rearview mirror and had absolutely no reason to go backward from his position (i.e. he wasn't encroaching on the crosswalk). I've to to say, it took me completely by surprise and in a second, he'd pushed me back a couple of feet before I could do anything but yell. Of course his windows were closed, so he didn't hear me.
Just when I thought this jerk was through, he starts backing up some more. It took a few stabs at the turn signal switch, but I finally found the horn button as my front tire was getting wedged under his rear bumper. He heard the horn and FINALLY checked his rearview mirror to see me waving him forward, which he did. This was, of course, followed by several more universally accepted hand signals.
Fortunately for me, no damage was done. He squeezed the front tire between his bumper and the ground and came an inch or so from taking out the front fender.
Afterward, it occured to me that if I'd managed to hit the horn earlier, I would have been much better off. I don't use the horn that much, and when I do, it's usually because someone is about to encroach on my lane, so I'm already prepared with my finger on the button. I think I'm going to have to make it a point to use the horn more, so I can instinctively hit it when I need it.