VIDEO: Cyclist Nearly Taken Down in Bike Lane

Mr. CiclaValley

This is becoming my Shark Week.

Yesterday, started out weird with my tire exploding on the way to work in Griffith Park. Somehow my tube leaked just enough to get me to the Hollywood/Western Station, so I knew that was going to be it for the day.

Plus, in the back of my mind, I remembered to heed Ted Rogers’ annual tweet:

 

There were new tires waiting for me at home, so I stopped into NoHo Cycles to pick up some tubes on the way back.

I was speaking with the owner, Craig, about some of these incidents on the road and he started talking about nearly being taken down on Moorpark in Studio City.

Around that time, I heard my phone ring with a call from my friend DJ. Everytime I don’t pick up his call, it seems like I’m missing out on some cool news, like a secret cask opening of Pliny the Younger, but I knew I could check my messages in a few minutes.

Yeah, there was news, but not the type I wanted to hear. Just a block away from his home on Moorpark, he nearly got taken down by an overzealous driver that used the bike lane to pass the car ahead.

There’s no doubt about this. The driver went a whole block in the bike lane just to pass ONE car!

That’s how much a life means to this person!

You want to know what’s scarier? I looked deeper into the video and the driver covered 1/16 of a mile in exactly four seconds.

That’s over 55mph in a 35mph zone!

And just a side note, right as the driver made his move, there’s a library and a very popular kids park off to the side.

If you think this is just a one off, look at this video I took from about a block away two years ago on the Milt Olin ride:

Speaking with DJ, I knew he was still buzzing from all this. I would be too.

He immediately forwarded the video to a lawyer, so we’ll keep it at that for now.

Once again, I don’t know how many times I have to state getting a camera, because the more drivers know they’re being recorded, the less likely they are going to risk maneuvers like these.