California Commuter Chronicles--Left-Turn Blind Spot Check

[James Burleigh]

I admit it: I was not expecting a cager to try to kill me from that direction in that situation!

F**K! Where are they gonna try to kill me from next!

The other day I was exiting the parking structure at work, entering an intersection and turning left at an "unprotected" green light (i.e., no separate turn phase with dedicated left-turn arrow).

I try to practice what I consider good lane discipline, so when making an unprotected left turn, I go straight into the intersection to make a right-angled turn. I view this as a good habit regardless of whether I see a car coming my way or not so that I will be well positioned in case a car is coming toward me through the intersection.

So on this day I did just that, with my massive orange FJR signal flashing my intentions. The signal turned yellow as I entered the intersection. Then just as I leaned left to enter the far-right of the two lanes going in my new direction of travel, suddenly there was a car on my left inches away from my front tire. If I hadn't pulled up I would have hit the car. It came out of f**king nowhere! Or so it seemed in that fraction of a second as my mind raced to understand; and then I was furious.

"Are you f**king kidding me!"

This a**hole cager came flying out of the garage behind me and into the intersection with her head up her a**, frantic to catch the light (or more likely running the red), exercising not the least amount of situational awareness, failing to see or ignoring my signal, and sliced diagonally straight through to the exact point I was turning into.

It was the closest call I've had in years, and it took me completely by surprise, causing me to question my ability to truly anticipate and adjust for all the ways these cager sunofabitches are going to try to kill me.

This is the second of only two instances I've experienced in tens of thousands of commute miles where I was almost taken out by a cager--and both of them involved aggressive drivers from my rear.

Well, the long and the short of it is, and I guess herein lies the lesson I learned: Now I (have to) check my left blind spot even when I make a routine left turn in an intersection.

But I still wonder: Where are they gonna try to kill me from next!

 

[ridenski]

Checking left blindspot with a shoulder check also provides opportunity to see any late crossing pedestrians.

Thanks for your story and the picture/diagram. At our riding school we are always being asked "why bother doing left shoulder checks @ intersections"...your story and diagram illustrate why perfectly.

 

[fjrbird]

Sorry to hear that. I had such close calls once in a while too. In general, I look over my shoulder whenever changing lane, and look at both sides of traffic when proceeding with green light or left turn. Defensive riding is a must for me.

 

[SacramentoMike]

You can look left. You can look right. Some dumb f*** comes over the guardrail and off the roof of the parking garage across the street and takes you out from above!

Glad you made it past this one, Hans, and I hope you and I die in our beds the day everything goes out at the same time, but I guess there are some things you just can't anticipate. In the last month, I think there were either 3 or 4 separate instances of wrong-way drivers causing awful wrecks on I-80 in or just outside of Sacramento. How the hell do you anticipate that? Sometimes, you just need some luck. May yours keep holding. And of course, do the shoulder checks too.

 

[G Squared]

Unbelievable.

 

[dcarver]

Another reason to be a country bumpkin! Glad yer ok mi amigo..