I should keep track of how many times I encounter some situation on the roads that unfolds exactly as Ray Thomas describes it in his bicyclists’ legal guide.
The most recent occasion was Monday, when I was driving my car around town running bulky errands (what a delight to be on the roads at noon, when thousands of people are getting their lunchtime helping of stress and road rage! never again, I swear). I was eastbound on Stark and came upon a fairly wobbly cyclist – her bike was too big for her, so with every pedal stroke she wobbled to one side and then the other.
Without thinking, I signalled left, moved entirely into the left (oncoming) lane – after checking that there was no oncoming traffic of course – passed her, signaled right again, and moved back. And then I chuckled and thought “Way to leave 10 feet of passing distance Michelle, you dork.”
But then I glanced in my rear view mirror, and lo and behold BOTH of the cars behind me were doing exactly the same thing! I don’t think I’ve ever passed or been passed so generously, and here I’d tricked two other drivers into doing it with me!
Of course, Ray knows all about this. He described this phenomenon exactly as it unfolded in “Pedal Power: A Legal Guide for Oregon Bicyclists.” Yet again, Ray was right.
