Dooring a Cyclist is NOT COOL - Part Deux
On my way to work this morning, I was nearly doored again almost at the same spot! This huge SUV was parked on the side of the road but had it's motor running, so I knew someone was in there. I took special care to ride a few feet from the car as I passed it. Right before I passed it, the driver quickly opens his door to spit on the ground! Luckily, I was far back enough that I was able to go around it! UNBELIEVABLE!!! I was close enough that I could have been hit had I not been aware of the situation! Everyone just needs to look before they leave their car on the side of traffic - not just to make sure they don't hit cyclists, but that they also don't open their door into an oncoming car. It's really for everyone's safety.
THEN I get to work this morning and call the claims representative handling last week's accident (at the insurance company of the guy who hit me) to ask for her fax number so I could fax her the estimate of bike damage. She tells me that the guy who hit me is BLAMING ME for the accident. UNBELIVABLE!!! He says I ran into his car and that I lost control of my bike!!!!! There's just no way that could have happened. The outside of his car door hit me and my bike lock holder. My bike lock holder is still broken to prove it!!! I fell sideways right next to his car. The way in which I fell indicates that he hit me; I didn't have enough momentum to fly forward off my bike. If I had run into his car, I would have run into the inside of his car door, forcing it open. I would have run into the car door forward and probably flipped off my bike. And EVEN THEN it's his fault since he didn't look at oncoming traffic to make sure it was clear. Passengers getting out of the door on the traffic side are responsible for making sure the path is clear. If it's not clear and they recklessly open the car door onto traffic, they are fined $500 in Cambridge. I CANNOT EVEN BELIEVE THIS!!!! The nerve of this man to claim it was my fault!
Still, the claims representative seemed pretty sympathetic to my case. She said that it looks particularly bad on his part that he didn't call this in earlier, and that it took her a week to get in touch with him, after several phone calls and a stern letter. Also, I explained to her just what I wrote above, that the way in which the door hit me means that he must have doored me. She agreed. She's trying to get in touch with him now, so we'll see how this saga turns out.
When it first happened, I was considering not even reporting it. I felt bad that he would have to pay $500 to the city of Cambridge for what he did as well as potentially have his insurance premium go up. He was pretty apologetic at the scene of the accident, even though he told me I was going too fast. He was driving a mid-90s Toyota Corolla, so I assumed he wasn't exactly wealthy. Still, he did hit me, so it was only right for me to report what happened, however reluctant I was. But now that he says it's my fault, all bets are off. I guess I'm just too nice and have too much sympathy. I'm not going to try to get anything more than what I deserve- the damage to my bike covered by him/his insurance. I do hope his insurance premium goes up for this and that he's fined for what he did. I can't believe he's not owning up to this. It's an eye for an eye now.
THEN I get to work this morning and call the claims representative handling last week's accident (at the insurance company of the guy who hit me) to ask for her fax number so I could fax her the estimate of bike damage. She tells me that the guy who hit me is BLAMING ME for the accident. UNBELIVABLE!!! He says I ran into his car and that I lost control of my bike!!!!! There's just no way that could have happened. The outside of his car door hit me and my bike lock holder. My bike lock holder is still broken to prove it!!! I fell sideways right next to his car. The way in which I fell indicates that he hit me; I didn't have enough momentum to fly forward off my bike. If I had run into his car, I would have run into the inside of his car door, forcing it open. I would have run into the car door forward and probably flipped off my bike. And EVEN THEN it's his fault since he didn't look at oncoming traffic to make sure it was clear. Passengers getting out of the door on the traffic side are responsible for making sure the path is clear. If it's not clear and they recklessly open the car door onto traffic, they are fined $500 in Cambridge. I CANNOT EVEN BELIEVE THIS!!!! The nerve of this man to claim it was my fault!
Still, the claims representative seemed pretty sympathetic to my case. She said that it looks particularly bad on his part that he didn't call this in earlier, and that it took her a week to get in touch with him, after several phone calls and a stern letter. Also, I explained to her just what I wrote above, that the way in which the door hit me means that he must have doored me. She agreed. She's trying to get in touch with him now, so we'll see how this saga turns out.
When it first happened, I was considering not even reporting it. I felt bad that he would have to pay $500 to the city of Cambridge for what he did as well as potentially have his insurance premium go up. He was pretty apologetic at the scene of the accident, even though he told me I was going too fast. He was driving a mid-90s Toyota Corolla, so I assumed he wasn't exactly wealthy. Still, he did hit me, so it was only right for me to report what happened, however reluctant I was. But now that he says it's my fault, all bets are off. I guess I'm just too nice and have too much sympathy. I'm not going to try to get anything more than what I deserve- the damage to my bike covered by him/his insurance. I do hope his insurance premium goes up for this and that he's fined for what he did. I can't believe he's not owning up to this. It's an eye for an eye now.
posted by Christina at 10:31 AM
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