[*BCM*] Dooring etiquette

[Eric Mearns]

First off, glad you're ok.
Yes, it's a good idea to at least get a plate number and write down
the address and time, just in case you're in shock and don't realize
that your leg or bike is broken.  But I wouldn't worry about the
driver forgetting the incident any time soon.  Even though it wasn't
his hide on the line, dooring is a pretty shocking event, and you can
bet that the driver will check his mirror next time.  And likewise, I
bet you'll slow to a crawl next time you find yourself within three
feet of a car door.  You could have yelled at him, but it's probably
ten times more effective to gain his sympathy.  Given the choice, no
motorist WANTS to hurt you.  If he's at all human, no amount of
yelling could make him feel worse that seeing you lying on the street
in a puddle of blood and bike parts.
If I got doored hard enough to be thrown to the ground and I didn't
get injured, I would focus more energy on getting to the nearest beer
and cigar than I would on yelling at a stranger.


On Thu, Jul 31, 2008 at 12:52 AM, Caitlin Menotti <cmenotti07 at gmail.com> wrote:
> The same thing happened to me last week.  A mini van turned left in front of
> me leaving me no time to stop.  I tried to turn away as much as possible.
>  But, it hit me, I went down, and they kept driving away!  They parked in
> their apartment complex nearby so I ran after them not really knowing what
> to do.  Like you, I was more calm then I should have been because I thought
> I was alright.  I told her to pay more attention and to have a good night.
> When I got home, I thought how stupid it was to not get her contact info.
>  She got off rather easy for a hit and run.  Thankfully, I did too.
>  Although, my whole left side is still covered in bruises.
> Unfortunately, I realized tonight that my frame is bent.  So, I take that as
> a lesson well learnt that exchanging information is a good idea.  Other than
> that, I also don't really know what to do.
> But, I sympathize.
> Caitlin
>
> On Wed, Jul 30, 2008 at 10:30 PM, Aaron D. Ball <aarondball at gmail.com>
> wrote:
>>
>> So I got doored on my way home tonight.  No injuries, headlight was in
>> pieces but went back together OK.  I dodged and braked and dropped the
>> bike and yelled "fuck" while I was in the air.
>>
>> The guy was quite apologetic.  I was weirdly nice to him, completely
>> not angry, just told him I was OK, asked him to watch out next time
>> and wished him a good night.
>>
>> I came away with the feeling that I should have been more pissed off,
>> or at least should have acted more serious so he'd be more likely to
>> remember the incident and mend his wicked ways.
>>
>> What do people do in the event of accidents that are bad enough that
>> you go down, but that aren't bad enough for cops and ambulances?  In
>> retrospect it seems at least exchanging contact info would have been
>> wise, in case a problem turned up later.
>>
>> I hesitate to flood the list again so soon after the Seattle drama, so
>> if this is another hot-button issue, feel free to write to me and I'll
>> summarize.
>>
>> --Aaron.
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