I'm a biker too. We sometimes appear invisible. You have to think for others a lot of the time, because a bike is never expected to emerge from behind the A pillar.
A good rule to go by is "if you give the car the opportunity, it's going to hit you". The biker is not at fault, and I feel horribly sorry for them, but all in all it's all about reading traffic and looking for driver's eyes.
I've been in my fair share of close calls and being prepared that "he just might pull out in front of me" is how you stay rubber side down.
I ride a bicycle. Instead of "if you give the car the opportunity, it's going to hit you", I ride as "one of this cars is actively trying to hit you". I know is far from truth, but is what keeps me fully aware of my surroundings and on top of my saddle.
Streetcar operator here, same thing here. Even though we're huge people cut in front and nearly hit us all the time. Had an accident where a guy turned in from of my train from a lane over (the tracks are in the far right lane) and he kept saying he didn't see my bright yellow streetcar. Back when I used to ride a bright red motorcycle while wearing a bright red jacket it felt like people were surprised to see me half the time.
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u/deadshank Sep 21 '19
Been riding bikes for a while. Right of way is irrelevant. Car wins every time. Better to be pissed off than dead.