Quote:
Originally Posted by Junkyard-Dog
Thanks mate. It was no fun at all and made much scarier due to the fact that my brakes didn't do much besides making a terrible squealing noise. The brake failure was probably due to the rain but it also seems like the pads I bought are useless as soon as they get wet.
This is what happened:
I actually noticed the Camry had crept over his stop line and I made the observation that he might pull out but it still shocked me because I was directly in his field of view when he pulled out. I should have just trusted my instincts from the moment I saw him but there wasn't really anywhere I could go at the time. It was just one of those terribly awkward moments when you can only hope and trust that the other road user knows you're there!
I lost my chill a bit, I won't lie. When he pulled out I did initially respond with "what the ******* are you doing!?" and turned to look back at the Camry while giving him the arm expressions of "you nearly hit me!" but straight away the guy opened his window and said "I'm so sorry mate. I didn't see you!" As soon as it came, the shock passed - I gave him the "no worries" wave and did a u-turn because I was actually about to turn down the road he had come out of but had to deviate course to avoid him!
At the end of the day, human mistakes happen and after a few seconds of surprise I totally let it go but I am very aware that this anonymous driver's moment of inattention could have had bad consequences. All's well that ends well though, I'm not going to worry over "could've beens". I remind myself that avoiding rogue Camry drivers is just part of cycling. 
Happy cycling all. I'm buying different brake pads! |
Im glad you're ok. In those situations Im actually surprised you got an apology. Most drivers in this situation flick you the middle finger or abuse you verbally for being on the road in the first place, therefore not claiming an ounce of accountability.
Education for drivers is a must. A commercial stating that they need to be aware of cyclists on the road will help no end to reducing incidents such as this. Still we (cyclists) need to be on our guard for ignorant people out there regardless.