PSA: Please be kind to bicylists!

[mrbry]

Apparently my coworker riding on his bike was cut off (zoomed past, then right turn hook) by a Model S on the way to work today in Santa Monica . It just sounds really wrong that this happened! Standard car lane + bike lane street (Broadway Avenue + 20th).

Just a PSA for us to remember that we're a much wider car with powerful acceleration. With this new found power, we have to act responsibly and not put people outside of our cars at risk of injury/death.

(In my opinion, mass bike adoption is even more important than EV adoption. I'd hope Model S owners feel the same way.)

 

[Ardie]

We electric car owners need to be ever more careful because the cars are so quiet. Its not just bicyclists that don't notice. People don't pay attention to me in parking lots, either. Its like I'm not there. Until they walk into me.

There are times that I would like to switch on a sound effect simulating Mr. Incredible's turbine car, the Ghostbuster nuclear backpack accelerator, or Adam West's Batmobile.

-- Ardie
"Turbines to speed..."

 

[Doug_G]

Funny, I've never had much trouble with the sound aspect, unless I'm driving at a walking pace. (Or the pedestrian is wearing earbuds, in which case they can't hear any car).

As a former bicycle rider (knees can no longer take it) I can sympathize about being cut off by cars. But it's always been more of an issue with the car not noticing the bicycle than the other way round.

 

[GasDoc]

I had an experience the second day with the car. I was driving up a pretty long and steep hill. 2 lanes in each direction plus room for parking, so it's a wide street.

A bicyclist was riding figure eights to climb the hill (not sure if this is the right term). He evidently didn't hear or see me and crosses over from the far left lane, angled downward directly into my oncoming lane in order to gain momentum to climb.

Luckily he was far enough away that I was able to slow down without flooring the brake.

He was probably used to hearing the cars struggling up the hill.

Also had an experience in a parking lot where I just sat in my car until the person loading things into theirs noticed me and moved so I could park. I have picked up a small bicycle bell and hope to ring it when I am in the vicinity of pedestrians and the horn would be too loud/startling/rude.

 

[mrbry]

Funny, I've never had much trouble with the sound aspect, unless I'm driving at a walking pace. (Or the pedestrian is wearing earbuds, in which case they can't hear any car).

As a former bicycle rider (knees can no longer take it) I can sympathize about being cut off by cars. But it's always been more of an issue with the car not noticing the bicycle than the other way round.

Yeah, either cars not noticing bicycles or being agro towards bicycles in general . Like I said, this incident was a "right hook", morning daylight, clear bike lane. I'm guessing he/she was maybe in a morning rush and maybe did the (wrong) tradeoff between being on-time vs putting biker at risk.

 

[Wardenclyffe]

There are times that I would like to switch on a sound effect simulating Mr. Incredible's turbine car, the Ghostbuster nuclear backpack accelerator, or Adam West's Batmobile.

Is this planned by Tesla? I think this is actually very useful for city driving. Doesn't the karma also emit a whizzing 'noise'? I think the japanese were the first to add this to their electric cars to inform pedestrians.

 

[rolosrevenge]

As a cyclist, I've never relied on sound to alert me of cars, I'm always looking since you never know.