Tuesday, October 7, 2008

My cycling in Singapore experiences - Left hook

In left hand drive countries, it is commonly known as the right hook. Here, it is left hook. When left turning drivers feel they can safely turn left assuming cyclists will be forced to stop and give way.

Just yesterday, I had another, yes it is quite common, encounter of a near left hook. However, usually when this happens, it is the driver who will have higher blood pressure. ...

Along Toa Payoh Central, while approaching the nice 45 degrees carpark entrance in front of 79B, a driver gave a warning horn and expected me to give way to him. Sorry, I think it should be you who should give way to me since I am on the road, not the pavement. Thus, when he tries to turn in, I did not slow down, and continue to ride as straight as possible, but avoiding any contact. He was almost forced up the kerb!

Hope he learned a lesson and don't ever expect slow moving bicycles to slow down when the bicycles have the right of way. By the way, I wasn't riding too slowly. To drivers, cyclists riding on the left so that forward moving vehicles won't be blocked, but not for left turning vehicles to left hook us!

On my part, I somehow didn't do what I would normally have done: I would have checked behind when approaching such openings and when there aren't fast moving vehicles, I will move slightly to the right so that drivers behind are clear of my intention to ride straight ahead.

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