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Even when you known that the train will stay on those tracks, it still is an unnerving and creepy feeling.
It is an even scarier feeling to see a pick up truck mirror fly past your left elbow inches away doing 45 mph.

Sometimes when one of the giant construction trucks go by me really close (I ride on Milwaukee a lot) I get this moment of panic and want to close my eyes like a little kid which I know is the worst thing to do. I mean their wheels alone are bigger than me! 

+1

The three foot law was a bad idea in the first place. It should be updated to "change lanes when passing cyclists." Three feet is too close in most instances, and assumes that the driver is a good judge of what three feet of space looks like on the far side of his moving car, SUV, or giant truck. Ridiculous.

Well put, Jon.

Agreed. The law is unenforceable now, even if they cared to enforce it.

http://fox17online.com/2016/09/19/kalamazoo-5-foot-bicycle-ordinana...

In Kalamazoo County they recently changed to five feet.

The "3-foot Law" in Illinois is misunderstood. The law is not the a motorist should provide three feet, but AT LEAST three feet of space when passing. Meaning more space than 3 feet in most instances. Here is the law: 

The term "The 3-Foot Rule" comes from sub-paragraph (d) of Section 11-703 of the Illinois Rules of the Road:

(625 ILCS 5/11‑703) (from Ch. 95 1/2, par. 11‑703) Sec. 11‑703. Overtaking a vehicle on the left. The following rules govern the overtaking and passing of vehicles proceeding in the same direction, subject to those limitations, exceptions, and special rules otherwise stated in this Chapter: 
(d) The operator of a motor vehicle overtaking a bicycle or individual proceeding in the same direction on a highway shall leave a safe distance, but not less than 3 feet, when passing the bicycle or individual and shall maintain that distance until safely past the overtaken bicycle or individual.

"[U]ntil safely past" is an issue as well.  Many a vehicle has started to pass me with at least 3' of clearance only to drive directly into my path a split second later.

 

This is especially an issue with CTA drivers, usually after I pass them on the left as they're stopped picking up passengers.  They gun it from a dead stop and try to beat me to the next bus stop.  When they can't do it, they cut me off instead of pulling in behind me.  Happened to me again just this morning.

  

I guess it's a blow to their egos that their average speed isn't faster than mine, but that's really impossible if they have to come to a complete stop every 2 blocks.

This is typical.  Drivers hate to follow a cyclist.  Often they pull alongside, then move to the right, essentially shoving you into the curb.  Frequently they don't even realize they are doing this.  Drivers are only sometimes evil, but are often very stupid.

Part of the problem with the busses is that a driver is penalized if they get off schedule (yeah, i know, 'what schedule?') -this causes them to cowboy quite a bit en route. Although the major problem is that many just don't give a rat's ass about any other vehicle in their way.

From what I experience on most rides, the legal description isn't even close to what really happens on the street. Furthermore, most drivers won't ever hear, or be aware of that description, until they are in court for some reason. Probably after hitting a cyclist, who might be too dead to testify. "Change lanes" is the only real answer to the problem. If a car hits a bike, the car is in the wrong lane, period.

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