The Chainlink

First person perspective of being Doored

Guy rides his bike fast.

Taxi fare opens the door.

Arguments ensue.

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Permalink Reply by Tom A.K. on September 12, 2014 at 12:54pm
I,m more amazed that no NYC cyclists even stop and ask, "hey dude, you o k ? The Peds are helping! Some support?!
Permalink Reply by Alex Z on September 12, 2014 at 1:09pm

Guy stays amazingly calm. Very impressive.

I hear his complaint that he gets tickets from the police when he doesn't ride in the bike lane, but then this happens when he does ride in the bike lane. To me, though, riding at 25mph (his words) in a bike lane seems insane. He admits that the taxi passenger could not have seen him coming.

I don't quite understand the controversy about where the taxi driver stopped. To my mind, he did the exact right thing by NOT pulling over into the bike lane (like every taxi driver in Chicago seems to do). If it's true that he told the passenger to watch out for the bike lane, that's particularly great.

I guess honestly I sympathize with the taxi driver in this particular case.

Really interesting video. Glad no one was hurt.

Permalink Reply by Jaik S. on September 12, 2014 at 1:19pm

Then at 3:27, a citibike rides right between everyone. Much like a majority of the Divvy riders that I've seen, unaware that things are happening outside of their own bubble. I passed one that was waving all over the lane today and heard the girl yell out "Whoaaaa!"

Permalink Reply by Davo on September 12, 2014 at 1:20pm

Still dumb that he didn't want to file a report. Im sure in NYC as in most major cities cabs are supposed to drop off fares CURBSIDE. So the Cabbie is ultimately responsible for his riders. Unless he has video in his cab saying that they shouldn't get out, I don't feel too bad for the cabbie. I do, however have respect for him by not driving away.

Permalink Reply by Rich S on September 12, 2014 at 1:49pm

I couldn't disagree more about the cab pulling over correctly. The one time I've been doored is when a person exited a taxi without the driver pulling over. The circumstances were a bit different than in this video. In my case traffic was backed up for the full block before the light and I'm guessing the passenger decided to exit and walk the rest of the way. There was no way for me to know someone was about to get out of the taxi. Had the driver pulled over to block the lane I would have gone around the left side and been fine. The driver did try to get away but made it about 10 car lengths before he caught back up to traffic. It was pretty easy for me to catch back up to him and give him an earful. 

Long story short it's much safer for taxis to pull over as far to the right as possible even if it means blocking the bike lane. I'd much rather take the lane and go around than risk eating a door by staying in the bike lane. 

Alex Z said:

I don't quite understand the controversy about where the taxi driver stopped. To my mind, he did the exact right thing by NOT pulling over into the bike lane (like every taxi driver in Chicago seems to do). If it's true that he told the passenger to watch out for the bike lane, that's particularly great.

Permalink Reply by David Altenburg on September 12, 2014 at 2:23pm

Why can't cabs just drive to the end of the block to find a safe place to drop off passengers?

Permalink Reply by T.K. 3.5 mi on September 12, 2014 at 2:39pm

I agree with Rich. 

Whatever the law says about stopping in bike lanes, loading and unloading will happen as close to the curb as possible. None of us can reasonably expect every pathway to be 100% clear. We are also traffic, just like everyone else. That is life. I have no problem with taxi's, or anyone else, stopping in the bike lane for a few seconds to drop someone off. Having the option to take the lane would have gotten this guy away from the gauntlet of doors the taxi created for him. If you don't feel comfortable taking the lane in that situation, then stop and wait for them to finish. No harm in doing that. 


Rich S said:

Long story short it's much safer for taxis to pull over as far to the right as possible even if it means blocking the bike lane. I'd much rather take the lane and go around than risk eating a door by staying in the bike lane. 

Alex Z said:

I don't quite understand the controversy about where the taxi driver stopped. To my mind, he did the exact right thing by NOT pulling over into the bike lane (like every taxi driver in Chicago seems to do). If it's true that he told the passenger to watch out for the bike lane, that's particularly great.

Permalink Reply by David Barish on September 12, 2014 at 2:50pm


That is an issue with the design of the bike lane. The lane is protected. Passengers have the option of getting out of the car on the right into traffic or  on the left into the bike lane. There is no good option. Its not a comment on this incident. The passenger can still  look, the driver can still warn and the rider can still proceed at less than the speed of light. Its just that the safety of the lane seems illusory to me. 


Rich S said:

Long story short it's much safer for taxis to pull over as far to the right as possible even if it means blocking the bike lane. I'd much rather take the lane and go around than risk eating a door by staying in the bike lane. 

Permalink Reply by Maurice on September 12, 2014 at 3:00pm

The one time I've been doored is when a person exited a taxi without the driver pulling over. The circumstances were a bit different than in this video. In my case traffic was backed up for the full block before the light and I'm guessing the passenger decided to exit and walk the rest of the way. There was no way for me to know someone was about to get out of the taxi.

 

Exact same for me except that, in my case, both the passenger and the driver checked on me.  The passenger felt horrible, offered to pay for my broken reflector, and said he was relieved that I didn't punch him.  I wasn't even mad, because there's no way he knew I was there, but maybe I should have been mad.

Permalink Reply by Rich S on September 12, 2014 at 3:11pm

In the OP's video, the bike lane was no longer heavily buffered (I refuse to call them protected when they're not) by the time he got to the taxi. It was a normal bike lane at that point.

I just watched the video a second time and noticed the taxi did have his hazards on. That should've clued the biker that the cab was dropping off or picking up. But regardless of that the driver should have pulled further to the left in this case forcing the biker to go around in the traffic lane. But a smart and aware rider would've noticed that hazards and at a minimum proceeded with caution. 

Taxis should never ever encourage or suggest their passengers exit into traffic. Besides the door hazard to bikers it's dangerous to the passengers themselves! 

I also dug up this old thread with a similar video: http://www.thechainlink.org/forum/topics/a-point-of-view-video-of-d...


David Barish said:


That is an issue with the design of the bike lane. The lane is protected. Passengers have the option of getting out of the car on the right into traffic or  on the left into the bike lane. There is no good option. Its not a comment on this incident. The passenger can still  look, the driver can still warn and the rider can still proceed at less than the speed of light. Its just that the safety of the lane seems illusory to me. 


Rich S said:

Long story short it's much safer for taxis to pull over as far to the right as possible even if it means blocking the bike lane. I'd much rather take the lane and go around than risk eating a door by staying in the bike lane. 

Permalink Reply by Davo on September 12, 2014 at 4:11pm

While looking through the city of Chicago taxi cab ordinance, I found no regulations stating where a taxi is supposed to, by law, drop of and pick up passengers. There is some wording about this in the passenger information web page saying for them to please exit and enter curbside. I find this absurd. There should some kind of ordinance mandating that taxi passengers should be picked up and dropped off curbside. Im no lawyer so I'm not sure where the responsibility should be held (I would think with the operator of the vehicle).  I guess that may be too much to ask though, thank god people can't smoke in parks or harbors though.

Permalink Reply by MagMileMarauder on September 12, 2014 at 9:32pm

Despite the cabbie's legal fault, the rider is responsible as well. Riding in dense city traffic presents so many unexpected variables, that going at 25mph is nothing short of insane. Hope he learned his lesson as well.

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