Dooring - Have You Experienced It?

[TopHat'N'Cape1888]

Hi all. If you could please take a few seconds to answer my poll, this would be greatly appreciated.

Also feel free to reply with any details of experiences if you'd like.

https://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/201 ... t-cyclists

Painfully ironic that the transport secretary did this to someone in 2016.

[meic]

Do you mean experienced it as in they managed to get you or do you include just when they "tried" to get you but you saw it coming and avoided it?

[Si]

[Made the poll more explicit]

[TopHat'N'Cape1888]

Do you mean experienced it as in they managed to get you or do you include just when they "tried" to get you but you saw it coming and avoided it?

Sorry for not clarifying! The moderator below has helped out with that.

[TopHat'N'Cape1888]

[Made the poll more explicit]

Cheers mate!

[Psamathe]

I erred to the side of pessimism (declaring I was riding unwisely - which I can't remember) but it can be difficult to know if you were actually in the door zone when you swerve. Even if clear, seeing a door open just in front would make me swerve out of the way (even if already clear) 'cos I react rather than consider, confirm in my own mind I am clear of the door zone ... And once you've swerved and are past the 1st thought tends to be "thank God I'm safe" not pondering whether or not you'd actually been clear.

And perception can become "adjusted" in your mind after the event. It can be easy when you are "riding unwisely" and managed to escape to convince yourself you were 110% in the right (which you are whether you were in the car door zone or not - people in cars should not open their doors into your path wherever you are). But your mind can "twist" its recollection and "adjust" distances.

To my mind, in an ideal world there should be nothing wrong with riding in the door zone; people in cars should look and you should be safe. It is only because a minority of people in cars show no regard for others that the whole car door zone is such an issue.

Ian

[Mick F]

Once.
Once only, and it was way back in 1976.

Cycling to work in the rain, entering Rosyth Dockyard. Downhill, and on a bike with chrome wheels. There was a bus bay and shop on the left just outside the gates and I was riding on the left ready to show my pass at the gate.
Car in front of me stopped, and passenger opens the door to get out.
I slammed on the anchors to not much effect.

[Cyril Haearn]

Perhaps being doored could be defined
- colliding with a carelessly opened door or
- colliding with the person not the door or
- being seriously inconvenienced by having to stop or steer suddenly

I must have suffered the third years ago but I always ride outwith the door zone now, or very slowly if that is not possible

[Barks]

I mostly cycle outside the door zone but not exclusively. In addition to a few occasions when doors been opened and I have had to take avoiding action I have also had numerous occurrences when I am outside of the door zone and as the doors are opened it is very clear the occupants had no idea I was coming along. You know this because when they see you they quickly pull the door towards themselves or, more hilariously, jump out of their skin with surprise even though of course there is no real danger. One in particular then took great efforts to blame me for suprising him plus a long list of expletives reagdarding cyclists following me as I cycled on. The whole lot have committed a criminal act by potentially endangering other road users - as with Chris Grayling though there is no willingness to admit their guilt. Perhaps the worst aspect of the CG incident was his insistence in a follow up televised interview was that the cyclist was at fault, not him of course.

[Lodge]

Yes I have been doored but not since I was a teenager (I'm now 61). So unforgettable that I still give plenty of space. It would be all the more interesting these days given that over half the time I'm on a recumbent trike not a bike.

[Jon Lucas]

I'm 66 and have only been doored once. It was a long time ago, so can't remember the details now, but think the door injured my hand but I didn't come off or get hit by another vehicle. I've had plenty of occasions when people have started opening their doors and then either they have seen me and closed them, or I've had enough time to take avoiding action when they haven't. As the years go by, I tend to ride further out into the road away from any parked cars.

[Spinners]

I was doored as a teenager riding my lovely red Falcon. It was a middle-aged lady who took me out and somehow it was my shin that took the wallop. I was lucky there wasn't a car directly behind or coming the other way as I was sprawled over the centreline of quite a busy road. The lady apologised and helped my get myself together. I was angry but I didn't have the same adult vocabulary I later developed!

My left leg below the knee was a lovely colour soon afterwards but I was really into playing football at the time so didn't tell mum or dad in case they stopped me playing! I could have got thousands today!

[Debs]

Just the once: 1982 on a cycle tour to Lands End, after stopping off at a shop in Probus for food/drink and setting off on the bike to pass a Volvo that had just stopped on road side and WHAM! the driver's door had suddenly sprung open. I almost missed it but caught a rear pannier bag, what followed was a slow and ungraceful keel-over to tarmac interface, no injuries or damage but eggs in the pannier were broken. Middle aged woman driver was apologetic, took responsibility, with some new scratches on her car door she'd came out the worse, meanwhile i had an inside pannier flavoured omelette for tea later at the camp site.

Seems like once bitten twice shy, the theme of it happening the once.
I've had a couple of close misses but they too were long ago.
Since back along i ride outside of the door zone by 2nd nature

[brooksby]

Once. Filtering up the inside of a queue of stationary traffic opposite the BRI in Bristol, aiming to use that weird little cycle lane there.

Just as I reach the opening to the lane the front passenger door of a taxi flies open, I hit the edge of it and end up on the floor, bike sliding off onto (IIRC) the footway. Back wheel knocked partially out of the dropouts, brakes bent, shin cut and bleeding.

The woman who'd got out - who didn't appear to speak any English- hung around while I checked the bike, to check I wasn't going to keel over, I think, while the taxi drove off as the queue started moving, and then I hobbled down to my lbs who gave me a mug of tea and a biscuit, and a plaster from their first aid box and checked over and sorted my bike whilst I waited. I think I took them beer the next day...

[eileithyia]

Mostly I ride outside the door zone or at least as far enough as I dare toward the outer edge of the door zone.. (traffic etc) and keep vigilant. I have had to do a few swerves.. and usually shout 'door' at the same time.. to warn the opener of my presence.

Recently nearly got doored as a pedestrian....