What are the consequences of riding into a car parked in a bike lane?

[Schmorglebot]

I don't want to be a dick about it and I agree that squirting brake fluid and sticking notes to windscreens with wallpaper glue will only widen the divide between motorists, but I will share this anecdote where a well placed A4 may have prevented tragedy: 

 

So I live on a road with a 90 degree bend in it, and one of my neighbours insists on parking on the corner in such a fashion that in order the turn the corner you have to turn into the right hand lane. After having to slam on brakes a couple of times due to people being in my lane I drew a diagram, wrote a note and placed it in his postbox (along with my phone number in case he/she had some valid reason to park there). I got an SMS a couple of days later from him/her saying that they had never really considered that it was dangerous to park there. They now park in my driveway behind my car. Jokes! They park a little further down to road and everyone is happy.

 

Moral of the story, maybe, and this is a colossal maybe, if drivers knew that parking in bike lanes basically voided their insurance in case of a collision (this according to my broker), regardless if there is a bicycle involved, they would be more considerate, considerate of their own interests yes, but considerate none the less

 

tl;dr notes can be helpful but don't be a dick

 

Edit: splelling

[Eldron]

I like the paper sticker idea. No actual harm or damage done but it takes 5 mins if their time to remove it.

 

Something like "you should have spent the 5 mins it took you to remove this sticker to look for a legal parking spot" should be on the sticker...

[MrJacques]

I did something similar years ago when I was in high school. I was riding around in the neighborhood and did a short sprint, head down, not looking where I was riding. Slammed into the side of a car parked on the pavement. I spat out what I thought was pieces of glass from the side mirror only to realize that it was pieces of my front teeth. It was pretty sore. A dentist managed to fill in the missing bits that broke off from my two upper teeth. I think my parents had to pay for the damage to the car and my bike.

[Schmorglebot]

Ah, but was it parked in a bike lane?

 

I did something similar years ago when I was in high school. I was riding around in the neighborhood and did a short sprint, head down, not looking where I was riding. Slammed into the side of a car parked on the pavement. I spat out what I thought was pieces of glass from the side mirror only to realize that it was pieces of my front teeth. It was pretty sore. A dentist managed to fill in the missing bits that broke off from my two upper teeth. I think my parents had to pay for the damage to the car and my bike.

[BenReaper]

Brake fluid (DOT) + water bottle + squirt along side of car as you ride past = mess....

This is a really k@k approach to the problem, you might feel gratification by doing this but the driver will not know what you have done and in a week or three when the paint starts peeling they will still be none the wiser.

Should the driver somehow know what has happened and why it happened I don't think they will be educated but rathar have feelings of resentment or hatred against cyclists in general and not just that one cyclist who damaged their property.

I don't want to be a dick about it and I agree that squirting brake fluid and sticking notes to windscreens with wallpaper glue will only widen the divide between motorists, but I will share this anecdote where a well placed A4 may have prevented tragedy:

 

So I live on a road with a 90 degree bend in it, and one of my neighbours insists on parking on the corner in such a fashion that in order the turn the corner you have to turn into the right hand lane. After having to slam on brakes a couple of times due to people being in my lane I drew a diagram, wrote a note and placed it in his postbox (along with my phone number in case he/she had some valid reason to park there). I got an SMS a couple of days later from him/her saying that they had never really considered that it was dangerous to park there. They now park in my driveway behind my car. Jokes! They park a little further down to road and everyone is happy.

 

Moral of the story, maybe, and this is a colossal maybe, if drivers knew that parking in bike lanes basically voided their insurance in case of a collision (this according to my broker), regardless if there is a bicycle involved, they would be more considerate, considerate of their own interests yes, but considerate none the less

 

tl;dr notes can be helpful but don't be a dick

 

Edit: splelling

I think this is a very good approach, leave a note to educate them on their wrong doing or maybe just a sticker with really sticky residue(like the stickers Cash Crusaders use) that will inconvenience them a bit but not cause permanent damage.

[Nettie R]

Somebody else’s illegal activity does not exonerate anothers

A bike rider in a dedicated biker lane accidently slamming into an illegally parked car is hardly an illegal activity.

His insurance won't pay him out for damage to his car because he was parked illegally and should not have been there in the 1st place. You will have a claim against him for equipment damage as well as personal injury. In theory that is. Our courts are a mess and people aren't scared of lawyers anymore either.

[IceCreamMan]

A bike rider in a dedicated biker lane accidently slamming into an illegally parked car is hardly an illegal activity.His insurance won't pay him out for damage to his car because he was parked illegally and should not have been there in the 1st place. You will have a claim against him for equipment damage as well as personal injury. In theory that is. Our courts are a mess and people aren't scared of lawyers anymore either.

Well yes, my point was more to the fact that someone else’s negligence or illegal activity does not automatically absolve you from being negligent or being held responsible for an accident. So, if you crash yr bike into a vehicle parked illegally does not mean you scot free. You could be held liable for all the damage including the cars,

 

Illegal activity on the part of another does not mean you absolved from any activity you do just cos he is illegally parked. We have a modern justice system in that regard.

[Schmorglebot]

If I park my bike in the road and a car drives into it I hardly think I would be able to claim damages from the driver

 

Well yes, my point was more to the fact that someone else’s negligence or illegal activity does not automatically absolve you from being negligent or being held responsible for an accident. So, if you crash yr bike into a vehicle parked illegally does not mean you scot free. You could be held liable for all the damage including the cars,

Illegal activity on the part of another does not mean you absolved from any activity you do just cos he is illegally parked. We have a modern justice system in that regard.

[Skinnyone]

This is a really k@k approach to the problem, you might feel gratification by doing this but the driver will not know what you have done and in a week or three when the paint starts peeling they will still be none the wiser.

Should the driver somehow know what has happened and why it happened I don't think they will be educated but rathar have feelings of resentment or hatred against cyclists in general and not just that one cyclist who damaged their property. I think this is a very good approach, leave a note to educate them on their wrong doing or maybe just a sticker with really sticky residue(like the stickers Cash Crusaders use) that will inconvenience them a bit but not cause permanent damage.

To clarify, I have so often been tempted to do the brake fluid idea, but I know that it would cause implications as you state - so I have never done it and most likely never will...turn the other cheek and all that...

 

As a side note tho - being an auto mechanic, brake fluid acts a lot quicker than 2-3weeks...if not removed within minutes then the paint starts to bubble...

[IceCreamMan]

If I park my bike in the road and a car drives into it I hardly think I would be able to claim damages from the driver

The real answer is that it depends on the circumstances an in some cases you,would be able to

[Schmorglebot]

I think I could ask the driver to pay, but he would not be legally bound or obligated to do so

 

The real answer is that it depends on the circumstances an in some cases you,would be able to

[IceCreamMan]

I think I could ask the driver to pay, but he would not be legally bound or obligated to do so

It depends on the circumstances.