Looks like he did a great job parking in that spot too judging by the truck next to him.
I hate the share the road signs. They are the worst.
2010-06-22 17:27:48
20
cut off by driver training school car! AMAZING! (not really)
today on my way in to the office, on penn circle right around the light by the mcdonald's i was passed at what i would consider too close, as i was taking the lane and all of a sudden this car is cutting across my path. i saw the car turn into the mcdonalds, so i went up behind the car as the driver was exiting. i asked him calmly yet incredulously, "do you REALLY train drivers?". before he could answer, i told him that he should teach drivers to pass cyclists at a safe distance. his response was "share the road!". i told him i know about sharing the road, and that by law i have the full lane. he again said "share the road." as i said "oh hey! let's call this big phone number on the back of your car and see what they have to say." he responded "go ahead and call the main office!" and went into mcdonalds to get his cheeseburger.
i snapped a pic of his car with my phone.
we really need to have a public campaign that explains that "share the road" does not mean "share the same lane at all times even when it's dangerous as hell".
this guy seemed to actually think he was in the right jamming his death machine into my vehicle's path.
haven't called the number yet. i think i'm going to the website to find some other numbers first.
2010-06-22 17:23:32
Yeah, this once again proves to me that the majority of drivers STILL think the whole "Share the Road" campaign is directed AT cyclists. This type of crap coming from a DRIVING INSTRUCTOR needs to stop ASAP.
2010-06-22 17:32:33
when I was a teenager, I had an instructor from Easy Method (parents wouldn't go with me on the highway for the first time). She was cool, we had 4 lessons. I remember getting behind a bike once, she said "They are not as slow as you think they are, and you are not in as big a hurry as you think you are. We can wait, they'll turn or let you pass."
They're not all adam's apples, and mine taught me well. She also turned me into a parallel parking machine. But you should call.
2010-06-22 17:36:37
Yeah. That's awesome advice. Maybe that guy really is like that when he teaches but just drives like a jerk when he is by himself.
2010-06-22 17:37:54
def call. companies hate unsafe drivers.
2010-06-22 18:00:18
yeah the share the road signs have to go. people are like kids with toys, they think "share" means "let me have".
2010-06-22 18:06:11
it's more of a concern to me that this guy might be training people to drive incorrectly based on his own mistaken assumptions.
all of the share the road signs should be replaced or just re-lettered with "pass cyclists with caution", but this still does not get across the message that you don't have to share the lane side-by-side, according to the law. maybe if the picture showed a car behind a bike in the right hand lane and an arrow showing that the car is going to pass the bike in the left lane.
this is really a major problem if any segment of the people driving around think "share the road" means "squeeze by cyclists and share the side of your car with them".
2010-06-22 19:52:48
cyclists have right to lane?
2010-06-22 19:57:23
"pass cyclists with caution"
^^^^
This with vegetarian gravy on it.
I was just noticing the other day how the image on the signs makes it look more like "Please use caution when ramming bikes from behind."
Also the seat belt on the driver looked like a pony tail at first glance...and that's just not right. I know lots of guys with pony tails and some of them drive very well.... 
2010-06-22 20:16:58
I recall seeing a sign somewhere out in the vicinity of Upper Burrell, possibly on Garvers Ferry, that reads something to the effect of "bicyclists have equal rights." Fairly direct. I might try to snap a photo next time I'm out that way.
Update: I just checked Google Street View, and I suspect this may be the sign, but it's too blurry to read:
2010-06-22 20:34:17
2010-06-22 20:54:47
@Lyle Yeeeessss!! Can we order a couple of thousand of those plus some shirts?
2010-06-22 20:57:30
Sure. Now we can all argue about which variation of "Use Full Lane" we like...
2010-06-22 21:04:15
I vote to install one of those signs on panther hollow road, inbound. I need to get a speedometer, because I swear I'm approaching the speed limit going down that damn hill every morning, and still have some jagoffs that barely move over then cut me off to get over to the off ramp leading to Phipps.
I suppose you could put one outbound too, but I never feel crazy enough to take that. Seems cars still haven't slowed from their freeway speeds on Blvd of the Allies, and the hill makes for slow biking.
2010-06-22 21:05:03
2010-06-22 22:51:25
I would think these "driving instructors" would have to be certified with the state. That might be an interesting little tidbit to investigate. Sounds like this person has a bit of a deficit of knowledge regarding state law.
2010-06-22 23:25:01
there's this special federal book out there called the mutcd that determines what signs and markings can go into the public thruway without special permission.
they just approved this sign for use in their latest version, however, as far as i know, PennDot still has to approve the latest version. expect that version to be approved when the feds release the next one.
2010-06-23 13:32:43
I kinda wish that sign said "may always use full lane". The sign above may cause some to think that, where posted, it's a special situation, when we all (should) know that it is always the case.
2010-06-23 14:43:22
What are the odds that I would ever see these posted on, for example, Liberty inbound from Baum to 30th, or Forbes between Braddock and Dallas?
2010-06-24 03:18:56