Car Magnet?!!!

13ADL1X

I've been commuting to work for years and normally wear a blue jacket with some reflective piping.

How come as soon as I put on my new Fluoro Orange jacket and ride people keep pulling out on my or swerving into my path?

Seriously, the jacket is so bright it hurts my eyes! Yet I've had more bother in 2 days than I ever had in like 3-4 years. :?

RedGT

13ADL1X wrote:

I've been commuting to work for years and normally wear a blue jacket with some reflective piping.

How come as soon as I put on my new Fluoro Orange jacket and ride people keep pulling out on my or swerving into my path?

Seriously, the jacket is so bright it hurts my eyes! Yet I've had more bother in 2 days than I ever had in like 3-4 years. :?

Probably transfixed by it's luminosity, some car drivers are simple folk.

salsarider79

Like moths to a lightbulb....
Seriously though, hope everything is ok. I hate car drivers sometimes....

phil_ss1

urban camouflage in action.

P

13ADL1X

Yea, no physical injuries yet. But it's bad for my blood pressure though coz I keep having to swear and shout at people!

I can't stand car drivers but I suppose they do give me something to race or something to get in front of and go really slowly coz they cut me up before the lights.

dafruk

maybe you look like a worky in a high vis jacked and everyone assumes you're just standing watching, appreciating one of your colleagues doing some good digging, whilst drinking your tea.

Or it could be the really silly fact that people assume you are a more competent cyclist and take more chances around you as they reckon you'll be sensible.

dondare

They assume that if they can see you, then you can see them.

Dudu

13ADL1X wrote:

I've been commuting to work for years and normally wear a blue jacket with some reflective piping.

How come as soon as I put on my new Fluoro Orange jacket and ride people keep pulling out on my or swerving into my path?

Seriously, the jacket is so bright it hurts my eyes! Yet I've had more bother in 2 days than I ever had in like 3-4 years. :?

ISTR there's been some research that shows that there are now so many people about the streets in hi-viz jackets - council workers, plod, cyclists, bus drivers having a break - that road users (not just drivers) are beginning to not "see" them.

Go back to the blue one with the piping, i reckon.

lost_in_thought

I wore a black jacket with reflective bits on it home last night in the dark, and the difference between that and the hi-viz one was very interesting, much better in the black one with the close passes.

My theory is that as you're only super-visible when their lights hit you, you take them by surprise... however this theory is rather flimsy....

dafruk

lost_in_thought wrote:

My theory is that as you're only super-visible when their lights hit you, you take them by surprise... however this theory is rather flimsy....

I don't care whether it's the lights or the bonnet, I'd rather they didn't hit me! Oh you meant when the light from their lights... nothing to see, move along...

downfader

What you need to do is stand by the road with hiviz on and a clip board, and as drivers whizz past shake your head in disappointment. Watch them slow down.

I was out photographing potholes earlier this year like that, strangley drivers behaved as they drove past. :?

redvee

downfader wrote:

I was out photographing potholes earlier this year like that, strangley drivers behaved as they drove past. :?

A new hobby??

downfader

redvee wrote:

downfader wrote:

I was out photographing potholes earlier this year like that, strangley drivers behaved as they drove past. :?

A new hobby??

..well i was trying to sell pics to the local rag Didnt work

I have some odd stuff HERE (type "pothole" in the box, I'm more into wildlife and small studio stuff though)

prj45

I was in the car once, looked down the street and turned right.

Literally out of nowhere a cyclist appeared in front of me. I had turned slowly and carefully (as I always do) but completely missed this guy coming at me down the road I was turning from.

He was wearing a sort of day glo camoflage jersey, if you'd seen him you'd wonder why I missed him, but apparently bright colours are the best type of camoflage in certain environments.

IIRC It why goal keepers wear brightly colour clothes, and apparerntly some battle ships were painted in patchwork colours, as it makes it hard for the enemy to work out which way it is moving.

Due to the huge shipping losses of 1917, orders were issued for ALL merchant ships to be painted in 'crazy quilt' camouflages. This was carried out from very small ships to the largest liners. It was also carried over to Seaplane Carriers with the Grand Fleet and other auxiliary vessels, convoy escort sloops etc.

http://www.gwpda.org/naval/s1200000.htm

c12345

Off topic, but I've you've given me an idea: How about 'car magnets'?

strip magnets attached to an A4 sheet of Hi-Vis card wit 'I ALMOST KILLED A CYCLIST' written on it. You keep a supply down you're jersey, and stuck em onto cars that try to mess you up. That way, the dirver knows they did bad, and other road users can steer clear incase they get messed up too.

downfader

c12345 wrote:

Off topic, but I've you've given me an idea: How about 'car magnets'?

strip magnets attached to an A4 sheet of Hi-Vis card wit 'I ALMOST KILLED A CYCLIST' written on it. You keep a supply down you're jersey, and stuck em onto cars that try to mess you up. That way, the dirver knows they did bad, and other road users can steer clear incase they get messed up too.

There was talk a few years back of strips of flourescent stickers - the last thing you'd want to so though is gett too close to drivers like that..

dafruk

you don't want magnets, they are far too easy to remove. Something more like the window stickers you get for parking illegally in uni car parks which are ridiculously difficult to remove.