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Message To An Idiot Bicyclist


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#31 supermom

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Posted 25 September 2012 - 11:30 AM

Do you drive a grey Ford SUV? :P



Nope, I dont own an SUV at all. And I do not begrudge cyclists the road on narrow roads, or roads that do not have adequate room for a cyclist to safely ride in a bike lane. I give them their space, and I do not chase them down and bleep the horn at them.

But, I think there are a lot more cyclists that intentionally run red, do not touch their feet down at stop signs, ride willy-nilly on sidewalks, through parking lots, into bike lanes, change into road lanes and then cross roads without any hand signals whatsoever...quite often. I think more often than you see drivers like that dude in that video.

PS...What's that dude doing driving with his cell on?

:)

joking...I know he did it to prove a point//still illegal though

#32 tony

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Posted 25 September 2012 - 02:57 PM

Nope, I dont own an SUV at all. And I do not begrudge cyclists the road on narrow roads, or roads that do not have adequate room for a cyclist to safely ride in a bike lane. I give them their space, and I do not chase them down and bleep the horn at them.

But, I think there are a lot more cyclists that intentionally run red, do not touch their feet down at stop signs, ride willy-nilly on sidewalks, through parking lots, into bike lanes, change into road lanes and then cross roads without any hand signals whatsoever...quite often. I think more often than you see drivers like that dude in that video.

PS...What's that dude doing driving with his cell on?

:)

joking...I know he did it to prove a point//still illegal though

Granted, this guy was extreme, but harassment of cyclists on rural roads is certainly not rare. Two quibbles about your other complaints: 1) Are motorists required to put a foot down when they stop? Neither are cyclists, as long as they come to a complete stop (and, living on a corner with a stop sign, I can vouch for the fact that the driver who completely stops at a stop sign is the rare exception), and 2) cell phone use while driving is not illegal in Colorado, where this incident occurred.

#33 (The Dude)

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Posted 25 September 2012 - 05:44 PM

Granted, this guy was extreme, but harassment of cyclists on rural roads is certainly not rare. Two quibbles about your other complaints: 1) Are motorists required to put a foot down when they stop? Neither are cyclists, as long as they come to a complete stop (and, living on a corner with a stop sign, I can vouch for the fact that the driver who completely stops at a stop sign is the rare exception), and 2) cell phone use while driving is not illegal in Colorado, where this incident occurred.


Motorcyclists are required to come to a complete stop which means putting a foot down. Why should bicyclists be exempt?

California / rolling stops are illegal no matter what mode of transportation one is using

Not using a cell phone while driving should be common sense, it's as bad as drunk driving, we shouldn't need laws for common sense, it's too ba the stupid people outnumber the smart people, this the need for all the damn nanny laws

#34 chris v

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Posted 25 September 2012 - 05:57 PM

Motorcyclists are required to come to a complete stop which means putting a foot down. Why should bicyclists be exempt?

California / rolling stops are illegal no matter what mode of transportation one is using

Not using a cell phone while driving should be common sense, it's as bad as drunk driving, we shouldn't need laws for common sense, it's too ba the stupid people outnumber the smart people, this the need for all the damn nanny laws


That's funny because I can come to a complete stop for multiple seconds on my motorcycles and bicycles without ever putting a foot down. Nothing says you have to put a foot down.

#35 (The Dude)

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Posted 25 September 2012 - 06:00 PM

That's funny because I can come to a complete stop for multiple seconds on my motorcycles and bicycles without ever putting a foot down. Nothing says you have to put a foot down.


I can do that very easily too but the cops told me that's considered a rolling stop when they almost gave me a ticket for it about a year ago

#36 The Average Joe

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Posted 26 September 2012 - 12:40 AM

Been told that by a cop as well... I used to always tap a foot at a minimum on my motorcycle for just that reason.

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#37 tony

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Posted 26 September 2012 - 03:38 PM

Been told that by a cop as well... I used to always tap a foot at a minimum on my motorcycle for just that reason.

That may be their interpretation, but that's not what the vehicle code says. Of course, the cop's interpretation is right, unless you can successfully challenge it in court.

#38 folsombound

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Posted 26 September 2012 - 04:46 PM

I can track stand too. If the wheels stop, that is a stop.

#39 supermom

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Posted 26 September 2012 - 10:41 PM

I can track stand too. If the wheels stop, that is a stop.


I would be content with that if they did stop and it was safe stop and go. But sadly I see an awful ot of near hits when cyclists don't stop and and cars are put in a terrible dilemma of trying to avoid a cyclist- on a daily basis, here in Folsom.

I just wish cyclists would use more caution. and consistently.

#40 tony

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Posted 27 September 2012 - 08:46 AM

I just wish cyclists would use more caution. and consistently.

I just wish motorists would use more caution.

Apparently it's not just me who has observed that motorists disproportionately identify bicyclists as scofflaws. Here's a fascinating interview with a "traffic psychologist" who has studied how motorists treat bicyclists and why they seem to have an unreasonable disdain if not hatred for cyclists.

#41 (The Dude)

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Posted 27 September 2012 - 03:46 PM

I just wish motorists would use more caution.

Apparently it's not just me who has observed that motorists disproportionately identify bicyclists as scofflaws. Here's a fascinating interview with a "traffic psychologist" who has studied how motorists treat bicyclists and why they seem to have an unreasonable disdain if not hatred for cyclists.


They treat us motorcyclists bad too. They really hate it that we can split lanes too.

#42 tony

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Posted 01 October 2012 - 10:54 AM

They treat us motorcyclists bad too. They really hate it that we can split lanes too.

Yeah, it took me awhile to get over hating motorcyclists for lane splitting, although I will never get over hating the Harley drivers who can't seem to get past the infantile belief that loud = manly.

As for why motorists seem to disproportionately hate bicyclists, here's an entertaining but serious take on it (please excuse the coarse language): Slate article

#43 folsombound

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Posted 01 October 2012 - 11:12 AM

Yeah, it took me awhile to get over hating motorcyclists for lane splitting, although I will never get over hating the Harley drivers who can't seem to get past the infantile belief that loud = manly.

As for why motorists seem to disproportionately hate bicyclists, here's an entertaining but serious take on it (please excuse the coarse language): Slate article

Good Article! That pretty much hit the proverbial nail on the head.

#44 benning

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Posted 01 October 2012 - 04:47 PM

This is why I avoid group rides; they foster bad cycling. There is no reason for them to ride five abreast if that is what they were doing. On E Natoma, which has reasonable bike lanes, cyclists should not be outside of the bike lane unless there is a specific hazard in the bike lane, although leaving the bike lane to pass another cyclist is perfectly legal, as long as it is safe to do so (20 of your friends on a group ride do not constitute a hazard to be bypassed).




Most bicyclists are motorists too. The bad ones do both poorly. Bicyclists certainly do not have a monopoly on bad behavior, motorists just focus on it because bicyclists are "different" and "get in their way".


I have a problem with group cyclists as well. I do love group organized rides but not group training rides. As a driver, it makes it challenging to pass. In particular, when they are training up in Placer County they don't typically leave gaps in their groups. I was traveling in my car on a narrow road behind a group, not normally a problem. But there was an irrigation ditch instead of a shoulder and a group of about twenty...this requires me to wait to pass until there is a huge gap and no upcoming driveways. Sometimes I can't even see the beginning of the group so there is no way for me to pass safely. So I'm stuck behind them for quite some time. This type of thing is what makes drivers impatient. I think they should be encouraged to split up their groups to 4-5 bikes and leave 1-2 car lengths in between in case of an emergency situation where someone starts to pass in a car then needs to drop back and to the right to avoid a head on collision. Can we all just use our brains a bit more?
"L'essential est invisible pour les yeux."

#45 (The Dude)

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Posted 01 October 2012 - 09:26 PM

Yeah, it took me awhile to get over hating motorcyclists for lane splitting, although I will never get over hating the Harley drivers who can't seem to get past the infantile belief that loud = manly.

As for why motorists seem to disproportionately hate bicyclists, here's an entertaining but serious take on it (please excuse the coarse language): Slate article


I ride a harley and I TOO hate those dbag weekend riders who pretend to be a bad arse, with all of their 600 miles of experience on their odometer. They are a an embarrassment to us real riders who love the ride more then the bike.




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