Bicyclists have started doing a new thing that makes me furious

[SlitheryDee]

The reason you wide with traffic is because you really don't stand a better chance of avoiding a traffic going against it, and when you do get into an accident, you're being bumped from behind as opposed to going headfirst.

I don't see how this is possible. How does it work out that seeing something coming doesn't help you avoid getting hit by it?

 

[SpatiallyAware]

I literally LOL at the BS selfish excuses that the leotard wearers make about why it's acceptable to block massive amounts of traffic because they're sick of doing jazzercize at home. I particularly like the BS about how they shouldn't have to register their tardcicles since some of them pay taxes on other vehicles. Anyone who has multiple vehicles pays tax on ALL of them, even if you can only drive one at a time. But as always, they want special treatment.


To the OP - they ride in the road because they're training for the olympics. These pro athlete bicyclists are way too awesome and fast to be stuck in a bike lane with mere peons just riding to work.

They also don't like the pebbles in the bike lane as they keep theirs seats rammed so far up their ass that even the slightest bump can cause massive brain hemorrhage. So basically, it's the same excuse they use for all the other laws they break - "it's for muh safety!"


In my area people are beyond fed up with these selfish morons who hold up traffic, constantly break the laws, yet expect equal treatment while paying no taxes or insurance on their vehicle. It's not uncommon for there to be a line of people honking and nearly grazing the idiots riding 2 ft from the side of the road trying to "hold" the lane. They get passed by 20 cars, then weave their way to front at a red light.... Just to get immediately passed by the same 20 cars again. It's the dumbest thing I see on the road today, and that says a LOT.


We are well past time to require taxes, insurance, and registration/license plates of ANY vehicle on the road.

 

[Brainonska511]

Say the car is moving at 50mph, and you're moving at 10mph.

Would you rather have that impact be at 40mph or at 60? Remember, kinetic energy increases by the square of velocity, too.

Not only that, people turning off of side streets expect traffic to be coming from a certain direction. Going the wrong way is just asking to get clobbered. It's much safer to be riding with traffic.

 

[SpatiallyAware]

Biking infrastructure here in Denmark is some of the best on the world, but there was one particular road outside of my hometown with no bike lane where I had to "take the lane" in order to survive. Small road and very little traffic, poorly suited for riding a bike though, there was a better road but it was a pretty big detour, at least 10 miles. The cars were always doing twice the speed limit and there was a perpetual side wind, it wasn't unusual to pass a car in the ditch put there by some yokel who just had to do 90 mph on that small country road. I always took the lane and forced the assholes to slow down and then pulled into the side so they could overtake me in an orderly fashion. Some would get mad and start a shouting match but fuck them and their "I'm entitled to drive as a fast as I want and endanger other people"-attitudes.

LOL you keep that elitist attitude when you're in the hospital set up in a traction bed.

I mean yea, you will be "right", but when you have a broken back that attitude is not going to help you much.


Tax, tag, insure bicycles. They need to have license plates so they can be reported for breaking the law and illegally holding up traffic. Until then, expect to get honked at and "buzzed" by frustrated drivers.

 

[Markbnj]

Not only that, people turning off of side streets expect traffic to be coming from a certain direction. Going the wrong way is just asking to get clobbered. It's much safer to be riding with traffic.

There is no way this is true.

 

[Eureka]

I don't see how this is possible. How does it work out that seeing something coming doesn't help you avoid getting hit by it?

Because bicycle lanes in busy roads are only 1/2 to 1/4 the width of a traffic lane, and you have nowhere to maneuver. On one side you have parked traffic and on the other is two lanes of high speed traffic. In a city, the only thing riding against traffic is going to do is let you see the person before he hits you.

And Brainonska511 had a point as well.

 

[Markbnj]

Say the car is moving at 50mph, and you're moving at 10mph.

Would you rather have that impact be at 40mph or at 60? Remember, kinetic energy increases by the square of velocity, too.

Yeah, thanks for the physics lesson. I'd rather see the thing coming and have a chance to dive out of the way. Because when it hits you from behind you're going to have zero warning of any kind.

 

[Raduque]

You feel entitled to own the road, but the law says to share the road.

I share the road with motorcycles because they can match traffic speeds and have to be registered. I dont feel the need to share the road with a concrete speed bump, why should I share it with a moving one?

 

[Brainonska511]

There is no way this is true.

Except it is. I've seen many times where a bike is nearly run over because a car doesn't expect traffic to be coming the wrong way.

 

[SpatiallyAware]

I don't block traffic anymore than a slow moving car blocks traffic. I take the lane when it is a safer option for me as the law allows in my state. I would gladly take safe bicycle lanes over taking the lane.

shut the fuck up cyclist. I need my latte and I need it now, and will run your ass down to get it.

</driverrage>

related, which one of you AT'ers is this?

A slow moving car pays tags, taxes, and insurance. If they want to risk causing an accident by going 10mph they have a moral right to do that.


The frustration is being in a line of 20 cars, where you all take turns passing some tardcicle, just to have him weave past everyone at the first red light.

Then all 20 cars take turns passing the tard.

Just to get to a red light.

...."Time" aside, it's incredibly dangerous. I always give tardcicles room. Even though in my personal opinion they don't deserve it, I do respect the law that requires a vehicle to give a bike room.



That being said.. About 1 month back I saw an incredibly close call where a tard was riding near the curb, then darted into the middle of the lane without any signalling or notice. A car that was passing him with 3ft room still had to swerve across the double yellow, nearly getting into a head on collision with a truck. If the truck hadn't been paying attention there definitely would've been accident.

I went home that day and ordered one of those dashcams, because in that situation I'm not going to risk hitting a truck head on, and I want video evidence of a tard running into my car if need be.

 

[LucJoe]

I don't see how this is possible. How does it work out that seeing something coming doesn't help you avoid getting hit by it?

Interestingly, when running on streets it is usually suggested to go against traffic for the reasons you suggest. But on a bike it doesn't work that way. You ride with traffic because a collision is far less likely to kill you.

With traffic: Bike: 15mph Car: 35mph Effective collision: 20mph

Against traffic: Bike: 15mph Car: 35mph Effective collision: 50mph

Not to mention the time to react for both you and the driver is significantly higher.

 

[Ns1]

I share the road with motorcycles because they can match traffic speeds and have to be registered. I dont feel the need to share the road with a concrete speed bump, why should I share it with a moving one?

You should check with the dmv in your state for the applicable "share the road" laws. K thx

Yeah, thanks for the physics lesson. I'd rather see the thing coming and have a chance to dive out of the way. Because when it hits you from behind you're going to have zero warning of any kind.

You don't ride against traffic because people don't expect to see a cyclist riding the wrong way. You are far, far more likely to get hit riding salmon. Odds are you will be hit before you can react.

 

[SpatiallyAware]

Anyone else have insane 'bicycle demonstrations' every time they try to pass laws that treat them fairly, like every other vehicle on the road?


I find it hilarious, how much bicyclists want to be "treated just like everyone else"....... Except when it comes to tax/tags/insurance. Then they want special treatment. And then they wonder why there is massive amounts of resentment from tax paying motorists.

 

[Brainonska511]

Anyone else have insane 'bicycle demonstrations' every time they try to pass laws that treat them fairly, like every other vehicle on the road?


I find it hilarious, how much bicyclists want to be "treated just like everyone else"....... Except when it comes to tax/tags/insurance. Then they want special treatment. And then they wonder why there is massive amounts of resentment from tax paying motorists.

Did the mean little bicycle touch you in your naughty bits to create such resentment? I know it's hard for you to wrap your head around, but bicyclists are paying taxes. Road construction and maintenance are not covered by gas taxes and licensing alone.

 

[SpatiallyAware]

Did the mean little bicycle touch you in your naughty bits to create such resentment? I know it's hard for you to wrap your head around, but bicyclists are paying taxes. Road construction and maintenance are not covered by gas taxes and licensing alone.

I'm all about equality. Period. I think everyone should be treated equally.


I don't care about the gas taxes. It's the road use taxes rolled into registration, and insurance that I want.

Specifically, any vehicle on the road should have a license plate.

 

[LucJoe]

I'm all about equality. Period. I think everyone should be treated equally.


I don't care about the gas taxes. It's the road use taxes rolled into registration, and insurance that I want.

Specifically, any vehicle on the road should have a license plate.

Road use taxes cover wear and tear. Which for a bicycle is effectively zero.

 

[Broheim]

LOL you keep that elitist attitude when you're in the hospital set up in a traction bed.

I mean yea, you will be "right", but when you have a broken back that attitude is not going to help you much.


Tax, tag, insure bicycles. They need to have license plates so they can be reported for breaking the law and illegally holding up traffic. Until then, expect to get honked at and "buzzed" by frustrated drivers.

if the motherfucker in the car doesn't see me in the middle of the road he's not going to see me out to the side, so either way I get hit. I'd rather piss off drivers than have them race by me doing 90 with a wise and beautiful woman hair's width between me and the asshole's sidemirror.

if you wanna lay claim to the road because you drive a car, then guess what? you're responsible for 9/11, you putting gas in that big V8 truck you need to haul your blimp sized ass around means that 'murica needs to drag its dick through the middle east every now and then to ensure that you can fill up your tank with cheap gas so you don't get any of that awful exercise.

 

[Markbnj]

You don't ride against traffic because people don't expect to see a cyclist riding the wrong way. You are far, far more likely to get hit riding salmon. Odds are you will be hit before you can react.

There's nothing you can say that is going to convince me it's better to trust the average driver to pass me on the left from behind without hitting me. Maybe I won't see it coming. Maybe I won't be able to get out of the way, but I would have some chance. Implicit in what you're saying is that you on your bicycle are part of the normal flow of traffic, and are safest when behaving like any other vehicle on the road. But drivers of motor vehicles don't treat you like any other other vehicle because they can't. You can't keep up with the flow of traffic. You're an impediment and a hazard. You create a greater potential for accidents just by being there. So no, you don't throw drivers off by riding down the "wrong" side of the road. It's not like seeing another car coming the wrong way and not knowing how to react. A bike is just a temporary hazard to be negotiated. You move over and give it room. Nobody cares which side of the road it's on.

 

[SpatiallyAware]

Why does he have to be a motherfucker? He's just a guy trying to get to work, who is paying for the road you're pedaling on. Have some respect.

 

[Markbnj]

Except it is. I've seen many times where a bike is nearly run over because a car doesn't expect traffic to be coming the wrong way.

Doesn't matter what the car expected. The problem there lies with what the biker expected the driver of the car to expect. Man, some of you bikers really don't get this: drivers of cars are not regarding you as another vehicle. You're a road hazard. You want to ride a peddled vehicle on a roadway without bike lanes then you're 100% in charge of your own safety. If you go flying along expecting cars to yield you the right of way then good luck with that feeding tube.

 

[Broheim]

Why does he have to be a motherfucker? He's just a guy trying to get to work, who is paying for the road you're pedaling on. Have some respect.

The motherfucker caused 9/11, that's why!

 

[Brainonska511]

Doesn't matter what the car expected. The problem there lies with what the biker expected the driver of the car to expect. Man, some of you bikers really don't get this: drivers of cars are not regarding you as another vehicle. You're a road hazard. You want to ride a peddled vehicle on a roadway without bike lanes then you're 100% in charge of your own safety. If you go flying along expecting cars to yield you the right of way then good luck with that feeding tube.

I guess I won't convince you that what you are doing is actually detrimental to your safety.

I'll leave this here for others that may be convinced that going with traffic is far safer than going against:
http://www.phred.org/~alex/kenkifer/www.kenkifer.com/bikepages/traffic/wrong.htm

 

[Ns1]

There's nothing you can say that is going to convince me it's better to trust the average driver to pass me on the left from behind without hitting me.

Then I guess there is nothing left to discuss. Have fun being a statistic salmon.

 

[Markbnj]

I guess I won't convince you that what you are doing is actually detrimental to your safety.

I'll leave this here for others that may be convinced that going with traffic is far safer than going against:
http://www.phred.org/~alex/kenkifer/www.kenkifer.com/bikepages/traffic/wrong.htm

Most people who are riding on the wrong side are following the old pedestrian rule "walk facing traffic." There are two reasons why this is a good idea for pedestrians. First, they can see on-coming vehicles easily, and second, they can readily step out of the highway. Nonetheless, I don't think this is always the best rule, even for pedestrians. For example, nearing the top of a hill, the time in which to see the on-coming vehicle gets shorter and shorter. So, when I am walking, I always swap sides before I get too near the top. I do the same thing when walking around tight bends in the road. An even better idea, which I do whenever possible, is to walk on whichever side gets me entirely off of and away from the road.

So much wrong here. This person actually crosses a road near the top of a hill , or when approaching a tight bend, because the site lines are getting shorter?

I'll agree with the last sentence, anyway.

 

[Remobz]

Considering that farm vehicles are also required by law to pull over and let traffic past whenever there are cars backed up behind them, you damn well better believe I'd ticket a farm vehicle that was refusing to pull over and allow traffic to pass.



So you come to a complete stop at all stop signs and have never ridden a bicycle on a sidewalk? If so, you're one of very, very few.

I get where you're coming from but what I see on a daily basis is that the vast majority of bicyclists perform the exact same "me first" crap that they yell at cars about. Cyclists habitually blend behaving like cars with behaving like pedestrians; they ignore stop signs, switch between the road and sidewalk at will, and generally switch from "vehicle" to "pedestrian" as their own convenience dictates.

Honestly, walking around as a pedestrian in the city, if cars behaved around bicycles the way bicycles behave around pedestrians cyclists would be thousands of times more angry with cars than they are now.

ZV

Well said. I see the same here. Bicyclists feel entitled here and will cuss and hit your car if they get mad.