Bicyclists have started doing a new thing that makes me furious

[SpatiallyAware]

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

That's not how taxes work.

I don't have kids that benefit from public schools, I have never needed a fire truck, welfare, food stamps, or a whole host of other things which I pay taxes for.

And a bicycle has an effect on road wear and emissions. They cause traffic issues, which in itself increases road wear and more emissions. It may be small, but it's there.

Motorcycles cause far fewer issues with traffic and use, yet they're taxed.


The only reason bicycles have not yet been taxed is due to the pro bicycle lobbying groups... But they've lost a lot of support over the years. Motorists are fed up with the special treatment.

 

[JulesMaximus]

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

I never ride on the sidewalk and I will yield to car traffic according to the law at all stop signs.

 

[Remobz]

I never ride on the sidewalk and I will yield to car traffic according to the law at all stop signs.

You are in the minority for sure.

 

[JulesMaximus]

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.

:thumbsdown: I disagree and I would never support this. As a society we should encourage alternative forms of transportation. What you suggest discourages them.

 

[theeedude]

I've never seen this until a few months ago. Now I'm seeing it a few times a week. Not quite sure why this is a new thing all of a sudden.

I'll be driving on a busy road that has a bike lane on the side. A few bicyclists will be using the right most car lane instead of the bike line. They'll be going 15mph on a road where the speed limit is 45mph. This is very annoying as it completely screws up car traffic, but I can find reasons to explain to myself why they're doing it (maybe the bike lane isn't safe or something). But... this what makes me furious.... whenever they hit traffic or a stop light, they go back into the bike lane, and drive around the cars.

It's like they want to just to piss off drivers.

Here, in places, bike lanes are not swept and cleaned like regular traffic lanes. Sometimes they sweep the traffic lanes and push all the crud into the bike lane.
Also, some places, like entrances to malls, it's safer to ride in regular lane than bike lane, because people coming out don't stop on the line and stick their nose into the bike lane. Or they cut you off going into the right turn. If there is traffic and cars are stopped, it's safer to go in bike lane, because the situation is static.

 

[Markbnj]

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

Not going to happen. When I ride on the road, which is fortunately very rare as we have a great trail system nearby, I take responsibility for my own safety. I don't trust any driver, and I don't expect any driver to yield me the right of way under any circumstances. What I have a problem with is this idea that when I ride I should act like any other vehicle, obeying the rules of the road and expecting others to do the same. I think that's just nuts. It works fine when you're on an equal footing with the other idiots on the road, wrapped in steel. But not when you're walking or riding a bike. You are not driving a vehicle.

 

[SlitheryDee]

Not going to happen. When I ride on the road, which is fortunately very rare as we have a great trail system nearby, I take responsibility for my own safety. I don't trust any driver, and I don't expect any driver to yield me the right of way under any circumstances. What I have a problem with is this idea that when I ride I should act like any other vehicle, obeying the rules of the road and expecting others to do the same. I think that's just nuts. It works fine when you're on an equal footing with the other idiots on the road, wrapped in steel. But not when you're walking or riding a bike. You are not driving a vehicle.

I don't trust other drivers to do what they are supposed to do when I'm in a car. I'm always paying attention at intersections whether I have right of way or not. I'm always watching for other cars to try to turn or change lanes without seeing me. I always would rather wait for an opening rather than try anything risky to get few seconds ahead in traffic. In short, I try never to put the onus on any other driver to do the right thing in order to ensure my safety. In most situations I consider myself solely responsible for my own safety, and I drive like it.

I think this mindset could translate to cycling as well. Rather than bitching about other drivers endangering you, never put your self in a situation where someone else can endanger you. If that makes your ride a bit more inconvenient, what of it? You can't have everything all the time.

 

[SpatiallyAware]

:thumbsdown: I disagree and I would never support this. As a society we should encourage alternative forms of transportation. What you suggest discourages them.

Fine, allow them to write off the tax like you hybrid drivers do. They still need to be tagged, period.

 

[Zargon]

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

the bike lanes arent free dude.

 

[_Rick_]

the bike lanes arent free dude.

neither are sidewalks.

 

[alkemyst]

I'd like to see some of those above claiming to be road nuisances record it.


They are probably just cowering in a bus stop waiting for traffic to clear.

 

[JulesMaximus]

I don't trust other drivers to do what they are supposed to do when I'm in a car. I'm always paying attention at intersections whether I have right of way or not. I'm always watching for other cars to try to turn or change lanes without seeing me. I always would rather wait for an opening rather than try anything risky to get few seconds ahead in traffic. In short, I try never to put the onus on any other driver to do the right thing in order to ensure my safety. In most situations I consider myself solely responsible for my own safety, and I drive like it.

I think this mindset could translate to cycling as well. Rather than bitching about other drivers endangering you, never put your self in a situation where someone else can endanger you. If that makes your ride a bit more inconvenient, what of it? You can't have everything all the time.

Unfortunately what you suggest is pretty much impossible on a bicycle. We take a risk that every time we ride we may be killed or maimed by an inattentive driver. I have been cut off numerous times, nearly driven off the road a few times, honked at and harassed by motorists and even had stuff thrown at me and one guy try to take a swing at me (this guy was totally off his rocker and became completely unhinged because I raised my arm in a WTF gesture after he buzzed me-I got into a shouting match with him). And most of this stuff happened as I was pedaling along in a dedicated bike lane. I almost never take a lane unless there is no alternative and, surprisingly, I've never had an issue with cars while doing this either. We have decent bike lanes and most municipalities actually sweep them every few weeks.

Most people are fairly decent and I have no problem with most drivers but I have zero tolerance or patience for cyclist hate. If you hate me because I ride a bicycle you can go fuck yourself to death as far as I'm concerned.

 

[JulesMaximus]

Fine, allow them to write off the tax like you hybrid drivers do. They still need to be tagged, period.

:thumbsdown: I won't support that either.

 

[etrigan420]

If you hate me because I ride a bicycle you can go fuck yourself to death as far as I'm concerned.

...and if you don't follow the rules of the road, then you can do the same.

It's not "cyclist hate" it's, "hate for those who believe the laws don't apply to them, except in the case where it *benefits* them".

 

[Ns1]

...and if you don't follow the rules of the road, then you can do the same.

Do you follow the same logic for people who drive cars?

If so...

DEATH TO ALL AMERICANS WHO DRIVE 66MPH OR ROLL STOP SIGNS! Failure to signal should be punishable by dismemberment. God forbid a car blows a stop sign/red light (they never do that right?)

 

[Eureka]

Not going to happen. When I ride on the road, which is fortunately very rare as we have a great trail system nearby, I take responsibility for my own safety. I don't trust any driver, and I don't expect any driver to yield me the right of way under any circumstances. What I have a problem with is this idea that when I ride I should act like any other vehicle, obeying the rules of the road and expecting others to do the same. I think that's just nuts. It works fine when you're on an equal footing with the other idiots on the road, wrapped in steel. But not when you're walking or riding a bike. You are not driving a vehicle.

And you are a perfect example of a rolling traffic hazard.

For one, you're riding against other riders, who are expecting to follow the flow of traffic. Someone's going to have to divert to avoid you,.

Secondly, you fail to miss the point of riding with traffic. In a high-traffic situation, like a city, you have nowhere else to avoid traffic. It doesn't matter if you're facing them or not, you're going to get hit. And if you get hit in front, you're easily doubling the impact force.

If you really do have that much room to maneuver out of the way, you're probably not going to get hit in the first place. At that point you're more likely to endanger other bikers.

I don't know about you, but I generally ride in the city... there's nowhere to "jump out of the way".

 

[Ns1]

I don't know about you, but I generally ride in the city... there's nowhere to "jump out of the way".

Bingo. Riding down the street, you pass a driveway and the car comes out of the driveway and is about to t-bone you. Where do you go? You can't speed up/slow down, you can only go into the car or into the street.

But let's stop trying to argue with him - he's obviously spiderman.

 

[JulesMaximus]

...and if you don't follow the rules of the road, then you can do the same.

It's not "cyclist hate" it's, "hate for those who believe the laws don't apply to them, except in the case where it *benefits* them".

So basically you're judging me and everyone else who rides for things I haven't done and may never do? Yeah, that makes a whole lot of sense...

 

[etrigan420]

Do you follow the same logic for people who drive cars?

If so...

DEATH TO ALL AMERICANS WHO DRIVE 66MPH OR ROLL STOP SIGNS! Failure to signal should be punishable by dismemberment. God forbid a car blows a stop sign/red light (they never do that right?)

Your militancy is cute. Like, I just want to pat you on the head kind of cute.

I never said that I wished death on cyclists. You need to reach up and pull your bike shorts out of you vag.

 

[Ns1]

So basically you're judging me and everyone else who rides for things I haven't done and may never do? Yeah, that makes a whole lot of sense...

guilty by association, cyclist scum.

 

[etrigan420]

So basically you're judging me and everyone else who rides for things I haven't done and may never do? Yeah, that makes a whole lot of sense...

Wow, you and Ns1 should just get a room...

Follow. The. Rules. Of. The. Road. Or. Get. The. Fuck. Off. Of. It.

Simple enough now?

 

[Ns1]

Wow, you and Ns1 should just get a room...

Follow. The. Rules. Of. The. Road. Or. Get. The. Fuck. Off. Of. It.

Simple enough now?

so we can agree right?

All I'm saying is a double standard exists - drivers give other drivers a pass for breaking traffic laws, but when cyclists do the same it's DEATH TO ALL CYCLISTS

 

[JulesMaximus]

Wow, you and Ns1 should just get a room...

Follow. The. Rules. Of. The. Road. Or. Get. The. Fuck. Off. Of. It.

Simple enough now?

Are you a cop? No? Do you call them every time you see a car speeding or not stop at a stop sign or blow a red light? No? Then shut the fuck up and mind your own business.

 

[JulesMaximus]

so we can agree right?

All I'm saying is a double standard exists - drivers give other drivers a pass for breaking traffic laws, but when cyclists do the same it's DEATH TO ALL CYCLISTS

:thumbsup: Agreed.

 

[SpatiallyAware]

:thumbsdown: I won't support that either.

I know. It's the typical elitist bicyclist attitude. And it's why legislation is going to end up shoved down your throats - because you refuse to do any sort of compromise, so the ultimate decision will be made without your input.


It's over the top in my area... We have people forming anti bicyclist groups and everything.