Harvard University is in a class of its own....

[Anubis]

The time I went through BU a few weeks ago, all I kept seeing were bicycles flying through red lights. They didn't even slow down, just cruised right through. Fucking idiots.

hence my forgger comment

 

[skyking]

Here's a suggestion to help out with this problem. On a road with no bike lanes, move as far to the right as you can without scuffing your tires on the curb in anticipation of the right turn. Most people mistakenly swing wide when it is not necessary at all.
If there is no room for the bike between you and the curb, the problem is solved.
They either have to wait behind you or pass on the left as you turn.

 

[AstroManLuca]

This is a problem everywhere, especially college campuses.

 

[Schfifty Five]

She did have the right of way. Think of it this way. If a pedestrian was running on the sidewalk and you were sitting at the red light with your blinker on and the moment the light turned green and the runner reached the corner at same time, you would yield to the runner. As for going to the left of you, that would be illegal because she would be impeding the flow of traffic by entering the traffic lane. Also, even if there is no painted bike lane, isn't it still implied since bikers aren't allowed to ride on the sidewalks?

I know it's already been pointed out, but I just wanted to say it again.

You are wrong!

 

[Corporate Thug]

people in Santa Barbara, CA and Davis, CA are the same way. SF too, but to a lesser extent.

 

[Sumguy]

Coming from Miami, statistically full of the most shit and inconsiderate drivers you will ever encounter, I know that most people from there learn one very important lesson:

You may have the right of way, but the car has 1,900 pounds on you.

Its only when I started driving around my college campus that I encountered the people who step into the street without looking. I don't use a crosswalk unless I have direct eye contact with the driver and it looks like they're stopping, or they give me the "go ahead" signal. Even with eye contact, I fucking wait my ass on the sidewalk until I notice a markedly decreased speed. Not work the risk to assume that the driver is paying attention and will stop.

I've seen a biker blow through a 4-way intersection when he had a red light. Dude didn't even stop to look for incoming traffic, in fact he didn't even turn his head. I can't even begin to comprehend how he thought that was OK.

 

[CycloWizard]

Even if s/he is at fault, they won't have insurance. You're still stuck paying out of your pocket or claiming it on uninsured for any damage caused to your vehicle thus raising your rates.

Or suing them for the damage they caused by driving illegally. Unfortunately, right or wrong no longer matters and I would almost surely lose the suit.

 

[Venix]

Even if you have the right-of-way--which you may or may not have had in this situation, depending on local laws--you should be looking to your right and rear before executing a turn. The same applies to the cyclist; she should not be passing cars on the right near an intersection and simply assuming that drivers will yield, even if it is legal. You are both inattentive and need to learn how to drive defensively.

You cannot change other people's road behavior, but you can improve your own driving by maintaining a heightened sense of awareness. Any time I've narrowly avoided a collision I think about what I could have done differently to have prevented the situation, even if the other driver would have been completely at fault legally. This means watching for traffic at intersections even if I have a green light, checking my rear-view mirror when stopping, actively avoiding other vehicles' blind spots, etc.

 

[shopbruin]

No its not.

Stanford's in the same class too. They run through 4 way stop signs all the time. They'll zoom out behind trees and bushes and cross the road without checking.

You'd think smart people would be smarter about risking their lives...

They're just as bad when it's not a street with cars. I've been nearly run over a few times walking around campus.

 

[Anonemous]

I like how bikers can run stop signs/red lights whenever they feel like it. Had a group of weekend convoy of cyclists biking around where they made a left turn without stopping at a 4-way intersection with stop signs. A police car was at the intersection and he met his quota for the day.

 

[Saint Nick]

We get it, all of you cyclists hate drivers, and all of you drivers hate cyclists.

 

[2Xtreme21]

Or suing them for the damage they caused by driving illegally. Unfortunately, right or wrong no longer matters and I would almost surely lose the suit.

Yeah, when push comes to shove, you were the one in the car and they were the vulnerable bicyclist, so you'd be up shit creek.

 

[Tylanner]

I only pass cars on the right when they are all backed up at an intersection or it is no turn on red.

I break lots of rules I'm sure, but I am certainly not counting on cars seeing me and giving me lots of room.

(Milwaukee)

 

[CLite]

She did have the right of way. Think of it this way. If a pedestrian was running on the sidewalk and you were sitting at the red light with your blinker on and the moment the light turned green and the runner reached the corner at same time, you would yield to the runner. As for going to the left of you, that would be illegal because she would be impeding the flow of traffic by entering the traffic lane. Also, even if there is no painted bike lane, isn't it still implied since bikers aren't allowed to ride on the sidewalks?

It is legal to pass on the left (cars passing bicyclists).

It is illegal to pass on the right unless it is safe (HINT for the mentally challenged it is not safe to pass a car that is turning right........ on the right).

Legally the bicyclist should pass a car on the left hand-side if the car is making a right hand turn.

 

[AreaCode707]

people in Santa Barbara, CA and Davis, CA are the same way. SF too, but to a lesser extent.

UC Davis is the WORST. There are more bikes there than cars, since many students don't own a car. I stopped driving through downtown altogether, since you could spent 8 minutes sitting at a stop sign at a four-way stop, watching bikes cross in front of you en masse without stopping.

I will credit the Davis PD though; they seemed to LOVE handing out BUI tickets.

Oh, and it was fun watching the freshmen in the fall get stuck inside the bike traffic circles on campus, ride around for a few minutes and then try to crash through all the bikers on the outside, causing a big calamity.

 

[Ricemarine]

Eh.. I think bicyclists just like feeling like they can do anything... I rode with a group of friends and we tried to go up a very long and steep hill... during rush hour with no bike lane (cars basically have to drive into the oncoming lane to get around the bicyclists). Needless to say, my legs were shot and so I started riding up the sidewalks... while the others decided to keep going at ~10 mph having bunches of cars behind them...

They now call me "sidewalk man."

 

[2Xtreme21]

Eh.. I think bicyclists just like feeling like they can do anything... I rode with a group of friends and we tried to go up a very long and steep hill... during rush hour with no bike lane (cars basically have to drive into the oncoming lane to get around the bicyclists). Needless to say, my legs were shot and so I started riding up the sidewalks... while the others decided to keep going at ~10 mph having bunches of cars behind them...

They now call me "sidewalk man."

If that's the price you have to pay for not being a douche, I applaud you.

 

[AstroManLuca]

I only pass cars on the right when they are all backed up at an intersection or it is no turn on red.

I break lots of rules I'm sure, but I am certainly not counting on cars seeing me and giving me lots of room.

(Milwaukee)

Yeah, ideally a cyclist should never be seen crossing on a red light or riding through a stop sign. I always obey traffic signals unless there's literally no one around, in which case I may slowly and carefully go through after looking both ways.

What bothers me is when they blow through without even looking. Pedestrians too, so often it seems like they wait for the light to turn red and THEN cross!

 

[Exterous]

"I was very, very angry," Allegro said. "I could have avoided that by being a strictly law-abiding citizen, but who would have thought? I assumed it'd be like $30. Or $50 max.

Ha. Man up and accept the consequences for your lawbreaking. It's not like it's jail time or anything​

(FWIW - I have never complained about a traffic ticket. I knowingly broke the law so I have accepted the fines associated with my actions)​

 

[cheezy321]

If that's the price you have to pay for not being a douche, I applaud you.

There are multiple examples of people in cars here being complete douches towards bicyclists. They say you obey the same rules as people in cars.

Then when someone doesnt obey the rules and rides on the sidewalk, he is 'not being a douche'. Which way do you want it? Do you want bicyclists to follow all the rules, or just the rules that YOU deem necessary?

 

[Imp]

Exactly why I've more or less given up on driving to work. I live downtown in my city, and have to drive through a major biking area to get to my home.

Not one close call yet, but not worth it to save 20 minutes a day.

 

[Brainonska511]

Yeah, ideally a cyclist should never be seen crossing on a red light or riding through a stop sign. I always obey traffic signals unless there's literally no one around, in which case I may slowly and carefully go through after looking both ways.

What bothers me is when they blow through without even looking. Pedestrians too, so often it seems like they wait for the light to turn red and THEN cross!

I agree. Every group has its faults, but bad cyclists stick out like sore thumbs and give people that follow the rules a bad name. I see it all the time in Manhattan - cyclists going the wrong way, cyclists running red lights, pedestrians ignoring do not walk signs when traffic is coming, pedestrians using the bike lane as a sidewalk, turning cars not yielding to traffic in the bike lane as they are supposed to.... But I see plenty of other people that do follow the rules, but they unfortunately go largely unnoticed.

 

[spacejamz]

...you should be looking to your right and rear before executing a turn.

Are you fucking serious? who looks backwards when they are making a turn??? right and left definitely, but backwards???

 

[MotF Bane]

Even if you have the right-of-way--which you may or may not have had in this situation, depending on local laws--you should be looking to your right and rear before executing a turn. The same applies to the cyclist; she should not be passing cars on the right near an intersection and simply assuming that drivers will yield, even if it is legal. You are both inattentive and need to learn how to drive defensively.

You cannot change other people's road behavior, but you can improve your own driving by maintaining a heightened sense of awareness. Any time I've narrowly avoided a collision I think about what I could have done differently to have prevented the situation, even if the other driver would have been completely at fault legally. This means watching for traffic at intersections even if I have a green light, checking my rear-view mirror when stopping, actively avoiding other vehicles' blind spots, etc.

lol no

 

[The Boston Dangler]

Are you fucking serious? who looks backwards when they are making a turn??? right and left definitely, but backwards???

are you fucking serious?