Question for all cyclists

[oboeguy]

I grew-up riding three rough, urban miles to get to the nearest reasonably sized park in Brooklyn (Prospect Park) so I guess I have instincts. I've been hit a few times, but have managed to avoid serious injury.

I'm surprised by the ignorance of motorists (OK not really) on a daily basis. You have no trouble passing a slow car, which is WAY THE BLEEP BIGGER THAN A BIKE and you make a big deal about passing a bike. <sigh>

Anecdote here: while renting bikes in Dublin this past summer, I was strafed by not one, but two big city buses in succession. Those bastards were obviously playing with me. One of them literally was an inch from my elbow when it passed.

 

[Blieb]

I like catching cars on downhills or at the next light, and just staring at them, watching them squirm.

 

[freegeeks]

we have this:

The law: One of the most impressive ways that Belgians recognize the importance of cycling is a recently passed traffic law. In the case of an accident between parties of different transportation modes, the more dominant, i.e., dangerous, mode is considered at fault. A car hits a cyclist, the motorist is to blame, no questions asked. A cyclist hits a pedestrian and the cyclist is responsible.

 

[zixxer]

wtfever I just drop a gear and pass them.


I found it RETARDED how bicyclists make such a huge deal about taking up the road. If they don't understand why it's not okay to be riding 15mph on a 45mph road then they need their head examined. If they don't like the fact that the don't have places to ride without being in everyone's way then they need to find another sport.

 

[Fausto]

Originally posted by: armatron
wtfever I just drop a gear and pass them.


I found it RETARDED how bicyclists make such a huge deal about taking up the road. If they don't understand why it's not okay to be riding 15mph on a 45mph road then they need their head examined. If they don't like the fact that the don't have places to ride without being in everyone's way then they need to find another sport.

Congrats, you're a typical Atlanta resident.

 

[freegeeks]

Originally posted by: armatron
wtfever I just drop a gear and pass them.


I found it RETARDED how bicyclists make such a huge deal about taking up the road. If they don't understand why it's not okay to be riding 15mph on a 45mph road then they need their head examined. If they don't like the fact that the don't have places to ride without being in everyone's way then they need to find another sport.

:frown::roll:

 

[gandalph]

A buddy of mine has been hit twice also. The first time, he violated rule #5 and assumed that the old lady behind him knew he was there. She rear-ended him at a red light.

The second time he was hit he violated rule #1. He was riding on a twisty country road with limited visiblity. A van came around a curve in the wrong lane and hit him. He had some pretty serious injuries, but eventually recovered more or less completely. The guy on the bike behind him was put in a coma and had his arm almost completely severed at the shoulder. The POS van driver didn't even stop to see what he had hit.[/quote]


I've got a friend that also violated rule #1 by driving on an extremely busy road during rush hour (about 3PM - 9 PM in Atlanta). He was crossing an intersection (with the light) when some old lady plowed into him. Luckily, the intersection in question is bounded by three hospitals.

His right arm as pretty messed up, especially as the nerves in it go. They transplanted some from the middle of his chest into his right arm, but he still feels things where the nerves used to be. I think he was on some trauma show on the Discovery channel.... He's riding again now, but he's got a permanent disability.

 

[Argo]

Funny thing (i swear this is true). As I'm driving home for lunch today, this biker totally ran the red light. There were 4-5 cars stopped and he just passed them on the right and went through the red light. So much for bikes obeying the same traffic rules

 

[oboeguy]

Originally posted by: Argo
Funny thing (i swear this is true). As I'm driving home for lunch today, this biker totally ran the red light. There were 4-5 cars stopped and he just passed them on the right and went through the red light. So much for bikes obeying the same traffic rules

Have you ever jaywalked?

Yeah, I thought so.

I would think most people without a stick up their you-know-what would think it OK for a cyclist to run a light when it's safe, to avoid people like you driving next to them.

 

[Fausto]

Originally posted by: Argo
Funny thing (i swear this is true). As I'm driving home for lunch today, this biker totally ran the red light. There were 4-5 cars stopped and he just passed them on the right and went through the red light. So much for bikes obeying the same traffic rules

And? Your point?

 

[Argo]

Originally posted by: Fausto

Originally posted by: Argo
Funny thing (i swear this is true). As I'm driving home for lunch today, this biker totally ran the red light. There were 4-5 cars stopped and he just passed them on the right and went through the red light. So much for bikes obeying the same traffic rules

And? Your point?

I thought cyclists were supposed to obey traffic laws? Just like normal cars. You can't have it both ways.

 

[Fausto]

Originally posted by: Argo

Originally posted by: Fausto

Originally posted by: Argo
Funny thing (i swear this is true). As I'm driving home for lunch today, this biker totally ran the red light. There were 4-5 cars stopped and he just passed them on the right and went through the red light. So much for bikes obeying the same traffic rules

And? Your point?

I thought cyclists were supposed to obey traffic laws? Just like normal cars. You can't have it both ways.

And? All motorists obey traffic laws? All the time?

 

[Argo]

What's up with being so defensive? It was just a joke, do you really think I care if some dude on a bike ran a red light? I've ran plenty of red lights myself, I'd be a hypocrite for making a stink about that. You both need to take a chill pill. Or lay off the drugs

 

[broon]

Originally posted by: Argo

Originally posted by: Fausto

Originally posted by: Argo
Funny thing (i swear this is true). As I'm driving home for lunch today, this biker totally ran the red light. There were 4-5 cars stopped and he just passed them on the right and went through the red light. So much for bikes obeying the same traffic rules

And? Your point?

I thought cyclists were supposed to obey traffic laws? Just like normal cars. You can't have it both ways.

If a cop would have seen him he should have gotten a ticket. You probably could have run the light too and not gotten in trouble. Do you speed?

 

[Fausto]

Originally posted by: Argo
What's up with being so defensive?

I just want to know what your point is. You mention a guy on a bike ran a light like it's some kind of vindication.

 

[DrPizza]

Originally posted by: Fausto

Originally posted by: Argo

Originally posted by: Fausto

Originally posted by: Argo
Funny thing (i swear this is true). As I'm driving home for lunch today, this biker totally ran the red light. There were 4-5 cars stopped and he just passed them on the right and went through the red light. So much for bikes obeying the same traffic rules

And? Your point?

I thought cyclists were supposed to obey traffic laws? Just like normal cars. You can't have it both ways.

And? All motorists obey traffic laws? All the time?

I dunno, I think Argo has a point. In the city, I almost always stop for red lights. I think it's kind of rude to expect traffic to watch out for me when I won't obey the traffic laws. Plus, at a red light, it's easier to accelerate up to 30mph behind a van and draft it for the next however far it goes until it has to stop again. In heavier traffic, though, even with stopping at lights, I find that I can move through town much quicker than cars.

 

[mercanucaribe]

Almost all the cyclists I see around here run red lights if there's no traffic coming. I don't, unless there'a bike lane that no one would be turning into anyway.

 

[Argo]

Originally posted by: Fausto

Originally posted by: Argo
What's up with being so defensive?

I just want to know what your point is. You mention a guy on a bike ran a light like it's some kind of vindication.

Ok man, you caught me. I'm that guy you spilled soda on in the 3rd grade and this my plan on getting back at you. By argueing you to death on the internet forum.

 

[Fausto]

Originally posted by: DrPizza

Originally posted by: Fausto

Originally posted by: Argo

Originally posted by: Fausto

Originally posted by: Argo
Funny thing (i swear this is true). As I'm driving home for lunch today, this biker totally ran the red light. There were 4-5 cars stopped and he just passed them on the right and went through the red light. So much for bikes obeying the same traffic rules

And? Your point?

I thought cyclists were supposed to obey traffic laws? Just like normal cars. You can't have it both ways.

And? All motorists obey traffic laws? All the time?

I dunno, I think Argo has a point. In the city, I almost always stop for red lights. I think it's kind of rude to expect traffic to watch out for me when I won't obey the traffic laws. Plus, at a red light, it's easier to accelerate up to 30mph behind a van and draft it for the next however far it goes until it has to stop again. In heavier traffic, though, even with stopping at lights, I find that I can move through town much quicker than cars.

Agreed, but he still doesn't have a point. People in cars do stupid shit....people on bikes do stupid shit. Most of us don't. I do my best not to piss cars off if I can help it and not flagrantly running a light or something right in front of them is part of this.

 

[DaWhim]

what is the law for cyclist? I guess as soon as you get off the bike, you are pedestrian, right? I can guess it is prefertly ok to walk across the redlight.

 

[Fausto]

Originally posted by: DaWhim
what is the law for cyclist? I guess as soon as you get off the bike, you are pedestrian, right? I can guess it is prefertly ok to walk across the redlight.

Pedestrians can't legally cross against a light.

 

[Calin]

Originally posted by: oboeguy
I grew-up riding three rough, urban miles to get to the nearest reasonably sized park in Brooklyn (Prospect Park) so I guess I have instincts. I've been hit a few times, but have managed to avoid serious injury.

I'm surprised by the ignorance of motorists (OK not really) on a daily basis. You have no trouble passing a slow car, which is WAY THE BLEEP BIGGER THAN A BIKE and you make a big deal about passing a bike. <sigh>

Anecdote here: while renting bikes in Dublin this past summer, I was strafed by not one, but two big city buses in succession. Those bastards were obviously playing with me. One of them literally was an inch from my elbow when it passed.

Drivers in crowded cities (narrow streets crowded, not millions of cars on wide streets crowded) have almost inhuman capabilities to go full speed thru places where I would feel the need to pack the mirrors when goint at a pace

 

[Calin]

Originally posted by: freegeeks
we have this:

The law: One of the most impressive ways that Belgians recognize the importance of cycling is a recently passed traffic law. In the case of an accident between parties of different transportation modes, the more dominant, i.e., dangerous, mode is considered at fault. A car hits a cyclist, the motorist is to blame, no questions asked. A cyclist hits a pedestrian and the cyclist is responsible.

I find this totally wrong

 

[ThisIsMatt]

1) You could slow down and pass slower or wait til you can move over a bit.

2) Death isn't so bad

 

[freegeeks]

Originally posted by: Calin

Originally posted by: freegeeks
we have this:

The law: One of the most impressive ways that Belgians recognize the importance of cycling is a recently passed traffic law. In the case of an accident between parties of different transportation modes, the more dominant, i.e., dangerous, mode is considered at fault. A car hits a cyclist, the motorist is to blame, no questions asked. A cyclist hits a pedestrian and the cyclist is responsible.

I find this totally wrong

but it works ...