"Road Rage" Bicyclist vs. City Bus Passenger

[mb]

I don't think there's anything I can say on here to be understood as I mean it. You guys take my words and like to distort them to fit your beliefs about me and non-cyclists.

Here are some things that I will try the best I can to clarify, although I don't know why I bother, because you still will try to change it around.

1) The cyclists on ATOT post as if all bikers are perfect. This is the image you reflect whether you mean it or not.
2) All bikers are not perfect.
3) Almost every driver, including me, WILL get pissed off at a biker who does something wrong.
4) The difference comes down to a personal level of the driver on what they do about it. I will mutter a curse to myself, *maybe* honk (probably not because I don't want to spook them), and get on with it. I will not try to run you off the road or cause any other sort of harm to you. Those who may try to harm a biker, whether or not said biker is doing something wrong, I do not agree with and I think is sick.
5) If another driver did something wrong, I would act the same way.. curse, maybe honk, and get on with it. If it is something very wrong, (ie they are drunk) I would probably call the cops on them.
6) I do not think that a biker "deserves it" if they do something wrong. Violence like that is completley unnecessary.
7) If they do something like, say, block traffic, I don't see any problem with moving them to the side. There is no need for injuring the biker, just move them to the side so traffic can continue.
8) On the same respect, if someone pulled a car infront of a bus and stopped traffic, I see nothing wrong with moving the car out of the way.

If there is something you still don't understand, ask. Don't try to imply something on my behalf or try to come up with some "logic" you think I subscribe to. That really can be said for every single post on here...

Any since you liked to put this in big bold letters, I will respond directly to it:

Originally posted by: DaShen

But there are more drivers who run red lights and do really stupid things.... drunk driving included

There is no excuse for those things, but that doesn't make it anymore right for a cyclist to break the law.

 

[Fausto]

Originally posted by: supafly
I don't think there's anything I can say on here to be understood as I mean it. You guys take my words and like to distort them to fit your beliefs about me and non-cyclists.

Here are some things that I will try the best I can to clarify, although I don't know why I bother, because you still will try to change it around.

1) The cyclists on ATOT post as if all bikers are perfect. This is the image you reflect whether you mean it or not.
2) All bikers are not perfect.
3) Almost every driver, including me, WILL get pissed off at a biker who does something wrong.
4) The difference comes down to a personal level of the driver on what they do about it. I will mutter a curse to myself, *maybe* honk (probably not because I don't want to spook them), and get on with it. I will not try to run you off the road or cause any other sort of harm to you. Those who may try to harm a biker, whether or not said biker is doing something wrong, I do not agree with and I think is sick.
5) If another driver did something wrong, I would act the same way.. curse, maybe honk, and get on with it. If it is something very wrong, (ie they are drunk) I would probably call the cops on them.
6) I do not think that a biker "deserves it" if they do something wrong. Violence like that is completley unnecessary.
7) If they do something like, say, block traffic, I don't see any problem with moving them to the side. There is no need for injuring the biker, just move them to the side so traffic can continue.
8) On the same respect, if someone pulled a car infront of a bus and stopped traffic, I see nothing wrong with moving the car out of the way.

If there is something you still don't understand, ask. Don't try to imply something on my behalf or try to come up with some "logic" you think I subscribe to. That really can be said for every single post on here...

Any since you liked to put this in big bold letters, I will respond directly to it:

Originally posted by: DaShen

But there are more drivers who run red lights and do really stupid things.... drunk driving included

There is no excuse for those things, but that doesn't make it anymore right for a cyclist to break the law.

I'll give you all but number 7. Battery/assault was not justified in this case no matter how annoying the cyclist was being by attempting to confront the driver. The correct course of action would be to go around him if possible, or get a cop on the scene to sort things out.

 

[mb]

Originally posted by: Fausto

Originally posted by: supafly
I don't think there's anything I can say on here to be understood as I mean it. You guys take my words and like to distort them to fit your beliefs about me and non-cyclists.

Here are some things that I will try the best I can to clarify, although I don't know why I bother, because you still will try to change it around.

1) The cyclists on ATOT post as if all bikers are perfect. This is the image you reflect whether you mean it or not.
2) All bikers are not perfect.
3) Almost every driver, including me, WILL get pissed off at a biker who does something wrong.
4) The difference comes down to a personal level of the driver on what they do about it. I will mutter a curse to myself, *maybe* honk (probably not because I don't want to spook them), and get on with it. I will not try to run you off the road or cause any other sort of harm to you. Those who may try to harm a biker, whether or not said biker is doing something wrong, I do not agree with and I think is sick.
5) If another driver did something wrong, I would act the same way.. curse, maybe honk, and get on with it. If it is something very wrong, (ie they are drunk) I would probably call the cops on them.
6) I do not think that a biker "deserves it" if they do something wrong. Violence like that is completley unnecessary.
7) If they do something like, say, block traffic, I don't see any problem with moving them to the side. There is no need for injuring the biker, just move them to the side so traffic can continue.
8) On the same respect, if someone pulled a car infront of a bus and stopped traffic, I see nothing wrong with moving the car out of the way.

If there is something you still don't understand, ask. Don't try to imply something on my behalf or try to come up with some "logic" you think I subscribe to. That really can be said for every single post on here...

Any since you liked to put this in big bold letters, I will respond directly to it:

Originally posted by: DaShen

But there are more drivers who run red lights and do really stupid things.... drunk driving included

There is no excuse for those things, but that doesn't make it anymore right for a cyclist to break the law.

I'll give you all but number 7. Battery/assault was not justified in this case no matter how annoying the cyclist was being by attempting to confront the driver. The correct course of action would be to go around him if possible, or get a cop on the scene to sort things out.

I agree - battery/assult is not justified. The bike could have been moved back over to the bike lane or even moved to the sidewalk without any violence by the passenger. I'm sure if the bike is moved, the biker will follow and traffic can resume. (I sure wouldn't leave my bike unattended - it would be gone in a second!)
I do not know whether or not it would be possible to go around the biker if he in fact was stopped in the middle of the lane infront of the bus.. waiting for a cop certainly would be better than attacking the biker, but that can take a lot of time - just moving the bike without the violence, IMO, would have been the best choice.

 

[PingSpike]

I'm surprised a passenger got out. I would have just been like "what is this crazy asshole doing?"

This thread seems to be ending like all bike threads.

 

[Fausto]

Originally posted by: PingSpike
I'm surprised a passenger got out. I would have just been like "what is this crazy asshole doing?"

This thread seems to be ending like all bike threads.

Well duh. These threads always attract a few reasonable persons on both sides and then the usual cadre of "Them lovely human bikers need to get the hell off my roads I got places to go and they can just ride on the goddamn sidewalk or in a park or somethingblahblahblahblah...." people who won't listen no matter what you say.

 

[Bozono]

Originally posted by: PingSpike

Originally posted by: Fausto

Originally posted by: PingSpike
Yeah, I don't think I'd turn that guy in even if I did know who he was. The guy didn't want to ride on the god damn bike path made for him? Thats like me driving my car on the sidewalk and then b|tching that people don't get out of my way.

Paths are sometimes chock-full of gravel and glass and tires are expensive. The OP seemed to indicate this was the case.

Roads are sometimes full of gravel, glass, pieces of old tires, people, etc. That doesn't mean I should drive on the sidewalk.

/devil's advocate.

I don't know if you've ever ridden a road bike with 21c tyres, but if you hit even the finest loose gravel the wrong way, chances are good you'll go down. Better to slow down a bus for the 10 sec. it takes him to pass you than get run over by it.

 

[DaShen]

Originally posted by: supafly
I don't think there's anything I can say on here to be understood as I mean it. You guys take my words and like to distort them to fit your beliefs about me and non-cyclists.

Here are some things that I will try the best I can to clarify, although I don't know why I bother, because you still will try to change it around.

1) The cyclists on ATOT post as if all bikers are perfect. This is the image you reflect whether you mean it or not.
2) All bikers are not perfect.
3) Almost every driver, including me, WILL get pissed off at a biker who does something wrong.
4) The difference comes down to a personal level of the driver on what they do about it. I will mutter a curse to myself, *maybe* honk (probably not because I don't want to spook them), and get on with it. I will not try to run you off the road or cause any other sort of harm to you. Those who may try to harm a biker, whether or not said biker is doing something wrong, I do not agree with and I think is sick.
5) If another driver did something wrong, I would act the same way.. curse, maybe honk, and get on with it. If it is something very wrong, (ie they are drunk) I would probably call the cops on them.
6) I do not think that a biker "deserves it" if they do something wrong. Violence like that is completley unnecessary.
7) If they do something like, say, block traffic, I don't see any problem with moving them to the side. There is no need for injuring the biker, just move them to the side so traffic can continue.
8) On the same respect, if someone pulled a car infront of a bus and stopped traffic, I see nothing wrong with moving the car out of the way.

If there is something you still don't understand, ask. Don't try to imply something on my behalf or try to come up with some "logic" you think I subscribe to. That really can be said for every single post on here...

Any since you liked to put this in big bold letters, I will respond directly to it:

Originally posted by: DaShen

But there are more drivers who run red lights and do really stupid things.... drunk driving included

There is no excuse for those things, but that doesn't make it anymore right for a cyclist to break the law.

I am not saying that it is an excuse... If you read the rest of my post you will see what I was trying to say. By your logic, if I own a truck and one car out of the hundreds that drive, has a drunk driver, that gives me the right to run all the other cars off the road. 😕 :roll: 9 out of every 10 bike riders I see and ride with, obey traffic laws. There is a higher percentage of people who break the traffic laws in cars, especially drunk driving. I know, I write programs to track this stuff all the time. The only reason bikers get maimed is because car drivers are cowards who only lash out when there is complete anonimity. You get my point.

**EDIT**
You post your 8 points but they don't follow what you posted before saying that you have to see your point of view on the matter. It makes it sound like you feel the bus driver had the right to assualt the guy and ruin his property.

And as for number 2, neither are car drivers. No one is perfect when it comes down to following laws. But it comes down to intent and obeying traffic laws to the best of your ability. If a car driver is intentionally assaulting someone and breaking their property or trying to run them off the road, that can be a felony offense.

Any real cyclist will tell you that in a peloton or a group, all roadies will signal and call out traffic, so that everyone obeys traffic laws. It is for our benefit as well as car drivers. Only a few people out of the many experienced riders will do differently.

 

[Lucky]

Just because you "commuted" when you were a kid or were in college doesn't make you a cyclist commuter, so don't use that as an excuse to pretend you know something about the issue. :| There wasn't a bike lane like you said in your Cliff's. THE SIDEWALK IS NOT A F'ING BIKELANE You are just trying to make it sound like the bike was in the wrong. If a bus runs your car off the road purposefully, you would be pretty pissed, too. It just happens too often with cyclists. Bikers legally ride the road, too. Get f'ing used to it.

And a bike cannot forcibly stop a bus. He probably pulled to the side of the bus to tell off to the driver when the driver came out and assaulted him. There is a huge difference between telling a guy he was in the wrong and physically assaulting someone and damaging their property. @$$h@t.

Way to read the article! There indeed was a bike lane, and the dumbass bicyclist did indeed forcibly stop the bus from moving by parking his bike in front of it on a city street. Unless the driver wanted to run him over, that is.

 

[Lucky]

Originally posted by: Bozono

Originally posted by: PingSpike

Originally posted by: Fausto

Originally posted by: PingSpike
Yeah, I don't think I'd turn that guy in even if I did know who he was. The guy didn't want to ride on the god damn bike path made for him? Thats like me driving my car on the sidewalk and then b|tching that people don't get out of my way.

Paths are sometimes chock-full of gravel and glass and tires are expensive. The OP seemed to indicate this was the case.

Roads are sometimes full of gravel, glass, pieces of old tires, people, etc. That doesn't mean I should drive on the sidewalk.

/devil's advocate.

I don't know if you've ever ridden a road bike with 21c tyres, but if you hit even the finest loose gravel the wrong way, chances are good you'll go down. Better to slow down a bus for the 10 sec. it takes him to pass you than get run over by it.

take another route then. Or walk your bike past the affected portion of the bike lane. You can't ride outside the designated lane and then get so pissed off at what happens that you dare the bus driver to run over you.

 

[Fausto]

Originally posted by: Lucky

Originally posted by: Bozono

Originally posted by: PingSpike

Originally posted by: Fausto

Originally posted by: PingSpike
Yeah, I don't think I'd turn that guy in even if I did know who he was. The guy didn't want to ride on the god damn bike path made for him? Thats like me driving my car on the sidewalk and then b|tching that people don't get out of my way.

Paths are sometimes chock-full of gravel and glass and tires are expensive. The OP seemed to indicate this was the case.

Roads are sometimes full of gravel, glass, pieces of old tires, people, etc. That doesn't mean I should drive on the sidewalk.

/devil's advocate.

I don't know if you've ever ridden a road bike with 21c tyres, but if you hit even the finest loose gravel the wrong way, chances are good you'll go down. Better to slow down a bus for the 10 sec. it takes him to pass you than get run over by it.

take another route then. Or walk your bike past the affected portion of the bike lane. You can't ride outside the designated lane and then get so pissed off at what happens that you dare the bus driver to run over you.

I suggest you read up on law pertaining to this stuff before you make assertions like that.

Just a hint.

 

[DaShen]

Bikes are legally obligated to ride on the road or on a bike path. If the bike path is obstructed, they are legally supposed to ride on the street.

By the article, it seems the bus intentionally tried to run the biker off the road. And if you read the rest of the thread, all of us agree the biker was stupid, but the bus driver assaulting the guy was wrong and illegal.

 

[PingSpike]

Originally posted by: DaShen

Originally posted by: supafly
I don't think there's anything I can say on here to be understood as I mean it. You guys take my words and like to distort them to fit your beliefs about me and non-cyclists.

Here are some things that I will try the best I can to clarify, although I don't know why I bother, because you still will try to change it around.

1) The cyclists on ATOT post as if all bikers are perfect. This is the image you reflect whether you mean it or not.
2) All bikers are not perfect.
3) Almost every driver, including me, WILL get pissed off at a biker who does something wrong.
4) The difference comes down to a personal level of the driver on what they do about it. I will mutter a curse to myself, *maybe* honk (probably not because I don't want to spook them), and get on with it. I will not try to run you off the road or cause any other sort of harm to you. Those who may try to harm a biker, whether or not said biker is doing something wrong, I do not agree with and I think is sick.
5) If another driver did something wrong, I would act the same way.. curse, maybe honk, and get on with it. If it is something very wrong, (ie they are drunk) I would probably call the cops on them.
6) I do not think that a biker "deserves it" if they do something wrong. Violence like that is completley unnecessary.
7) If they do something like, say, block traffic, I don't see any problem with moving them to the side. There is no need for injuring the biker, just move them to the side so traffic can continue.
8) On the same respect, if someone pulled a car infront of a bus and stopped traffic, I see nothing wrong with moving the car out of the way.

If there is something you still don't understand, ask. Don't try to imply something on my behalf or try to come up with some "logic" you think I subscribe to. That really can be said for every single post on here...

Any since you liked to put this in big bold letters, I will respond directly to it:

Originally posted by: DaShen

But there are more drivers who run red lights and do really stupid things.... drunk driving included

There is no excuse for those things, but that doesn't make it anymore right for a cyclist to break the law.

I am not saying that it is an excuse... If you read the rest of my post you will see what I was trying to say. By your logic, if I own a truck and one car out of the hundreds that drive, has a drunk driver, that gives me the right to run all the other cars off the road. 😕 :roll: 9 out of every 10 bike riders I see and ride with, obey traffic laws. There is a higher percentage of people who break the traffic laws in cars, especially drunk driving. I know, I write programs to track this stuff all the time. The only reason bikers get maimed is because car drivers are cowards who only lash out when there is complete anonimity. You get my point.

**EDIT**
You post your 8 points but they don't follow what you posted before saying that you have to see your point of view on the matter. It makes it sound like you feel the bus driver had the right to assualt the guy and ruin his property.

And as for number 2, neither are car drivers. No one is perfect when it comes down to following laws. But it comes down to intent and obeying traffic laws to the best of your ability. If a car driver is intentionally assaulting someone and breaking their property or trying to run them off the road, that can be a felony offense.

Any real cyclist will tell you that in a peloton or a group, all roadies will signal and call out traffic, so that everyone obeys traffic laws. It is for our benefit as well as car drivers. Only a few people out of the many experienced riders will do differently.

I maintain the majority of cyclists and drivers are morons. The only difference is cyclists are more likely to be killed or injured in the event of a tard storm. I know at least one serious cyclist that seems oblivious to the concept of share the road. But I'm not going to say they're all retarded. But I'm going to have to say your personal study of bikers habits probably wasn't peer reviewed and published in a transportation newsletter either.

I don't think anyone is denying that running some one off the road isn't illegal and a douchebag thing to do. I don't know where you're extrapolating that from.

 

[mb]

Originally posted by: DaShen

Originally posted by: supafly
I don't think there's anything I can say on here to be understood as I mean it. You guys take my words and like to distort them to fit your beliefs about me and non-cyclists.

Here are some things that I will try the best I can to clarify, although I don't know why I bother, because you still will try to change it around.

1) The cyclists on ATOT post as if all bikers are perfect. This is the image you reflect whether you mean it or not.
2) All bikers are not perfect.
3) Almost every driver, including me, WILL get pissed off at a biker who does something wrong.
4) The difference comes down to a personal level of the driver on what they do about it. I will mutter a curse to myself, *maybe* honk (probably not because I don't want to spook them), and get on with it. I will not try to run you off the road or cause any other sort of harm to you. Those who may try to harm a biker, whether or not said biker is doing something wrong, I do not agree with and I think is sick.
5) If another driver did something wrong, I would act the same way.. curse, maybe honk, and get on with it. If it is something very wrong, (ie they are drunk) I would probably call the cops on them.
6) I do not think that a biker "deserves it" if they do something wrong. Violence like that is completley unnecessary.
7) If they do something like, say, block traffic, I don't see any problem with moving them to the side. There is no need for injuring the biker, just move them to the side so traffic can continue.
8) On the same respect, if someone pulled a car infront of a bus and stopped traffic, I see nothing wrong with moving the car out of the way.

If there is something you still don't understand, ask. Don't try to imply something on my behalf or try to come up with some "logic" you think I subscribe to. That really can be said for every single post on here...

Any since you liked to put this in big bold letters, I will respond directly to it:

Originally posted by: DaShen

But there are more drivers who run red lights and do really stupid things.... drunk driving included

There is no excuse for those things, but that doesn't make it anymore right for a cyclist to break the law.

I am not saying that it is an excuse... If you read the rest of my post you will see what I was trying to say. By your logic, if I own a truck and one car out of the hundreds that drive, has a drunk driver, that gives me the right to run all the other cars off the road. 😕 :roll: 9 out of every 10 bike riders I see and ride with, obey traffic laws. There is a higher percentage of people who break the traffic laws in cars, especially drunk driving. I know, I write programs to track this stuff all the time. The only reason bikers get maimed is because car drivers are cowards who only lash out when there is complete anonimity. You get my point.

**EDIT**
You post your 8 points but they don't follow what you posted before saying that you have to see your point of view on the matter. It makes it sound like you feel the bus driver had the right to assualt the guy and ruin his property.

And as for number 2, neither are car drivers. No one is perfect when it comes down to following laws. But it comes down to intent and obeying traffic laws to the best of your ability. If a car driver is intentionally assaulting someone and breaking their property or trying to run them off the road, that can be a felony offense.

Any real cyclist will tell you that in a peloton or a group, all roadies will signal and call out traffic, so that everyone obeys traffic laws. It is for our benefit as well as car drivers. Only a few people out of the many experienced riders will do differently.

Here we go again.. I guess you missed the part where I said If there is something you still don't understand, ask. Don't try to imply something on my behalf or try to come up with some "logic" you think I subscribe to.
Once again you are trying to derive conclusions that are misrepresentative of my beliefs. Don't give me that "by your logic" bullsh!t. If you're going to try, at least follow the logic correctly.

It makes it sound like you feel the bus driver had the right to assualt the guy and ruin his property.

O RLY? You got that from "...and get on with it..." and "Those who may try to harm a biker, whether or not said biker is doing something wrong, I do not agree with and I think is sick." and "I do not think that a biker "deserves it" if they do something wrong. Violence like that is completley unnecessary."and "There is no need for injuring the biker, just move them to the side so traffic can continue. "

FANTASTIC reading comprehension! You get an A+!

 

[PingSpike]

Originally posted by: DaShen
Bikes are legally obligated to ride on the road or on a bike path. If the bike path is obstructed, they are legally supposed to ride on the street.

By the article, it seems the bus intentionally tried to run the biker off the road. And if you read the rest of the thread, all of us agree the biker was stupid, but the bus driver assaulting the guy was wrong and illegal.

The bus driver sat in the bus after the cyclist cut in front of him forcing him to stop. A passenger assaulted him. Or at least thats what I've been led to believe by this thread.

 

[smack Down]

Originally posted by: Fausto

Originally posted by: PingSpike
I'm surprised a passenger got out. I would have just been like "what is this crazy asshole doing?"

This thread seems to be ending like all bike threads.

Well duh. These threads always attract a few reasonable persons on both sides and then the usual cadre of "Them lovely human bikers need to get the hell off my roads I got places to go and they can just ride on the goddamn sidewalk or in a park or somethingblahblahblahblah...." people who won't listen no matter what you say.

Or a bike lane.

 

[ramuman]

Originally posted by: Bozono

Originally posted by: PingSpike

Originally posted by: Fausto

Originally posted by: PingSpike
Yeah, I don't think I'd turn that guy in even if I did know who he was. The guy didn't want to ride on the god damn bike path made for him? Thats like me driving my car on the sidewalk and then b|tching that people don't get out of my way.

Paths are sometimes chock-full of gravel and glass and tires are expensive. The OP seemed to indicate this was the case.

Roads are sometimes full of gravel, glass, pieces of old tires, people, etc. That doesn't mean I should drive on the sidewalk.

/devil's advocate.

I don't know if you've ever ridden a road bike with 21c tyres, but if you hit even the finest loose gravel the wrong way, chances are good you'll go down. Better to slow down a bus for the 10 sec. it takes him to pass you than get run over by it.

Exactly. Also the non-cyclists seem to think all cyclists are whiney bastards about riding on the road. Thing is, if you actually have ridden a bike on the road, you'll know that car drivers will sometimes go out of their way to be pricks.

Yeah I'm sure there are some dumb cyclists, but as an example, Lance Armstrong has often talked about how many times hes been ridden off the road by cars. I have to believe that he is a decent road cyclist (😉) and that I doubt people would have ridden him off the road had they known he was LA.

The problem is that car drivers sometimes do it on purpose. But how do you fix that in a society where people buy 3 ton 10mpg leviathons to make the drive to work more enjoyable?

There are considerate drivers - I would say the vast majority of drivers are considerate. I also think a minority of cyclists are idiots on the road. However, this thread lost reason on the first page, so that's that.

 

[GoingUp]

Well theres the right of way and the law of big. If they had just kept going, the bicycle would have succomed to the law of big.

 

[AlienCraft]

Originally posted by: DaShen

Originally posted by: PowerEngineer

Originally posted by: DivideBYZero
OP doesn't ride a bike, obviously.

I was thinking I might get a response like that... :roll:

While I don't ride much right now, I have been a bicycle commuter in the past. I fully appreciate the disadvantage that cyclists have when they mix with motorized traffic (as I tried to make clear in my OP). I myself have personally been "pissed off" by inconsiderate drivers.

Everyone feels unfairly treated by others (rightly or wrongly) from time to time. When we feel this way, we need to respond in appropriate ways. Percipitating a physical confrontation like this is not appropriate.

Instead of later being chagrined by his own rash behavior, this cyclist still seems to think he's entitled to act out as he did. 🙁

What's worse is that the news media seems to be supporting his skewed selfrighteousness. :Q

Just because you "commuted" when you were a kid or were in college doesn't make you a cyclist commuter, so don't use that as an excuse to pretend you know something about the issue. :| There wasn't a bike lane like you said in your Cliff's. THE SIDEWALK IS NOT A F'ING BIKELANE You are just trying to make it sound like the bike was in the wrong. If a bus runs your car off the road purposefully, you would be pretty pissed, too. It just happens too often with cyclists. Bikers legally ride the road, too. Get f'ing used to it.

And a bike cannot forcibly stop a bus. He probably pulled to the side of the bus to tell off to the driver when the driver came out and assaulted him. There is a huge difference between telling a guy he was in the wrong and physically assaulting someone and damaging their property. @$$h@t.

**EDIT**
I guess I am upset because I got run off the road with a bunch a cyclists this weekend on a residential ride where there was more than two lanes and we were only using one lane BTW. It was a White Camry with a family in it, too. Too many people think that the world owes them something or that they "OWN" whatever they use. I seriously think some of these people should be shot. You would think they would think of the implications if one of those guys had gotten killed, but no they just drive off.

Do you realizae you've assumed the "older guy" who got off the bus may not be the driver?
There is no mention that it was and it appears that the person they are referring to was a passenger.
Notice the BICYCLIST ( not motor or uni or Tri-) did not re0
-engage the bus by getting BACK IN FRONT of it.
Therefore, he did not "just pull to the side of the bus to tell off the bus driver" as you've also presumed .
The lesson here is to learn to pick where and with whom, one might choose to engage in battles.

 

[DVK916]

I also hate cyclist who think they have the right of way all the time. They almost never stop at a stop sign, and think they can just go when another car is comming.

 

[AlienCraft]

Originally posted by: Fausto

Originally posted by: Reggae4k
what the cyclist did was not a crime, assaulting is.

Not to split hairs, but he probably could have been ticketed for "impeding flow of traffic" or something.

Again, I sympathise with him to some degree (while not excusing his actions). When you literally have a near-death experience due to negligence or malice on the part of a motorist, it can make you a tad confrontational. 😛

Yep, impeding traffic, causing an unsafe road hazard, perhaps even assualt or unlawful detainer on the bus passengers. He( the cyclist) screwed up by causing the bus to have to come to an unsafe unlawful stop. Had he waited until it stopped at a marked stop, he could have legally effected a real citizens arrest, on the driver only, at that point. But he's not entitled to affect the passenger's in any way, and he's (cycle guy) liable for any damages they may suffer as a result of the cycle guy's actions. imo.

 

[PowerEngineer]

Originally posted by: DaShen
Just because you "commuted" when you were a kid or were in college doesn't make you a cyclist commuter, so don't use that as an excuse to pretend you know something about the issue. :| There wasn't a bike lane like you said in your Cliff's. THE SIDEWALK IS NOT A F'ING BIKELANE You are just trying to make it sound like the bike was in the wrong. If a bus runs your car off the road purposefully, you would be pretty pissed, too. It just happens too often with cyclists. Bikers legally ride the road, too. Get f'ing used to it.

And a bike cannot forcibly stop a bus. He probably pulled to the side of the bus to tell off to the driver when the driver came out and assaulted him. There is a huge difference between telling a guy he was in the wrong and physically assaulting someone and damaging their property. @$$h@t.

**EDIT**
I guess I am upset because I got run off the road with a bunch a cyclists this weekend on a residential ride where there was more than two lanes and we were only using one lane BTW. It was a White Camry with a family in it, too. Too many people think that the world owes them something or that they "OWN" whatever they use. I seriously think some of these people should be shot. You would think they would think of the implications if one of those guys had gotten killed, but no they just drive off.

It's a shame that your first impulse is to denegrate those you disagree with. It's this kind of holier-than-thou tirade that feeds the militant cyclist stereotype. Whether you like it or not, I did commute to work on a bicycle some years ago; and that experience does affect my views on this incident. I only mentioned this because an earlier poster had rashly asserted the opposite. In any event, people do not need to pass your litmus test as a "cyclist commuter" in order to have something to say about this issue.

For the record, I never said that the cyclist should have used the sidewalk (although they actually do share the sidewalk once the bike lane reaches the steel-grated bridge) . I never said the bus driver was correct to pass the cyclist that closely. I did (and do) say that the cyclist was wrong to react the way he did.

Turning the incident into a physical confrontation by blocking the bus is wrong. He should have reported the incident to the police or the bus company. By deciding to impose retribution on a bus load of people, he's opening up the real possibility that the passengers on the bus might respond with their idea of appropriate retribution on him. Can he really be surprised that his physical confrontation triggers a physical response? I see this as being much closer to both cyclist and passenger behaving badly than as some crime committed against the cyclist (as the news coverage has slanted it).

I am sorry that you were run off the road last weekend. You have every reason to be "pissed". I hope you got their license number and reported the incident to the police. That said, your experience doesn't entitle you to "seriously think some of these people should be shot". I assume that's a bit of an exaggeration that you aren't planning to follow through on; but if you do, then please don't be shocked if they decide to shoot back.

 

[Lucky]

Originally posted by: Fausto

Originally posted by: Lucky

Originally posted by: Bozono

Originally posted by: PingSpike

Originally posted by: Fausto

Originally posted by: PingSpike
Yeah, I don't think I'd turn that guy in even if I did know who he was. The guy didn't want to ride on the god damn bike path made for him? Thats like me driving my car on the sidewalk and then b|tching that people don't get out of my way.

Paths are sometimes chock-full of gravel and glass and tires are expensive. The OP seemed to indicate this was the case.

Roads are sometimes full of gravel, glass, pieces of old tires, people, etc. That doesn't mean I should drive on the sidewalk.

/devil's advocate.

I don't know if you've ever ridden a road bike with 21c tyres, but if you hit even the finest loose gravel the wrong way, chances are good you'll go down. Better to slow down a bus for the 10 sec. it takes him to pass you than get run over by it.

take another route then. Or walk your bike past the affected portion of the bike lane. You can't ride outside the designated lane and then get so pissed off at what happens that you dare the bus driver to run over you.

I suggest you read up on law pertaining to this stuff before you make assertions like that.

Just a hint.

Huh? What are you talking about? Assertions? It's my opinion. I was saying you (IMO) it's unrealistic be an ass, riding out of where you are supposed to be, and then expect tp aggresively confront the bus driver and have a positive outcome. He was looking for trouble.

 

[DivideBYZero]

Originally posted by: Lucky

Originally posted by: Bozono

Originally posted by: PingSpike

Originally posted by: Fausto

Originally posted by: PingSpike
Yeah, I don't think I'd turn that guy in even if I did know who he was. The guy didn't want to ride on the god damn bike path made for him? Thats like me driving my car on the sidewalk and then b|tching that people don't get out of my way.

Paths are sometimes chock-full of gravel and glass and tires are expensive. The OP seemed to indicate this was the case.

Roads are sometimes full of gravel, glass, pieces of old tires, people, etc. That doesn't mean I should drive on the sidewalk.

/devil's advocate.

I don't know if you've ever ridden a road bike with 21c tyres, but if you hit even the finest loose gravel the wrong way, chances are good you'll go down. Better to slow down a bus for the 10 sec. it takes him to pass you than get run over by it.

take another route then. Or walk your bike past the affected portion of the bike lane. You can't ride outside the designated lane and then get so pissed off at what happens that you dare the bus driver to run over you.

If someone dares you to stab them in the eyeball, do you have to do it?

Maturity, especially from someone who's chosen career is driving, should always win out. If not, get a new job.

 

[Hummin]

Originally posted by: Lucky

Huh? What are you talking about? Assertions? It's my opinion. I was saying you (IMO) it's unrealistic be an ass, riding out of where you are supposed to be, and then expect tp aggresively confront the bus driver and have a positive outcome. He was looking for trouble.

If you ever happen to read the traffic laws of your state, you might be surprised to find out that bicycles are:

1.) Designated as vehicles just like cars, trucks, buses, etc.

2.) Bicycles are NOT restricted to using bicycle lanes but actually have the ability to use either the bicycle lane or the road lane.....unlike cars, trucks, buses, etc. which are restriced from using bicycle lanes.

3.) It is the overtaking vehicle's responsibility to slow down when approaching a slower vehicle from the rear and then passing said slower vehicle when safely able to....this applies to any faster vehicle overtaking any slower vehicle, be it a bicycle, tractor, truck, car or whatever.

I am always surprised by all the twits that think bicyclists have no right to the road despite the LAW saying differently......I suppose this is partly due to the fact that most people see bicycles as toys rather than the sometimes rather expensive alternative transportation devices they are these days. I currently ride a DeRosa and have more than $2K invested in said "toy." I've spent more than some on this obard have in their vehicles. I do utilize a Xenon flashing red light on the rear of my bike during day and night for visibility purposes, use a halogen headlight on the front during dusk-dawn riding, and yet see so few drivers give any respect to bicyclists' rights to be on the road.

Someone said the bicyclists should share the road....but it's actually the motorized-vehicle drivers that are under the mandate of the law to share the road with any other allowed vehcile on the road, be it a bicycle, motorcycle, tractor, etc.

The bicyclist in question was indeed wrong to confront the way he did. But after seeing many near-hits when the bicyclist was completely in the right, or hits when a driver of a car/truck had no respect of the bicyclist, I almost completely empathize with him....to an extent.

A case out west a year or so ago really drove that point home. A truck clipped a bicyclist on a two-lane road with her side mirror.....didn't "realize" she'd hit the bicyclist when she sped past him, hit him and killed him. His family was horrified to see in court the judge toss the manslaughter case out because the bicyclist was just a bicyclist, and what rational adult would ride a toy around?

But I've seen a lot of motorists and police actually are quite ignorant of the traffic laws concerning bicycles. I actually had a county deputy stop me on a ride and try to force me to ride AGAINST the traffic....said that's what bicyclists were supposed to do. So if the cops have little if any clue, I suppose how can anyone figure the average numbskull, poorly trained, "I'm always right" driver knows any better? I do carry a copy of the driver's manual in my underseat bag to show to those that want to be educated about car/bicycle law while riding....esp. the cops with no clue. Has helped quite a bit, but then again, I'm not confrontational, just informative, and this goes a long way to changing attitudes.

Bicyclists were on the road long before cars and trucks.....and probably will be long after the cars and trucks quit moving from lack of gas/oil. Bicycling is the most efficient form of transportation.....too bad so many individuals see the road as their own and heaven forbid anything or anyone dare slow their progress down the road for a few seconds.

 

[DVK916]

Originally posted by: Hummin

Originally posted by: Lucky

Huh? What are you talking about? Assertions? It's my opinion. I was saying you (IMO) it's unrealistic be an ass, riding out of where you are supposed to be, and then expect tp aggresively confront the bus driver and have a positive outcome. He was looking for trouble.

If you ever happen to read the traffic laws of your state, you might be surprised to find out that bicycles are:

1.) Designated as vehicles just like cars, trucks, buses, etc.

2.) Bicycles are NOT restricted to using bicycle lanes but actually have the ability to use either the bicycle lane or the road lane.....unlike cars, trucks, buses, etc. which are restriced from using bicycle lanes.

3.) It is the overtaking vehicle's responsibility to slow down when approaching a slower vehicle from the rear and then passing said slower vehicle when safely able to....this applies to any faster vehicle overtaking any slower vehicle, be it a bicycle, tractor, truck, car or whatever.

I am always surprised by all the twits that think bicyclists have no right to the road despite the LAW saying differently......I suppose this is partly due to the fact that most people see bicycles as toys rather than the sometimes rather expensive alternative transportation devices they are these days. I currently ride a DeRosa and have more than $2K invested in said "toy." I've spent more than some on this obard have in their vehicles. I do utilize a Xenon flashing red light on the rear of my bike during day and night for visibility purposes, use a halogen headlight on the front during dusk-dawn riding, and yet see so few drivers give any respect to bicyclists' rights to be on the road.

Someone said the bicyclists should share the road....but it's actually the motorized-vehicle drivers that are under the mandate of the law to share the road with any other allowed vehcile on the road, be it a bicycle, motorcycle, tractor, etc.

The bicyclist in question was indeed wrong to confront the way he did. But after seeing many near-hits when the bicyclist was completely in the right, or hits when a driver of a car/truck had no respect of the bicyclist, I almost completely empathize with him....to an extent.

A case out west a year or so ago really drove that point home. A truck clipped a bicyclist on a two-lane road with her side mirror.....didn't "realize" she'd hit the bicyclist when she sped past him, hit him and killed him. His family was horrified to see in court the judge toss the manslaughter case out because the bicyclist was just a bicyclist, and what rational adult would ride a toy around?

But I've seen a lot of motorists and police actually are quite ignorant of the traffic laws concerning bicycles. I actually had a county deputy stop me on a ride and try to force me to ride AGAINST the traffic....said that's what bicyclists were supposed to do. So if the cops have little if any clue, I suppose how can anyone figure the average numbskull, poorly trained, "I'm always right" driver knows any better? I do carry a copy of the driver's manual in my underseat bag to show to those that want to be educated about car/bicycle law while riding....esp. the cops with no clue. Has helped quite a bit, but then again, I'm not confrontational, just informative, and this goes a long way to changing attitudes.

Bicyclists were on the road long before cars and trucks.....and probably will be long after the cars and trucks quit moving from lack of gas/oil. Bicycling is the most efficient form of transportation.....too bad so many individuals see the road as their own and heaven forbid anything or anyone dare slow their progress down the road for a few seconds.

Like vehicals designated for the road they should follow the correct traffic laws. I have seen to many bicyclist who don't think they need to stop at stop sign, or even traffic lights. Case in point a few years back a woman riding her bicycle failed to stop at a stop sign and was ran over. Her family was horrified when the police said the car did nothing wrong, and the woman was as fault for her own death.