UPDATED: Cyclists: I was almost run down by a 7 ton Bus

[DaShen]

Originally posted by: mcvickj

Originally posted by: Armitage

Originally posted by: Ilmater
As a fellow cyclist, I say get the fvck off the streets and onto the sidewalk.

If you were really a cyclist you'd know that in many places its illegal to ride on the sidewalk, and often more dangerous.

When is the last time anyone has been pulled over and fined for riding on the sidewalk?

People around here are crazy. There is no way I would ride a bike on the same road as them.

Bike cops will pull you over unless you are a Messenger. And even then, I have talked to messengers that get harassed all the time.

 

[Bozono]

Hmm. If I'm moving at a good click I stay on the road, but if I'm just shlaping along I got no problems taking it to the sidewalk.
I get pis5ed on a daily basis though with certain drivers. F'n morons always feel the need to pull in front when a visible yellow or red is 50 feet up, and then move closer to the curb to boot. Never fails(ladies on cellphones :confused

 

[jagec]

Originally posted by: Armitage
But as I said, riding on the sidewalk is very dangerous - your moving alot faster then pedestrians, and cars aren't looking for you in the crosswalks. You're better off taking your place in the lane.

No it's not. If bikes move faster than pedestrians, cars move MUCH faster than bikes, and the momentum differential is also much, much greater. Plus, you can easily slow to a crawl if there are people walking on the sidewalk, and it's much easier to avoid a person while riding a skinny bike than to avoid a bike while driving a wide car.

As for the crosswalks, if cars can see pedestrians crossing, they certainly can see bikes. Unless you're stupid enough to blow across at top speed, in which case you deserve what you get.

 

[DaShen]

Originally posted by: Bozono
Hmm. If I'm moving at a good click I stay on the road, but if I'm just shlaping along I got no problems taking it to the sidewalk.
I get pis5ed on a daily basis though with certain drivers. F'n morons always feel the need to pull in front when a visible yellow or red is 50 feet up, and then move closer to the curb to boot. Never fails(ladies on cellphones :confused

They do it, full knowing that they are trying to hurt you.

Most of them just hope that you will make a mistake and fall over, so they can claim they didn't do a thing. It is a bunch of bull.

If the guy was going less than 20, I would have said he should have pulled over. But he was going too fast to do anything about it. He should sue the company.

 

[mcvickj]

Originally posted by: DaShen

Originally posted by: mcvickj

Originally posted by: Armitage

Originally posted by: Ilmater
As a fellow cyclist, I say get the fvck off the streets and onto the sidewalk.

If you were really a cyclist you'd know that in many places its illegal to ride on the sidewalk, and often more dangerous.

When is the last time anyone has been pulled over and fined for riding on the sidewalk?

People around here are crazy. There is no way I would ride a bike on the same road as them.

Bike cops will pull you over unless you are a Messenger. And even then, I have talked to messengers that get harassed all the time.

I've never seen a cop in my area on a bike. IMO their time can be better spent than harrassing some person on a bike.

I still fail to the "very dangerous" in riding a bike on a sidewalk. A bike rider can easily avoid a pedestrian. They don't just jump out of no where. People driving cars have a nasty habbit of running traffic lights and just not paying attention in general. Riding a bike on the road sounds like a nasty game of Russian roulette.

 

[slag]

Originally posted by: illusion88
Nice!
I hate fvckers who don't give room to cyclists.

Cyclists should stay on the sidewalk. Seriously, they are a hinderance to traffic, try to drive around people when in traffic and scrape cars by doing so, have no regard for stop signs, and are a general pita

at least in lawrence they are. They think they own the road and cant even keep up with the flow of traffic.

 

[Kelemvor]

Definitely keep us updated on this one. I'd like to know how it turns out of if you hear anything back. But if so, please updat ethe OP so we don't have to go hunting for the update.s heh.

 

[Kelemvor]

Originally posted by: Ilmater
As a fellow cyclist, I say get the fvck off the streets and onto the sidewalk.

It's technically illegal to ride on the sidewalks in most places even in the US. I'm sure it varies state to state but bikes are meant to be in the street.

 

[Tiamat]

yeah, i was walking the other day and was at a crosswalk. Driver waves me by, then suddenly the car behind holds his horn down and speeds past him on his right side and almost plowed me over. Funny thing was there was a cop right behind him and he was immediately pulled over and issued a ticket. I laughed out loud.
Finally, some Justice!!

 

[Armitage]

Originally posted by: jagec

Originally posted by: Armitage
But as I said, riding on the sidewalk is very dangerous - your moving alot faster then pedestrians, and cars aren't looking for you in the crosswalks. You're better off taking your place in the lane.

No it's not. If bikes move faster than pedestrians, cars move MUCH faster than bikes, and the momentum differential is also much, much greater. Plus, you can easily slow to a crawl if there are people walking on the sidewalk, and it's much easier to avoid a person while riding a skinny bike than to avoid a bike while driving a wide car.

As for the crosswalks, if cars can see pedestrians crossing, they certainly can see bikes. Unless you're stupid enough to blow across at top speed, in which case you deserve what you get.

Have you ridden a bike since you were in grade school? Ever ridden seriously at all?

 

[everman]

Cyclists should stay on the sidewalk

Just try saying that on any bike forum and you will get flamed with the fires of hell :evil:

 

[DaShen]

Originally posted by: mcvickj

Originally posted by: DaShen

Originally posted by: mcvickj

Originally posted by: Armitage

Originally posted by: Ilmater
As a fellow cyclist, I say get the fvck off the streets and onto the sidewalk.

If you were really a cyclist you'd know that in many places its illegal to ride on the sidewalk, and often more dangerous.

When is the last time anyone has been pulled over and fined for riding on the sidewalk?

People around here are crazy. There is no way I would ride a bike on the same road as them.

Bike cops will pull you over unless you are a Messenger. And even then, I have talked to messengers that get harassed all the time.

I've never seen a cop in my area on a bike. IMO their time can be better spent than harrassing some person on a bike.

I still fail to the "very dangerous" in riding a bike on a sidewalk. A bike rider can easily avoid a pedestrian. They don't just jump out of no where. People driving cars have a nasty habbit of running traffic lights and just not paying attention in general. Riding a bike on the road sounds like a nasty game of Russian roulette.

Said the person who probably tries to ride bikers off the road. If the law wasn't there, I guarantee people would get killed by bikers.

Think of a 20 lb bike and a 170 lb person going 20+mph into someone. That person will get maimed or killed.

It is about protecting the pedestrians, not for the enjoyment of the Road raging drivers out there. I even try to be considerate and get as close to the curb as possible, yet drivers still try to run me off, even when I am not in their lane. They will change lanes just to side swipe me. It is f$%ing ridiculous.

Plus, it is always the lone person in the Big-ass truck guzzling 5 mpg that try this sort of crap who regularly swerve into animals instead of avoiding them on the road for kicks (I've seen it countless times). I have no sympathy for those guys. Half of them turn out to be the hooligans in our society anyways, or good lawyers, take your pick.


**************************************************************************

Originally posted by: slag

Originally posted by: illusion88
Nice!
I hate fvckers who don't give room to cyclists.

Cyclists should stay on the sidewalk. Seriously, they are a hinderance to traffic, try to drive around people when in traffic and scrape cars by doing so, have no regard for stop signs, and are a general pita

at least in lawrence they are. They think they own the road and cant even keep up with the flow of traffic.

This is exactly the type of talk a person who runs cyclist off the road says. Let me guess either you have a "ricer", a classic american car, or a truck/SUV.

 

[HeroOfPellinor]

Buahaha...that's what happens when you're riding on streets built 2,000 years ago to accomodate donkey-driven carts.

 

[phreakah]

i think it's okay if bikers ride on the street but along the sidewalk, out of everyones way

i really hate it when they ride like they are a car and take up space in lanes.. especially the left-turn lane at a light

 

[Kyteland]

Originally posted by: ggnl
:beer::beer: nice!

And a big fvck you in advance to anyone that comes in here bitching about cyclists. I've been nearly run over too many times to care anymore if I'm holding up some prick in a car.

I always have problems with cyclists around here. I (mostly) walk to work and they are constantly on the sidewalks. The kicker is that 95% of my walk is down a street with a bike path. But it never fails that there is someone biking on the sidewalk. Seriously, WTF.

Originally posted by: mcvickj
When is the last time anyone has been pulled over and fined for riding on the sidewalk?

They've been cracking down on that in one Chicago neighborhood. It's evidently a pretty heafty fine. You can legally bike on the sidewalks only if you are 13 or under.

 

[DaShen]

Originally posted by: phreakah
i think it's okay if bikers ride on the street but along the sidewalk, out of everyones way

i really hate it when they ride like they are a car and take up space in lanes.. especially the left-turn lane at a light

Yeah, bikers need to be considerate, but it is still the law that they ride on the road.

 

[Bozono]

Originally posted by: slag

Originally posted by: illusion88
Nice!
I hate fvckers who don't give room to cyclists.

Cyclists should stay on the sidewalk. Seriously, they are a hinderance to traffic, try to drive around people when in traffic and scrape cars by doing so, have no regard for stop signs, and are a general pita

at least in lawrence they are. They think they own the road and cant even keep up with the flow of traffic.

It's a little different riding a bike in a City of 5 million than the City of Lawrence. If I'm just cruising down the sidewalk I'll bet you in 2 blocks 2 people will spill the profanities toward me. Bikes, when going over 12kph, belong on the road. Simple as that.

 

[rh71]

although you did have the right of way there, I agree with the driver's lack of patience. If you're going to be on the road for 10 seconds, I can wait. But I'm not going to follow your 15-20mph ass any longer than that. Drivers here have never been accustomed to doing that and I wouldn't want to be.

Don't cyclists feel they're holding people up ? I mean I know I'd feel that way as a cyclist even if it were "allowed".

 

[DaShen]

Originally posted by: Kyteland

Originally posted by: ggnl
:beer::beer: nice!

And a big fvck you in advance to anyone that comes in here bitching about cyclists. I've been nearly run over too many times to care anymore if I'm holding up some prick in a car.

I always have problems with cyclists around here. I (mostly) walk to work and they are constantly on the sidewalks. The kicker is that 95% of my walk is down a street with a bike path. But it never fails that there is someone biking on the sidewalk. Seriously, WTF.

Originally posted by: mcvickj
When is the last time anyone has been pulled over and fined for riding on the sidewalk?

They've been cracking down on that in one Chicago neighborhood. It's evidently a pretty heafty fine. You can legally bike on the sidewalks only if you are 13 or under.

It is at least $1000 fine. For any of you drivers out there that want to pay my fine for letting you pass and making me go on the sidewalk, be my guest.

 

[dainthomas]

Originally posted by: Tiamat
yeah, i was walking the other day and was at a crosswalk. Driver waves me by, then suddenly the car behind holds his horn down and speeds past him on his right side and almost plowed me over. Funny thing was there was a cop right behind him and he was immediately pulled over and issued a ticket. I laughed out loud.
Finally, some Justice!!

OMG! Wish I'd seen that! Some of these people think getting there 5-10 seconds faster is worth risking other people's lives. Drives me nuts.

 

[maziwanka]

Originally posted by: RedRooster

Originally posted by: Ilmater
As a fellow cyclist, I say get the fvck off the streets and onto the sidewalk.

:thumbsup:
Why do bikers think they're vehicles? I don't know if they're brave or just stupid.

Shoulda pulled over and let him by. I understand your predicament with the fine, but get the hell out of the way.

seriously. do you think the cops are going to waste their time with this?

 

[jagec]

Originally posted by: Armitage

Originally posted by: jagec

Originally posted by: Armitage
But as I said, riding on the sidewalk is very dangerous - your moving alot faster then pedestrians, and cars aren't looking for you in the crosswalks. You're better off taking your place in the lane.

No it's not. If bikes move faster than pedestrians, cars move MUCH faster than bikes, and the momentum differential is also much, much greater. Plus, you can easily slow to a crawl if there are people walking on the sidewalk, and it's much easier to avoid a person while riding a skinny bike than to avoid a bike while driving a wide car.

As for the crosswalks, if cars can see pedestrians crossing, they certainly can see bikes. Unless you're stupid enough to blow across at top speed, in which case you deserve what you get.

Have you ridden a bike since you were in grade school? Ever ridden seriously at all?

All through college, and after, in more countries than you'll ever visit. While I'm a fast biker, I am actually capable of slowing down when need be. I usually ride on the road, but when the sidewalk is empty and the road is full of cars trying to kill me, it seems a pretty logical decision mmkay?

Originally posted by: Bozono
Bikes, when going over 12kph, belong on the road. Simple as that.

See? He gets it.

 

[Whisper]

While bikers can definitely be an inconvenience, I can understand and respect the laws preventing them from riding on sidewalks.

Most city street speed limits are what, 35 mph? So yeah, if a biker is riding along at 20+mph, the speed difference there should technically be much less than if he were riding on the sidewalk, where the average person walks at maybe 2-3 mph.

I'm not a cyclist, but I do regularly ride my motorcycle, and much of the same aggression is directed towards me, albeit in a slightly different way. And this even when keeping up with the flow of traffic isn't a problem.

The vast majority of drivers need to calm down, seeing as how they're horrible at driving to begin with.

 

[akubi]

'Long haired fvcking Yeti' ROFL that's golden

 

[Bozono]

Perfect thread for another rant about you drivers. Before you decide to lay on that damn horn of yours, please think twice. Do you realize how damn loud that is when it's right up behind or beside you? That is probably my biggest peeve with drivers.