VIDEO: Bike Messengers in New York.

[Eos]

Would you guess they ride about 100 miles a day? Somewhere in that range?

I have always considered myself to be an attentive (defensive in almost all situations) driver with almost a million miles of commercial driving experience, but these guys have got me pwned on attentiveness. If they aren't watching for a passenger leaving a cab, they're fooked. Or a badly covered construction hole (I saw a couple steel plates).

I was suprised they didn't grab on to more cars. I recall seeing that in Quicksilver. Go Matthew Modine!

It was amazing how many holes there were in traffic. As busy as ?midtown? is, there was always an open spot, even when running their own red light.

 

[Mucho]

Nice video, I downloaded it when it posted about 2 years ago by Amused

 

[DivideBYZero]

Old.

 

[0roo0roo]

its scarier because camera perspective is so narrow too.

 

[BD2003]

Originally posted by: jagec

Originally posted by: BD2003
Nope, thats them. I hate them. I swear I've nearly been run down by them at least 50 times.

...

The only way they are going to hit you is if you act unpredictably...pretend theyre not there, and theyll just fly around you.

I don't see the problem?

Frankly, I like that sort of system. I mind my business, you mind your business. If you run into me, there will be hell to pay, but if you are skilled, I'm not going to sit there and bitch about how "you were THIS CLOSE to hitting me!" Especially not if I'm in a car...don't expect me to brake if you cut me off, but on the other hand, know that I'm not going to be a total douche and try to swerve into you or anything stupid like that. Everyone lives peacefully, and only the people who screw up get punished.

If you don't have the skills...don't do it. If you screw up...expect to pay the full price. But if you have the skills, and don't screw up, you shouldn't have to deal with people going out of their way to inconvenience you. It just strikes me as shockingly petty and immature. Of course, judging by the tailgating threads in this forum, petty and immature is what we humans do best...

You have to know that theyre coming, and then *pretend* theyre not. Otherwise, you are unpredictable to them.

The problem is that they come by SO fast, and cut it SO close, that it scares the sh*t out of you when all of a sudden they zoom by. And although I havent been hit before, I have seen them hit other people and smack into cars. You can't not pay attention to your surroundings in NYC.

I will definitely stand here and bitch about how close they come to hitting me. They're like missles flying down the street. The only skill you need driving in NYC is a complete disregard for other cars, and good insurance. It would be fantastic if everyone just minded their business and followed the rules...but NO ONE does. If you are the one that does, you get screwed. If they screw up, you are paying the full price with them.

Example. I'm in the left lane on madison ave, and the light is turning yellow. I'm about to go through, and a yellow cab zooms past me from the middle lane, and cuts me off, making a left turn around me. I slam on my brakes, the lights turn red, and I get stuck in "the box". Cross traffic is now zooming around me... I can't do anything. I hear the whoop whoop - then the cars stop flying by. Get pulled over. Waiting for my $300 ticket. The cop tells me he saw the whole thing, and let me go with a warning that *I* should be more careful.

 

[loic2003]

MFL

 

[I Saw OJ]

Originally posted by: eakers
I hate it when people on bikes don't follow the rules of the road.

Didn't you get the memo? Anyone on a bicycle owns the road.

 

[stinger25]

They were going faster than traffic! I wonder why more people aren't riding bikes there?

 

[Nerva]

look at you people from the midwest getting your panties in a bunch

 

[BD2003]

Originally posted by: stinger25
They were going faster than traffic! I wonder why more people aren't riding bikes there?

Because they value their life, and prefer being surrounded by a shell of sheet metal?

 

[Kelemvor]

Originally posted by: BD2003

Originally posted by: stinger25
They were going faster than traffic! I wonder why more people aren't riding bikes there?

Because they value their life, and prefer being surrounded by a shell of sheet metal?

I wonder what the learnign curve is for that job? Especially if you aren't from there and haven't ridden in that traffic your whole life...

 

[BD2003]

Originally posted by: FrankyJunior

Originally posted by: BD2003

Originally posted by: stinger25
They were going faster than traffic! I wonder why more people aren't riding bikes there?

Because they value their life, and prefer being surrounded by a shell of sheet metal?

I wonder what the learnign curve is for that job? Especially if you aren't from there and haven't ridden in that traffic your whole life...

I'd imagine it's the kind of job that only goes to people who do this stuff for free to begin with. I highly doubt there's any sort of "training program".

 

[Demon-Xanth]

Originally posted by: FrankyJunior
Talk about having complete confidence in your skills and your ability to make up for other people's lack of skills....

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nR2ygFn-yR8&eurl=

You're talking about the lack of skill to go straight through a red light?

 

[J0hnny]

Originally posted by: BD2003

Originally posted by: jagec

Originally posted by: BD2003
Nope, thats them. I hate them. I swear I've nearly been run down by them at least 50 times.

...

The only way they are going to hit you is if you act unpredictably...pretend theyre not there, and theyll just fly around you.

I don't see the problem?

Frankly, I like that sort of system. I mind my business, you mind your business. If you run into me, there will be hell to pay, but if you are skilled, I'm not going to sit there and bitch about how "you were THIS CLOSE to hitting me!" Especially not if I'm in a car...don't expect me to brake if you cut me off, but on the other hand, know that I'm not going to be a total douche and try to swerve into you or anything stupid like that. Everyone lives peacefully, and only the people who screw up get punished.

If you don't have the skills...don't do it. If you screw up...expect to pay the full price. But if you have the skills, and don't screw up, you shouldn't have to deal with people going out of their way to inconvenience you. It just strikes me as shockingly petty and immature. Of course, judging by the tailgating threads in this forum, petty and immature is what we humans do best...

You have to know that theyre coming, and then *pretend* theyre not. Otherwise, you are unpredictable to them.

The problem is that they come by SO fast, and cut it SO close, that it scares the sh*t out of you when all of a sudden they zoom by. And although I havent been hit before, I have seen them hit other people and smack into cars. You can't not pay attention to your surroundings in NYC.

I will definitely stand here and bitch about how close they come to hitting me. They're like missles flying down the street. The only skill you need driving in NYC is a complete disregard for other cars, and good insurance. It would be fantastic if everyone just minded their business and followed the rules...but NO ONE does. If you are the one that does, you get screwed. If they screw up, you are paying the full price with them.

Example. I'm in the left lane on madison ave, and the light is turning yellow. I'm about to go through, and a yellow cab zooms past me from the middle lane, and cuts me off, making a left turn around me. I slam on my brakes, the lights turn red, and I get stuck in "the box". Cross traffic is now zooming around me... I can't do anything. I hear the whoop whoop - then the cars stop flying by. Get pulled over. Waiting for my $300 ticket. The cop tells me he saw the whole thing, and let me go with a warning that *I* should be more careful.

I've been driving Manhattan nearly everyday at all hours for the last 5 years. You should have been more aggressive.

 

[lyssword]

Their skill is almost unhuman!! wow

 

[thomsbrain]

oldie but goodie

 

[HeroOfPellinor]

I bet Fausto erupted in his pants watching that.

 

[BD2003]

Originally posted by: J0hnny

Originally posted by: BD2003

Originally posted by: jagec

Originally posted by: BD2003
Nope, thats them. I hate them. I swear I've nearly been run down by them at least 50 times.

...

The only way they are going to hit you is if you act unpredictably...pretend theyre not there, and theyll just fly around you.

I don't see the problem?

Frankly, I like that sort of system. I mind my business, you mind your business. If you run into me, there will be hell to pay, but if you are skilled, I'm not going to sit there and bitch about how "you were THIS CLOSE to hitting me!" Especially not if I'm in a car...don't expect me to brake if you cut me off, but on the other hand, know that I'm not going to be a total douche and try to swerve into you or anything stupid like that. Everyone lives peacefully, and only the people who screw up get punished.

If you don't have the skills...don't do it. If you screw up...expect to pay the full price. But if you have the skills, and don't screw up, you shouldn't have to deal with people going out of their way to inconvenience you. It just strikes me as shockingly petty and immature. Of course, judging by the tailgating threads in this forum, petty and immature is what we humans do best...

You have to know that theyre coming, and then *pretend* theyre not. Otherwise, you are unpredictable to them.

The problem is that they come by SO fast, and cut it SO close, that it scares the sh*t out of you when all of a sudden they zoom by. And although I havent been hit before, I have seen them hit other people and smack into cars. You can't not pay attention to your surroundings in NYC.

I will definitely stand here and bitch about how close they come to hitting me. They're like missles flying down the street. The only skill you need driving in NYC is a complete disregard for other cars, and good insurance. It would be fantastic if everyone just minded their business and followed the rules...but NO ONE does. If you are the one that does, you get screwed. If they screw up, you are paying the full price with them.

Example. I'm in the left lane on madison ave, and the light is turning yellow. I'm about to go through, and a yellow cab zooms past me from the middle lane, and cuts me off, making a left turn around me. I slam on my brakes, the lights turn red, and I get stuck in "the box". Cross traffic is now zooming around me... I can't do anything. I hear the whoop whoop - then the cars stop flying by. Get pulled over. Waiting for my $300 ticket. The cop tells me he saw the whole thing, and let me go with a warning that *I* should be more careful.

I've been driving Manhattan nearly everyday at all hours for the last 5 years. You should have been more aggressive.

Absolutely. It was one of the first time I've driven in manhattan. I'm not a hesitant driver by any means, but driving in the heart of NYC is VERY different from driving around town. After a while you just get used to it, throw sh*t to the wind, and push other cars around. Likewise, you have to be very careful to watch others pushing you around. It's as if the concept of the lane doesn't even exist to some of these people.

 

[slag]

Originally posted by: eakers
I hate it when people on bikes don't follow the rules of the road.

+1

They dont stop for pedestrians, red lights, or anything.

I'd hit them just to get them out of the way. People on bikes who dont follow the rules of the road (basic stop light, stop sign, pedestrians crossing, etc) don't deserve to be there. You see a lot more bicyclers in my area ignoring basic traffic rules than you do people in cars.

 

[Stifko]

Originally posted by: slag

Originally posted by: eakers
I hate it when people on bikes don't follow the rules of the road.

+1

They dont stop for pedestrians, red lights, or anything.

I'd hit them just to get them out of the way. People on bikes who dont follow the rules of the road (basic stop light, stop sign, pedestrians crossing, etc) don't deserve to be there. You see a lot more bicyclers in my area ignoring basic traffic rules than you do people in cars.

Yup how many red lights did they run? Those dudes always cut me off, and I am often tempted to throw an elbow in their face.

 

[notfred]

I don't get what people find so extreme about this video. Sure, it's dangerous running straight through oncoming traffic at red lights, but if you leave that out, nothing they do is particularly difficult. I ride around like that all the time in Sacramento and San Francisco (minus blowing straight through cross traffic at red lights), and it's fine. It's actually easier than doing it in a car, in my opinion. You can maneuver through much tighter spaces on the bike, you can get away with things on a bike that people would get pissed at you for doing in a car, but noone cares when you're on a bike. Traffic downtown in big cities usuallyisn't going any faster than you can ride on a bike anyway. I can make it down Market Street from Castro to the Embarcadero faster on a bike than I can in a car most of the time.

 

[HeroOfPellinor]

Originally posted by: notfred
I don't get what people find so extreme about this video. Sure, it's dangerous running straight through oncoming traffic at red lights, but if you leave that out, nothing they do is particularly difficult.

If you leave that out, there is nothing here.

 

[mordantmonkey]

Originally posted by: Pastore
That video was sped way up. No way that was at normal speed. They made way too many turns that are impossible at the speed in the video.

if that was sped up then people in new york must walk very slowly.

 

[Jawo]

Thats an awesome video....I wish people would be more aware aound here (DC). Now I don't run lights, but still have troubles with people. I am amazed at how they do it on one speeds w/o brakes!

 

[halik]

First off, I'm bound to hit one of those fvcks eventually (I drive in manhattan often).

Second point - about the whole being agressive in manhattan. I think it's bunch of BS; coming from michigan I didn't have to change my driving habits much at all (other than the frequency of yelling obscenities). All you need to do is expect horrible driving from cabs and anyone with NY or NJ license plates and you're set.

I've been riding motorcycles since I was 10 years old (sportbikes for the past 3 years) so here's a bit of an analogy. When you're on a bike, you're (or should be ) actively scanning the road for sh~tty drivers. It's the same thing in manhattan, except the whole city is made up of got-awefull sh!tty drivers.