Why are motorists confused by cyclists?

[NuclearNed]

Yesterday while riding my bicycle a car pulled out in front of me, crossing the street that I was on. This really wasn't a problem because I was still a fair distance away from the car, but my idiot driver radar started going off in a big, big way. Then she saw me. And she stopped. Right in the middle of the freaking road, blocking both lanes of traffic. Before, she was just a minor nuisance. Now she was a major obstacle to my continued health. She started wildly waving her arms trying to get a signal from me as to where I was going (as though I had somehow indicated that I was going anywhere other than straight down the road that I had occupied before Ms. Stevie Wonder decided to park her car perpendicularly across it). Finally she remembered why she had an accelerator installed, used it, and narrowly avoided me sprawling across her hood.

I also can't stand it when people won't pass me. They stay right on my back wheel and won't go around.

And I can't stand the rednecks that intentionally see how close they can drive to my bike.

Thanks for listening.

 

[Leetman]

Because many motorists lack intelligence.

 

[CRXican]

Well most bikers are retards and don't know they're to be treated as a car. However it sounds like you're one from the other crowd with the opposite problem. The motorists don't know to treat a cyclist as a motor vehicle. I always carefully pass bikers when they are on the main streets.

 

[NuclearNed]

Originally posted by: CRXican
Well most bikers are retards and don't know they're to be treated as a car. However it sounds like you're one from the other crowd with the opposite problem. The motorists don't know to treat a cyclist as a motor vehicle. I always carefully pass bikers when they are on the main streets.

I always assume that I am just another vehicle. And I try to be a courteous rider because I know that a lot of motorists don't like us, and some of them like to fling things.

 

[notfred]

Originally posted by: CRXican
Well most bikers are retards and don't know they're to be treated as a car. However it sounds like you're one from the other crowd with the opposite problem. The motorists don't know to treat a cyclist as a motor vehicle. I always carefully pass bikers when they are on the main streets.

This is true. I've been riding my bike around town a lot lately, and I see a LOT of cyclists riding on the wrong side of the road, through crosswalks, on sidewalks, not stopping at stop signs, etc. Most people on bikes don't know WTF they're doing.

 

[Leetman]

Yeah, it's true. Many people on bikes also lack intelligence and are unaware of certain cycling rules.

 

[spidey07]

bicycle = another vehicle on the road.

treat as such and we'll all be fine.

But then again most folks have a hard time with cars, let alone a bicycle on the road.

 

[Demon-Xanth]

If you get about 10 people on bikes together, it's mob mentality. They don't even stop for red lights.

 

[dquan97]

Because she's a woman

jk...I'm riding my bike from work too

 

[vshah]

bikers are welcome on roads, but what pisses me off is when there is a sidewalk right there, and they're riding in the middle of the road at rush hour. one would think that they'd prefer the sidewalk with their own safety in mind...

-Vivan

 

[Fausto]

Originally posted by: vshah
bikers are welcome on roads, but what pisses me off is when there is a sidewalk right there, and they're riding in the middle of the road at rush hour. one would think that they'd prefer the sidewalk with their own safety in mind...

-Vivan

Sidewalk = illegal for bikes in most places.

 

[Whisper]

Originally posted by: Fausto

Originally posted by: vshah
bikers are welcome on roads, but what pisses me off is when there is a sidewalk right there, and they're riding in the middle of the road at rush hour. one would think that they'd prefer the sidewalk with their own safety in mind...

-Vivan

Sidewalk = illegal for bikes in most places.

Yep. Bikers aren't supposed to use the sidewalk in most instances.

 

[Fausto]

Originally posted by: Whisper

Originally posted by: Fausto

Originally posted by: vshah
bikers are welcome on roads, but what pisses me off is when there is a sidewalk right there, and they're riding in the middle of the road at rush hour. one would think that they'd prefer the sidewalk with their own safety in mind...

-Vivan

Sidewalk = illegal for bikes in most places.

Yep. Bikers aren't supposed to use the sidewalk in most instances.

Plus you wouldn't want me hitting you at 30mph while you're trying to walk home. That would really such for both parties.

 

[Phoenix86]

It's the same thing with motorcycles, a large percentage don't know the rules of the road for either, and they 'educate' the non-cycling public. Many people (car drivers) think a bicycle is supposed to be on the sidewalk and when they are in the road, like they should be, they don't know WTF to think, or how to handle you.

Motorcyclist often ride 1 to a lane when traveling in pairs (not in one lane staggered), pass poeple doing 100 MPH on the highway doing a wheelie, etc.

:thumbsup: to NuclearNed. But it's kinda other cyclist's fault as much as it is idiots in cars...

 

[vshah]

Originally posted by: Fausto

Originally posted by: Whisper

Originally posted by: Fausto

Originally posted by: vshah
bikers are welcome on roads, but what pisses me off is when there is a sidewalk right there, and they're riding in the middle of the road at rush hour. one would think that they'd prefer the sidewalk with their own safety in mind...

-Vivan

Sidewalk = illegal for bikes in most places.

Yep. Bikers aren't supposed to use the sidewalk in most instances.

Plus you wouldn't want me hitting you at 30mph while you're trying to walk home. That would really such for both parties.

wow, never knew that. My mother, and all my friend's mothers always used to urge us to ride on the sidewalks when we were kids...

-Vivan

 

[notfred]

Originally posted by: vshah
bikers are welcome on roads, but what pisses me off is when there is a sidewalk right there, and they're riding in the middle of the road at rush hour. one would think that they'd prefer the sidewalk with their own safety in mind...

-Vivan

One would think that someone who passed a test ond got a license to drive a car would know where cyclists are supposed to be riding.

 

[PingSpike]

Originally posted by: vshah

Originally posted by: Fausto

Originally posted by: Whisper

Originally posted by: Fausto

Originally posted by: vshah
bikers are welcome on roads, but what pisses me off is when there is a sidewalk right there, and they're riding in the middle of the road at rush hour. one would think that they'd prefer the sidewalk with their own safety in mind...

-Vivan

Sidewalk = illegal for bikes in most places.

Yep. Bikers aren't supposed to use the sidewalk in most instances.

Plus you wouldn't want me hitting you at 30mph while you're trying to walk home. That would really such for both parties.

wow, never knew that. My mother, and all my friend's mothers always used to urge us to ride on the sidewalks when we were kids...

-Vivan

Probably because there's a good chance you'll get plowed over when you're riding on the road. She was probably more concerned with your safety than the legality of matter.

 

[Phoenix86]

Originally posted by: PingSpike

Originally posted by: vshah

Originally posted by: Fausto

Originally posted by: Whisper

Originally posted by: Fausto

Originally posted by: vshah
bikers are welcome on roads, but what pisses me off is when there is a sidewalk right there, and they're riding in the middle of the road at rush hour. one would think that they'd prefer the sidewalk with their own safety in mind...

-Vivan

Sidewalk = illegal for bikes in most places.

Yep. Bikers aren't supposed to use the sidewalk in most instances.

Plus you wouldn't want me hitting you at 30mph while you're trying to walk home. That would really such for both parties.

wow, never knew that. My mother, and all my friend's mothers always used to urge us to ride on the sidewalks when we were kids...

-Vivan

Probably because there's a good chance you'll get plowed over when you're riding on the road. She was probably more concerned with your safety than the legality of matter.

This is probably where most drivers and cyclist get the idea that they should be on the sidewalk... It's also more dangerous in the road for children, so I can say I disagree.

 

[0roo0roo]

i hate bikes on the road. doesn't make sense to me. too slow, too easy to hit, too delicate, too hard to see, too freakin close to traffic. they should just stick to the sidewalk. makes me paranoid. what if that guy hits a rock and falls and i run him over.. gah. then i'm in for sh*t. esp those road bikes with skinny little wheels, unstable....

 

[PingSpike]

Originally posted by: Phoenix86

Originally posted by: PingSpike
Probably because there's a good chance you'll get plowed over when you're riding on the road. She was probably more concerned with your safety than the legality of matter.

This is probably where most drivers and cyclist get the idea that they should be on the sidewalk... It's also more dangerous in the road for children, so I can say I disagree.

I'm confused. Are you disagreeing with me or the fact that people are suppose to ride their bikes in the road?

 

[DrPizza]

Originally posted by: NuclearNed
Yesterday while riding my bicycle a car pulled out in front of me, crossing the street that I was on. This really wasn't a problem because I was still a fair distance away from the car, but my idiot driver radar started going off in a big, big way. Then she saw me. And she stopped. Right in the middle of the freaking road, blocking both lanes of traffic. Before, she was just a minor nuisance. Now she was a major obstacle to my continued health. She started wildly waving her arms trying to get a signal from me as to where I was going (as though I had somehow indicated that I was going anywhere other than straight down the road that I had occupied before Ms. Stevie Wonder decided to park her car perpendicularly across it). Finally she remembered why she had an accelerator installed, used it, and narrowly avoided me sprawling across her hood.

I also can't stand it when people won't pass me. They stay right on my back wheel and won't go around.

And I can't stand the rednecks that intentionally see how close they can drive to my bike.

Thanks for listening.

Bah! I stay on THEIR bumper and see how close I can get to them Make them nervous for a change.
I agree though, many motorists are idiots when trying to negotiate around bikes..... what's so hard about it?

 

[Armitage]

Originally posted by: Fausto

Originally posted by: vshah
bikers are welcome on roads, but what pisses me off is when there is a sidewalk right there, and they're riding in the middle of the road at rush hour. one would think that they'd prefer the sidewalk with their own safety in mind...

-Vivan

Sidewalk = illegal for bikes in most places.

Yep, and generally more dangerous. Better to be out in the street and seen. Cars have enough trouble with us there, but they definitely aren't looking for somebody coming across the intersection from a sidewalk @ 20MPH as they make their turn.

 

[JulesMaximus]

Originally posted by: Phoenix86

But it's kinda other cyclist's fault as much as it is idiots in cars...

I don't see how you could draw this conclusion. It falls on the motorist and the cyclist to learn the rules of the road and obey them. I don't see how one not knowing the rules has anything to do with the other.

 

[Armitage]

Originally posted by: PingSpike

Originally posted by: Phoenix86

Originally posted by: PingSpike
Probably because there's a good chance you'll get plowed over when you're riding on the road. She was probably more concerned with your safety than the legality of matter.

This is probably where most drivers and cyclist get the idea that they should be on the sidewalk... It's also more dangerous in the road for children, so I can say I disagree.

I'm confused. Are you disagreeing with me or the fact that people are suppose to ride their bikes in the road?

Well, children is a different case. They don't neccesarily know the rules of the road the way an adult who also drives does. There are good reasons 11 year olds don't drive cars, and many of those same reasons apply to 11 year olds riding bikes on busy streets.

 

[JulesMaximus]

Originally posted by: 0roo0roo
i hate bikes on the road. doesn't make sense to me. too slow, too easy to hit, too delicate, too hard to see, too freakin close to traffic. they should just stick to the sidewalk. makes me paranoid. what if that guy hits a rock and falls and i run him over.. gah. then i'm in for sh*t. esp those road bikes with skinny little wheels, unstable....

Yeah, I'm sure you'd like me barreling down the sidewalk at 40mph on my road bike when you're walking with your dog or your kid. :roll: