Re: My R wants to eat a bicyclist.... (AbsolutZer0)

You should drive down the street with your hazards flashing screaming obsenities!!

 

Re: My R wants to eat a bicyclist.... (AbsolutZer0)

Quote, originally posted by AbsolutZer0 »

I had someone yell at me and hit my hood because i was going 35 and he almost got run over.

Dude, if someone "hit my hood" (in anger), I would be out of the car and in their face. Seriously. I've tried to instill in my kids (3 and 5, respectively) that you never, and I mean never, touch someone's car. They may be a little young to get it but it can't hurt

 

Re: My R wants to eat a bicyclist.... (bb vign)

Quote, originally posted by bb vign »

I've tried to instill in my kids (3 and 5, respectively) that you never, and I mean never, touch someone's car. They may be a little young to get it but it can't hurt

You should have raised the kid who parks next to me at school...

 

haha the worst was about 2 months ago when it was warm.

There was a pack of 20-30 bicycles with orange vests on that said "respect the bicycles"... for 3 hours they rode up and down Hennepin IN BOTH LANES as slow as possible to block traffic. The cops didnt even do anything. i wanted to kill myself.

The big joke was that instead of slowing down cars on a fast street, they forced all the fast drivers onto the slow city streets in the neighborhoods.

 

Re: My R wants to eat a bicyclist.... (vivek9856)

I will instill into my children to not drive a brand-new Volvo S80 on a daily basis to a high school with narrow parking stalls.

I couldn't resist - I saw your post on the S80 forum.

 

Re: My R wants to eat a bicyclist.... (AbsolutZer0)

I can't stand them either, they're like locusts, everywhere!

I'm being sarcastic, I have friends who bike all over the place. There's nothing worse than driving the speed limit on a dark road and then being up on top of some dumb biker who has no lights or reflectors. Reflectors don't cut it anyway.

But to your point, we can add "using lights after sunset" to the laws they are not forced to obey.

 

well the other thing i need to mention is that for years I rode my cannondale to and from work, but i managed to keep up with traffic.

 

Re: My R wants to eat a bicyclist.... (AbsolutZer0)

As a cyclist myself, I agree there are a LOT of them (some dyed-in-the- wool riders, others more casual riders and/or people running errands around town) that simply don't follow the rules of the road (like stopping at lights). It peeves me too, especially since when I'm riding in traffic I obey all signs and lights).

That said, there are an equal number of motorists (none driving R's of course

) that are ignorant of the fact that bikes are actually allowed on our roads (except highways). This is one of the main reasons my riding is 90% off-road and 10% road. I'd rather ride over 5 foot boulders and down steep chutes laden with baby-head size rocks than ride on the road with the average driver in America. I know of at least 4 friends and 5 associates who have been run into the side of the road and knocked over by drivers who either didn't see them, or "claimed" not to have seen them, or did so on purpose. Also, not a lot of drivers know that the traffic law in most states/municipalities is that when a bike is present on a certain stretch of road, the speed limit of that road at that particular point in the road is the speed at which the cyclist is riding. Once the car passes safely around the rider, the driver can then resume the posted speed limit.

I am in Europe (Italy, Germany, Spain and Switzerland) on business now, and as those of you that have travelled here or live in Europe know, bikes command a whole different level of acceptance and respect. We yanks (riders and drivers) could take a cue from our friends across the Atlantic.

True story: A friend of mine was riding down a street and wanted to turn left into another street. A car was coming from the opposite direction on the street on which he was riding. He MADE EYE CONTACT with the driver, who then slowed down. My friend then proceeded to perform said left-hand turn into the street and the freakin' driver drilled him with his hood, resulting in damage to his knee that put him out of commission for 3 months, and ruined his bike.

Goes to show morons exist in every dimension of society.

 

Re: My R wants to eat a bicyclist.... (icebiker)

I'm a biker and have been hit twice now. I don't ride anymore unless there is a bike lane. Since I moved to Pensacola, the road bike hasn't left the garage.

But bikers do have to obey traffic laws including traffic lights, road signs and hand signals. I have no sympathy for bikers who don't abide by them and for those who don't have lights or reflective clothing after hours. Unfortunately, it's the motorist that will more than likely recieve the infraction even if the bicyclist is at fault. So as a motorist, you just have to learn to put up with numbskulls. Unless they hit your Volvo like the guy above. Then it's your duty to beat the granola out of them.

 

Re: My R wants to eat a bicyclist.... (PSAC)

Quote, originally posted by PSAC »

You should drive down the street with your hazards flashing screaming obsenities!!

thats really the best response to this thread...gets the point across and gets a laugh...

 

Re: My R wants to eat a bicyclist.... (AbsolutZer0)

Being in the NorthWest we get a lot of bicycle riders on the roads. I have no issues with the ridres who obey the laws of the road but it is so aggravating when they have no regard for the rules that are in place for there protection. And it really makes me question a parents right to have children when they insist on riding a bike on any road while they are towing there childern behind them while 3000Lbs cars are occuping the same road just because "it's the law". I will never entrust my life let, alone the lives of my future children to somebody driving a car. Some times it is better to do what's right then to be right. Sorry for the little rant, I just saw this yesterday on a 4 lane road with no sholder and perfectly good sidewalks where the speed limit is 35 mph. Just imagine the tragedy if one of the drivers glanced down for a split second.

Matt

 

On a bit of a different subject but related, I live in Korea (Air Force) and am amazed at the koreans complete lack of self awareness when it comes to safety.

They bike/walk/moped all over the place with usually no helmet, no reflective clothing and generally no sense of danger. So to drive here I have to be hyper-vigilant to look out for my safety and theirs. The clothing of choice at night here seems to be the darkest clothing possible, and this is true for children also, who get hit by cars at an amazing rate.

 

Re: My R wants to eat a bicyclist.... (PSAC)

Quote, originally posted by PSAC »

You should drive down the street with your hazards flashing screaming obsenities!!

That pic made my day. http://********************/smile/emthup.gif x 1000!!!!!

 

Re: My R wants to eat a bicyclist.... (AbsolutZer0)

try driving in NY /thread

 

Re: My R wants to eat a bicyclist.... (TGO)

To the OP

I live downtown Portland, Oregon. I know exactly what you mean. I work in a very yuppie / hippie area, for a very yuppie / hippie company. I think I might be the only semi conservative within a couple square miles. That's beside the point though. I know what you mean about the inconsiderate d-bags riding kamakazi style up and down and all around the streets. Portland is one of the bike commute capitals of the country. Nothing pisses me off more than the things you were talking about above, as I have experienced them all. I love that it seems to be a "culture" or "way" for some of these guys to "stick it to the drivers" by blatantly disobeying the traffic laws and bragging about it.

Anyway, I could go on and on until I look like this

but I'll save the space.

I feel ya brother.

 

Re: My R wants to eat a bicyclist.... (chromecarz00)

You think that's funny? Do have any idea what you're looking at? This was an organized road race on a closed course in Mexico that a drunk driver drove into. Many people were seriously injured , I don't recall if there were any fatalities.

As a competitive cyclist I could not agree more about bicycles needing to respect and obey the same rules of the road as cars. And I would also add that cyclists who try to make a political statement by slowing / blocking traffic are idiots. Critical Mass is stupid and does nothing but piss off the non cycling public.

Regardless of what side of the cycling car issue you may fall on, there's nothing funny about that picture. Unless you think drunks plowing into cyclists is funny.

 

That cant sue if you run them over and kill them

 

Re: My R wants to eat a bicyclist.... (m3nt0s)

Quote, originally posted by m3nt0s »

That pic made my day. http://********************/smile/emthup.gif x 1000!!!!!

Wow, and I thought cyclists who don't obey the road rules were ignorant but that statement puts a whole new meaning to the word ignorant.

 

Re: My R wants to eat a bicyclist.... (C130)

+1 This is somebody that never learned to actually think BEFORE speaking.

 

Re: My R wants to eat a bicyclist.... (GJFV70R)

I think you mean hipster, not hippie.

Anyway, people on bikes do that here all the time, it always seems to be the less experienced bicyclists who do it though.

The police in pittsburgh actually enforce traffic laws on bicyclists, a good friend of mine got a ticket this past summer for running a red, and an acquaintance of mine got a DUI on his bike last year http://********************/smile/emcocktl.gif

I have no problem with cyclists, its the stupid freakin hipsters who just jumped on the fad for the fad's sake, and have no idea what theyre doing. Idiots riding fixed gears in P'burgh who have no clue how, they just clog up the tons of hills we have here.

 

Re: My R wants to eat a bicyclist.... (Spizzy)

I don't buy that explanation of the biker who "made eye contact" with the driver of a car in the oncoming lane. Maybe he misinterpreted the driver "looking in the general direction" at the cyclist as eye contact. At any rate it sucks for both involved in the accident, but that's a bad excuse and I think it's pretty clear where the fault lies.

P.S. Chill out, that picture is one in a million and hilarious!

 

I hear you on this one! i work at minnikahda Golf course in the summer so i always see bikers in uptown and it drives me nuts! I also went to Minnehaha Academy for high school which is right on the park way and believe me, bikers drove me and my friends nuts! I keep an air horn in my glove box for these types of people to give them a little jolt when they need to get out of my way. I just don't understand the fact that we spend millions of dollars in tax money to create bike paths for bikers and they still ride in the street! drives me nucking futs!

 

Re: My R wants to eat a bicyclist.... (GJFV70R)

Quote, originally posted by GJFV70R »

As a competitive cyclist I could not agree more about bicycles needing to respect and obey the same rules of the road as cars. And I would also add that cyclists who try to make a political statement by slowing / blocking traffic are idiots. Critical Mass is stupid and does nothing but piss off the non cycling public.

+1

Also, I realize the cyclist traffic laws are different everywhere, however, as a cyclist that watches out for MY own safety, and knows the highway traffic act, there are some laws that aggravate motorists to high-hell, laws that no one I know, knows.

I know this isn't representative in the other posts, however, a cyclists safety is paramount in our laws. They are urged to ride close to the side of the road and share the lane with traffic. However, at the cyclists descression, if they deem it un-safe they are allowed to "take the lane" and ride in the middle.

If misused this is very aggravating (as a driver

) and gives cyclists a bad rap. However, there are a few stretches of road that I routinely "take the lane" on, for everyone's safety, not just mine.

 

Re: (RAndrewR)

Quote, originally posted by RAndrewR »

I hear you on this one! i work at minnikahda Golf course in the summer so i always see bikers in uptown and it drives me nuts! I also went to Minnehaha Academy for high school which is right on the park way and believe me, bikers drove me and my friends nuts! I keep an air horn in my glove box for these types of people to give them a little jolt when they need to get out of my way. I just don't understand the fact that we spend millions of dollars in tax money to create bike paths for bikers and they still ride in the street! drives me nucking futs!

Look up your road laws...I love driving don't get me wrong, and I commute to, from, and through the city every day.

However, drivers and cyclists give each other bad reps from things like this.

I bet that bicycles are considered vehicles in your traffic laws, and thus, entitled to use roadways, and not be limited to paths.

 

Re: My R wants to eat a bicyclist.... (AbsolutZer0)

I have been hit twice by a car while ridding my bike in accordance with the rules of the road. I have been "doored" by a driver not paying attention to riders trying to stay out of the way of cars in traffic.

It all really, really hurts, damn it. Recovery takes a long time. I have destroyed a helmet on the granite curb after flying over the hood of a car like in that celebrated(?) photo.

I ride pretty fast.
I drive pretty fast.

I respect riders as PEOPLE when I am driving.
I respect drivers as PEOPLE when riding.

The less we pigeon-hole people into categories from which can exclude ourselves, the better off we will be.

Respect is the fundamental rule of the road, don't you think?