Chuck Anderson Posted April 13, 2008 Share Posted April 13, 2008 So yesterday was the first nice day we've had this year. And it brought out all the spandex clad, Lance Armstrong, wanna be's I live near a fairly large peak and to get into town I have to drive over the major highway up and over the hill. Nice curvy road, filled with 20 mph blind corners and there is zero shoulder whatsoever, just the white line and gravel. The road is dangerous enough already and there have been numerous accidents just since I moved down here less than a year ago. So were do all the bike knuckleheads choose to ride? I passed at least 30 of them in the 8 miles of road yesterday. Witnessed 4-5 almost crashes with cars trying to get around some middle aged twit huffing his bike up a steep incline at 5 mph in the middle of a damn highway. I came very close to stacking up my own car after coming around a blind corner and finding traffic backed up because of one of them. And the best part is, at the bottom of the hill, where there actually is a bike lane there's two more riding, tandem, still in the roadway. I really don't understand why bikes are allowed to do this. We would cite, hell probably arrest a guy in a car that was puttering along at 10 mph on a highway but if you're wearing spandex and stupid hat it's okay. If you want to ride a bike fine. Just find someplace to do it where I don't have to scrape you off of my hood. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JimmyZip Posted April 13, 2008 Share Posted April 13, 2008 I am an avid cyclist, but not an idiot. I feel your pain as some cyclists think that the law will save them when they are behaving incosiderately or idiotic in traffic. I ride on WIDE streets during hours of little traffic. The thing that gets me is we have a similar cycling hot spot here and even after several cyclists have been killed they ride that hill like they own it. Go figure Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AikiDale Posted April 13, 2008 Share Posted April 13, 2008 For me it is not so much a bicycle vs automobile issue so much as a relative speed issue. It seems to be just as annoying to get stuck behind a driver doing 65 in a 65 mile zone on the interstate when the left lane was doing just fine at 80. The solution? Separate but equal facilities for automobiles, bicycles and pedestrians or we all learn to respect and be courteous to one another. Even though the latter would be far less costly I suspect we should start planning for road widening projects. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CDRODA396 Posted April 13, 2008 Share Posted April 13, 2008 (edited) +1000 I live in NC where the law affords the cyclist the same right of way ON THE ROAD as an automobile...so at 5 o'clock quitting time, on the major arteries out of the military base where I work, there is invariably an idiot riding 10-15 mph in a 45 mph zone, with a sidewalk one arms length away, yet they chose to ride in the road....which puts not only them, but everyone in that lane, and the next lane over in jeapardy. What turns my stomach is I have to have a driver's license, which requires a a fee, a written and performance test and periodic fees to maintain. I also have to register my vehicle, pay annual fees to maintain my plates, and am required by law to ensure my vehicle is in safe mechanical order to operate on the public road sytems. The cyclist can be riding a 100 yr old rust bucket, about to disintegrate under him/her at 5 mph in the middle of a 45 mph zone and he has the same legal claim to the lane as me...burns my insides up. Edited April 13, 2008 by CDRODA396 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BritinUSA Posted April 13, 2008 Share Posted April 13, 2008 We get hundreds of these in Boulder, they come for the altitude training. They ride side by side when there is a law that mandates that they ride single-file. They zip through red lights without stopping (I guess they assume the laws just don't apply to them). Boulder has more bike lanes than you could shake a stick at, but inconsiderate bikers just negate the benefits of it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
smokshwn Posted April 13, 2008 Share Posted April 13, 2008 I love bicyclists, they are large part of the population that keeps me in business I especially love it when they talk about how they have just as many rights as a motorist does according to the law.....it is then I ask them how many rights they have according to the laws of physics... this is generally followed the completely dumbfounded look of a witless idiot who just signed up for a battle of the brains contest.... then they generally shut up and go back to whining about their injury Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
G-ManBart Posted April 13, 2008 Share Posted April 13, 2008 +1000I live in NC where the law affords the cyclist the same right of way ON THE ROAD as an automobile...so at 5 o'clock quitting time, on the major arteries out of the military base where I work, there is invariably an idiot riding 10-15 mph in a 45 mph zone, with a sidewalk one arms length away, yet they chose to ride in the road....which puts not only them, but everyone in that lane, and the next lane over in jeapardy. What turns my stomach is I have to have a driver's license, which requires a a fee, a written and performance test and periodic fees to maintain. I also have to register my vehicle, pay annual fees to maintain my plates, and am required by law to ensure my vehicle is in safe mechanical order to operate on the public road sytems. The cyclist can be riding a 100 yr old rust bucket, about to disintegrate under him/her at 5 mph in the middle of a 45 mph zone and he has the same legal claim to the lane as me...burns my insides up. I wouldn't be all that against a skills test for bike riders, but it would be largely a waste of time. Unfortunately there are inconsiderate bicyclists just as there are inconsiderate drivers. Neither should be that way, but I doubt much will change them. Responsible riders usually look to avoid getting in the way and causing conflicts, but it seems there are always a few problem spots in every town that are hard to get around. I'm not sure who said it already, but dedicated bike lanes are probably the only answer. Then get towns to make a law that would allow a fine if the lanes aren't used properly....riders in the auto lanes (except passing another rider when the auto lane is clear), riders on the wrong side of the road, etc. I think there are a number of reasons why all those rules don't apply to bicyclists. It's like comparing a hang glider to a Cessna....nobody really cares if hang gliders are inspected or flown by licensed pilots...what's the worst they're going to do, put a smear on your roof? Even a crash between bicycle and pedestrian isn't likely to kill anyone, much less bicycle and car. They don't catch on fire, emit pollution, contain reasonably large quantities of hazardous materials, cause wear and tear on the roads and if they have almost anything wrong with them you can't ride them. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Joe4d Posted April 13, 2008 Share Posted April 13, 2008 What gets me is the total lack of any type of law enforcement. as stated running red lights, riding two abreast etc etc are illegal yet you never ever see any of them cited. Why go through the effort of passing laws if your not going to enforce them ? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chuck Anderson Posted April 13, 2008 Author Share Posted April 13, 2008 Now, I have nothing against bicyclists, just stupid ones. I have a friend who is Chief of a little town in the county I work. He loves writing bike riders tickets. They started riding in packs up there, 10-15 or so. And they all ride through stop signs without stopping. He got a group not too long ago and gave them all tickets for running the stop sign. There were 12 riders, he got 14 tickets. Wrote the first two for running the stop sign and told them they could go. They rode to the corner, ran the stop sign and kept going. After looking at the other 10 in disbelief they were told to wait there, he wrote the first two their second tickets, then came back and wrote the remaining 10. Plus the city code says the judge can't reduce bail on the $299.00 ticket. Over $4000.00 in tickets in one stop. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chp5 Posted April 13, 2008 Share Posted April 13, 2008 I'm surprised tonsof cyclists don't die every year. You need to pick your ride time and place very carfeully. With cars speeding and everyone on cell phones, it's almost suicide. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Viggen Posted April 13, 2008 Share Posted April 13, 2008 I'm surprised tonsof cyclists don't die every year. You need to pick your ride time and place very carfeully. With cars speeding and everyone on cell phones, it's almost suicide. I figure its by the grace of God that so many live. A lot of cyclists do some really stupid things. Its not wise to tempt the laws of physics, and I'm a cyclist. Now lets combine cyclists with people from the north who are well aged and can't drive worth a rip or care. You know, the snowbirds. Folks who come to places like Arizona, or Florida, or Texas during the winter and actually drive vehicles - where they are from, somewhere up in the midwest, the locals don't let them drive but when they play snowbird they go on a licensed killing spree. Sigh.... fortunately the season is about over. The heat is driving the rif-raff north and us cyclists, some smart and some not, will have another summer of continued survival. Here in Az , in the summer, we only have to face blonds in SUV's chatting on cellphones while putting on makeup while dehydrating. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
smokshwn Posted April 13, 2008 Share Posted April 13, 2008 Now, I have nothing against bicyclists, just stupid ones. I have a friend who is Chief of a little town in the county I work. He loves writing bike riders tickets. They started riding in packs up there, 10-15 or so. And they all ride through stop signs without stopping. He got a group not too long ago and gave them all tickets for running the stop sign. There were 12 riders, he got 14 tickets. Wrote the first two for running the stop sign and told them they could go. They rode to the corner, ran the stop sign and kept going. After looking at the other 10 in disbelief they were told to wait there, he wrote the first two their second tickets, then came back and wrote the remaining 10. Plus the city code says the judge can't reduce bail on the $299.00 ticket. Over $4000.00 in tickets in one stop. That's gotta be worth a new toaster Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chuck Anderson Posted April 13, 2008 Author Share Posted April 13, 2008 I'm surprised tonsof cyclists don't die every year. You need to pick your ride time and place very carfeully. With cars speeding and everyone on cell phones, it's almost suicide. I figure its by the grace of God that so many live. A lot of cyclists do some really stupid things. Its not wise to tempt the laws of physics, and I'm a cyclist. Now lets combine cyclists with people from the north who are well aged and can't drive worth a rip or care. You know, the snowbirds. Folks who come to places like Arizona, or Florida, or Texas during the winter and actually drive vehicles - where they are from, somewhere up in the midwest, the locals don't let them drive but when they play snowbird they go on a licensed killing spree. Sigh.... fortunately the season is about over. The heat is driving the rif-raff north and us cyclists, some smart and some not, will have another summer of continued survival. Here in Az , in the summer, we only have to face blonds in SUV's chatting on cellphones while putting on makeup while dehydrating. Dude, if you're riding a bike in Arizona, in the summer, when it's 110 degrees out...welcome to the thread. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SiG Lady Posted April 13, 2008 Share Posted April 13, 2008 Congratulations on that massive citation event. Jeez, if they're breaking the law they're breaking the law--and right in front of you again, too!! Stupidity knows few limits. I wish I'd been there to see it. We've set aside miles and miles of designated bike lanes/bike paths here in Eugene and it really helps. However, we DO have laws and the sensibility of certain bike-riders often shows a little something lacking. But I think they're in the minority--especially in this community, where there's an incredible emphasis on cycling, cycling safety (helmets are manadatory by law) and such a widespread accommodation of cyclists by building these bike lanes. We've ALSO had fatalities that were the blatant fault of speeding, law-breaking vehicle drivers, and that's not the fault of the cyclist. We recently had a teen truck driver goin' 65 in a 35 do in a little kid with a bicycle leaving a nearby schoolground. The little kid was not breaking any laws; the idiot in the truck broke several. IIRC, the little kid died. And yet the community had a lengthy and fractious argument for the longest time about who was at fault! My god, it was obvious. And everyone eventually agreed on that. I used to ride a custom bike many miles nearly every day (Marin County, CA) on somewhat dangerous roads, but I was careful and so am still here to tell about it. But some cyclists just don't think, don't obey the rules of the road and don't use freakin' common sense. OTOH, we had a couple of recent fatalities on narrow, paved/striped two-lane roads where the cyclists were riding single file as close to the shoulder as possible; but the vehicles came at them at speed, trying to scare them OFF the road by driving too close (intentionally), and a couple of cyclists were killed. Cyclists were doing their best to be cool; vehicle-driving jerk was doing his best to injure the cyclists. He succeeded magnificently. It all works both ways. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Matt Cheely Posted April 13, 2008 Share Posted April 13, 2008 Must...not...add...rebuttal... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Neomet Posted April 13, 2008 Share Posted April 13, 2008 (edited) I used to ride a lot. (training for triathalons) I usually ended up training either by myself or with the one other person who would obey traffic laws. By the same token I can not tell you the number of times I had asshats in their 4 wheel drive trucks try to play mirror-tag with me on a deserted country road where they had plenty of room to go by. Apparantly they scored extra points if the beer can they threw at me as they went by connected. It go so bad that I refuse to ride a bike on the road anymore. If I want to bike, it is nowhere near 3,000 plus pound moving objects. As someone else has already said, there are tons of idiots/jerks in the world. Sometimes they are on bikes, sometimes in cars. Edited April 13, 2008 by Neomet Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SiG Lady Posted April 13, 2008 Share Posted April 13, 2008 "Must...not...add...rebuttal..." Well, in all fairness, I actually DID try and present both sides... But yes, Lawman is correct for sure about ONE thing: Yesterday was the first nice day we've had in Western Oregon since I dunno when!! It was actually 84 degrees on Saturday in Eugene! Amayyyzing! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AikiDale Posted April 13, 2008 Share Posted April 13, 2008 (helmets are manadatory by law) ....We've ALSO had fatalities ... We recently had a teen truck driver goin' 65 in a 35 do in a little kid Gaaaa! Nanny State BS! Sorry for the thread drift. Another one of my pet peeves. So why did the Nanny State Mandated helmet not save the kids life?????? Drifting Off Now.... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cat355 Posted April 13, 2008 Share Posted April 13, 2008 I like to bicycle for fun, and at times transportation. But I don't wear spandex. And I obey traffic laws. I have seen bicyclists illegally hogging county roads, which is hazardous for them, and infuriating for motor vehicle operators. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
G-ManBart Posted April 13, 2008 Share Posted April 13, 2008 (helmets are manadatory by law) ....We've ALSO had fatalities ... We recently had a teen truck driver goin' 65 in a 35 do in a little kid Gaaaa! Nanny State BS! Sorry for the thread drift. Another one of my pet peeves. So why did the Nanny State Mandated helmet not save the kids life?????? Drifting Off Now.... Sigh....you can't possibly mean that as an honest question. Helmets are meant to prevent head injuries from falling down, not getting hit with a 4000+lb sledge hammer going 65. I'm not a huge fan of helmet laws, but I'm also not a huge fan of having to help pay for the health care costs of idiots who ride without helmets, have no health insurance and wind up with medical bills into the hundreds of thousands of dollars either. Drift off so I don't violate my own sig line Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AikiDale Posted April 13, 2008 Share Posted April 13, 2008 Did he just call me an idiot???? I have no problem with the ministry of education letting people know helmets, seat belts or sunscreen is a good idea. I have a major problem with the government, at any level, telling me how to dress, even if it's for 'my own good.' It's about Life, Liberty and the Pursuit of Happiness; not about making sure everyone is safe so the taxpayers don't have to pick up the tab for the stupid. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Viggen Posted April 13, 2008 Share Posted April 13, 2008 I'm surprised tonsof cyclists don't die every year. You need to pick your ride time and place very carfeully. With cars speeding and everyone on cell phones, it's almost suicide. I figure its by the grace of God that so many live. A lot of cyclists do some really stupid things. Its not wise to tempt the laws of physics, and I'm a cyclist. Now lets combine cyclists with people from the north who are well aged and can't drive worth a rip or care. You know, the snowbirds. Folks who come to places like Arizona, or Florida, or Texas during the winter and actually drive vehicles - where they are from, somewhere up in the midwest, the locals don't let them drive but when they play snowbird they go on a licensed killing spree. Sigh.... fortunately the season is about over. The heat is driving the rif-raff north and us cyclists, some smart and some not, will have another summer of continued survival. Here in Az , in the summer, we only have to face blonds in SUV's chatting on cellphones while putting on makeup while dehydrating. Dude, if you're riding a bike in Arizona, in the summer, when it's 110 degrees out...welcome to the thread. Got to get the ride in early in the morning before the fire orb and before the temps go past 105-110, after that it's sort of warm... I couldn't handle riding in the NW rain anymore... too wet for me. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Neomet Posted April 13, 2008 Share Posted April 13, 2008 Must.....resist...being...pulled...into....threaddrift............... AAAAggghhhhhhhhh....... While I am a huge believer in the govt leaving me the hell alone, at work I currently have a case where we are defending a property owner who had an inline skater wipeout where the sidewalk was ramped to allow handicap access. Plaintiff was not wearing a helmet, her skates went out from under her and the back of her head struck the sidewalk with predictable results. Med bills at this point are in excess of $850,000 and the projections for her lifetime care are multimillion. Of course she was uninsured so either those bills will be paid as part of the judgement or it will be passed onto the general public the next time we need medical care. Personally I find helmet laws no more offensive than seatbelt laws. Oh, btw her theory of negligence is that the ramp should have been painted to make it more obvious. Seems she isn't supposed to have to be responsible for her safety, but the defendant is! Okay, thread drift of a thread drift off...... Sorry! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AikiDale Posted April 13, 2008 Share Posted April 13, 2008 Seat belt laws are just as offensive and for the same reasons. If Dale were responsible for sorting out this case the girl with the cracked skull is responsible for her actions, her injuries and her recovery. And just to get back on topic, I also hate it that we can't all be responsible users of the public highways! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SiG Lady Posted April 13, 2008 Share Posted April 13, 2008 I don't have the numbers, but the reduction in head injuries and deaths as a result of our bike helmet law was/is significant. Besides, you should see the totally cool helmets everyone's wearing...!! Oh, wait...! I found some generalized stats in this link: http://www.helmets.org/stats.htm Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts