Summer = Bicyclists = Jackassery

[Gerrinson]

As I mentioned elsewhere, I've got some pent up rage with no outlet, so maybe I wouldn't normally be quite so pissed off about this. No, wait, yes I would.

Issue the Lesser

If you appear to be a 30 year old man and are going to ride a bike and shout out things like 'Share the road, ***hole!' then perhaps you shouldn't be riding a little girl's bicycle (complete with pink Hannah Montana basket,) without a helmet, along the dotted line on a 4 lane road, against traffic.

I was tempted to kick my door open as you road between the southbound lanes while I was stopped for the light. I settled for yelling 'Obey the f***ing rules, douchenozzle!' out the window and was rewarded with you almost falling over out of shock. Next time, I might have to open my door so as to adjust my seatbelt. When the officer hears that I wasn't expecting you to be going against traffic, guess who will be at fault for the accident? Moron.

Issue the Greater

This is, by far, the worst I've seen from bicyclists in this area. And it is because of this incident that I now have the local police on speed dial in my cell phone.

I was heading home, and came across a pack of 16 or so bicyclists. They were riding in the rightmost lane (same 4 lane road as the last incident, in fact) and they were obeying the law perfectly when I came upon them. They did have to cross the line into my lane right in front of me, at one point, because an idiot in an S.U.V. started to pull out without looking for traffic, then came to a complete stop blocking their lane. The bicyclists did signal the lane change properly and I felt a moment of joy at seeing a large group of riders obeying the law.

Then the light changed to red so an elderly couple could cross at the crosswalk. I stopped and was in position to watch the bicycists blow through the light, splitting formation to ride both in front of and behind the pedestrians. The male pedestrian had a cane and was so shocked he stumbled and nearly fell down.

The moment I saw that they weren't going to stop I yelled out 'Sharing the road means OBEYING THE LIGHTS!' This caused the very last guy in their pack to slam on his brakes, stop next to my car, and lean down to glare at me. I took of my sunglasses and glared right back. He got a on his face and tore off, right through the red light... At least I delayed him enough that the couple in the walk had cleared his lane.

I tried to call the cops, as they idiots on bikes were headed toward the station (about 3/4 of a mile down the road) but I didn't know the number off the top of my head. By the time I had the number, they had blown through another light. By the time I spoke to an officer, they had almost reached the nearest town line.

I will say that the guy in the back kept looking over his shoulder and seemed none to pleased to see that I was able to catch up and stay right on their tail while I was calling the cops. The cop said he would call ahead, but I haven't seen anything about it in the paper. The bikes were still going along with no police interference as they approached the state line, which is when I turned off towards home.

When I mentioned it to my g/f she showed me an article in the paper, with a picture of these same ***hole bicyclists. Turns out they're in the area training for some bike race. So I guess training for a race means you can ignore any traffic laws that might inconvenience you.

<insert raging stream of profanity> bike riding <insert raging stream of profanity>.

</rage>

[siead_lietrathua]

the racers are the rudest riders here as well. where they gather before a ride is a parkinglot of a local store. big enough lot to hold them all, but they all want to do warmup rides in the street. spanning all lanes. at an intersection. going all over the road. we took a sick pleasure driving through, inching up behind the ones that wouldnt move and laying on the horn.

[BlaqueKatt]

Next time, I might have to open my door so as to adjust my seatbelt. When the officer hears that I wasn't expecting you to be going against traffic, guess who will be at fault for the accident? Moron.

actually in most states that would be you at fault for impeding traffic-yes the idiot on a bike would get cited for riding against traffic-but you would as well-two wrongs don't make a right. in my state they just passed that law, due to the fact that we were one of maybe 5 states that didn't have one-first time is a $40 fine, second time it jumps to $250. Depending on the situation they could also cite you for inattentive driving.

an example from Oregon state law-most are similarly worded:

"ORS 811.490 Improper opening or leaving open of vehicle door; penalty. (1) A person commits the offense of improper opening or leaving open a vehicle door if the person does any of the following:

(a) Opens any door of a vehicle unless and until it is reasonably safe to do so and it can be done without interference with the movement of traffic, or with pedestrians and bicycles on sidewalks or shoulders.

(b) Leaves a door open on the side of a vehicle available to traffic, or to pedestrians or bicycles on sidewalks or shoulders for a period of time longer than necessary to load or unload passengers.

(2) The offense described in this section, improper opening or leaving open a vehicle door, is a Class D traffic infraction."

In oregon a class D infraction is a $90 fine.


sorry people get killed by someone either thinking it would be funny, or by not looking when they open their car doors-usually from being thrown off their bike into traffic. I've almost had it happen to me, which is why I refuse to ride in out fair city's "designated bike lanes", state laws says a cyclist has to ride 3 feet from parked vehicles-yet the "bike lane" is 2 feet wide and right next to the parking lane-so there is nowhere in the bike lane that you are not in violation of the law-and yes until the "dooring bill" was passed in april cyclists were being cited for riding in the bike lane and being hit-yet drivers yell at us for not riding in the bike lanes-I'd rather be yelled at and hated than break the law. Yes I obey all traffic laws, it's safer that way.

This is, by far, the worst I've seen from bicyclists in this area. And it is because of this incident that I now have the local police on speed dial in my cell phone.

though I will say yes-please do this-encourage others to do so as well-sadly some people(even some law enforcement) think they have a free pass to ignore the law due to what vehicle they're operating, and that makes things unsafe for everyone. Heck I tell the police where to set up their "stings" to ticket for things like "failure to stop at a traffic signal"-I know the stop signs that get ignored, and red lights that get blown through-they do appreciate it, though the non-law abiding cyclists would hate me. Sorry share the road means share the responsibility as well.

[bhskittykatt]

We have a narrow road, that I swear only suicidal cyclists must pedal. It's carved into the cliff, so you have rock wall, narrow, windy road with lots of blind curves, straight drip into ocean. The speed limit is 40mph (most drivers go above that on this road); no cyclist I've come across has come even close to matching that.

Most cars who are going a bit slower will happily pull over on this stretch of road (there are plenty of scenic viewpoints to do this). Cyclists, though, have no problem holding up lines of a dozen cars or more. And since every curve is a blind one, it's too dangerous to pass them since you can't see what's coming down the road.

State law says you can't hold up more than six cars. Cyclists seem to think they're exempt from this law.

[Cookie]

As a cyclist, I have to say....

Those people you encountered were frigging stupid and they're going to get themselves killed and the people like them will blame everyone but the idiots at fault!

:deep breath: Sorry, those types tick me off.

[Green_Fairy]

Then the light changed to red so an elderly couple could cross at the crosswalk. I stopped and was in position to watch the bicycists blow through the light, splitting formation to ride both in front of and behind the pedestrians. The male pedestrian had a cane and was so shocked he stumbled and nearly fell down.

As a cyclist, I have to say....

Those people you encountered were frigging stupid and they're going to get themselves killed and the people like them will blame everyone but the idiots at fault!

:deep breath: Sorry, those types tick me off.

i agree with you 100% there.
buuuuuuut here's me playing devil's advocate.
gerrinson, what are the bike laws in your area? some places don't require bikes to stop for lights, only yield. yes, they should've stopped for the pedestrians, but running the red might be perfectly legal in your area.

[BlaqueKatt]

Most cars who are going a bit slower will happily pull over on this stretch of road (there are plenty of scenic viewpoints to do this). Cyclists, though, have no problem holding up lines of a dozen cars or more. And since every curve is a blind one, it's too dangerous to pass them since you can't see what's coming down the road.

State law says you can't hold up more than six cars. Cyclists seem to think they're exempt from this law.

and in many states they are exempt-oregon state for example-there are specific exemptions in most state vehicle codes that state bicycles on the road are not covered by slow-moving vehicle laws-they have their own set of laws as well as most of the other laws-and in most states a cyclist is only required to pull over to the side if a lane is wide enough for both bicycle and car to share the lane safely-from your description of this roadway it sounds like that is not the case(most states also have a 3 foot passing rule)-remember just because you think a law is or should be x does not mean it is. If you cannot pass them with 3 feet of clearance-it is illegal to do so-regardless of "inconvenience". Being inconvenienced is not a legal defense for a traffic violation-if your states laws are similar to mine or the state of Oregon's the cyclists are operating within the law, anyone attempting to pass them is not. It may be a dick thing to do, but is in no manner illegal, if s I stated your state's laws are similar(I believe most if not all states have similar wording-"as far right as practicable"-with the same exceptions-hazards, lane width, etc.)

Many issues between cyclists and motorists are due to the motorists ignorance of laws pertaining to bicycles. Heck I used to, as a cyclist, get annoyed at having to wait to pass a rollerblader, until I found out that in my state and city-a person on in-line skates can be in the roadway. I thought I "knew what the law was, checked and found out it wasn't.

Wi state law states-(page 3 contains the statue on "slow moving vehicles"-they are to move over if practicable-which if the lane is narrow, it is not considered practicable)
Subject to the special provisions applicable to bicycles, every person riding a bicycle upon a roadway or shoulder of a highway is granted all the rights and is subject to all the duties which this chapter grants or applies to the operator of a vehicle, except those provisions which by their express terms apply only to motor vehicles or which by their very nature would have no application to bicycles.

Any person operating a bicycle or electric personal assistive mobility device upon a roadway at less than the normal speed of traffic at the time and place and under the conditions then existing shall ride as close as practicable to the right-hand edge or curb of the unobstructed traveled roadway, including operators who are riding 2 or more abreast where permitted under sub. (3), except When reasonably necessary to avoid unsafe conditions, including fixed or moving objects, parked or moving vehicles, pedestrians, animals, surface hazards or substandard width lanes that make it unsafe to ride along the right-hand edge or curb.

The operator of a motor vehicle overtaking a bicycle or electric personal assistive mobility device proceeding in the same direction shall exercise due care, leaving a safe distance, but in no case less than 3 feet clearance when passing the bicycle or electric personal assistive mobility device, and shall maintain clearance until safely past the overtaken bicycle or electric personal assistive mobility device

[Gerrinson]

i agree with you 100% there.
buuuuuuut here's me playing devil's advocate.
gerrinson, what are the bike laws in your area? some places don't require bikes to stop for lights, only yield. yes, they should've stopped for the pedestrians, but running the red might be perfectly legal in your area.

According to the people I've spoken to, including a police officer, they are required to stop for red lights and stop signs in this state.

[Magpie]

actually in most states that would be you at fault for impeding traffic-yes the idiot on a bike would get cited for riding against traffic-but you would as well-two wrongs don't make a right. ...

(a) Opens any door of a vehicle unless and until it is reasonably safe to do so and it can be done without interference with the movement of traffic, or with pedestrians and bicycles on sidewalks or shoulders.

While I don't think that hitting the idiot will solve the problem (he's not going to realise that he's at-fault), someone riding on the wrong side of the road isn't really "traffic", and drivers aren't expected to know that they're there. Hence the road having a side that you're expected to drive on.

And I completely agree with incognitocook! I'm sure you'd still get people trying to run cyclists off the road, but I'm sure that things would work better if you didn't have cyclists pretending that the HTA doesn't apply to them. (Maybe the mayoral candidate who says that cyclists getting killed is their own fault because roads were designed for cars wouldn't be a front runner).

[Captain Trips]

I would think not only does the law say "stop at red lights" but so would common sense (if it were indeed common!) Look at it this way: a semi takes hundreds of feet to come to a stop, and bicycles can be hard to see. Or, the numbers: a semi weighs 20,000 pounds, a cyclist weighs about 200. And the truck is no doubt moving faster - by laws of inertia, if the truck hits the bicycle, the truck will get scratched while the cyclist, with a little luck, will have barely enough for the coroner to identify the body.

Or, to quote HellBoy, "Red means STOP!!!"

[dalesys]

The redeeming feature of most Jackass Bicyclists is the colorful spandex suits they wear...

They already look like pizzas

[BlaqueKatt]

The redeeming feature of most Jackass Bicyclists is the colorful spandex suits they wear...

yup because wearing proper equipment is stupid.

and the fact that we pay upwards of $100 per jersey or pair of shorts-because it is necessary to prevent heatstroke(moisture-wicking fabric), and severe chafing/blistering/injury-is just hilarious-ever ride for more than 8 hours? Compression of the muscles reduces fatigue, shorts are padded as the seats are not, shorts don't have seams that will chafe-trust me I rode for an hour once in jeans-I had blisters in very uncomfortable places that ripped open-I could barely walk for 4 days. And the bright colors are for visability-they don't even make jerseys that aren't bright colors.

[AccountingDrone]

yup because wearing proper equipment is stupid.

and the fact that we pay upwards of $100 per jersey or pair of shorts-because it is necessary to prevent heatstroke(moisture-wicking fabric), and severe chafing/blistering/injury-is just hilarious-ever ride for more than 8 hours? Compression of the muscles reduces fatigue, shorts are padded as the seats are not, shorts don't have seams that will chafe-trust me I rode for an hour once in jeans-I had blisters in very uncomfortable places that ripped open-I could barely walk for 4 days. And the bright colors are for visability-they don't even make jerseys that aren't bright colors.

OK, now I am puzzled. I used to ride centuries on weekends hanging with my friends, in jeans teeshirts and sneekers. I never got blisters at all. I also used to commute 30 miles into the city to go to college the month that my car had died and I was scrounging the money to get it repaired. Oh, and I rode a schwinn Varsity, not one of your fancy racing bikes.

[It happens when you have bikes, no car and you are 30 miles from the city, and you end up riding to and from the city a couple times a day doing stuff. Ah to be young and idiotic again!]

[Flying Grype]

I've never gotten blisters or chafing, although my farthest ride to date is probably 30km. :P But I can imagine that if you're trying to ride fast and efficiently, like racers do, you might have problems. I also wonder if it's worse for men...

Regarding 'common sense', what was being described there was physics, and more people are ignorant about physics than they are about traffic laws. I can't count the number of people I've seen jaywalking in front of streetcars, daring the driver to stop. He's not continuing on because he's calling your bluff, it's because that car can't stop as quickly as you expect.

[Lace Neil Singer]

If you appear to be a 30 year old man and are going to ride a bike and shout out things like 'Share the road, ***hole!

"I'll share the road with you when you effing well share payment, arsehole," is the correct response. Honestly, the cyclists who hold the "Share the road!" view tend to be the most irritating rule breakers, and the ones who will cheerfully run red lights, cut accross vehicles and seem to be constantly trying to commit suicide by bicycle.

As for "It's my right of way!" well, consider this. If a massive truck and you on your pushbike collide, who do you think is going to end up dead, you or the truck driver? You'll be right, but that won't be much comfort to your grieving family. I ride a motorbike and find myself having to concede when it's my right of way, cuz I don't particularly fancy becoming roadkill. Sometimes, you just have to pick your battles.

Note: My post is NOT directed towards ALL cyclists; just those who think that the rules don't apply. Anyone who quotes my post and replies to it as tho I am is obviously one of those "lycra louts" who insist on riding in the middle of the lane, who run red lights, ignore pedestrians and, the height of stupidity, ignore the cycle lanes to ride in the road.