Crazy people swearing at and driving RIGHT beside cyclists

[VanQ]

Germany. They have bike lanes on their sidewalks.

Germany has the right idea! Maybe the rest of the world will see their example and copy it. I don't have a problem with cyclists who use common sense, but knowing there are cyclists out there like the OP who think they are a car just because some stupid "law" was made that says they are has me worried.
Note to the OP: You DO NOT have a 2 tonne shell of steel around you, a car CAN NOT, and I repeat this CAN NOT POSSIBLY brake and maneuver as well as you can, if you are in the way, you will get yourself killed one day, if not because of some unfortunate victim who turns the bend unaware of you, but because there are drunken idiots on the road every day, who have no chance in hell of reacting to your presence accordingly.
Cyclists need to realise that just because the law says you are a car, it does not make you one, and treating yourself like one is pure folly on your own part. The worst part is, the driver of the car will be blamed when you get yourself killed.
/end rant. I haven't ranted like this in a while, but I have had to deal with an awful lot of self-entitled cyclists on my daily commute to work.

 

[darthotaku]

I had something similar happen. I was riding my unicycle at the side of the road because there was no sidewalk to ride on. two guys drove up to me and opened their car door to hit me with it. then later, as I unicycled through a parking lot, they did it again, circled around, and tried to play chicken.

 

[willsham45]

I once had a guy reverse into me and then have a go at me. But that was it.
Most problems have been cycling though town and having people say you should not do that but I have cycled past police and they say nothing+nothing says you cannot, oh and one other time when I was cycling though a park and was told a park worker no bikes but I was long gone before be could finish.

You have the right you use the roads, cars should yield to you not you to them as long as you are riding safely.

I heard of some people who have been having that problem in britain, they started going around with a camera on there person so they can go to the police and but them though the ringer you are in the right you have the right to use those roads. As long as you are on your half of the road you are right you should not have to move out the way for them.
then again you should try to use alternitive roots when you can.

 

[Coraxian]

Snip

Yeah, I'm kind of surprised at the sheer amount of hate here as well.
I'm from Belgium (not quite as good at bike lane maintenance as our Dutch neighbours, but they get you around) and I have to agree with the aforementioned quote.

If there is a bike lane, use the bike lane. If there isn't, stay on the right side of the road (about 1m (3ft) maximum in my opinion). And if you're driving a car, over a ton of metal at high velocity, you should keep your temper in check. It's all a matter of getting used to it.

I think what the U.S.A. really needs is some good ol' fashioned granny bikes. Whenever I see cyclists fromt he states portrayed they're always riding a racing styled bike with special atire and all. If they would use the bike as most people do over here: just getting from A to B on a 'normal' bike, wearing your normal clothes at a 'normal' speed of 15-25 km/h (10-15mph)it would make it more accessible to everyone, not just the fanatics.

The bicycle is a wonderfull invention. Imagine having to travel 20km by foot or by bicycle. Imagine the amount of time you need to cover that distance and the shape you're in when you get there.

p.s.: when I was in Australia I was surprised to find that it's normal there for cyclists to use the highways (something illegal in Belgium and I'm sure in the rest of Europe as well), but seeing the vast distances it is the only option, of course.

 

[Ace of Spades]

When you're in a car, you hate pedestrians and cyclists. When you're on a bike, you hate pedestrians and drivers. When you're on foot, you hate drivers and cyclists.

 

[Arehexes]

Do what I do, ride on the side walk. screw the walkers because the only roads at my school that has a bike path is behind the school where the frat houses are not where the dorms are also.

 

[Arehexes]

Drive in the sidewalk dammit, cyclists are annoying as hell, specially big groups that take the whole damn road.

If i have to get in the opposite lane to pass you there's a problem..

GTFO the road

Oh get off your high horse bikes have a legal right on the right and we are not allowed on the sidewalk(even though I do it because I don't trust drivers where I live at). Why don't you chill the hell out with people on bikes, what gives you a right over people on bikes, you already go faster then us, you have more shield if you get hit, and you can ride without using a lot of energy, but oh no I can't go fast because of the people on bikes.

 

[Arehexes]

Drive in the sidewalk dammit, cyclists are annoying as hell, specially big groups that take the whole damn road.

If i have to get in the opposite lane to pass you there's a problem..

GTFO the road

You HAVE to get in the opposite lane to pass, or you're breaking the law, at least where I am. Many people do understand this though.

If there's a perfectly empty sidewalk next to them why don't they use it?

It's illegal for a bike to ride on a sidewalk in a lot of places.

 

[LCP]

Drive in the sidewalk dammit, cyclists are annoying as hell, specially big groups that take the whole damn road.

If i have to get in the opposite lane to pass you there's a problem..

GTFO the road

Oh get off your high horse bikes have a legal right on the right and we are not allowed on the sidewalk(even though I do it because I don't trust drivers where I live at). Why don't you chill the hell out with people on bikes, what gives you a right over people on bikes, you already go faster then us, you have more shield if you get hit, and you can ride without using a lot of energy, but oh no I can't go fast because of the people on bikes.

Because if I hit you due to your lack of bicycle skills it will always be the driver's fault..

You're endangering yourself and others just because "i wanna bike on the street"

 

[Arehexes]

Yeah bikers come to one of the small towns I used to live near, and do the exact same stupid shit the OP does.

Eventually the town got so fed up that they invented ways to fuck with the dumbass bikers who were always right in the middle of the damn road. One local mechanic gave free "modifications" that would make it so your windshield cleaner shot sideways. This eventually led to someone getting arrested for filling it with piss.

The sad thing is the town eventually built a giant bike lane, but none of the bikers use it. Probably because they are all dipshits. I mean the speedlimit is 50, and the area is extremely hilly. Riding in the middle of the road in that area is dangerous and stupid.

If you want to bike, find a bike trail or something. Riding in the middle of a crowded highway is just stupid and disrespectful.

That's just stupid what if you hit someone with windshield cleaner and he falls off his bike and gets killed? It seems you guys who feel cars own the road are the douchebags.

 

[Arehexes]

Drive in the sidewalk dammit, cyclists are annoying as hell, specially big groups that take the whole damn road.

If i have to get in the opposite lane to pass you there's a problem..

GTFO the road

Oh get off your high horse bikes have a legal right on the right and we are not allowed on the sidewalk(even though I do it because I don't trust drivers where I live at). Why don't you chill the hell out with people on bikes, what gives you a right over people on bikes, you already go faster then us, you have more shield if you get hit, and you can ride without using a lot of energy, but oh no I can't go fast because of the people on bikes.

Because if I hit you due to your lack of bicycle skills it will always be the driver's fault..

You're endangering yourself and others just because "i wanna bike on the street"

It's not I wanna bike on the street, it's I don't want a cop getting on my ass about riding on the side walk (which did happen and I had to point out how close people drive to the curb on a busy street). Why is it if I bike on a street I'm a asshole when I'm trying to follow the law, I have to break a law just to avoid morons like you

 

[SNIPERFOX ft. Harry P.Ness]

One woman in a volkswagen beetle wrecked my new yamaha R1 by saying i was going too slow and needed go go on a bike lane.
I was going 30 KM/h off a roundabout into a main road where most cars go almost 70 KM/h.







she was texting while driving. now my bike is in a workshop, and i have to work at my friend's dad's takeaway to cough up some more cash.

 

[LCP]

Drive in the sidewalk dammit, cyclists are annoying as hell, specially big groups that take the whole damn road.

If i have to get in the opposite lane to pass you there's a problem..

GTFO the road

Oh get off your high horse bikes have a legal right on the right and we are not allowed on the sidewalk(even though I do it because I don't trust drivers where I live at). Why don't you chill the hell out with people on bikes, what gives you a right over people on bikes, you already go faster then us, you have more shield if you get hit, and you can ride without using a lot of energy, but oh no I can't go fast because of the people on bikes.

Because if I hit you due to your lack of bicycle skills it will always be the driver's fault..

You're endangering yourself and others just because "i wanna bike on the street"

It's not I wanna bike on the street, it's I don't want a cop getting on my ass about riding on the side walk (which did happen and I had to point out how close people drive to the curb on a busy street). Why is it if I bike on a street I'm a asshole when I'm trying to follow the law, I have to break a law just to avoid morons like you

It makes more sense for you to use the sidewalk than for me to use the sidewalk.

The law is stupid I agree, People never walk where I live

 

[loc978]

Drive in the sidewalk dammit, cyclists are annoying as hell, specially big groups that take the whole damn road.

If i have to get in the opposite lane to pass you there's a problem..

GTFO the road

Oh get off your high horse bikes have a legal right on the right and we are not allowed on the sidewalk(even though I do it because I don't trust drivers where I live at). Why don't you chill the hell out with people on bikes, what gives you a right over people on bikes, you already go faster then us, you have more shield if you get hit, and you can ride without using a lot of energy, but oh no I can't go fast because of the people on bikes.

Because if I hit you due to your lack of bicycle skills it will always be the driver's fault..

You're endangering yourself and others just because "i wanna bike on the street"

It's not I wanna bike on the street, it's I don't want a cop getting on my ass about riding on the side walk (which did happen and I had to point out how close people drive to the curb on a busy street). Why is it if I bike on a street I'm a asshole when I'm trying to follow the law, I have to break a law just to avoid morons like you

because the law is completely, utterly, indefensibly wrong in this case.

 

[Aardvark Soup]

I never had this problem. Then again, I live in the Netherlands, where cyclists are so common the infrastructure is adapted for them (bike lanes are almost everywhere, in most cities a bike is even the most practical method of non-public transportation) and motorists are used to them.

As a kid I did once had a bycycle trip during a holiday in England, and I can remember having to wear an annoying helmet and having to be very careful around cars because they were acting quite dangerous around cyclists they apperantly didn't see often.

 

[amucha98]

.

 

[Arehexes]

Drive in the sidewalk dammit, cyclists are annoying as hell, specially big groups that take the whole damn road.

If i have to get in the opposite lane to pass you there's a problem..

GTFO the road

Oh get off your high horse bikes have a legal right on the right and we are not allowed on the sidewalk(even though I do it because I don't trust drivers where I live at). Why don't you chill the hell out with people on bikes, what gives you a right over people on bikes, you already go faster then us, you have more shield if you get hit, and you can ride without using a lot of energy, but oh no I can't go fast because of the people on bikes.

Because if I hit you due to your lack of bicycle skills it will always be the driver's fault..

You're endangering yourself and others just because "i wanna bike on the street"

It's not I wanna bike on the street, it's I don't want a cop getting on my ass about riding on the side walk (which did happen and I had to point out how close people drive to the curb on a busy street). Why is it if I bike on a street I'm a asshole when I'm trying to follow the law, I have to break a law just to avoid morons like you

It makes more sense for you to use the sidewalk than for me to use the sidewalk.

The law is stupid I agree, People never walk where I live

Drive in the sidewalk dammit, cyclists are annoying as hell, specially big groups that take the whole damn road.

If i have to get in the opposite lane to pass you there's a problem..

GTFO the road

Oh get off your high horse bikes have a legal right on the right and we are not allowed on the sidewalk(even though I do it because I don't trust drivers where I live at). Why don't you chill the hell out with people on bikes, what gives you a right over people on bikes, you already go faster then us, you have more shield if you get hit, and you can ride without using a lot of energy, but oh no I can't go fast because of the people on bikes.

Because if I hit you due to your lack of bicycle skills it will always be the driver's fault..

You're endangering yourself and others just because "i wanna bike on the street"

It's not I wanna bike on the street, it's I don't want a cop getting on my ass about riding on the side walk (which did happen and I had to point out how close people drive to the curb on a busy street). Why is it if I bike on a street I'm a asshole when I'm trying to follow the law, I have to break a law just to avoid morons like you

because the law is completely, utterly, indefensibly wrong in this case.

Well how about you have a idea that doesn't make it a pain to avoid people on foot. I rather not risk falling in a ditch again like the last time I had to avoid someone texting while walking not looking where she was going. Because I rather stay on the road, and that won't change just because "I don't go fast like a car", that is such a stupid reason. I won't you guys to drive in a country back road and by stuck behind a giant tracker thing not being able to see around to for 30 minutes. I rather avoid a person on bike then that.

 

[PhunkyPhazon]

HAH! I love the fact that a shitload of Coloradoans show up on this exact page to rage about cyclists. Seriously, if you don't live here, you wouldn't understand. It's a fucking plague.

I know, I love how we're the most vocal group here.

Also, skin-tight body suits should be illegal. Coloradoans, you know what I mean.

One woman in a volkswagen beetle wrecked my new yamaha R1 by saying i was going too slow and needed go go on a bike lane.
I was going 30 KM/h off a roundabout into a main road where most cars go almost 70 KM/h.

she was texting while driving. now my bike is in a workshop, and i have to work at my friend's dad's takeaway to cough up some more cash.

You can't seriously be surprised that you got in an accident on a major road when you were going 40km under the speed limit, no matter the "vehicle" you were using and what the car driver was doing at the time, as that's going to cause even the most aware drivers to slam on their brakes, which can lead to even MORE accidents. I hate texting drivers as much as everyone, but this could have easily happened regardless. And what possible reason did you have for not using the bike lane when there apparently WAS one, anyways?

If you really are surprised, then I'm ending this here because there is nothing I can say that won't get me banned. Because to me, at least where I live, this just defies all logic.

Obviously we live in very different areas if you're using km's, so it's possible things are just naturally different. But believe me, no one would have sympathy for you around here.