My case against cyclists

[CaptainKoala]

The title is a little misleading, I don't hate cyclists. I hate doucebags on bikes, I like to think theres a difference.

I live in Duluth Minnesota, and trying to get from uptown to downtown is like trying to ride down the broadside of the Rocky Mountains on a skateboard, so you have to be careful. So I'm driving downtown, going straight down the hill, and I come up to an intersection at a green light and theres a guy on a bike just sitting at the light texting. I wait like 10 seconds impatiently and I honk my horn, he looks at me like "fuck you" and continues his text. After like 20-30 seconds he finally rode off. WHAT THE HELL?
The best part of this story, there was a sidewalk right there.
This isn't an isolated incident either, this happens all the time. I hate all the bicyclists who whine about sharing the road and don't even take the time to learn the rules of it. If you want to bike on the street it's your responsibility to know the rules, and follow them like any other vehicle on the road. I honestly don't think that any schmo with a bike should be able to go out riding in the middle of busy streets with cars, trucks, and semis. There are sidewalks for a reason. If I'm driving a 2 ton metal deathtrap on wheels, I don't want to drive around with it a couple of feet away from some guy on a 10 pound bike.

Do you think people should be allowed to ride bikes on any road they want, or should it be isolated to less busy residential streets and sidewalks?

 

[Marcus Thomas]

Would it have made any difference if the jerk was in a car and texting at the light?

 

[gabe12301]

This happens all the time with normal drivers on the road. Apparently it's worse becuase it has no engine.

 

[CaptainKoala]

Would it have made any difference if the jerk was in a car and texting at the light?

No, but people in cars have to take tests, and know the general rules of the road. So no matter how dumb most drivers seem there are still way more bad bicyclists than drivers. Any idiot can hop on a bike and ruin everyone's commute by being an idiot.

 

[Azure-Supernova]

Do you think people should be allowed to ride bikes on any road they want, or should it be isolated to less busy residential streets and sidewalks?

I cycle to and from work every day and I cycle on the road. However, there's a particularly busy island at the base of a steep declining road that has a nasty set of traffic lights and some odd lane change-overs. When I hit that point I dismount and get on a path, I'll let the big boys roll around that death trap.

 

[Dags90]

Apparently it's worse becuase it has no engine.

And spandex short shorts.

It's either people in cars running into cyclists on the road, or cyclists running into people walking on sidewalks. I don't own a bicycle, but I do own a car and feet, so I say the cyclists stay on the roads. I'd rather be the one doing the running over.

 

[loc978]

Much as that guy was being a jackass for not pullung up onto the sidewalk, the look he shot you was probably meant to convey that you had plenty of room. If you're too afraid of your own vehicle to pass within a few feet of someone, you should probably better learn the dimensions of said vehicle. There is truly nothing wrong with driving around a stationary person/bicyclist, so long as you do so slowly.

That said, I'm all for going back to the days when bicyclists were expected to yield to cars and generally operate as pedestrians... because I'm goddamn fast on a bike, but I can't come close to hitting 55mph, and the road that goes by my house is a 55 zone that sees douchebags on commuter bikes going around 10mph down the middle of a lane. I sometimes like to ride up my driveway and pass 'em on the right going 25mph on my 10 year old mountain bike.

 

[CaptainKoala]

Do you think people should be allowed to ride bikes on any road they want, or should it be isolated to less busy residential streets and sidewalks?

I cycle to and from work every day and I cycle on the road. However, there's a particularly busy island at the base of a steep declining road that has a nasty set of traffic lights and some odd lane change-overs. When I hit that point I dismount and get on a path, I'll let the big boys roll around that death trap.

Thank you. To be honest, I wouldn't be mad about this if more people accepted personal responsibility and were more worried about being safe instead of just doing whatever they want and not thinking twice as long as its still technically lega.

 

[Bureacreative]

Would it have made any difference if the jerk was in a car and texting at the light?

No, but people in cars have to take tests, and know the general rules of the road. So no matter how dumb most drivers seem there are still way more bad bicyclists than drivers. Any idiot can hop on a bike and ruin everyone's commute by being an idiot.

Or they could text in a car and ruin everyone's commute by hitting someone. Cyclists don't ride on sidewalks, those are the rules of the road. It's still stupid as shit to be texting in the middle of the road, it's not difficult to wait i do it every time i get a text in my car. but don't act like it's a cyclist problem. It's a dumb person problem

 

[gmaverick019_v1legacy]

i do think cyclists are more dangerous to be on the road than in their own lane/sidewalk, first off most bikes barely hit 20-30, especially in my area with how many hills and stuff we have, and that is just ridiculously dangerous to be on a light slow ass bike while 2 tons of steel are flying by you going 40-50 (even 60 sometimes) while you are barely making it up that hill, on your own stamina too.

i personally bike all the time in the spring/summer, but i avoid roads like the plague, as i just don't trust everyone around me/myself/my bike to be able to be on the roads with cars (let alone buses/semi's, fuck that.)

 

[CaptainKoala]

Much as that guy was being a jackass for not pullung up onto the sidewalk, the look he shot you was probably meant to convey that you had plenty of room. If you're too afraid of your own vehicle to pass within a few feet of someone, you should probably better learn the dimensions of said vehicle. There is truly nothing wrong with driving around a stationary person/bicyclist, so long as you do so slowly.

That said, I'm all for going back to the days when bicyclists were expected to yield to cars and generally operate as pedestrians... because I'm goddamn fast on a bike, but I can't come close to hitting 55mph, and the road that goes by my house is a 55 zone that sees douchebags on commuter bikes going around 10mph down the middle of a lane. I sometimes like to ride up my driveway and pass 'em on the right going 25mph on my 10 year old mountain bike.

I definitely would have gone around him, but its only a two lane road, with one lane going in each direction. He was smack dab in the middle lane just sitting there.

 

[CaptainKoala]

RAAARGH I'M A DOUCHE

RAAARGH I LOVE PUTTING WORDS IN PEOPLE'S MOUTHS

Kindly note the very first line of the post:

"The title is a little misleading, I don't hate cyclists. I hate doucebags on bikes, I like to think theres a difference."

 

[Marcus Thomas]

Would it have made any difference if the jerk was in a car and texting at the light?

No, but people in cars have to take tests, and know the general rules of the road. So no matter how dumb most drivers seem there are still way more bad bicyclists than drivers. Any idiot can hop on a bike and ruin everyone's commute by being an idiot.

All of the cyclists in my area are responsible when they are on the road, which is more than I can say for the local motorists.

 

[loc978]

Much as that guy was being a jackass for not pullung up onto the sidewalk, the look he shot you was probably meant to convey that you had plenty of room. If you're too afraid of your own vehicle to pass within a few feet of someone, you should probably better learn the dimensions of said vehicle. There is truly nothing wrong with driving around a stationary person/bicyclist, so long as you do so slowly.

That said, I'm all for going back to the days when bicyclists were expected to yield to cars and generally operate as pedestrians... because I'm goddamn fast on a bike, but I can't come close to hitting 55mph, and the road that goes by my house is a 55 zone that sees douchebags on commuter bikes going around 10mph down the middle of a lane. I sometimes like to ride up my driveway and pass 'em on the right going 25mph on my 10 year old mountain bike.

I definitely would have gone around him, but its only a two lane road, with one lane going in each direction. He was smack dab in the middle lane just sitting there.

my apologies, I seem to have misread the opening post.
Yeah, the guy was just being an entitled douche. If only it were legal to bump 'em a little when they do that.

 

[Azure-Supernova]

Do you think people should be allowed to ride bikes on any road they want, or should it be isolated to less busy residential streets and sidewalks?

I cycle to and from work every day and I cycle on the road. However, there's a particularly busy island at the base of a steep declining road that has a nasty set of traffic lights and some odd lane change-overs. When I hit that point I dismount and get on a path, I'll let the big boys roll around that death trap.

Thank you. To be honest, I wouldn't be mad about this if more people accepted personal responsibility and were more worried about being safe instead of just doing whatever they want and not thinking twice as long as its still technically lega.

Education and policing are partially at fault. A majority of cyclists probably aren't aware that there are rules to cycling on the road, most of which is just basic road safety and awareness. That and Police (at least around here) aren't particularly strict about booking cyclists weaving around stationary traffic or going straight through red lights.

Other than that I feel it's generally just common sense. Cyclists have just as many, if not more responsibilities, than drivers as we're harder to see and usually slower. Lightweight bike frame always loses against mobile metal box.

 

[Phlakes]

Yeah, cyclists? If the speed limit is over 25, don't ride in the middle of the damn lane. Same with old people in golf carts.

I'm fine with sharing the road, just don't hold people up.

 

[SilentCom]

Apparently it's worse becuase it has no engine.

And spandex short shorts.

It's either people in cars running into cyclists on the road, or cyclists running into people walking on sidewalks. I don't own a bicycle, but I do own a car and feet, so I say the cyclists stay on the roads. I'd rather be the one doing the running over.

At least until you're charged with vehicular manslaughter...

 

[Dags90]

At least until you're charged with vehicular manslaughter...

I'd rather be charged with vehicular manslaughter than dead. You can fight a manslaughter charge (which requires negligence to be proven), and even if convicted, you'd probably spend five years behind bars at the most. You can't fight being dead, and it's forever.

 

[Worgen]

The guy is breaking the law doing that, if they are on the road then they have to obey the laws that cars do, aside from the speed limit since its hard to get a bike over 20 mph.

 

[SilentCom]

At least until you're charged with vehicular manslaughter...

I'd rather be charged with vehicular manslaughter than dead. You can fight a manslaughter charge (which requires negligence to be proven), and even if convicted, you'd probably spend five years behind bars at the most. You can't fight being dead, and it's forever.

You can has dead from cyclists?
I mean, I would prefer being a pedestrian having to worry about bicyclists riding by me than having to worry about cyclists while I'm driving. Worst case scenario if you're a pedestrian is getting knocked over by the bicyclist. Worst case scenario with a car is a serious case of dead.

But no, I understand you can fight a vehicular manslaughter charge, my point is you don't have to fight any charges if you're a pedestrian and a bicycle is involved.